• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Chief of Navy Reserve: Be Ready

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS041208-01
Release Date: 12/8/2004 10:31:00 AM

By Journalist 1st Class (SW) Mike Kramer, Naval Air Reserve Willow Grove Public Affairs

NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE WILLOW GROVE, Pa. (NNS) -- Vice Adm. John G. Cotton, Chief of Navy Reserve, talked to more than 400 Reservists about the changes taking place in the Navy's Reserve force when he held a town hall meeting in the base gym here Dec. 4.

Throughout the meeting, Cotton reminded the service members of the two-word directive President George W. Bush issued to the armed forces Sept. 12, 2001: "Be ready."

"Every one of you is on watch," said Cotton. "You're all in the Navy. You're not in the Reserve anymore. There's the active component, the Reserve component, the civilian component and the contractor component. Every one of us serves in the Navy. It doesn't matter whether you wear the uniform two days a month or 30 days a month; every one of you is on watch, all 30 days."

Cotton outlined to the crowd the Department of the Navy's 2004 objective to create a more responsive and integrated Reserve component. He explained that to achieve this objective, the Reserve force had to define its structure and determine an active component/Reserve component structure mix that supports the Fleet Response Plan and the Flexible Deployment Concept. This structure must also be able to meet new Navy assignments, such as anti-terrorism and force protection.

The redesign of the Navy Reserve will establish common training and readiness standards for regular and Reserve forces, improve Reserve access to current equipment and tactics, and optimize command and headquarters relationships between regular and Reserve forces, said Cotton.

"I think the changes that have happened, and are going to happen, are positive ones that have needed to happen for a while," said Yeoman 1st Class (AW) Anna Crawford, Naval Air Reserve Willow Grove's administrative department leading petty officer. "The 'One Navy' concept has us all working toward the same goals."

By implementing a "One Navy" concept, the Navy will become more efficient and effective by retaining fewer people in uniform and using them more wisely, said Cotton. He pointed out that as the Navy gets smaller, a larger percentage of its ships and its Sailors, from both the active and Reserve components, can expect to be forward deployed.

"In the 1980s, the Navy had 495 ships. On an average day, 98 of those ships were under way," he said. "Today, we're down to 289 ships, of which 110 are under way."

The Navy's Reserve component can expect to be an increasingly important part of the more effective force. Cotton challenged all Reservists to be ready to deploy on short notice and to be fully integrated with the active component.

"The realignment of the Navy is an important aspect of accomplishing our nation's strategic goals and objectives," said Aviation Electrician's Mate 3rd Class David Hazelton of Naval Reserve Naval Air Station Keflavik 0393. "It's going to create tremendous opportunities for Sailors, regardless of rank or rate, to excel. I look forward to being part of the new, more efficient and effective force."

"We beat fascism, we beat communism and we are going to beat terrorism because you, the Navy's Reserve force, are ready," said Cotton.