Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

jpak

(41,742 posts)
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:23 PM Aug 2017

Up to 1,100 chiefs face involuntary return to sea duty

http://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/08/07/up-to-1100-chiefs-face-involuntary-return-to-sea-duty/

Chief, pack your seabag.

The Navy may order more than 1,000 senior enlisted supervisors back to sea duty involuntarily, the latest move designed to tighten up manning levels at sea and in deploying operational units.

The new Navy policy announced Monday will take effect immediately and aims to fill the nearly 3,000 unfilled senior enlisted billets at sea.

Most of those gaps —about 2,080 — are at the E-7 level. Just over 700 are for senior chiefs and almost 200 unfilled billets are for master chiefs.

<more>

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

asiliveandbreathe

(8,203 posts)
1. Don't even think about it....my son retired Navy chief 2008..
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:34 PM
Aug 2017

Is there a cut off - length of time retired...waiting for sons response..he is a teacher..in class right now...

MY SON will NEVER PUT ON A UNIFORM FOR THIS POS...OVER MY DEAD BODUY!!@!!!

Orsino

(37,428 posts)
6. This is just a shift of senior NCOs from shore duty back out to sea.
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:49 PM
Aug 2017

It's not a back-door draft, though it may have something indirectly to do with the president's belligerence.

sarisataka

(18,236 posts)
9. I'm not sure where you get this from
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:53 PM
Aug 2017

that they retired people. There is an imbalance in ranks between those at Sea and those ashore; many onshore are working in Billet lower than the rank they hold. The Navy is trying to balance it by sending them to sea duty earlier than they normally would but putting them in a billets that matches their rank.

asiliveandbreathe

(8,203 posts)
2. This is BS...
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:37 PM
Aug 2017

“Our number one priority is to keep the Fleet properly manned,” said Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke.  “We are aggressively using all force shaping levers to do just that.” (from Navy Times)

What the hell has the Navy been doing, why not identify and elevate junior seamen...can you tell I am panic...this is BS....

uponit7771

(90,226 posts)
4. Not if you need them right now, need the experience. Amoral people like Red Don would send us to war
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:40 PM
Aug 2017

... with Korea after they nuke a high vote dem city

haele

(12,587 posts)
11. Part of the problem is a CPO is basically an officer.
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 02:12 PM
Aug 2017

The other part of the problem is that the Navy has always had to train their Jr. Enlisted to be independent operators in their field, which means that if you're good enough to be on the track to make E-7, you're good enough to get a better paying (on the face of it) job on the outside once you've finished your commitment.

A Navy Enlisted Technician basically gets 2 - 4 years of quality technical training free of charge, and by the time the tech has at least 4 years of experience, the outside can be very attractive.

One also has to consider that making Chief is very difficult. Between the "expertise" requirements and the leadership responsibilities, it's always been difficult to make CPO - not just a matter of checking the boxes.

A CPO (E-7 and above) is in the shop manager, SysAdmin, or Lead Engineer/Lead Scientist position. They're the equivalent of the long-time professional with the Master's Degree in the field. They're also responsible for ensuring the people they're in charge of are trained and capable of doing the job - and that includes Jr. Officers (or junior executives). CPOs always talk about "my guys, my crew", because we're taught that the wellbeing of the people who work for us is at the same priority level as getting the job done or completing the mission.
In fact, a Senior or Master Chief is also supposed to be able to handle leadership politics at a typical mid-sized City Councilmember level. Which unfortunately sometimes results in political slackers that look good in uniform and on paper making rank depending on the Board.

Something I always hear in the Navy: "Anyone with a good enough eval can qualify to be in an E-7 billet, but not just anyone can qualify for Chief". Just "identifying and elevating junior seamen" has always been problematic.

Yes, it's a serious policy problem that there's not enough CPOs in E-7 to E-9 billets. But as soon as the Cold War ended, it was pretty inevitable that the inertia that is the Pentagon Policy and Budget Machine would overlook their Enlisted resources/manpower because technology was going to be the wave of the future.

Besides, Rumsfeld and his cadre pushed the "Manpower is Fungible" Military as a Corporation policy for too many years, and his people are still in positions of power. DoD Policy Wonks didn't want to spend time and money on "Labor", they wanted to spend it on Toys of the Future.

Haele

haele

(12,587 posts)
3. Uh-Oh... I retired in 1999.
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:38 PM
Aug 2017

But my NEC is still applicable - especially with CiC "I win at Battleship" in charge.

:O

DD-1000 is handicapped accessible, right?

Haele

DSC/FCC (ret), USN/USNR, 1977 - 1999

asiliveandbreathe

(8,203 posts)
8. If called, would you pack your duffle bag - for this POS
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:52 PM
Aug 2017

I am totally appalled by this con boy in the WH - OUR Military is not to be used and abused by anyone, especially a know nothing, con artist...he wants to play battleships..let him go an' effin' put a uniform on..

My thoughts are with the families who now are dealing with anxiety - that includes every family, Military or civilian - where the hell is congress....this is BS...

haele

(12,587 posts)
12. If called, they're going to have to provide me with a Walker and the ship with a Stair-lift...
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 02:16 PM
Aug 2017

Can't handle the ladders anymore.

They'll probably backfill as was done for Desert Shield/Desert Storm; cancelling all shore billets for active E-7 through E-8 and bringing in any IRR reserve CPOs and recent retirees for the shore billets.

Haele

asiliveandbreathe

(8,203 posts)
5. I am starting to feel better -
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:43 PM
Aug 2017

The Navy may order more than 1,000 senior enlisted supervisors back to sea duty involuntarily, the latest move designed to tighten up manning levels at sea and in deploying operational units.

Does not appear, at this time, they are calling up retirees....phew....although still waiting for son to digest info for me....as I recall, he said, he has an 8-10 year window, once retired, for call up..

Orsino

(37,428 posts)
7. Oh. I didn't know about any obligation after retirement.
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:51 PM
Aug 2017

Maybe only for early retirees, but I feel certain that if the obligation's not in your kid's last enlistment contract, it doesn't exist.

asiliveandbreathe

(8,203 posts)
10. Okay - so - I ask son to put my mind at rest - here is his response..
Wed Aug 9, 2017, 01:58 PM
Aug 2017
Active duty cpos!!!! Omg stop!!! Oh, btw,...Dunkirk was amazing...

see what I have to put up with...what a wiseguy....
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Up to 1,100 chiefs face i...