CNP tells Sailors: "your opportunities abound" - Around the Fleet

All Hands, August, 2003 by Rhonda Burke

The Navy's newest Sailors "have abounding opportunities ahead of them" as they prepare to serve in the fleet. That was the message delivered by Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) VADM Gerry Hoewing during an address to graduating recruits at Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes recently.

"Always do the best job you can, in the job you are in," said Hoewing, "because the opportunities of the future are based on the performance of the past. The last nine weeks have been difficult and challenging, but you have succeeded in ways you could not imagine when you came to boot camp."

During his visit, Hoewing observed recruits as they completed the final events of Battle Stations, and took part in the emotional Battle Stations completion "capping ceremony," during which recruits trade their "RECRUIT" ball caps for "NAVY" ball caps.

The ceremony marks the symbolic transition from recruit to Sailor.

CNP also toured RTC's new barracks, drill balls and the $30 million physical training facility, which have recently been completed as part of a nearly $1 billion boot camp recapitalization project. The massive construction project will create a more training-centric environment, reduce transit time between training events and increase efficiencies.

Hoewing also saw several facilities currently under construction, including a new ceremonial drill hall, which will be dedicated later this year in honor of the veterans of the Battle of Midway.

Following the recruit graduation, CNP spoke of the success of several of the Navy's new personnel initiatives, such as "Perform to Serve," and provided insight on efforts to shape the three for the future.

"The Navy today is as ready as it has ever been. We have nearly half of our ships, more than 120, and 50,000 Sailors still forward-deployed right now, doing the nation's work, and every battle group and amphibious ready group is manned at or above 98 percent," Hoewing said.

"We have never enjoyed that kind of manning success before. While we have the best Sailors the Navy has ever seen, our skill mix could be better. Some skills are crowded and others are undermanned. We're working to find ways to keep the talent we have, while we shape the force to provide fleet commanders improved combat capability in terms of the right Sailor at the right time with the right skill."

Hoewing also said the Navy's new Perform to Serve initiative is working to achieve its goal of easing crowded ratings and shaping the force.

"Shaping the force means developing personnel programs and policies that strengthen combat readiness, while still fostering the growth and development of our Sailors" Hoewing said.

Shaping the force includes several closely linked initiatives, including:

* Perform to Serve. Perform to Serve is an essential vehicle to ease crowding in many of the Navy's skills and move these talented Sailors to undermanned skills. "In a word, Perform to Serve is working," Hoewing said. "We have approved more than 2,000 Sailors to reenlist in rate and another 600 to convert to undermanned ratings."

* Selective Reenlistment Bonuses (SRBs). SRBs continue to be a valuable resource encouraging Sailors to work and stay in certain critical skills and ratings. "The program is fully funded through the fiscal year" Hoewing said. "We will update award levels soon to make sure we are offering SRBs for the skills the fleet most needs"

* Top Six. Top Six is a plan seeking to increase the number of Sailors in the petty officer and above pay grades. Hoewing said the Navy needs to do this to match the increasingly demanding technical aspects of the Navy.

Hoewing also remarked that Sailors have more resources than ever before for them and their families to access information on personnel programs.

"As always, the chain of command, and specifically command career counselors, remain the best place to start to learn the latest information on career programs," Hoewing said.

Story by JOC Rhonda Burke who is assigned to the public affairs office, Naval Training Center Great Lakes, Ill.