PACT stands for Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks. There are three different PACT programs--S-PACT, E-PACT, and A-PACT. Sailors in the PACT program have training after BC and do not go to an “A” School since they are Undesignated Sailors, meaning that they do not have an actual rating to train for yet. It is a great program for those individuals who are unsure what specific career field interests them at their initial time of enlistment. It also offers apprenticeship training in a rating that may not be available at the time of enlistment, which allows a future Sailor to ship to BC sooner than if s/he were to wait for ship date for a particular rating to become available. Every rating belongs to one of the three areas in the PACT Program and has credentials related to them. Those in a PACT program often know where they will be going for their first duty station before leaving BC. These assignments are based on the needs of the Navy. See https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/pact.htm, Plain Talk - Career Waypoint-PACT and http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2015/08/20/6-things-to-know-about-pact-program/ for more info on the PACT programs.

There were some changes to the PACT program that took effect on 1 June 2018. You can read about those changes in https://www.navycs.com/navy-jobs/pact.html, https://news.usni.org/2018/05/31/navy-speeds-pace-sea-going-apprenticeship-program, http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/deptStory.asp?issue=3&dep=6&id=105482, and https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/community/pact/Documents/PACT%20change%20FAQs.pdf.

Beginning 1 June 2018 those signing contracts for one of the PACT programs will have a three-year active duty commitment. Those who were already in the fleet or in DEP prior to that date will have a four-year commitment.

S-PACT or SN-PACT

S-PACT (Surface Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks) is another way of saying Undesignated Seaman. (https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/rating_info_cards/spact.pdf and https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/LaDR/s_pact_e1_e3.pdf have more information on the S-PACT program.)

If your loved one is in S-PACT, after BC, s/he will go across the street to TSC for 3 to 4 weeks of training (it could be longer if s/he has to wait to class up and begin the training and is in Holding). It is 16 days of actual training. Surface Common Core (SCC / S-PACT) Description in the Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes Facebook Page will have additional info for you. See the info about staying in GL within PIR Day and Liberty During PIR Weekend to help you plan your weekend following PIR and plan to leave late Sunday or on Monday if you are able.

Although your Sailor, may be a Seaman Recruit (SR), Seaman Apprentice (SA), or Seaman (SN) (and you would use those initials when addressing letters) depending on his/her contracted rate, other Sailors will refer to him/her simply as “Seaman.”

You may wish to join Undesignated...What's Up With That? and/or PACT Moms (clickable links) to learn more.

You can see which ratings are in S-PACT by looking for the ones listed under White/Navy blue (black) stripes in E-1, E-2, or E-3? How did that happen?.

See https://navydads.ning.com/forum/topics/s-pact-surface-seaman-professional-apprentice-track for more information.

E-PACT or FN-PACT

E-PACT (Engineering Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks) is another way of saying Undesignated Fireman. (https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/rating_info_cards/epact.pdf and https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/LaDR/e_pact_e1_e3.pdf have more information on the E-PACT program.)

If your loved one is in E-PACT, after BC, s/he will go across the street to TSC for around 6 to 7 weeks of training (it could be longer if s/he has to wait to class up and begin the training and is in Holding). It is 32 days of actual training. See the info about staying in GL within PIR Day and Liberty During PIR Weekend to help you plan your weekend following PIR and plan to leave late Sunday or on Monday if you are able.

Although your Sailor, may be a Fireman Recruit (FR), Fireman Apprentice (FA), or Fireman (FN) (and you would use those initials when addressing letters) depending on his/her contracted rate, other Sailors will refer to him/her simply as “Fireman.”

You may wish to join Engineers, Undesignated...What's Up With That? and/or PACT Moms (clickable links) to learn more. 

You can see which ratings are in E-PACT by looking for the ones listed under Red stripes in E-1, E-2, or E-3? How did that happen?.

See http://www.navydads.com/forum/topics/e-pact-engineering-fireman-professional-apprenticeship-track for more information.

A-PACT or AN-PACT

A-PACT (Aviation Professional Apprenticeship Career Tracks) is another way of saying Undesignated Airman. (https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/enlisted/rating_info_cards/apact.pdf and https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn/LaDR/a_pact_e1_e3.pdf have more information on the A-PACT program.)

If your loved one is in A-PACT, s/he will go to Pensacola for one week of INDOC and about 4 to 5 weeks of training after BC (it could be longer if s/he has to wait to class up and begin the training and is in Holding). It is 23 days of training. Your Sailor will most likely fly out the day after PIR, but may fly out on Sunday due to flight availability issues. Plan to leave on Sunday if you are able. See the info about flying out for training within PIR Day and Liberty During PIR Weekend to help you plan your weekend following PIR.

Although your Sailor, may be a Airman Recruit (AR), Airman Apprentice (AA), or Airman (AN) (and you would use those initials when addressing letters) depending on his/her contracted rate, other Sailors will refer to him/her simply as “Airman.”

You may wish to join Airman Family and Friends and Undesignated...What's Up With That? and/or PACT Moms (clickable links), to learn more. 

You can see which ratings are in A-PACT by looking for the ones listed under Green stripes in E-1, E-2, or E-3? How did that happen?.

See http://www.navydads.com/forum/topics/airman-an-professional-apprenticeship-career-track-pact for more information.

Information for All

While at RTC, your recruit may have a reclassification meeting and meet with the detailer and be offered the opportunity to sign a new contract for a rating or to continue with the current contract. This opportunity does not happen for every recruit who enters boot camp within the PACT program since contracts only become available when another recruit becomes ineligible for a contract for some reason. Sometimes several contracts are available to choose from and sometimes only one contract is available that the recruit qualifies for when the meeting occurs.

If your recruit has orders to a particular ship/sub before the end of BC, which often happens for those in the PACT program, a NavyRackPack is a great gift. Go to http://www.navyrackpacks.com/. Email Pat and she will let you know which one to order and if that vessel has authorized its use. My Sailor said his was "awesome."

Following training, your Sailor most likely will go home for about 10 days of Leave before s/he heads to his/her first duty station where s/he will be an Undesignated Seaman, Undesignated Fireman, or Undesignated Airman. Your Sailor will be at his/her permanent duty station (PDS) for 24 months. Encourage your Sailor to do RAP or HARP duty with a recruiter while home on Leave before reporting to the first duty station and get credit for 5 days of unchargeable Leave. Be sure that the recruiter signs off and sends in the paperwork. This is especially important for those in the PACT programs since they may go in the hole on Leave if they do not do RAP or HARP duty since the training time for the PACT programs is so short that they often only have 7.5 days on the books when training is over. Travel to and from this leave is paid for by the Sailor (or the Sailor's family).

Effective 1 June 2018, PACT Sailors will be designated based on their selection of a
prioritized job in a rating for which they are qualified. PACT Sailors will be able to directly communicate with their detailers and Enlisted Community Manager (ECM), for prioritized jobs matching their abilities and designation desires. Twelve months from their Projected Rotation Date (PRD), Sailors can apply for designation using C-WAY-PACT. This is twelve months into the assignment to the command and your Sailor will still have twelve months at the command. This will enable Sailors to apply for jobs for which they are qualified and job openings that have Fleet prioritization to fill key billets. If your Sailor has an interest in an area that s/he is not assigned to, then s/he should take opportunities to learn more about that while at his/her first duty station so s/he will be prepared when the negotiation process begins. Your Sailor may need to retake the ASVAB to increase his/her scores in order to be eligible for a desired rating. PACT Sailors willing to obligate service (OBLISERV) to complete the sea tour for their new rating, or a minimum 24 months of additional sea time, whichever is greater, may be authorized immediate advancement to E-4 with commanding officer approval.

Those in the PACT program may find themselves with duties and working in areas that are different from the ratings that are for their program at times based on the needs of the command (for instance, one in the A-PACT program may be assigned AO and GM duties), but they will have some duties with at least one of the ratings that are for their program. While in the fleet, s/he will be assigned whatever job is needed within that field and receive on-the-job-training (OJT) at his/her PDS for the next two years on several jobs. As stated above, after twelve months, your Sailor will meet with the detailer or ECM and discuss which ratings s/he is qualified for so that the Sailor can begin OJT for that rating. The rating will take effect within 90 days of PRD, giving them (and their Command) a full PACT tour. See http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/community/pact/Documents/PACT%20process.pdf.

The PACT Sailors will either be conditionally advanced to E-4 based on the OBLISERV or they will attend their desired "A" School before advancing to E-4. PACT Sailors who do not select or earn a designation (rating) by the end of the 24 months will continue in PACT for the final year of their three-year commitment. See https://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/community/pact/Documents/PACT%20change%20FAQs.pdf.

The above information is provided by lemonelephant, the mom of a retired Sailor.

Updated 07/27/2018