For sponsor information, please email sponsorteam@as39.navy.mil If you know the extension and wish to contact a specific office, dial 671-343-1124, otherwise our  quarterdeck number is 671-343-0905.
Home : SUBPAC Commands : Submarine Tenders : USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) : Sailor Resources : Welcome Aboard Info

Welcome Aboard

 

For a collection of welcome aboard documents to help you PCS to Guam, please click on the following link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzA3nssLgSqiMzRsRDRic2haRHM

A few items of Interest to complete in order to make your PCS and time onboard the ESL easier:

Travel

  • Your Port Call message will determine where you will meet the ship and where to send your unaccompanied baggage!!!
  • To ease travel and/or leave we recommend you get your Tourist Passport.

Medical / Dental

  • Dental class A completed due to the limited availability.
  • At least a three month supply of any prescriptions that you are prescribed.
  • All shots are up to date.

Government Credit Card

  • All hands are required to have a government credit card prior to reporting.
  • In order to go TDY to a school, or on emergency leave, a government credit card is required.

Personal Devices

  • Be careful using your phone overseas!!! If you want to use your phone overseas get an international calling plan or have your carrier unlock your phone for international use.

Seabag Tips

  • Uniform of the Day onboard the ESL is coveralls underway and Navy Working Uniform in port. In port watches you will need your Navy Working Uniform and Navy Service Uniform.
  • The ESL is often in tropical climates so pack civilian clothing for warm weather, with at least one pair of pants. Items most often forgotten are shower shoes, towels, and hygiene gear so please remember those too, unless you plan to buy your hygiene gear from the ship store after you get here.
  • The ESL utilizes NAVY CASH. If you wish to purchase anything onboard you will need to have cash to apply to your Navy Cash Card, issued upon check-in via disbursing. We strongly recommend you to bring extra cash to apply to your cash card so you may buy items you forgot to pack, or if you decide you'd like to have snacks from the ship store or gee dunk.
  • The ESL is not often in a port with a Navy Exchange, as such we recommend that you bring any items that aren't normally available overseas (e.g. Uniforms, ribbons, medals, PT shoes, PT gear, boots, etc.) You may choose to purchase items online via the navy exchange but mail can take up to six weeks to arrive.

NKO

Must be completed annually; Expires 30 Sept

  • DOD CYBER AWARENESS CHALLENGE V2(DOD-IAA-V12.0)
  • PRIVACY AND PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (DOD-PII-2.0)
  • RECORDS MANAGEMENT (DOR-RM-010-1.1)
  • COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (CTIP)(DOD-CTIP-1.0)
  • COUNTERINTELLIGENCE AWARENESS AND REPORTING (DOD-CIAR-1.0)
  • OPERATIONAL SECURITY (UNCLE SAM'S OPSEC)(NIOC-USOPSEC-2.0)
  • ANTI-TERRORISM LEVEL 1 AWARENESS TRAINING(CENSECFOR-AT-010-1.0)
  • MARINE SPECIES AWARENESS TRAINING (MSAT) (Officers Only)

Watchstanding NKO'S

  • SERE Level A (Every three years)
  • Level 1 ATFP(Yearly)
  • Sentry(Once)
  • Moderate Risk of Isolation Part 1 and 2

Gun Quals

  • M9 (CSF-M9-010-2.0) - All Hands: Enlisted & Officer
  • M500 (CSF-M500-010-2.0) - E6 & Below Only
  • M16 (CSF-M16-010-2.0) - E6 & Below Only
  • M240 (CSF-M240-010-2.0) - E6 & Below Only

Entitlements

(CNA) to be reimbursed commercial lodging cost (JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS CHAPTER 9 PART C).

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)

For members with dependents that elected to leave their dependents INCONUS.  BAH will start upon the Commanding Officer’s approval and will be their official designated place of residency (JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS CHAPTER 10, OPNAVINST 7220.12).

Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA)

Not to be mistaken with Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).  Entitlements vary depending on a member’s situation.  Below talks about the most common situations (JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS CHAPTER 10, OPNAVINST 7220.12):

  1. SINGLE RATE: Must be E4 with over 4 years of service and above.  CNIC INSTRUCTION 11103 further elaborates that unaccompanied housing (barracks), must be fully utilized, which is defined as being occupied to 95%.  Single E6 and above on sea duty may elect not to occupy government quarters.  Additionally, MIL to MIL at any paygrade may draw OHA as per NAVADMIN 099/13.

  2. WITH DEPENDENT: Any paygrade with command sponsored dependents. 

Cost of Living Allowance

While stationed in Guam, you will be entitled to COLA.  The rate of COLA varies depending on your paygrade and number of years of service.  COLA will start on the day you report to your new permanent duty station.  Below is a breakdown of each entitlement (JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS CHAPTER 9, PART B):

  1. REDUCED RATE: For those living onboard the ship or homeport ashore (barracks).  Geo bachelors will also be entitled to the reduced rate of COLA.

  2. SINGLE RATE: For those authorized to live off of the ship and drawing Overseas Housing Allowance.

  3. WITH DEPENDENT RATE: For those with accompanied, command sponsored dependents.

Career Sea Pay (CSP)

Will begin upon reporting to the ESL (DODFMR 7A CHAPTER 18).

Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA)

Intended to partially pay members with dependents for the more than normal expenses incurred while occupying temporary lodging OCONUS.  Note that TLA will not start until you have officially reported to the command, which is indicated by the endorsement you will receive from the Officer of the Deck.  TLA is prepared by the housing office every 10 days.  The housing office will also counsel you on how TLA is paid, and the steps you will need to take to file the claim.  It is highly advised that you call ahead of time to make lodging reservations.  If NGIS does not have any vacancy, you will need to obtain a Certificate of Non-Availability (CNA) to be reimbursed commercial lodging cost (JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS CHAPTER 9 PART C).

For Temporary Lodging Allowance, please make sure you have enough funds to cover lodging cost and meals for the first 10 days.  It is highly advised that you make lodging arrangements as soon as you receive your orders.  On or around the 10th day of occupying temporary lodging, you will need to take your paid receipt to housing so they can gather all the necessary documents and submit it to the ESL Personnel Office as soon as possible for processing.  Many Sailors have experienced financial hardship due to the high costs of lodging and meals in the Guam area.  Once TLA is processed, you will receive it on the next applicable payday.  If you feel that you need the TLA funds sooner, contact the ESL Personnel Office for more options.

Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE)

Not to be confused with TLA.  TLE is a travel entitlement that is computed the same way as TLA, but you are only entitled to TLE at the vicinity of your old PDS, and it is limited to five days if you are coming from CONUS to OCONUS. (JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS CHAPTER 5).

Meal Deductions

All enlisted personnel will have meal collections deducted from their pay due to the ESL having a mess onboard that serves three meals daily.  The rate will be $10.45 per day (DODFMR 7A CHAPTER 25). 

Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP)

For those that negotiated with their detailers for AIP, please ensure that this entitlement is written into your orders.  It is not uncommon for AIP to not start upon reporting to the command.  The Personnel Office will make contact with Navy Personnel Command, but it is imperative that you have negotiated and it is made clear that you will receive this entitlement.  Emails from NPC tend to work best (DODFMR 7A CHAPTER 57).

Overseas Tour Extension Incentives Program (OTEIP)

Incentives offered to enlisted personnel for an extension of the DOD tour.

*** For first term Sailors, they will be automatically assigned a three year tour.  Since the DOD tour for Guam is two years for single Sailors, you will automatically be entitled to OTEIP.  You will still have to go through the process and request it as per MILPERSMAN 1306-300 ***

Consecutive Overseas Travel (COT) Leave Policy

For a SVM stationed OCONUS, and ordered to another overseas area involving two full DOD area tours, a member is entitled to COT travel.  One thing to keep in mind is that if you or ordered back to the states for an I-stop, etc, and it’s paid for by the government, you will have to utilize your COT entitlement before or after your I-stop.  Any deferment requests will need to be approved by NPC.  Other exceptions are listed in MILPERSMAN 1050-410. 

Dislocation Allowance (DLA)

Travel entitlement that intends to offset the high cost associated with relocating households.  Single members are required to establish a household and receive OHA within 60 days of reporting onboard (120 with the CO’s approval).  Member’s with command sponsored dependents, or those that relocated their dependents INCONUS will are entitled to with dependent DLA (JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS CHAPTER 5). 

Seeing that a lot of members ship their vehicle at government expense to Guam, it is highly advised that you have your vehicle shipped at least two months in advance.  The average delivery time has been 6 weeks.  You will not be reimbursed for a rental car while your vehicle is in transit, unless it cannot be delivered on time.  The reimbursement is $30 daily for seven days.  You will need to provide something in writing from the Vehicle Processing Center (VPC) saying that the delivery will be late. 

A lot of members request advances upon their departure/arrival.  Advance pay is one of them.  Most of the time when members take any kind of advance pay (BAH, OHA, One month’s advance pay due to PCS), they are aware of the fact that they will have to pay that back in full within a 12 month period (13-24 with CO’s approval).  This can be useful as it helps with paying for the cost of any issues relating to a PCS and move in costs of a new residence, but please make sure plan for the scheduled deductions to avoid any financial hardship.

The most common problem is when Sailors request advance Dislocation Allowance.  The reason is because of the assumption that DLA is an entitlement without conditions.  For single members authorized to live out in town and establish a household, they will be entitled to DLA.  However, some Sailors have problems meeting the 60 or 120 day deadline (See above) and are forced to pay back DLA.  For those with dependents, it is imperative that you relocate your dependents.  In other words, if you take advance DLA and your dependents and do not move household goods, you will have to pay that amount back to the government.  As long as you know you are authorized to draw OHA or base housing, and you relocate your household goods, you will not have to pay back the advanced Dislocation Allowance.