CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// 
ROUTINE 
R 161943Z AUG 23 MID600053257991U 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC 
TO NAVADMIN 
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC 
BT 
UNCLAS 
 
NAVADMIN 194/23 
 
PASS TO OFFICE CODES: 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// 
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// 
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/AUG// 
 
SUBJ/NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER RETENTION BONUS PROGRAM// 
 
REF/A/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/261355ZFEB20// 
REF/B/DOC/U.S.C./22DEC22// 
REF/C/DOC/ASN MRA/28JUL23// 
 
NARR/REF A NAVADMIN 049/20, RENEWAL OF NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE SENIOR ENLISTED 
AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS PROGRAM.   
REF B IS SECTION 332 OF TITLE 37 U.S. CODE, GENERAL BONUS AUTHORITY FOR 
OFFICERS.   
REF C IS THE ASN MRA AUTHORIZATION OF THE CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER RETENTION 
BONUS PROGRAM.// 
 
RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN cancels reference (a) and announces authorization of 
the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Retention Bonus 
(RB) program. 
 
2.  Program Overview.  This bonus is authorized under references (b) and 
(c).  The NSW program manager, OPNAV N137, will act as the NSW CWO RB program 
manager.  All applications for this bonus will be submitted to the program 
manager for processing and tracking.  CWOs will receive the bonus in a lump 
sum payment, effective from the date of contract execution.  The program 
manager may make adjustments within the limits of reference (c), as needed. 
 
3.  Eligibility.  Effective 28 July 2023, NSW CWOs with the 7151 or 7171 
designator who have between 20 and 28 years of active service (YOAS), will be 
eligible to apply for the NSW CWO RB, but must also meet the following 
eligibility criteria: 
    a.  Be serving on Active Duty in the active component. 
    b.  Have completed four years of active commissioned service. 
    c.  Have the favorable recommendation of their commanding officer (CO) 
for receipt of NSW CWO RB. 
 
4.  Ineligibility: 
    a.  CWOs serving under an existing critical skills retention bonus 
contract or an existing accession bonus contract are not eligible to receive 
a NSW CWO RB for service outlined in the original contract agreement. 
    b.  CWOs with documented misconduct or below standard performance may be 
removed from NSW CWO RB eligibility. 
 
5.  Contract terms.  NSW CWO RB contract lengths, payments, and active 
component service obligations are outlined below. 
    a.  CWOs may sign a NSW CWO RB contract at 20 YOAS.  CWO2/CWO3s are 
eligible to contract to 26 YOAS.  CWO4/CWO5s are eligible to contract to 30 
YOAS.  If a CWO serves a partial year, that year will be prorated pursuant to 
the bonus amount of that year.  Minimum contract length is two 
years.  Contract phases may be combined as long as the CWO is eligible to 
receive payments to the contracted end dates.  All CWOs must contract no 
later than 28 YOAS.  Specific bonus amounts are graduated in line with YOAS. 
        (1) Phase One NSW CWO RB.  Must be a CWO2 or above with a 7151 or 
7171 designator to apply for a phase one bonus.  CWOs will have the 
opportunity to receive up to 90,000 dollars in RB for phase one 
contracts.  At a minimum, members must contract through 21 YOAS. 
YOAS                Bonus Amount 
20+                 20,000 dollars 
21+                 20,000 dollars 
22+                 25,000 dollars 
23+                 25,000 dollars 
        (2) Phase Two NSW CWO RB.  Must be CWO2 or above with a 7151 or 7171 
designator to apply for a phase two bonus.  CWOs will have the opportunity to 
receive up to 50,000 dollars in retention bonuses for phase two contracts. 
YOAS                Bonus Amount 
24+                 25,000 dollars 
25+                 25,000 dollars 
        (3) Phase Three NSW CWO RB.  Must be CWO4 or above with a 7151 or 
7171 designator to apply for a phase three bonus.  CWOs must contract no 
later than 28 YOAS.  CWOs will have the opportunity to receive up to 40,000 
dollars in retention bonuses for phase three contracts. 
YOAS                Bonus Amount 
26+                 10,000 dollars 
27+                 10,000 dollars 
28+                 10,000 dollars 
29+                 10,000 dollars 
        (4) CWO RB Contract.  Contract phases may be combined as long as the 
CWO is eligible to receive payments to the contracted end dates. 
    b.  NSW CWO RB contracts will be for a minimum of two years and a 
maximum of four years.  CWOs under the CWO RB contract will not submit a 
request for retirement with an effective date that is prior to the completion 
of the agreement. 
 
6.  Program Execution: 
    a.  CWOs should submit requests for NSW CWO RB to the program  manager 30 
to 60 days prior to the requested start date. 
    b.  Upon acceptance of an agreement of the CWO by the program manager, 
the amount of the bonus becomes fixed and the CWO incurs a firm service 
obligation. 
    c.  CWOs will receive the bonus in a lump sum payment, effective from the 
date of contract execution. 
    d.  CWO RB requests for personnel who are being processed for 
disciplinary action, additional qualification designator removal, or 
restoration will be held in abeyance pending final resolution. 
 
7.  Application.  The following documents are required: 
    a.  Letter of the officer requesting a NSW CWO RB contract. 
    b.  COs endorsement letter. 
 
8.  Point of contact is the Naval Special Warfare Officer Community Manager 
at (703) 604-5063/DSN 664 or via e-mail at SEAL_OCM@navy.mil. 
 
9.  This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled, 
whichever occurs first. 
 
10.  Released by Vice Admiral Richard J. Cheeseman, Jr., N1.// 
 
BT 
#0001 
NNNN 
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//