The Enlisted Retention Board is a tool used by United States Navy to break the enlistment contracts of mid-career enlisted Sailors (Sailors with 7 to 15 years of active military service). According to Mark Faram's story published in Navy Times on January 20, 2012, 2,947 Sailors were discharged from the United States NAVY via ERB as part of an effort to reduce personnel in 31 overmanned ratings. Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), Juan M. Garcia III advised that though the primary criterion for ERB is sustained superior performance, the ERB contained both quota-based and performance-based elements.