What is Sea Duty? Shore Duty?

Ok, since this is lengthy, I will make this post up here in the discussion area so we don't clog up the normal forum section...

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You often hear about three types of duty: sea duty, shore duty, and neutral duty. These three designations refer to duty for rotation purposes.

Everyone in the Navy has sea/shore rotation. The amount of time spent on sea duty or shore duty depends on your rate, rating, and individual circumstances.  Each rate and rating in the Navy has a designated sea/shore rotation cycle. You can find out what the current sea/shore rotation for your rate and rating is from your supervisor or career counselor.

For example, if your sea/shore rotation is listed as 36/36, that means that you spend 36 months in sea duty billets and 36 months in shore duty billets. In other words when you complete 36 months of sea duty, your next 36 months is shore duty. After 36 months of shore duty, you have 36 months of sea duty. That is your sea/shore rotation.  This is only the guideline.  It's only the perferred method.  Not everyone follows these rotation guideline mainly because of their job skills.  Example if you have an Electronics Technican (ET) who's training is working of 85 foot satellite dishes, then they will never go to sea, nor have a sea rotation, since they don't have 85 foot dishes on ships. 

You might ask, “What is sea duty, and what is shore duty”? There are eight types of duty designations used for sea/shore rotation. Each of these duty types is credited as sea, shore, or neutral duty for rotation purposes.

1. Shore duty (sea/shore Code 1). Shore duty, Code 1, is performed in CONUS (the 48 contiguous states) land-based activities and long-term schooling programs. (Long term is defined as 18 or more months; school assignments of less than 18 months are considered neutral duty.)  Members are not required to be absent from the corporate limits of their duty stations in excess of 99 days.

2. Preferred overseas shore duty (sea/shore Code 6). Preferred overseas shore duty, Code 6, is duty performed in overseas land-based activities that are credited as shore duty for rotational purposes as determined by BUPERS.

3. Sea duty (sea/shore Code 2). Sea duty, Code 2, is duty performed in commissioned vessels or activities home ported/home based in CONUS that operate away from their home port/home base in excess of 150 days per year.

4. Overseas shore duty (sea/shore Code 3). Overseas shore duty, Code 3, is duty performed in overseas land activities that is credited as sea duty for rotational purposes as determined by BUPERS.

5. Nonrotated sea duty (sea/shore Code 4). Nonrotated sea duty, Code 4, is duty performed in commissioned vessels home-ported overseas (outside the contiguous 48 states) or in activities that operate away from their overseas home port/home base in excess of 150 days per year.

6. Neutral duty (sea/shore Code 5). Neutral duty, Code 5, is duty in activities normally designated as shore duty for rotation, but that requires members to be absent 100 to 150 days per year from the corporate limits of their duty station while accomplishing their assigned task. School assignments of less than 18 months are included in this category.

7. Partial sea duty (sea/shore Code 7).Partial sea duty, Code 7, is duty performed in overseas, land-based activities credited as shore duty for rotational purposes, but credited as partial sea duty according to established guidelines.

8. Double sea duty (sea/shore Code 8). Double sea duty, Code 8, is duty performed in commissioned vessels or activities in an active status that operate away from their home port/home base in excess of 50 days a year credited as double sea credited because of the nature of the mission.