Last Updated on November 16, 2023
This guide provides useful information for those who seek to become a United States Navy Officer through the Human Resources In-Service Procurement Program during the Fiscal Year 2024.
The U.S. Navy is one of the largest employers in the world. The organization is constantly recruiting personnel to serve and support its operations throughout the world, each with unique qualifications and skills. So how does the Navy effectively recruit, select, and keep its individuals?
The human resources community of the U.S. Navy plays an integral role in these matters; they conduct recruitment processes, selecting personnel, and helping them remain on active duty. The Navy has various programs set up to assist with these issues, such as their Human Resources In-Service Procurement Program (HR ISPP).
It’s important to understand all associated requirements and procedures for this program. This article will summarize the Navy Human Resources In-Service Procurement Program, discussing what it entails, who is eligible to take part and how you can apply.
Navy Human Resources Officer
A Navy Human Resources Officer is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy responsible for overseeing personnel management, recruitment and retention of personnel, career planning, financial assistance, and other matters related to personnel. They also provide guidance on personnel issues for both junior enlisted members and officers in all branches of service.
One of the few ways to get commissioned as a Human Resources Officer in the Navy is through the Human Resources In-Service Procurement Program (HR ISPP).
Eligibility Requirements
The requirements below are current as of June 2023, per the Navy Personnel Command. No updates have been issued thus far.
| Citizenship | Applicants must be United States citizens. |
| Gender | No gender restrictions. |
| Age | Applicants must be at least 26 years old and able to commission by the time they are 42. |
| Education | At least a bachelor’s degree from a recognized school is required. Bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, math, or HR-related fields like human resource management, personnel management, financial management, manpower systems analysis, operations research, operational analysis, curriculum/instruction development, organizational management, education counseling/human development, HR information systems management, or any other HR-related field are preferred. On a scale of 4.0, you must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.2. A graduate-level HR-focused degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative graduate program GPA of 3.0 or higher will prevail over an undergraduate degree with a GPA that does not qualify. |
| Certifications | Even though it is not required, it is preferred that applicants have a current, nationally recognized professional HR certification, such as Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). |
| Work Experience | A minimum of 18 months of experience as a command pay and personnel administrator (CPPA), command career counselor (CCC), or recruiter, as noted on Navy performance evaluations, is required. |
| Medical | Candidates must be available for worldwide assignment and physically qualified for sea duty assignments, according to the Manual of the Medical Department, Chapter 15. |
| Behavior | Applicants must be of good moral character and have no history of disciplinary action under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, no court-martial convictions, no civilian felony convictions by any civil court, or misdemeanors (except minor ($300 or less fine) traffic violations) within the three years prior to selection. An offense involving driving under the influence of an intoxicant (DUI/DWI, etc.) is considered a major traffic violation and is disqualifying. Pre-service drug or alcohol usage is not an automatic disqualifier. Any substantiated in-service drug or alcohol abuse (record of either, regardless of date) will cause disqualification. |
| Physical Fitness | To ensure that applicants are prepared for Officer Candidate School (OCS), they must have passed their two most recent PFAs and provide their most recent scores. If no official PFA scores are available or the previous PFA was waived, a simulated PFA administered by a qualified Command Fitness Leader will suffice. Running PFA scores are required, as no other cardio options are available at OCS. |
| Time in Service | A minimum of three years of enlisted active service as of the date the board convenes is required. |
| Warfare Qualification | Enlisted warfare qualification is required for this program. Refer to OPNAVINST 1414.9C for accepted qualifications. |
| Aptitude | Officer Aptitude Rating (OAR) test score is not required to apply for this program. |
| Interview | After the NRC and the applicant’s CO have approved their application packages, the Officer Community Manager (OCM) will get in touch with the applicants to arrange for two HR officer (designator 1200) interviews before the HR ISPP professional recommendation board takes them into consideration. One HR Captain (designator 1200) and one HR Commander (designator 1200) will conduct the interviews. The OCM will distribute the HR Interview Form to interviewers. The validity of HR interviews is for one board cycle. |
| Nuclear-Trained Sailors | When applying to a non-nuclear officer commissioning program, sailors assigned to a nuclear training command or who carry a nuclear Navy Enlisted Classification (N1XX/N2XX) must receive a conditional release from nuclear field duty. A Sailor must file an Enlisted Personnel Action Request (NAVPERS 1306/7) to the Nuclear Propulsion Program Management Branch (OPNAV N133) via their detailer at Navy Personnel Command, Enlisted Submarine/Nuclear Power Assignments Division to gain a conditional release (PERS-403). Before applying for a non-nuclear officer program, applicants must receive a conditional release. |
NOTE: Waivers are unauthorized for the HR ISPP.
Who May Apply
This program is open to active duty enlisted Sailors. Selected Reserve (SELRES), Training and Administration of Reserve, and Individual Ready Reserve Sailors, as well as SELRES serving on active duty for operational support, mobilization, active duty for training, one-to-three year recall orders, or canvasser recruiter duty, are ineligible to apply for this program.
Application Process
Application packages must come from a command that has completed the first training pipeline and must be approved by the applicant’s CO. Applications from the first training stream will be rejected.
Applicants must be nominated positively by the CO’s Recommendation portion of the Officer Programs Application, OPNAV 1420/1. Determine that all sections have been completed and that the applicant fits all eligibility conditions. The following statements or attestations must be included in the CO’s endorsement:
- The applicant is serving without restriction on full duty;
- The applicant meets requirements for physical fitness and body fat percentage; and
- Outline of any negative performance evaluation results and the applicant’s proactive steps to address these performance issues.
To verify that all requirements of this Program Authorization are met, Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) will examine applicant packets. If an application package is ineligible or incomplete, the NRC will reject it. The nominations will be sent back to the original command in these situations, and the CO will be informed of the error that prevented further processing.
The HR OCM, BUPERS-314B, will receive application packets for the HR ISPP professional recommendation board’s review.
After the HR ISPP professional recommendation board, the results of the board will be forwarded to the CNRC to inform the selected candidates via BUPERS Online (BOL) and prepare them for Officer Candidate School (OCS).
Upon Commissioning
All accepted candidates must complete OCS in Newport, Rhode Island. A candidate will be returned to their previous command at their existing rank and rate if they are unable to satisfactorily finish OCS for any reason other than injury.
The candidates will be given the ensign rank and designator 1200 upon commissioning.
Enlisted candidates in pay grades E-4 and below who are chosen for this program are named officer candidates and, upon reporting to OCS, are promoted to or given the rank of E-5. The paygrades E-5 and higher for enlisted applicants are designated officer paygrades, and they stay in those paygrades until commissioning.
Prior enlisted service members having a qualifying record are given the O1-E paygrade and receive compensation under it.
Service Obligation
All officers are required to serve for eight years (Title 10 U.S. Code section 651). This requirement will be fulfilled by combining active duty with reserve duty, with a four-year minimum active duty commitment. Officers commissioned under this program will not be qualified for lateral transfers until the amount of service has been completed.
More Information
If you want more information about this program, visit your local Command Career Counselor for further guidance.
If you think you’re already fully qualified, contact your local Navy Officer Recruiter for processing.
Hope this was helpful to your career planning.
