Publication:Sea Talk Spring 2003/Commitment to serve

Initial minimum periods of service and Return of Service Obligation policy

By Directorate of Naval Officers Postings

Initial Minimum Periods of Service (IMPS) is a new concept designed to fit within initial entry fixed periods of service. IMPS identifies the service required of a new member of the Permanent Navy following their appointment/enlistment.

This period could be less than or the same as the fixed period of appointment/enlistment which is essentially the commitment by Navy to the new entry member.

At the end of a fixed period of appointment/enlistment a member may be offered a further fixed period or open-ended appointment/ engagement as applicable.

The period of Initial Minimum Periods of Service is designed to cover the initial entry and Primary Qualification/category training as well as the return of service required for that training.

It applies to new entry officers and sailors appointed/enlisted, including sailors who are appointed as officers, after 1 December 2002.

The policy governing the application of Initial Minimum Periods of Service is outlined in Defence Instruction (General) PERS 33-5' Arrangements for Service in the Australian Defence Force'.

A Return of Service Obligation (ROSO) is required of members who receive specified training, education, experience or undertake special duties, other than that related to initial entry and Primary Qualification/category training.

A member becomes liable to complete a Return of Service Obligation for a course or special posting, on commencement of the posting.

The acquittal of the Return of Service Obligation commences as specified for the type of Training/posting at Annex A to Defence Instruction (General) PERS 33-3 ' Return of Service Obligation'.

An aim of the recent review of the Return of Service Obligation provisions was to standardise the application across the three Services for similar training, and to minimise Return of Service Obligation wherever possible.

As such, some key changes to the application of Return of Service Obligation from December 2002 include:

• In general, Return of Service Obligation will only be applied to postings for training or courses greater than six months duration (including overseas courses) and will be applied as the length of posting/training plus one year.
• Return of Service Obligation will be applied to full-time civil schooling, but not to part time or own time civil schooling
• Return of Service Obligation will not be applied to overseas postings on exchange.

The policy governing the application of Return of Service Obligation is outlined in Defence Instruction (General) PERS 33-3' Return of Service Obligation'

The points of contact for this matter are A/DNOP MEP CMDR Angela Bond, phone (02) 6265 2195 (officers) and SO2 OPS LCDR Peter Ashen (02) 6265 5880 (sailors).