SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — The board tasked with cutting 3,000 sailors from the Navy to meet congressionally mandated force strength numbers has forwarded its final set of recommendations to the Navy Personnel Command.

Due to high retention and low attrition rates, the Navy convened an enlisted retention board for active-duty sailors in rates that are more than 103 percent manned. The board was charged with inspecting the official military records of 16,000 sailors and keeping the most qualified.

The board made recommendations regarding E-4 and E-5 sailors from 31 overmanned ratings in September and E-6 through E-8 last week, according to a Navy news release. Results will be released later this month after the recommendations are reconciled by the Chief of Naval Personnel and applications on sailors converting to undermanned rates are processed, officials said.

Commanding officers will be informed of the board’s decisions and will personally notify and counsel sailors not chosen for retention, the release said. Sailors not selected for retention will have access to the Navy’s transition assistance management program.

For more information on the enlisted retention board, click here.

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