WASHINGTON -- On March 21, the Chief of Naval Personnel issued NAVADMIN 080/20 which supersedes the previous stop-movement NAVADMINs, adds implementing guidance for the “authorized departure” and consolidates all the guidance into a single NAVADMIN for ease of reference and to serve as a “one-stop” information source.
The NAVADMIN guidance applies to all Navy service members, Navy civilians, and their families assigned to DoD installations world-wide.
NAVADMIN 080/20 supersedes the following recent policy releases:
-NAVADMIN 064/20 Navy Mitigation Measures in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak
-NAVADMIN 065/20 Navy Mitigation Measures in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak Update 1
-NAVADMIN 074/20 Navy Mitigation Measures in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak Update 2
Domestic Travel
Per the NAVADMIN, a “stop movement” order was put in place until May 11, that applies to all service members, Navy civilian personnel and family members whose transportation is government funded. For Sailors this also includes personal leave and other unofficial travel.
The domestic travel stop movement applies to PCS and TAD/TDY, and Sailors are only authorized local leave. Until the domestic travel restrictions are lifted, Navy commands may only gain/onboard civilian employees within the local commuting area.
The types of authorized domestic travel include:
(1) Travel by patients and medical providers for the purpose of medical treatment for Navy personnel and their family members is authorized.
(2) Individuals who have already initiated PCS or TDY travel (including intermediate stops) are authorized to continue to their final destination.
(3) Individuals whose TDY and/or leave ends while this NAVADMIN is in effect are authorized to return to their home station at the end of their TDY and/or leave.
Individuals pending retirement or separation up to the date of May 11 are exempt from this policy.
PCS Orders to CDC COVID-19 Warning Level 3 Locations
Service Members and their dependents under PCS orders to or from a CDC COVID-19 Warning Level 3 location will stop movement.
Service Members who detached from their parent command prior to March 16, and are in transit are directed to contact Navy Personnel Command (NPC) for follow-on guidance. Each specific case will be reviewed and NPC will authorize entitlements based on current location and situation.
All Navy civilians and their dependents under PCS orders to or from a CDC COVID-19 Warning Level 3 location will also stop movement. Contact your supervisory chain of command for further guidance.
This policy applies to currently designated CDC COVID-19 Warning Level 3 locations, or those designated Level 3 at a later date.
PCS Orders to CDC COVID-19 Alert Level 2 Locations
Sailors under PCS orders to a CDC COVID-19 Alert Level 2 location will execute orders. Dependents of service members executing accompanied PCS orders to a CDC COVID-19 Alert Level 2 location will delay their travel until May 11. Waiver requests for exceptions to policy for dependents to travel with Service members can be submitted to PERS-451 for adjudication by PERS-4.
Sailors who have already detached from their parent command, prior to the date of NAVADMIN release, must contact NPC for follow-on guidance.
Navy civilians under PCS orders to a CDC COVID- 19 Alert Level 2 location will execute orders. Dependents of Navy civilians executing accompanied PCS orders to a CDC COVID-19 Alert Level 2 location will delay travel to the CDC COVID-19 Alert Level 2 location until May 11.
Additionally, until the travel restrictions are lifted, Navy civilian hiring actions for positions in Level 2 and Level 3 countries are postponed for non-essential civilian personnel who have not yet begun travel. Contact your supervisory chain of command for further guidance.
This policy applies to currently designated CDC Alert Level 2 locations and to those designated at a later date.
PCS in the U.S. and Territories
All Department of the Navy civilian employees whose transportation is government funded will
stop movement. Navy commands may continue civilian hiring actions, but may only onboard civilian employees in the local commuting area.
Service members who have not yet initiated PCS travel as of the effective date of this NAVADMIN are directed to contact NPC for follow-on guidance.
A local PCS move may be executed without an exception since it does not involve travel outside of the local area. To be clear, same geographic location PCS moves will only be executed with due regard to the operational readiness of the commands involved.
Other Travel Guidance
Exceptions to the stop movement may be granted where travel is (1) determined to be mission essential, (2) necessary for humanitarian reasons, or (3) warranted due to extreme hardship.
NPC (PERS-4) is authorized to approve or deny stop movement exceptions for service member PCS travel. The Echelon 2 Commander or their designee is authorized to approve or deny stop movement exceptions for service member official travel and training not associated with a PCS and leave requests outside of the local area.
For Navy civilian employees, authority to approve or deny exceptions of PCS from outside the local commuting area, official travel and training is delegated to the Echelon 2 Commander or their designee.
Navy Reserve personnel will follow guidance promulgated by the Chief of Navy Reserves.
Authorized Departure
Navy civilians and their dependents as well as the dependents of Sailors (referred to as eligible family members or EFMs) who are stationed OCONUS and who would be at a higher risk if exposed to COVID-19, are authorized to return to the United States.
The safe haven for EFMs is CONUS and the safe haven for DoN civilian employees is Arlington, Virginia. Members should work with their commands and local travel office to arrange for transportation to their safe haven. Authorized departures are only permitted when appropriate transportation and reception procedures are in place.
In line with Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), chapter 6, dependents must designate their specific safe haven location in the United States upon, or prior to, entry to the United States. Once designated, the specific safe- haven cannot be changed.
Dependents of uniformed personnel will be processed for safe-haven allowances in line with the JTR, Chapter 6, paragraph 0602. Navy civilian employees and their eligible family members will be processed for allowances IAW with the JTR, Chapter 6, paragraph 0604.
All travelers should be aware that preventative health measures to include restricted movement and business closures have been implemented in the U.S. to various degrees by federal, state and local governments. Travelers shall be advised to check the restrictions applicable to their situation, based on their departure location, any en route locations (foreign and in the United States) and their ultimate safe-haven, as well as availability of lodging, prior to beginning their return.
Finally, civilians who wish to depart their duty station must consult with their chain of command.
Allowances for Sailors' Eligible Family Members
Many Sailors have questions about allowance eligibility for their dependents who are returning to CONUS.
Per diem: Transportation expenses and travel per diem are authorized from the time the family departs the evacuation site, through the time they reach their selected safe haven location in CONUS, including processing time at both the evacuation and receiving site. A non-command sponsored dependent is only authorized transportation and per diem. Other allowances will not be paid.
Escort allowances: Travel and transportation allowances are also payable to a member, a U.S. government civilian employee, or a person who travels under an official travel authorization/order as an escort for an evacuated dependent who is incapable of traveling alone to the safe haven due to age, physical or mental incapacity, or other extraordinary circumstances.
Household goods (HHG)/shipping allowance: Upon a dependent departing for a safe haven, unaccompanied baggage (for the dependent), and HHG items as needed for dependent comfort and well-being, may be transported at government expense.
Privately owned vehicles: Transportation of a POV at government expense to a safe haven is not authorized.
Pets: Members can receive an allowance for transportation to the safe haven for up to two household pets (defined by JTR 060204 as a cat or dog), which the member owned at the evacuated foreign permanent duty station (to include quarantine fees).
Housing allowance: A member, whose command sponsored dependents are evacuated and who was authorized a with dependent housing allowance on the evacuation date, continues to be paid such allowance while the members PDS remains unchanged and the member continues to maintain private sector housing, as long as the command-sponsored dependents are receiving evacuation allowances.
Family separation allowance (FSA): A member is entitled to FSA if a member has a dependent depart an overseas duty station at government expense because of an evacuation and begins on the 31st day of dependent departure from the permanent duty station.
Of course, the impact of this authorized departure on each specific allowance is highly dependent on individual circumstances. For questions regarding specific allowances, members should contact their nearest Personnel Support Detachment or MyNavy Career Center (MNCC), or consult the JTR, chapter 6.
Receipts/records pertaining to evacuation should be retained.
All members are reminded to do their part by adhering to CDC guidelines as they relate to basic hygiene and human interaction.
“The entire team must understand their role in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 among our ranks,” said Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell in the NAVADMIN. “All efforts should be taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 and to minimize impact on our force. The Navy will remain focused on meeting our global commitments while also ensuring the health and well-being of our service members, Navy civilians and our families.”
Service members with questions regarding this stop movement or entitlements for PCS travel should contact the MyNavy Career Center (1-833-330-6622) or email ASKMNCC(AT)NAVY.MIL.