U.S. Navy officials announced Thursday a stop-movement order for all sailors bound for the southeast coastal region of the United States, devastated by Monday’s Hurricane Katrina.
The order halts all permanent change of station, or PCS, moves and temporary-duty assignments to seven installations in the region for all personnel who have orders to report to the bases between Aug. 27 and Dec. 30, according the Naval Administration message, or NAVADMIN 216/05.
Sailors with orders to the following locations were told to cancel those plans: Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss.; Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Miss.; Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.; Pascagoula, Miss.; Naval Air Station and Joint Reserve Base, New Orleans; and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. On Sunday, the Air Force enacted a stop-movement order for Keesler and Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.
Navy Bureau of Personnel officials were not able to provide by press time Thursday more detailed information, such as the number of sailors the order will affect.
Information is spelled out in the NAVADMIN, but basically states that sailors who have not yet left their current commands must remain in place, including those stationed overseas. If they cannot stay, sailors should contact their detailers, or the people who assigns sailors their jobs.
However, ships that will be setting sail and have sailors aboard who shouldn’t be there because of PCS orders are directed to “detach the sailor” and have him or her report to the home port readiness support group, beach detachment or a transient personnel unit for temporary-duty orders.
And sailors who already have left their commands should do the same, the message states.
Thursday’s order does not affect personnel scheduled for temporary additional duty, or TAD, the message states, though those with orders are advised to first contact their change of command before heading to the region to determine if TAD orders are still valid.
The order does provide some guidance for sailors and families to collect per diems and temporary lodging allowances, but they will be handled on an individual basis. Sailors are told to seek advice from their chain of command or detailers.
