Recent Comments on Our Blog

Team,
I’ve received numerous comments on this blog about potential mismanagement of Navy projects and funds. My staff has been gathering the facts on the issues identified and will determine whether an official investigation is warranted. In the meantime, I want to take a moment to discuss the proper process for reporting such issues.

First, a blog is not the proper forum to file complaints of this nature. While I do want to know about potential issues within my command and across the Fleet, it’s also very important that we follow the proper procedures to report these matters. Serious allegations or complaints of this nature – fraud, waste, abuse and the mismanagement of projects and funds – must be properly filed so the right people can look into the matter.

I encourage complainants to first attempt to resolve their issue using the chain of command, if at all possible. For matters that cannot be resolved using the chain of command, the DOD Inspector General (IG) manages a hotline program through which complaints may be submitted by email, letter, fax, or telephone, either confidentially or anonymously. Most echelon 3 commands have an IG assigned, under the supervision of the Fleet Forces Inspector General and should be your first point of contact. If an IG is not assigned to your command, the reporting chain is direct to the Fleet Forces IG.

The IG is responsible for investigating allegations that include the following issues:

• Abuse of Title or Position
• Bribes/Kickbacks/Acceptance of Gratuities
• Conflicts of Interest
• Ethics Violations
• False Official Statements/Claims
• Fraud
• Gifts (Improper receipt or giving)
• Improper Referral for Mental Health Evaluations
• Mismanagement/Organization Oversight (Significant Cases)
• Misuse of Official Time, Gov’t Property, Position and Public Office
• Political Activities
• Purchase Card Abuse
• Reprisal (Military Whistleblower Protection)
• Safety/Public Health (Substantial/Specific)
• Systemic Problems
• Time and Attendance (Significant Violations)
• Travel Card Abuse
• Travel Fraud (TDY and TAD)
• Waste (Gross)

Finally, I want to be clear that I am still very interested in feedback regarding the various topics we routinely discuss on this blog. As I said in my last post, deckplate feedback has been absolutely critical for me to identify and address some of the biggest issues in the Fleet. But I want to strongly reiterate that when the issues involve matters such as fraud, waste, abuse and the mismanagement of projects and funds, we need to ensure we’re reporting those matters through the proper channels.

All the best, JCHjr

Seek the Truth and Act on It



Getting the gouge from the Main 2 Crew
in USS FARRAGUT (DDG 99)

Team,
I’ve spent a lot time visiting our Fleet units and talking with our Sailors over the last 2 ½ years. I’ve visited ships, squadrons and submarines in just about every location in my AOR, as well as two trips to CENTCOM and NAVEUR-NAVAF to spend Thanksgiving with our Sailors serving on Individual Augmentee assignments. I greatly value these visits and consider them to be among my most important duties as Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces. In addition to seeing up close all the great work being done in the Fleet, I’ve had many candid conversations with our Sailors about some of the challenges they face every day that impact their ability to do their jobs.

Now, as I reflect on my visits to the Fleet and think about all the issues brought to my attention, I can’t help but wonder who would have told me about these challenges if I had never bothered to ask the right questions and our Sailors didn’t care enough or have the courage to answer honestly? If the FC2 on JAMES E. WILLIAMS did not care enough during my visit in February 2010 to tell me about how the broader challenges with our Aegis system were impacting her ability to effectively execute her job, who would have told me? If BMC Pici of WINSTON S. CHURCHILL did not have the courage to tell me he needed more paint floats because there weren’t any available, who would have told me? If the crew of OAK HILL did not give me the straight-forward gouge on the challenges they were experiencing with their shipboard administrative tools, who would have told me?

Team, there is nothing complicated about this. If you are in a position of authority or oversee Fleet resources, you need to be out there talking with our Sailors, face-to-face, and asking the right questions. If they give me the straight gouge, I assure you they’ll be frank with you. But if something does not appear right, you need to trust your instinct and dig deeper.

The more I looked into the Aegis issue (from my visit to JAMES E. WILLIAMS), the less I liked what I found. The program had become largely decentralized with no single person accountable for the performance and continuing development. The FC2 was right; the issue was indeed very real but it now has the necessary level of focus and energy from the right communities in our Navy.

The Fleet FAM effort is an example of how well-intended help can (and often does) do more harm than good in the Fleet. Similar to Aegis, the deeper I looked into the issue, the less I liked what I found. It is alarming to me that we have 7 Resource Sponsors, 6 SYSCOMs, 6 PEOs, plus a host of other organizations (CNIC, BUMED, ONR, ONI, etc) all influencing the applications we put on our ships, yet there is no single individual responsible for the performance and configuration management of those applications. Who is protecting the ship from this chaos? Who is protecting our Sailors? The Fleet FAM effort is in response to a bureaucracy run amok and it has taken nearly two years to get our arms around the problem and on the right path to success. But if I never had that conversation with our Sailors on OAK HILL two years ago, where would we be today?

It is our job as leaders, managers, and commanders to set the conditions for success. When we lose touch with the realities in the Fleet, we make poor decisions based on faulty assumptions. Asking the right people the right questions is “Leadership 101” and applies to everyone from LCPOs to Flag Officers to Senior Civilians and Program Managers – leaders cannot lead exclusively from their desks.

As I write this blog I just returned from a visit to a great ship in Mayport – USS FARRAGUT (DDG 99) – with a great crew. I got direct feedback from the wardroom, the CPO mess, the GSs in the main spaces, the Tomahawk Strike Team, the Aegis FCs, and the flight deck crew. All these Sailors gave it to me straight and their ideas, suggestions, and reports are of great value to me.

At the end of the day, we must keep our ships, squadrons and submarines at the center of every decision we make, and we must never lose sight of the fact that it is our Sailors who carry the burdens of our bad decisions.
All the best, JCHjr

IA Update – Re-deployment Process Changes

Team,
As the Executive Agent for Individual Augmentees, it is my job to support our Sailors and their families from the day they receive their orders to deploy until they return and reintegrate back into our Navy family. Inherent in my duties as the EA is the responsibility to continually improve the service we deliver to our Sailors to ensure they have a positive deployment experience.

I received feedback (see attachment) a few weeks ago from a LT who had a very troubling experience returning from his IA deployment to Iraq. After reading about his experience, I met with the new Commanding Officer of the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center (ECRC), Captain Eric Jabs, to discuss our re-deployment process and the specific changes we need to make to ensure a smoother transition for our Sailors returning home from their IA tours in the CENTCOM AOR.

Below are the changes to the re-deployment process that I approved, starting at the beginning of the re-deployment process through the Sailor’s arrival at his or her NMPS destination.

Return Coordination
Starting from 60-45 days before departure, we now make initial reservations with our Sailors for their travel between the Warrior Transition Program (WTP) and their Navy Mobilization Processing Station (NMPS) location. While in WTP, we will gather additional information from Sailors on ground transportation and lodging requirements and provide that information directly to NMPS and ECRC. Each Sailor then receives a personalized instruction and information sheet to assist them with their trip home. We are also breaking the travel briefing into a smaller, more focused teams based on destination (Norfolk, San Diego, Gulfport, or Port Hueneme) IA order type (GSA, IAMM, OSA or RC Mob). The changes to the briefing process ensure our Sailors have a complete understanding of their specific plan prior to boarding their flight back home.

ECRC BWI Detachment
Over the next 30 days, we are establishing an ECRC liaison detachment in the Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) region that will serve two primary purposes: The first is to personally welcome our Sailors, face-to-face, shipmate-to-shipmate, when they step off the plane from theater. The second purpose is to make sure our Sailors have the necessary assistance with follow-on flights and transportation from their destination airport to berthing and then to the correct Navy Mobilization Processing Site (NMPS).

NMPS Destination
Streamlined transportation to Norfolk
For those Sailors flying to NMPS in Norfolk, we are changing to an airline that provides direct flights from BWI to Norfolk (ORF). This change will minimize the possibilities of delayed or cancelled connecting flights and reduce the overall transit time for Sailors.

Arrival assistance in Norfolk and San Diego
Upon arriving in Norfolk or San Diego, an ECRC representative will now be greeting Sailors at the airport to assist with logistical needs and provide transportation to berthing.

While Norfolk and San Diego will receive the immediate changes, I believe it is important to standardize our support across all NMPS locations. Accordingly, we will be implementing similar improvements at Gulfport and Port Hueneme.

Our Sailors, especially those serving in the unique capacity as an IA, should never be forced to manage a tough situation without help. When something is not right, I want to know about it so that we can take action and get it fixed as soon as possible. You can always reach me directly here on my blog or provide feedback through ECRC (toll free) at 1-877-364-4302.
All the best, JCHjr

We Build, We Fight!

With three Chief selects from PHIBCB TWO

during a presentation of an ELCAS plaque. 

Well done to three of our newest Chiefs!

Team,
Last year I told you about my visit with our Sailors from Amphibious Construction Battalions ONE and TWO (PHIBCB ONE/TWO) during the annual training exercise to construct the Elevated Causeway System Modular (ELCAS-M) – a mobile pier system that can be shipped to any location in the world and assembled within a matter of days. 

Discussing the daily tasks of the
ELCAS-M build marshalling yard
with SW3 Cody Pratt.  You can
see the ELCAS-M jutting out into the

Chesapeake Bay in the background.

I had the opportunity last Thursday to visit the construction site of this year’s exercise and observe our PHIBCB ONE and TWO Sailors in action again, this time as they were constructing a whopping 840 feet of the ELCAS-M system.

During my visit I boarded the 5-wide – a massive barge made up of fifteen pontoon sections fastened together and powered by a Navy Lighterage (NL) Warping Tug. The 5-wide is used to transport the ELCAS-M components ashore from the Tactical Auxiliary Crane Ship (TAC-S) and the NL Warping Tug is based on the famous WWII “magic boxes,” the pontoon system used by the Seabees on D-Day to deliver supplies to our Forces ashore. While onboard the 5-wide, I observed our Seabees inserting a pontoon section with an incredibly large 200 ton crane positioned on the pier head. When I returned ashore, I observed some more demonstrations with the crane and then supervised our Seabee Steelworkers in the pile yard.   

Looking over a fine weld job done by SW3 Kevin Delgado

This visit got me thinking about how much construction and combat capability our Seabees have brought to the fight over the years. Our Seabees have played a critical role in every major conflict our nation has been involved in since they were established in 1942 – from improving and completing Henderson Field on Guadalcanal during WWII, the construction of a two mile runway at Cubi Point during the Korean War that required literally cutting a mountain in half (a truly remarkable feat!), to their recent roles in OIF and OEF where they have built roads, bridges, runways and forward operating bases (to name just a few of their impressive feats).    

Talking with ENFN Rodriguez while onboard

a Navy Lighterage.  ENFN Rodriguez is

only one of only two Engineman

in the Navy qualified to drive the 5-wide.

During times of peace, our Seabees have deployed to disaster zones to repair critical infrastructure and deliver supplies to the victims of natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. When you consider all that our Seabees have done for our nation, there really is no question as to why they’re also known as “The Navy’s Goodwill Ambassadors.”

The ELCAS-M is just another example of what the world’s greatest combat construction force is capable of doing.


It was good to see our Seabees out in full force on Thursday. I had the opportunity to talk with many of our Sailors, such as SW3 Trinidad who spent the past five months in Iraq building a FOB for our special ops teams and ENFN Rodriguez who, I was surprised (and impressed) to learn, is one of only two Engineman in the Navy qualified to drive the “5-wide.” I was very impressed with their “can do” attitude.
All the best, JCHjr

DRRS-N Update

Team,

My last DRRS-N update to you was in March, when I made CAPT Skip Shaw my DRRS-N Special Assistant (N00R) and tasked him to work the significant operational issues in DRRS-N and put the program on the right path for long-term sustainment. Most importantly, I directed him to solicit and use feedback from the Fleet as the cornerstone for identifying and resolving these issues.

Recently, Skip and his team held two CO/XO seminars – one here in Norfolk, and the other in Mayport – to provide information on recent progress and solicit feedback. The feedback from these seminars has been invaluable. Some of the recurring themes include confusion over reporting standards, frustration with spending too much time trying to justify time-late PESTO scores, and concern that ISICs are more interested in reporting readiness than in building readiness.

These concerns fall in line with the areas where I have directed the team to focus their efforts -- essential outcomes that include the following:

1. Train the Fleet – the DRRS-N team is working with key stakeholders to get the right training to the right levels at the right time. A master set of training materials will be ready for Fleet operators by 01 October. Additionally, Skip has engaged school house leadership and targeted 15 December to provide a plan for training pipelines for both officer and senior enlisted leadership. Training the Fleet cannot be solely focused on operations officers – readiness is an all hands responsibility and our senior enlisted leaders have much to contribute.

2. Reduce DRRS-N complexity for the end user – the unit commander needs a simple interface to enter data, but the DRRS-N display currently focuses on (often time-late) information that the unit commander cannot change (“PESTO”). This PESTO information has utility for the long-term sustainment of readiness functions, but in its current implementation, it overly complicates the process. As such, the DRRS-N team will be rolling out a new graphical interface on 01 October, which will emphasize the unit commander’s assessments, allow updating OARS/SORTS data on the same page, and provide a less complex format for ISIC review.

3. Revise DRRS-N related doctrine – the DRRS-N team will promulgate a revision to the DRRS-N NTRP by 01 February 2012 in order to provide clear and unambiguous guidance for the fleet. This aggressive timeline will require deck plate feedback to make this document right. Look for a draft of the unclassified NTRP to be posted within the next 60 days.

4. Provide an accurate view of unit operational readiness – a unit must be able to articulate the current mission assigned and clearly report its capability to meet its designed specifications in major combat. The previous points feed into this one.

5. Fix the interface with Defense Readiness Reporting System- Strategic (DRRS-S) – DRRS-N is part of the larger strategic reporting process within the Department of Defense (DoD), and unit level status is transmitted into this strategic system. This input helps Combatant Commanders in more accurately assessing unit capability to execute missions.

We use DRRS-N to communicate a unit’s readiness to perform its assigned missions. The Commanding Officer has the best viewpoint to describe readiness degradations and impacts on unit capabilities, and I continue to look to the CO’s Core and Capability Area assessments and comments to provide the clearest and most concise picture of operational readiness.

I want to assure you that we are using these reports and your comments. Aside from the information going to DRRS-S, I’ve directed that DRRS-N reported readiness be prominent in USFF daily planning and operational briefs. So it’s critical that unit assessments and comments provide a clear and accurate picture of current readiness.

I’ve also asked Skip to establish “Ops Boss Summits” so that we can talk directly to those of you who deal with this system every day. I want to have the first of these near the end of July and if supportable, onboard a ship.

Your feedback continues to be absolutely critical to the evolution of DRRS-N. You can provide that feedback while at the DRRS-N website (look for the “help desk”), or you can send an email to drrs-n.cffc.001.fct@navy.smil.mil, or your UNCLASSIFIED comments are always welcome here. Feedback is important for every aspect of this program – afloat, ashore, documentation, training or any other area.

Reporting readiness may not be as adrenaline-inducing as firing a Tomahawk missile or launching an F/A-18 off of the deck of a carrier, but we must be able to clearly communicate that we can execute those missions when tasked… which is why we have DRRS-N. There is much work being done right now, but I am very encouraged by the level of involvement and feedback we’re receiving from the Fleet. Thanks very much for your engagement!
All the best, JCHjr

Visit to VFA-106

Team,
I recently spent quality time with the “Gladiators” of Strike Fighter Squadron ONE ZERO SIX (VFA-106) – the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for our Hornet and Super Hornet pilots and aircraft. With 1,500 Sailors, Marines and Civilians and over 100 aircraft assigned to it, VFA-106 alone is larger than the air forces of many small and medium-sized nations. The Gladiators’ mission is to train Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 replacement Pilots and Naval Flight Officers to fly the Navy’s front-line strike fighter; a process that culminates with qualifying to land on our aircraft carriers as the graduation exercise.

I kicked off my visit by meeting with the Gladiator leadership team (CO, XO and CMC) who briefed me on the unique characteristics and challenges that come with running a squadron of this size.

The squadron CO, CDR Scott "Sack" Knapp,
and I in front of the VFA-106 Centennial of
Naval Aviation commemorative jet

I was then given a tour of the Super Hornet simulator where we reviewed emergency procedures, cockpit layout and “switchology” in both the front and rear cockpits. My time in the simulator was followed by flight gear fitting where I had the opportunity to spend time talking with some of our Parachute Riggers (PRs) – a truly impressive group of Sailors who really know their stuff. After a thorough pre-flight briefing, the squadron CO, CDR Scott “Sack” Knapp, and I strapped in to our F/A-18 and taxied out.

Departing from the Roman Empire

On take-off, we launched as a section with an F/A-18E configured as a tanker and piloted by our wingman, LT Meagan "Vargus" Flannigan. Once we arrived in the working area (W-72 just off the Virginia coast), we completed a tanking evolution and I was then exposed to the entire performance envelope of the Super Hornet. We proceeded to the Navy Dare Bombing range and NAF Fentress where we worked some low altitude maneuvering and then made our way up to Fentress into the Field Carrier Landing Pattern to get a couple of looks at the ball and the associated traffic pattern. Finally, we returned to NAS Oceana followed by a full-stop landing and flight debrief.

Mission complete!

My visit to the squadron and flight in the F/A-18 was a great opportunity to experience firsthand the superior capabilities that the Super Hornet brings to the Fleet. The Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar installed in a two seat F/A-18F, with an Advanced Crew Station, provides our Navy with a level of airborne combat capability unmatched by any nation in the world. The increased payload, range and “bring back” (combination of weight of fuel and ordnance the aircraft can land with on the carrier) coupled with the improved defensive countermeasures and reduced radar cross-section, gives the Super Hornet a distinct tactical advantage across the many missions tasked to a Carrier Air Wing team.

Professional Gladiator Parachute Rigger (PR) Team

As impressed as I was with the Super Hornet, I was doubly impressed with the men and women of VFA-106. Much like I talked about with VAW-120 and the E-2D, it’s easy to take for granted all the hard work that goes into getting our Sailors and aircraft ready to deploy for operations in the Fleet. I very much enjoyed the opportunity to talk with and learn from all the VFA-106 Sailors and directly observe how each of their individual jobs contributes to the overall mission of the squadron. From the ground crew, parachute riggers (the world’s best!!) instructors and pilots to the mechanics who work shifts on the weekends to keep the student pilots flying during the week, the VFA-106 Sailors are a truly impressive group.

My visit was certainly time well spent with some of the very best Sailors in our Navy.

All the best, JCHjr

Visit to USNS SACAGAWEA (T-AKE 2)

Team,

Last week, Fleet Master Chief Stevens and I visited USNS SACAGAWEA (T-AKE 2), a Lewis and Clark class dry cargo ship operated and maintained by Military Sealift Command (MSC).

HSC-26 helo vert repping from HST to
SACAGAWEA

 Her Master and crew hosted us for an overnight visit which included a full tour of the ship from stem to stern and an observation of ammo off-load from USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75).

SACAGAWEA’s primary mission is to resupply the fleet through connected replenishment (CONREP) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP) while at sea. These 42,000 pound displacement vessels enable our combatant fleet to remain underway and operational longer than any other in the world.



The ammo off-loaded from HST and

secured below deck on SACAGAWEA.

  SACAGAWEA provides our Navy with a truly remarkable underway replenishment (UNREP) capability. She is capable of delivering the same number and types of cargo that previously required three different types of ships. Her massive cargo storage areas are capable of storing 6,000 tons of stores and/or ammunition and she can deliver up to 1,000,000 gallons of fuel. She has five underway replenishment stations that service ships alongside while she conducts vertical replenishment as well. In the past, the time required for UNREP was determined by the cargo vessel. T-AKE class ships have reversed that concept and it is now the combatant’s on-load/off-load capabilities that determine the time to conduct replenishment.

The eleven Sailors that make up the military

detachment assigned to SACAGAWEA –

a great group of Sailors!



 I also found the composition of the crew to be particularly interesting. The Master and Chief Engineer are professional equivalents at the O-6 level and lead the crew of 11 military and 129 civil service mariners. All civil service mariners hold U.S. Coast Guard credentials specific to their skill rating to meet all USCG inspection requirements specific to the ship’s mission. The mariners are divided into three Departments. The Deck Department provides all of the navigational watch teams and the primary members of the cargo handling teams. Engine Department operates the propulsion plant and performs most routine ship’s maintenance. Supply Department provides cooking, logistics support, and housekeeping services. There is a great deal of automation on the ship which frees up each member of the small crew to perform several other functions for efficiency and a unique synergy. For example, cargo handlers may have additional duties in the mess and galleys while Engineering and Supply personnel can be found assisting with underway replenishment cargo handling. 

Spending time with the Chief Engineer in the engine

room – once an engineer,always an engineer!

MSC crews do not have a sea-shore rotation like naval personnel. They are hired to serve at sea, performing minimum four month tours with only brief periods ashore for leave and training. It is not uncommon to find mariners who voluntarily remain at sea well beyond the minimum four month tour on a single ship. These civil service mariners have a legacy that reaches back to their proud service during World War II.



Overall, I was extremely impressed with the level of knowledge, professionalism and strong sense of pride throughout the crew, and I was very pleased to have been able to break my flag on SACAGAWEA.

All the best, JCHjr

HM-14 Squadron Visit

Team,

Last week, Fleet Master Chief Stevens and I visited Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron FOURTEEN (HM-14) – the Vanguard. HM-14 is one of two of our Navy’s Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) and heavy lift helicopter squadrons and with 17 MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters and over 700 members; they’re certainly one of the largest. HM-14 is also a self-contained squadron capable of deploying anywhere in the world, ashore or afloat, within 72 hours, for sustained operations.

Reviewing the logs in the maintenance work center during a
walkthrough of a maintenance procedure.  I was very
impressed with the knowledge, skills and professionalism
of our HM-14 Sailors.

The squadron gave me a very useful “day in the life” of an HM-14 Sailor which included a start-to-finish walkthrough of discovering an aircraft discrepancy through final completion of a maintenance action. While this process may seem fairly routine for any aviation squadron, when you consider the age of the squadron’s aircraft (20+ years old) and the cost to operate ($14,000 per flight hour), the skill and experience required to keep them running efficiently and effectively quickly becomes apparent; they truly have to make every dollar count!

In the back of an MH-53E helo - a truly unique (and very large)
aircraft.  In addition to MCM missions, the MH-53E, the largest
helo in our Navy, is often used for vertical onboard delivery
and heavy lift operations.

The Sailors of HM-14 also provided me with a detailed overview of the equipment used to execute the AMCM mission and a walkthrough of the MH-53E – a truly unique (and massive) Navy helicopter. Although the squadron’s primary mission is rapid AMCM, the sheer size of the MH-53E enables the squadron to execute vertical onboard delivery and heavy life operations such as those during Operation Unified Response in Haiti last year. The squadron arrived on station in Haiti within 12 hours of being notified and subsequently delivered over 1,000,000 pounds of food, water and medical supplies to victims within days.
 

The sonar mine-hunting device used to locate, classify, and
mark the location of mines and mine-like objects on and
beneath the surface.

But Mine Warfare is also a critical capability for our Navy and one which HM-14 must always be ready to execute. Especially if you consider we live in a global economy where 90% of all commerce is transported by ship and every day a quarter of the world’s trade in transit flows through the Straits of Malacca and a third of the world’s oil in transit passes through the Straits of Hormuz. Mining is an asymmetric threat that is a fast and cheap way for our enemies to significantly disrupt our nation’s commerce.

Receiving an overview of the capabilities of the magnetic
minesweeper, better known as the "sled" - a critical
component of the MCM package.

Our MCM force is currently undergoing a lot of change; most notably with the new and significant capabilities that will be fielded with LCS. But until we have those systems fully tested and deployed in the Fleet, we absolutely must sustain what we currently have by devoting the required resources to flight hours, maintenance and (most importantly) training. After all, the MCM mission may not receive as much attention from the press as some of our other core Navy capabilities, but like I told our HM-14 Sailors, the service they provide our nation is very much like FEDEX – when we need it, we need it bad, and it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight. And they showed me they are more than capable of delivering. A great visit with a great squadron!

All the best, JCHjr 

USS MEMPHIS (SSN 691) – The “Mighty Memphis”

Team,

Last week I spent a day at Submarine Base New London visiting with the crew of the USS MEMPHIS (SSN 691) before they commenced a two month deployment earlier this week. MEMPHIS is our Navy’s oldest active submarine (33 years) and thus Father Time has caught up with her and this deployment will be her last. She is scheduled to enter the shipyard for inactivation when she returns this spring.  

Getting the gouge from Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Jeffrey Ratliff

during a tour of MEMPHIS’ torpedo room.

Although this deployment is a brief two months, that did not change the standards to which her crew had to train and certify; the length of their deployment had absolutely no influence on their level of readiness. In other words, they did not relax the standards and approach this as a quick “one and done”. When MEMPHIS sails, she is a ‘force ready for tasking’ – regardless of her length of deployment – and that means she must bring her full range of capabilities and be ready to accomplish whatever mission she may be assigned.

 

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Kurtis Potts, a Mesquite, Texas native,

showing me the paper charts aboard MEMPHIS. 

MEMPHIS had a challenging few months leading up to this deployment when she underwent a change of leadership and a handful of her crew – Officers and Enlisted. So I was clearly concerned about the possibility the remaining short preparation period leading up to this deployment would have a negative impact on her ability to accomplish her mission. After visiting with her crew, I can say with full confidence that they have done an absolutely superb job staying on track and preparing for this deployment. First of all, I was very impressed by the strong sense of pride throughout the boat. On numerous occasions I was shown where MEMPHIS may have lacked some of the more sophisticated technologies found on our newer subs…such as electronic navigation (MEMPHIS still uses paper charts for navigation!), but that certainly didn’t bother anyone in the crew.  

MEMPHIS CO CAPT Carl Lahti giving me an overview of weapons

 handling procedures

Overall, I was very pleased to see the entire crew motivated and fully engaged. I believe this is a direct reflection of the excellent leadership of the new team (good leadership matters!) and the motivation of the wardroom and crew, particularly the officers and enlisted Sailors who volunteered to transfer to MEMPHIS for this deployment…they stepped up when their Navy needed them most.

All the best, JCHjr

Additional Photos from the Thanksgiving Trip

Team,
I received some additional photos from my trip to the CENTCOM AOR that were taken during my visits to the carrier USS HARRY S TRUMAN and cruiser USS NORMANDY. I want to share them with you because I believe they help to tell an important story. All too often all we see are photos of our aircraft carriers launching aircraft to deliver ordnance a thousand miles away in support of our troops on the ground in Afghanistan, or footage of an SM-3 missile being launched from the deck of a cruiser in the Pacific to shoot a failing and potentially dangerous satellite out of the sky. But we don’t always see the men and women below decks who are doing a variety of demanding jobs, day in – day out, around the clock that make everything else possible.

In the galley aboard the HARRY S TRUMAN -
terrific CSs getting the job done, every day.

I was very fortunate to meet and spend time with some of our finest Sailors on both HST and NOR and saw firsthand their great talent and skills at work. For example, the CSs on HST prepared a Thanksgiving meal for the crew – almost 6,000 hungry Sailors – that clearly rivaled anything you would find here at home. It’s something they do three times a day, seven days a week for as long as they are deployed. A remarkable achievement, but for our Navy CSs, it was simply business as usual. But that’s typical of all of the Sailors I met. Everywhere I went on the HST and NOR I found motivated, hard-working professionals proudly serving their ship and our Navy. It’s just who we are and what we do – around the world, every day.
All the best, JCHjr

I started my HST tour with the Aircraft Handler in
Flight Deck Control donating 50 push-ups
to their deployment push-up goal.

Another terrific CS in the galley aboard HARRY S TRUMAN

On board NORMANDY in the galley

On board NORMANDY in the General Workshop



On the bridge of HARRY S TRUMAN - getting "the gouge"
direct from our Sailors



On Flight Deck Control of HARRY S TRUMAN -
getting more gouge

In the forward SPY Radar spaces aboard NORMANDY
with some of the finest FCs in the Navy.

Thanksgiving Trip Report

Team,

I recently returned from spending a week with our Sailors that are underway in the Arabian Gulf and serving as IAs in the CENTCOM AOR.

You may recall, I took a similar trip last year that provided me with an ‘up close and personal’ look at how our Sailors were executing their missions, as well as direct accounts of some of the issues they were experiencing in theater.

I found the trip this year to be equally useful and I was very pleased to see that our Sailors there are upbeat and serving proudly. 

One of the notable stops that I made was at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait where I experienced firsthand the services and support we’re providing to our IAs and deployed Sailors through the Warrior Transition Program (WTP).  


Commander Charles "Keith" Springle Decompression Tent

  The WTP is a series of briefings and interviews that aims to reintegrate our Sailors back into a Navy life in a non-combat environment. Over the course of three days, our Sailors will turn in their gear, complete their post deployment health assessment (PDHA), attend the Warrior Transition Workshop and related admin briefings, make travel reservations, and spend time unwinding before making the trip home. Sailor downtime is facilitated by the new Commander Charles "Keith" Springle Decompression Tent. The Decompression Tent, named in honor of CDR Springle, who was killed while serving an Individual Augmentee assignment in Iraq in 2009, is the newest addition to the program and contains a 35-seat theater, 10 computers, 5 internet phones, a big-screen TV, and an 8-seat interlinked X-Box gaming area. It can’t get much better than that!

Overall, I was very impressed with the program, and more importantly, with the care and support our Navy is providing to our Sailors as they come off their IA assignment and make the critical transition back to Navy life.

While I found the entire week to be useful, the real highlight of my trip was spending Thanksgiving dinner with our Sailors at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti.

Spending time with our Sailors is truly one of the high points of my job – it really is incredible how much I learn when I am with them. But that’s really no surprise, is it? After all, we do have the finest group of men and women in our Navy that our nation has to offer.

All the best, JCHjr

Review of Fleet Admin Tools – Follow-up

Team,
I told you here a few weeks ago I would update you when I was briefed on the Fleet Functional Area Manager (FAM) effort and the list of tools they were reviewing. RADM Meek and his team came over yesterday and presented a list of ~50 applications along with a recommendation to kill/fix/keep/sunset for each one. I attached the brief here so that you can review the list and decisions that are being made. You’ll see that the total list of applications has grown to almost 900 already (and getting bigger).
I believe we’ve made great progress the past seven weeks. We have the right people involved now and ADM Walsh and I are fully aligned on what needs to be done.  I want our Sailors to know that we are going to keep at this until we review every application in the Fleet.
I’ll be on travel next week spending Thanksgiving with our Sailors underway in the Arabian Gulf and serving as IAs in the CENTCOM AOR. I look forward to your feedback on the update above when I return.
All the best, JCHjr

Review of Fleet Admin Tools

Team,
Earlier this year I wrote about my visit to the USS OAK HILL (LSD 51) during which the crew gave me a candid overview of the many administrative tools they use every day to get the job done. That visit, and subsequent discussions with other Fleet units, prompted me to take a deeper look into the way our Navy manages its portfolio of software applications in the Fleet. During my review, I found that we were doing a poor job of adhering to any type of controlled process for deploying, sustaining and replacing our software tools in the Fleet. In short, our governance model was ineffective.
As a result, when I last updated you in April, I let you know that I would oversee a comprehensive review of all our software applications being used in the Fleet today as well as take a good, hard look at how we could establish a more robust governance model to ensure we deliver effective tools that meet the standards our Sailors need and expect from us.
We’ve been very busy digging into this issue the past few months and I want to provide you with an update on what we’ve accomplished and where we’re heading.

RADM Meek and his team at Navy CYBERFOR have been leading a team from OPNAV, the SYSCOMs and the Fleet through a two-pronged approach to find and fix the problems we are having with our software tools and applications today and to ensure far better configuration management in the future.
Their first effort has been to identify all the software applications currently in use in the Fleet and come up with a recommendation to keep, kill or fix each one. This effort has certainly been no easy task as we have identified over 170 separate applications in use today. In some cases, we’ve found tools that have multiple versions fielded in the Fleet today (up to 5 in some cases!). As RADM Meek’s team works through the list, I have instructed them to ensure that every software application is reviewed with the end-user, our Sailor, in mind. If a tool is ineffective or causes an unnecessary burden on our Sailors, we need to get rid of it. If it helps the Fleet, then we need to make sure our Sailors have the resources to effectively use it (current software versions, adequate training and out-year support). The final list of recommended apps to keep/kill/fix will be presented to ADM Walsh and me for decision later this month.

RADM Meek’s team is also working on a second effort in parallel to design a Fleet IT governance model that puts the necessary configuration management controls in place to ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Part of the reason we ended up in our current situation is that we have had far too many organizations (at least 21) approving too many applications for deployment in the Fleet with no overarching strategy and insufficient sustainability. As a result, once a tool is deployed, too often it is left to our Sailors to figure out how to properly use and maintain it. As a result, we have created an environment where many of our software tools have actually hindered, rather than facilitated, the tasks our Sailors are required to do to execute their missions. The new governance model will have as its focus the goal that no tools enter the Fleet without a full and thorough technical compatibility review and fully funded training and sustainment plans. I do not intend to add time-consuming, bureaucratic layers to the process, but I do believe that we owe it to our Sailors to make sure we’re doing our part by delivering and properly sustaining the tools they need and require from us.

There is no shortage of work being done right now to take these issues on and fix them. RADM Meek and his team are doing an outstanding job leading the way and I have full confidence in their plan. But it’s important that we all realize that we did not get where we are overnight and so we will certainly not be able to fix all the problems overnight. We're going to need a controlled and dedicated effort to get us back on track…and I believe we have the right team in place to get us there.
I will provide you with another update later this month after I’ve received the initial list of tools and keep/kill/fix recommendations.
All the best, JCHjr

Training Investments

Team,

Our Navy continues to make great progress with the investments that we are making in training. This past year, VADM Ferguson and his team at OPNAV N1 focused on working closely with the Fleet to better understand the critical gaps we needed to fill and develop the right plan to make it happen.

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of your feedback throughout the whole process. Our training programs are always under review – curriculums have to be updated, technologies need to be modernized, and programs and policies must be routinely reviewed in their entirety to ensure they are relevant and effective. So it’s absolutely critical that we maintain an open and honest feedback loop with the end-users – our Sailors at the deckplates – to ensure we’re getting it right.

I included a list of the specific investments below that I believe deliver significant benefit to our Fleet. What I need from you is your feedback – are these changes having the intended effects? I want the good and the bad. But if you bring me a problem, I’d also like to hear from you about a possible solution. No airing of grievances just to complain…if there’s a problem then we need to take it on and figure out how to fix it. As a former CNP, I can tell you that this kind of feedback is absolutely critical to help us get it right.

I believe VADM Ferguson and his team have us on the right path. But it is up to us in the Fleet to keep providing the real-time feedback they need so we stay on the right path.
I’m looking forward to your feedback.
All the best, JCHjr

- In response to a ship's call for additional training for junior engineers, Center for Naval Engineering (CNE) developed Apprentice Plus (A+) training to deliver hands-on training on valve, pump and electrical maintenance at the waterfront. A+ training is in place in Norfolk, San Diego and Mayport, and we are assessing expansion to all Fleet Concentration Areas (FCAs) to include Pearl Harbor and Japan.

- In response to Fleet concerns on IT/Network Security, the Center for Information Dominance developed the Information Systems Technician of the Future (ITOF) initiative to keep pace with increasingly complex IT systems requirements and to provide necessary skill sets to maintain, operate and defend Navy GENSER and SCI networks. The first ITOF "A" School pilot convened in July 2010, and all 20 students passed their first Computer Technology Industry Association A+ certification exams.

- With the Surface Warfare Enterprise, reinstituted the Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS) Senior Officer Material Readiness Course. PCOs/PXOs are taught material readiness fundamentals, DC equipment/procedures, engineering programs, material self-assessment and shipboard safety in classroom and lab/ship environments.


- Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT) relocated the Mobile Aircraft Firefighting Training Device (MAFTD) from Pensacola to CNATT Unit Lemoore in response to a trainer casualty. This casualty affected 250 students per quarter and deployment readiness for two Carrier Air Wings. This CNATT effort saved more than $200,000 in repairs to a legacy trainer and avoided a potentially large TAD bill. The updated trainer will remain in Lemoore for future firefighting skills training.


- This year, Center for Naval Engineering updated R-114 Air Conditioning System training to include state-of-the-art simulator use. A shared asset between Submarine Learning Center and CNE, the Multipurpose Reconfigurable Training System (MRTS) is configurable to Los Angeles, Ohio, Seawolf, and Virginia class submarines as well as Ticonderoga class ships. It allows Sailors to practice operating procedures in a realistic environment with real-time instructor observation, intervention and evaluation. Students use the new simulator to conduct realistic system operation, component identification, functional checks, inspection, and fault isolation.


- Center for Surface Combat Systems established Advanced Warfare Training for Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and Surface Warfare (SUW) mission areas to fix warfare capability gaps on surface ships identified in Fleet combat systems maintenance, operations and employment training. This training - delivered on the ship with CSCS SMEs - has been extremely well received by the Fleet, and there are efforts to expand this 4-week operator training and system groom to other warfare areas.


- At Naval Station Everett, the Fleet Region Readiness Center (FRRC) training facility has opened, which will reduce Fleet TADTAR costs for training outside PACNORWEST. Currently it hosts 42 CSCS courses with the potential to expand training to Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), SWOS, CNE, and CSCS courses as well as the capability to support ATG and Fleet unit training.


There have also been several BRAC initiatives to realign/relocate several learning centers and sites. These actions provide more effective training while also closely aligning with the other Armed Services:


- Naval Chaplaincy School and Center (NCSC) moved to Fort Jackson, SC and established a Joint Center of Excellence for Religious Training and Education, which includes the Air Force Chaplains Corps College at Fort Jackson, SC. January 2010 marked the first time training for all Services' Chaplains, Chaplain Assistants and RPs was collocated.


- Navy Supply Corps School (NSCS) and the Center for Service Support (CSS) moved from Athens to Naval Station Newport, RI. CSS has commenced their training and the first NSCS class will commence in Oct 2010.


- Later this month, we will open a new Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Training Facility at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. This facility will modernize SERE training for our aviators, aircrew, special forces and force reconnaissance personnel.


- Culinary Specialist "A" School has moved from Great Lakes to Ft. Lee, VA in support of a Joint Center of Excellence for Culinary Training scheduled to begin in Jan 2011. Navy CS training will consolidate with Army and Marine Corps training at Ft. Lee and will be co-located with the Air Force basic food service training.

Visit to USS TEMPEST, RIVGRU 1, and NECC

Team,

On Monday I had the opportunity to visit some of our Sailors and participate in some events that I want to share with you.

My first visit was to the USS TEMPEST (PC-2), a Cyclone-class patrol coastal ship that is preparing to deploy this November.  I was given a thorough tour of the ship and spent valuable time talking with her crew. We had very interesting discussions about the different techniques they are using to preserve topside weapons, as well as training requirements for the entire ship. She’s a smaller ship with a small crew, but her twenty-four Sailors and four officers must meet the same training and certification requirements of much larger ships. I am very interested in learning more about how PC crews manage to get it all done as I see a lot of similarities with LCS and believe there are a lot of lessons we can learn from as we begin introducing LCS to the Fleet.

Just last week TEMPEST was in the news when she rescued five of eight occupants from the water (Coast Guard rescued the other three) after their 41-foot sport-fisher sank 10 miles off the coast of Cape Lookout.
She has a very proud crew led by a very proud CO and CMC. Thanks again for a useful and informative visit.

The second visit of the day was to Riverine Group 1 (RIVGRU 1) and was particularly useful for a few reasons. First, I rode along on one of our Riverine Command Boats (RCB) while it conducted exercises in conjunction with our Riverine Assault Boats (RAB). Some of the high-speed maneuvers demonstrated were 180 degree turns called J-Turns and E-stops (emergency stops from all ahead to a full stop.) These boats can go from 40+ knots to dead in the water in only two boat lengths. The crew also demonstrated their maneuverability in confined areas (rivers) by conducting full turns with no headway (spinning). One of my staff was told that being in the back of an RCB was akin to being inside a washing machine. I found the crews to be very well-trained and, much like the TEMPEST Sailors, a very proud bunch.

During my visit to RIVGRU 1, I had the honor of presenting the Purple Heart to Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SW) Michael Finch, of Riverine Squadron 1, for wounds sustained in action in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). GM2 Finch was in a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle that was hit by an IED as it was returning from a mission. He suffered severe wounds to his right hand that will require an extensive recovery period but I was struck by his overwhelming motivation to return to his unit and get back into the fight. GM2 Finch represents the many exceptional Sailors that are out there putting their lives on the line for us everyday.

Finally, I had the great pleasure and honor of presenting the Sailors and Civilians of the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) with the Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) medal for exceptional meritorious service from 2006 to 2008. It takes a very special group of people for a command to receive the NUC. The accomplishments of NECC over the past four years have been nothing short of extraordinary. From putting Sailors on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq to providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief on a moments notice to Haiti, they do it all, and they do it with great pride. I am very proud of our NECC team – Sailors, Civilians and Contractors – that make it all possible. Congratulations once again.

All the best, JCHjr