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Carrier Strike Group Staffs Renamed

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS040910-03
Release Date: 9/10/2004 10:52:00 AM

From Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Under the Navy's newest initiative, Cruiser-Destroyer and Carrier Groups will now be designated as Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and aligned directly under the numbered fleet commanders. This realignment gives key operational leaders authority and direct access to the people needed to more effectively accomplish the Navy's mission.

"There are two things happening," said director, Manpower and Personnel, Capt. Alfred Gonzalez at U.S. Fleet Forces Command. "We're changing their names, and we're moving their boss to more closely align them with the way they are actually trained and employed today."

In response to an initiative by the Chief of Naval Operations to examine fleet alignment issues, it became very clear the target was to find ways to effectively produce naval capability in a more efficient manner.

"As we developed the Fleet Response Plan, the organizational structure to support the Carrier Strike Groups focused more on placing those Strike Group commanders under the authority of the certifying officer, or the numbered fleet commander," Gonzalez added.

Formerly, Carrier Group (CARGRU) and Cruiser-Destroyer Group (CRUDESGRU) staffs were under the administrative authority of the air and surface type commanders (TYCOM). With this new initiative, authority and control will come from the numbered fleet commanders who are responsible for the training and certification of the entire Strike Group.

"What we've done is say to the numbered fleet commanders, 'since you perform the function, we'll give you the responsibility for it as well,'" said Gonzalez. "And to do that, we wanted to remove the warfare distinction of either the air-side or the surface-side. They're now unified as Carrier Strike Groups."

Aside from the renumbering of the Strike Groups, the actual change will directly affect only the administrative chain of command for the 14 CSG staffs. The ships and hardware remain administratively under their current platform TYCOM.

Strike Group commanders remain accountable to the numbered fleet commanders for integrated and sustainment training, and to the TYCOM for materiel readiness and unit (basic) level training of Strike Group units. The CSGs have been renumbered with respect to Navy tradition, with even numbers on the east coast and odd numbers on the west. To preserve their current recognized role as training groups, CSG 1 and 4 have retained their numbers.

Carrier Groups (CCG) and Cruiser-Destroyer Groups (CCDG) will be renamed commander, Carrier Strike Groups (CCSG).

CCG numbers will carry over to the newly formed CSGs, including CCG2, CCG4, CCG6, CCG8, CCG1, CCG3, CCG5, and CCG7. CCDG will be renamed as follows: CCDG2 to CCSG10; CCDG8 to CCSG12; CCDG12 to CCSG14; CCDG1 to CCSG15; CCDG3 to CCSG9; and CCDG5 to CCSG11.

While these changes may seem small, their impact is significant.

"What we wanted to do was to give them the authority they needed to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently," said Gonzalez.