FLEET MASTER CHIEF’S
“Word to the Warriors” #1 ------(August 2007)
This document is for information purposes and is designed to ensure that all personnel are aware of the many issues/changes that occur in our Navy, as well as a venue to share our best practices. If you have information, programs or best practices that you would like to share Navy wide, send them via your applicable ISIC or Force Master Chief for inclusion. This document is the first in a series of quarterly reports from the Fleet Master Chiefs.
COMMUNICATING TO THE DECKPLATE: (DEPLOYABILITY/EMPLOYABILITY) All personnel should become familiar and understand the terms and operating construct that is laid out in the new PERSTEMPO instruction. Several terms that all Sailors and their families need to know are Deployability, Employability, Dwell and HOMEPORT Tempo. For more information log onto Directline or the PACFLT website (look under the Fleet Master Chief previous news articles button), additionally MCPON addressed this topic in a recent “All Hands” Magazine. We’ve got to ensure our Sailors and their families understand the new way with which our Naval forces are operating.
EMPLOYMENT/FRP CYCLE
An Employment/FRP cycle is the time from the end of one Maintenance Phase to the end of the next Maintenance Phase. These phases vary depending upon unit but are generally 27-36 months in length.
DWELL
Dwell is the ratio of the number of days a unit spends on its last deployment to the number of days that unit spends in homeport/station/waters between deployments. Dwell is a joint term that formally replaces the Navy’s term of Turn-Around Ratio.
DEPLOYMENT
A deployment is time spent providing presence to Combatant Commanders (COCOMs) regardless of deployment length. The previous 56-day deployment minimum has been eliminated. Any forward deployed time now counts.
HOMEPORT TEMPO
HOMEPORT TEMPO is the percentage of time a unit is in homeport/station from the end of one Maintenance Phase to the end of the next Maintenance phase. This metric is calculated by dividing the unit’s days at home by the number of days in that cycle, which is usually about 27-32 months in length.
Attached you will find the latest PERSTEMPO instruction FYI and SA.
COMMAND FINANCIAL SPECIALIST: Every Sailor has something to gain by sitting down with a Financial Specialist. Many of our junior Sailors do not have the resources to find an outside Certified Financial Specialist so the Command Financial Specialist is the perfect option. Recommend Sailors contact their Command Leadership Triad (CO/XO/CMC), Command Financial Specialists or stop by your local Fleet Family Support Center (FFSC) for assistance. Payday loans, Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM’s), high interest car loans and credit cards are just a few of the areas that are getting our Sailors into trouble. Another good resource is found at www.militarymoney.com.
NAVADMIN 198/07 addresses mismanagement of personal finances and its impact.
Did you know: 78% of the Department of the Navy denials/revocations of clearances were due to poor financial management?
CMC/CSC SELECTION BOARD APPLICATIONS: NAVADMIN 208/07 is out. We need the best of the best but remember, sometimes the best LCPO doesn’t have what it takes to be 9580/9578 Senior Enlisted Leader. Those considering the move should be working on the Senior Enlisted Development card that has been talked about in previous Word to the Warriors. Deadline for application submission to the board is 30 November 2007.
7 FOCUS AREAS: Warriors these are seven specific areas each of you need to be looking at within your lifelines and throughout your areas of responsibility. The performance of our Sailors begins with our direct leadership at morning quarters as well as continually within the spaces and throughout the day.
These specific focus area’s are:
· Sexual Assault
· Sexual Harassment
· Substance Abuse Prevention
o Alcohol Abuse Prevention
o Drug Testing (Compliance and reporting)
· Domestic Violence
· Physical Fitness Assessment
· Suicide Prevention
· Zone “A” Retention
We have got to continue to work these focus areas and share idea’s and best practices to further reduce the negative trends associated with them. Best practices should be shared Navy wide.
CPO INDUCTION: The list is out! Our newest Chief Petty Officers are undergoing an intense Induction process further preparing them to take on the responsibilities and leadership challenges associated with wearing anchors. As a CMC, take a moment in the next couple of weeks to step back and evaluate where your Induction is currently at, what your plan is and where you want to be on the 21st of September.
Continue to gather Best Practices and Lessons Learned and either forward them to your Force Master Chief or directly to the DIRECTLINE for sharing Navy wide.
MCPON Guidance and Fleet Master Chief Guidance is very specific. If there are areas to improve upon for next year, now is the time to put your thoughts to paper. We need feedback.
PORT VISIT’S—DEPLOYMENT BRIEFS: We need to continue to work Best Practices (BP) and Lessons Learned (LL) throughout the Fleet.
2nd Fleet CMC (CMDCM Robert Hart), 3rd Fleet CMC (CMDCM Mark Rudes) and newly selected 7th Fleet CMC (CMDCM Marc Sibal) are and will continue to collect BP’s and LL’s and will maintain on these on their command websites for use when personnel head in either direction. Currently 3rd Fleet and 7th Fleet have a CD with the latest WESTPAC gouge (including liberty policies) if requested or as they deploy. 3rd and 7th Fleet Master Chiefs can be reached at and
2nd Fleet units need to forward their BP’s and LL’s to Master Chief Robert Hart who will be populating his website with information from ports….if you have any port information data forward to Robert at By taking the time to send these in it will keep other CMC’s from reinventing the product.
CAREER REVIEW BOARDS: First Class Petty officers who were not selected this year are in need of a Career Development Board conducted by the CMC/COB/SEL, Command Career Counselor and the Department LCPO……..
INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEE (IA’s) AND FAMILY SUPPORT: Sailor and Family support is the key to the success of our IA program. As many of you know our requirements for IA’s is expected to continue. Currently we have several thousand personnel on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, Horn of Africa and GTMO, Cuba, and other locations throughout the world. Every Sailor that deploys for an IA should be receiving regular contact from their command, contact with their work peers is important but contact should also be made by the CO, XO and CMC’s. Additionally commands should make it a point to contact the IA families to ensure their needs are being met. Chiefs, if you have an IA assigned from your division ensure you gain contact and provide a continual flow of information.
Additionally on the lines of Family support….if you have personnel who have been injured or is hospitalized the command should continue to be engaged to ensure those individuals have command contact and are supported throughout their recovery process and beyond. Some of the recent issues we’ve seen regarding IA’s are as follows:
· Improper Medical screening. Use the latest ECRC Screening checklist (located on NKO) when preparing your Sailor.
· Have your Sailors and their families attend Regional IA briefs.
· Read and follow the IA orders.
· Security Clearances are not IAW with the rqmt.
· Evaluations and exams not thought about or ordered. (Don’t forget advancement worksheets)
NAVADMIN 182/07 announces implementation of the Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) and Warrior Transition Program (WTP). Commands should review.
CMC’s….if you Sailors are going on an IA the following Command Master Chiefs are stationed in CENTCOM and are available to assist you in locating your IA Warriors:
CMDCM Jeff Covington (IRAQ):
CMDCM Steve Markum (AFGHAN):
CMDCM Gary Doner (HOA):
CMDCM Kelly Schneider (ECRC): (for personnel heading to training)
If you’re deploying shipboard or as a group, to ensure you get the latest port/CENTCOM gouge contact:
CMDCM Chris Vasquez (5th Fleet CMC):
DUTY IN THE FDNF (OVERSEAS DUTY): Want a rewarding tour? Looking for a tour that provides you 24/7-365 operational experience? Desire to move in a direction with unlimited upward mobility? If you answered yes to these questions, then it’s a good thing you are in the CMC/CSC/COB/SEL community and the place you need to be looking is in the Forward Deployed Naval Forces! Two things come to mind when discussing the FDNF: Sailors are unsure whether they want to take the big step and transfer overseas; and once Sailors take a tour overseas, they never want to leave!
SAFETY!!! (OFF DUTY FATALITIES): We've had at least 6 Class A operational mishaps since the 4th of August!! 4 aviation flight mishaps, 1 LCAC and 1 GMV fatality. Prior to this recent spike in on-duty mishaps, FY07 was on track to be one of the safest years on record. We won't know the root cause of these mishaps until the investigations are complete, but you know it is never just one thing that goes wrong. It is always several wrong things that have to happen in series and sometimes multiple wrong things at the same time. Whatever the root cause, ORM is a critical tool to make sure you know what can go wrong and have a plan in place to keep your sailors from becoming an on-duty fatality. Now is the time to take another look at the processes you have ownership in and use the tools available to keep your people safe. "ORM the Essentials" is available at www.safetycenter.navy.mil/orm/Special_issue.htm - this is a great compilation of ORM basics, tools, references and case studies – order hard copies for the Chief' Mess now! The remaining ORM classes for Command ORM Assistants are identified in COMNAVSAFECEN msg dtg 061626Z AUG 07 for Kings Bay, Norfolk, and San Diego.
As the 101 Critical Days of Summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day) wind down, we are going to have the opportunity to see whether we are doing our job to keep our Sailors from killing themselves in tragic motor vehicle and recreational off-duty (ROD) accidents. The last Word to the Warriors gave you some tools to make the summer safer for all. How are we doing as we near the end of this deadly period? So far the Navy as a whole lost 11 Sailors in PMV and 5 in ROD mishaps thus far in FY07 as compared to 15 sailors in PMV and 5 in ROD mishaps in FY06 - a decrease of 27% in the PMV category with two weeks remaining. Zero losses in both categories should be the goal we strive to attain, and we must remain engaged and renew our commitment to push efforts on mishap reduction 24/7, every day in the year. In addition to the TRIPs, TRAFFIC 5100, and workspace traffic poster mentioned in the last WTTW, additional tools can be found at the Naval Safety Center Website www.safetycenter.navy.mil/ashore/motorvehicle/resources.htm including information on the AAA Driver Improvement and Motorcycle Safety Courses, articles and checklists on general motor vehicle safety.
A side note is that several initiatives are being worked to help identify our at-risk Sailors and focus our efforts. 4000+ Fleet Sailors recently participated in the second pilot phase of the Driver Behavior Assessment Tool (DBAT) which is an online questionnaire intended to assist Commands in identifying high risk drivers. Once these drivers are identified, they can then be mentored and steered to participate in various intervention programs as appropriate. The USFF Post Memorial Day Safety Message P4 and the CPF Motorcycle Safety P4 directed specific efforts to identify and counsel all fleet motorcycle riders. Just because we are concluding this deadly period, we cannot become lax in our efforts - we must continue to use actively these tools every day of the year while we are developing better, even more effective tools. HOOH-YAH and keep the press on safety!!
Typically every automobile and motorcycle is checked as they enter bases to ensure the operators are following regulations (seatbelts, phone use, proper PPE). Recommend you give your Sailors the same Safety look as they leave the Quarterdeck. Many casualties could be avoided if proper ORM is exercised. Keep Charging!
URINALYSIS NON COMPLIANCE DATA: Monthly Urinalysis testing data is sent to the ADCO’s, Force Master Chiefs and #’d Fleet Master Chiefs to push to CMC’s on the deck plate. This data, which typically has a month lag, will provide you valuable insight on how the command is doing in meeting the OPNAV instruction requirements of 10%. (Will be changed with next revision to 15%)
FYI, SUBFOR and AIRFOR have requirements of 15% testing and SURFOR has a rqmt of 20% testing, NECC, MSC, NETWARCOM and USFF direct reporters require 15% testing.
You should be meeting your TYCOM mandated percentages. We’ve recently had some commands that continually do not meet the mandatory testing, and we will be focusing on those commands to provide course correction.
**Commands should ensure you meet ISIC rqmts for Unit sweeps and “selected not tested” personnel.
**OPNAV INST5350.4D is currently in routing for signature.
Remember, the number one goal of our urinalysis program is to deter those contemplating using drugs. Commands that only test once or twice per month are not providing an adequate deterrent.
SPONSORSHIP AND INDOCTRINATION PROGRAMS IN THE FLEET: NAVADMIN 197/07 is out.
As stated previously, the Sponsorship and Indoctrination programs are two programs that “set the tone” for the command. The Sponsorship program is the first opportunity a prospective new Sailor to the command has to get a feel for the environment he or she will become a part of. As we continue our pursuit of retaining our first term Sailors, it all begins the moment that Sailor receives orders. To reiterate from the previous WTTW’s, take a look at some of the programs listed below. We are looking for the best program in the Navy to share. USS RUSSELL (CMDCM Julio DIAZ, email ) was listed in the NAVADMIN above as having a program to emulate. Other best practices are:
· Have contact information for the command listed in the orders (NPC can have this done);