Initiating the switch
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:40 pm
My SF has agreed to let me switch. I have been talking with another SF and I will be receiving an offer soon. How do I go about making the switch? Who do I contact?
You'll need to complete a SAAR (SMART Agreement Amendment Request) to change your sponsoring facility. It will require a personal statement on why a change is requested and also a letter of support from your current SF. This is completed through your SMART military branch coordinator (e.g. Navy). It's the same person you'd communicate with for everything else (e.g. overseas-travel notifications, summer internships).
They'll start with a strongly worded email informing you that requests for transfers are rarely approved. It seems like SMART protectively wants control over this process, although I don't believe they can block you from transferring if you have a new position at a site that wants you.
I'm in the middle of this process myself, so good luck to you. I have a group at my desired site that's interested in me working for them, so hopefully that works out.