Navy spouses assail sailor cuts
December 20th, 2011 | Navy Personnel | Posted by Sam Fellman
Navy spouses upset with the latest round of sailor cuts are going on the offensive with a new video released Monday. The 5-minute-long video challenges the Navy’s rationale for sending home 2,947 sailors next year and urges viewers to sign a petition started a day before.
The video quotes Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert, who has written that the board considered performance in making their selections, then asks: “Why are sailors with [driving under the influence citations] allowed to stay, while other sailors with clean records are being let go?”
The video — uploaded by self-described Navy spouse Bobbi Taylor — doesn’t provide any examples of this, but goes on to quote Navy spouses who have been affected by the cuts, set to a dramatic soundtrack.
“I’m trying to stay positive about this whole thing but part of me is still really angry,” a Navy spouse is quoted as saying. “And I think we all deserve to be. Fifteen years of service and no ‘I’m sorry,’ just an ‘Alright, we don[‘]t need you and will help give you info on getting a job as a civilian.’ ”
The ERB cuts affect sailors from E-4 to E-8, some of whom had up to 15 years of experience and were likely planning to retire after 20 years. The video attests to this fact, quoting multiple spouses of career sailors.
“When he separates,” one Navy wife is quoted as saying, “he’ll only have needed four years and two months until retirement.”
The video urges viewers to sign an online petition. If the petition receives 25,000 signatures by Jan. 17, it will prompt the White House to review the cuts.
Organizers have also launched a Facebook page: Sailors against ERB.
NWUs: Good enough for POTUS
November 21st, 2011 | Personnel Uniforms | Posted by Sam Fellman
Sailors in the Navy working uniform stand at attention as the president passes by at a formal ceremony. // AP Photo
At a Nov. 4 ceremony in Cannes, France, honoring the U.S.-French alliance, President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy reviewed troops from both nations. Amid them, standing at attention, front and center, was a formation of sailors in blue-and-gray NWUs.
The fleet has often complained that the off-base restrictions on NWUs are too tight: In the U.S., you can’t wear them for personal appointments or shopping.
But if it’s good enough for a formal review by the president, isn’t it OK for the mall?
Asked that in a Nov. 8 interview, Greenert replied: “I have never had anybody approach me, ‘If it’s good enough for the president, it’s good enough for the mall,’ but again, I’ve stood in review … in the working uniform. And if that would be the appropriate uniform as [prescribed] by the event, then so be it.”
No word yet on whether he’ll relax the NWU wear restrictions, a step he’s considering.
Did you survive the ERB?
November 15th, 2011 | Navy Personnel | Posted by Jenn Rafael
Staff writer Mark D. Faram reported Monday that results of the first enlisted retention board have hit the streets, and petty officers third and second class in 31 overmanned ratings are finding out their fate.
And this is only the first round: Those considered by the second ERB, sailors E-6 through E-8, won’t be notified of the results until after Thanksgiving.
In a blog post Monday, Fleet Forces Command’s Adm. John Harvey stressed the fleet’s role in supporting those who must leave:
On a final note, I want to say that it’s never easy to see our Shipmates leave. I take great pride in having served with so many talented men and women who all volunteered to serve their nation. Although we cannot change the results of the ERB, we can very much control how we support our Sailors who will be separating. I ask that all of you who know someone being affected by this ERB reach out and offer your assistance.”
Navy Times wants to know how sailors are taking the news. Did someone tell you that you have to leave by next September? Did your request to convert to a new rating come through?
And if you supervise junior sailors, did the board get it right, or was a top performer tapped to go?
Send an email with your thoughts.
Shipping over in style
November 14th, 2011 | Chiefs Navy Personnel | Posted by Jenn Rafael
Do you have a favorite re-enlistment ceremony?
Maybe a family member or VIP swore you in. Maybe the location was historically significant.
Or maybe you were being circled by sharks at the time.
Although he wasn’t defying death while raising his hand, Senior Chief Aviation Electrician’s Mate (AW) Mukunda-Krishna Tyson of Patrol Squadron 1 likely won’t forget his ceremony before Sunday’s Seattle Seahawks game.
In the photo below, Tyson is sworn in by Lt. Thomas Madera, also of VP-1, as tens of thousands of fans watched. VP-1 is based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. (And the hometown Seahawks beat the Baltimore Ravens, 22-17.)
In the comments section, tell us about your most memorable re-enlistment ceremony and what made shipping over that day so special.
Senior Chief Aviation Electrician's Mate Makunda-Krishna Tyson, right, is sworn in by Lt. Thomas Madera on Sunday. // The Associated Press
Recognition for “above and beyond” IAs
August 9th, 2011 | Afghanistan Awards Fleet Forces Command individual augmentees Iraq Navy Personnel | Posted by Bill McMichael
More than 90,000 sailors have served in individual augmentee assignments — largely in Iraq, Afghanistan and environs — and Tuesday, Fleet Forces Command launched a web site honoring those who’ve “performed above and beyond the call of duty.”
The site pays tribute to the 1,416 IAs awarded the Bronze Star, the 10 given the Bronze Star with Combat “V” device, the 48 awarded Purple Hearts, the one sailor awarded the Silver Star and the 14 killed in the line of duty as of Aug. 9. The page also lists the totals, but not the IA recipients, for every meritorious service medal awarded.
“We are proud to launch this webpage to collectively thank our IA Sailors for their distinguished service,” said Adm. John Harvey, Fleet Forces commander. “And it is fitting that we honor the service members who paid the ultimate price during overseas contingency operations. Their service and sacrifice will not be forgotten.”
Navy IAs have worked in a wide variety of combat service and combat service support roles in the fields of logistics and contracting, engineering, security assistance, detainee operations, headquarters staff, medical support, military training, Provincial Reconstruction Teams and many other roles.
Names in the Navy IA Hall of Honor were pulled from the official Navy Awards database, Defense.gov and the Defense Manpower Data Center. Unintended omissions from the site may be addressed via the “contact us” link on the webpage, Fleet Forces says.
(WORK SPACE AMBIENCE WARNING: If you haven’t gone to the site already, turn your speakers down first unless you want to stir your co-workers with a loud, brassy patriotic fanfare, the old bugle call “To the Color.”) Clicking on any of the links on the left mutes the music in mid-riff.
Home for Dad’s day
June 18th, 2011 | Ballistic missile defense Homecoming Libya Maritime operations Navy Norfolk Naval Station Personnel Photos Ships SURFLANT The Med Tomahawk | Posted by Bill McMichael
The destroyer Stout came home to Norfolk Saturday following a Med cruise in support of theater security operations and ballistic missile deterrence …
Tugboats move the destroyer Stout into its berth pierside at Naval Station Norfolk after returning from a six-month deployment to the Med. // U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Lolita Lewis
… and just in time for Father’s Day:
Fire Controlman 2nd Class (SW) Gary Richard greets his family and meets his newly adopted daughter for the first time after returning home from a six-month deployment onboard the destroyer Stout. // U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Lolita Lewis
Stout took part in the coalition strikes on Libyan forces that began in mid-March. Stout was the first ship on station and fired multiple salvos of Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libyan air defenses, surface-to-air sites and communications nodes, along with the destroyers Stout and Barry, the attack submarines Providence and Scranton and the guided missile submarine Florida, according to the Navy.
The crew also had to deal with the March 1 firings of its commanding officer and command master chief., and a junior officer, six chiefs and one petty officer were also kicked off the ship. The disciplines centered around what 6th Fleet called a “pervasive pattern of unprofessional behavior” among members of the ship’s crew related to misbehavior in Mediterranean liberty ports.
Saving lives this summer
May 20th, 2011 | Liberty Marine Corps Mishaps Naval Safety Center Navy Personnel Safety | Posted by Bill McMichael
Announcements of annual safety campaigns may for many go in one ear and out the other, but the Naval Safety Center’s summer campaign, which officially begins Memorial Day weekend, is an opportunity for Navy leaders to hit the deckplates and hammer home the message that it’s possible to have fun without taking life-threatening risks. Last summer was the Navy’s safest on record. Still, 14 sailors and 14 Marines lost their lives in motor vehicle and recreational mishaps. That was a big improvement over the five-year average of 44 total off-duty deaths each summer. But still …
Leaders can find all sorts of useful materials with which to reinforce the message here.
“Live to play, play to live.” Here’s to a safe summer!
A success story, and a lesson learned
April 30th, 2011 | Board of Inspection and Survey Fleet Forces Command Gator Navy leadership Maintenance Navy Personnel Photos | Posted by Bill McMichael
A year ago, the dock landing ship Oak Hill was in poor shape — and that’s by the Fleet Forces Command chief’s reckoning. Beginning in 2005, five deployments in five years, no time for maintenance and inadequate manning had left the relatively young ship with a degraded power plant, endemic corrosion and a whole lot of systems that just didn’t work. A long-overdue yard period, money, lots of outside help and long hours produced a remarkable turnaround Apr. 4-8, when the ship passed its rigid underway material inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey with flying colors. Oak Hill scored “green” in 16 of 18 functional areas, and “yellow” in the other two. Refurbishment and upgrade work continues, but the ship is just about back up to where officials want it to be. And it’s looking good:
The dock landing ship Oak Hill, on a recent afternoon at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. // Photo by William H. McMichael
The lesson learned — or more accurately (over the past two years), reinforced — is that it’s far easier, and the Navy is better served, when ships are maintained on a more even keel. That means, officials say, ships accurately reporting problems, leaders honestly assessing and reporting how much money the Navy needs for ship maintenance, and fully manning ships so that commands can better perform everyday maintenance as well as prepare to fight.
For more detail, see our story in Monday’s Navy Times.
Getting safer
March 29th, 2011 | Class A mishaps Liberty Naval aviation Naval Safety Center Navy Personnel Photos Physical training Privately owned vehicles Safety Shore duty Statistics | Posted by Bill McMichael
Officials have to be encouraged at the trend toward a safer on- and off-duty Navy, indicated by near-mid-year Naval Safety Center statistics. We type those words with a big “knock on wood,” of course. But with the fiscal year — which began Oct. 1 — nearly halfway gone, it’s looking like the Navy is shaping up, safety-wise — at least in terms of major mishaps, and on- and off-duty deaths.
Check the trends for the fiscal year through March 23, referred to in the following as “at this point”:
Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship Makin Island attend a holiday safety brief in the Harborside Gym at Naval Base San Diego on Nov. 24, 2010. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jason Perry
Class A afloat mishaps: two this year compared to four a year ago. The rate, per 100 ships per year, has dropped from 2.72 to 1.41. The rate for all of FY 2010 was 1.62.
Class A flight mishaps are down slightly, from four at this point last year to the current total of three. There were seven in all of 2010 — a rate per 100,000 flight hours of 0.78. Compare that to a 10-year average of 14.1 Class A flight mishaps annually, and a rate of 1.37.
Class A ashore on-duty mishaps: none this year compared to one at this point last year, with a rate per 100,000 persons per year of 0.00 compared to 0.60 at this point last fiscal year. There was only one such mishap in FY 2010, but nine in FY 2009.
Total Class A on-duty mishaps are down for the year, at this point compared to last year, but already half of the FY 2010 total. There’ve been nine to date compared to 14 last year at this point; the current rate is 5.55, running slightly ahead of the FY 2010 rate of 5.18.
Physical training fatalities: Still at one, as we reported in March, compared for five at this point last fiscal year. The rate, per 100,000 persons per year, is 0.62; it was 3.02 at this point last year. The 10-year average is 4.9 deaths and a rate of 1.25.
On-duty fatalities are way down: There’ve been three so far this fiscal year compared to 11 at the same point last year, when the rate per 100,000 persons per year was 6.65 compared to the current 1.85. In all of FY 2010, the rate was 4.32.
It’s in the area of private motor vehicle deaths that must be especially encouraging to Navy officials, however. Traditionally the biggest off-duty killer of military personnel — from fiscal years 2001-2008, nearly 67 sailors died annually in PMV mishaps — the fiscal year total to date is eight, compared to 12 at this point last year. At that rate, the fiscal year total would be but half of FY 2010′s 32 deaths.
Four-wheel PMV deaths are down sharply as well: the year-to-date total is three, or half of last year’s year-to-date total. The current rate per 100,000 persons per year of 1.85 is well below both the FY 2010 rate of 5.18 and the 10-year average of 9.27. Motorcycle deaths are also down: four this year so far, vice five last year, compared to 13 for all of FY 2010.
Off-duty and recreational fatalities — which do not include vehicle-related mishaps — are running even: three deaths last year and this year, to this point. The overall trend is positive, however; the current rate per 100,000 persons per year is 1.85, while the 10-year average is 4.47 — 17.4 deaths per year.
The only negative statistic, in fact, is in the category of Class A on-duty motor vehicle mishaps. There’ve been two so far this fiscal year vice none during FY 2010, period. The rate this year to date is 1.23 per 100,000 persons per year; the 10-year average is 0.58.
The sliding PMV numbers look good. But a continued focus will be needed to keep them that way. Summer approaches, when vacation and leisure time mean more off-duty travel time and increased risk, officials say.
‘XO Movie Night’ videos are out … all of them
March 4th, 2011 | Admirals Carriers Enterprise Fleet Forces Command Investigation JAGMAN leadership Navy Navy secretary Officers Personnel Video | Posted by Bill McMichael
As you probably know by now, Adm. John Harvey of Fleet Forces Command on Thursday unveiled the results of his investigation into the controversial “XO Movie Night” video skits aired on the carrier Enterprise from 2005 to 2007, recommending that secretarial letters of censure be issued to two admirals and two of the carrier’s former executive officers — including Capt. Owen Honors, who as XO played a primary role in most of the questionable productions.
If you haven’t read about the findings yet, here’s our short version. For those with a LOT of time on their hands, and perhaps curious about the 22 previously unleaked/unreleased videos containing what Harvey decided was objectionable material, go here. (Warning: Make sure you’re on a computer with a lot of juice and some volume control …)