Transferring from one duty station to another

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Hello all,

I am currently a nurse at a Big Three hospital (Bethesda) and my orders have me here for 3 years. Is it possible to have my orders changed to be here for 2 years and transfer to another duty station? I have a four year committment and would like to spend 2 years here and 2 years elsewhere. Has anyone heard of this as a possibility?

Thanks!

NavLonghorn

I guess I should ask the Officer Programs office at work, but it's the weekend. I'll do that on Monday. :D

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, US Navy.

ENS Longhorn-

The answer is no, sort of. The only way you can swing 2 year orders is if you find a hotfill billet to go to, then Bethesda has to release to go to the hotfill. That is not going to be easy. You already know that nurses are stretched pretty thin right now, so to get Bethesda to cough you up early to go somewhere else would be a surprise. When you got your orders they specifiy the tour as 3 years (36 months). Only time Nurses (officers) get 2 year orders (in the Navy) is when you head overseas and you have no dependents.

Out of curiousity, where are you working? My wife is getting stationed there on L&D. I'm going to DUINS at the University of Maryland, we may cross paths sometime.

LT Dan

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Thanks for the info!

I had a feeling it would be almost impossible to go anywhere else before the 3 year point. I just wanted to go to a hospital further south a lil earlier. I dont mind Bethesda at all, just wishful thinking on my part.

Currently I work on 3W, the telemetry unit. I'm sure we'll cross paths at some point.

ENS Foster

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Specializes in ICU.

I'm not sure of how the Navy works this, but having been prior AD Air Force, if you had a 4 yr committment and were ordered for 3 years at one place then the chances of moving to a 2nd base with only 1 year remaining is next to nill...UNLESS you do a remote assignment (Korea, etc). In order for the military to justify moving you at the end of 3 years you would probably have to sign something extending you beyond your 4 year hitch to justify the government's expense of moving you. Otherwise prepare to stay for 4 years at your current base. I spent ALOT of effort trying to leave one of my bases early and this was what I faced. One option the Air Force had, and maybe the Navy to is a "SWAP" program. This program is where you find someone with the same MOS at a base that you want that desires your current base and you each pay for the cost of your move (instead of on the government's dime) and then move. This of course would require the ok from your chain of command, Good luck and hope this helps to some degree.

Nathan

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, US Navy.

Nathan-

Believe it or not, the Navy will do it, strange I know. My wife has 1yr. left on her contract and she is going to Bethesda for that. Officers in the Navy don't have a SWAP program, we only have Hotfills to get us out of a duty station early. At that your currernt command has to release you for the Hotfill, not always easy.

LT Dan

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