CNO Conducts All Hands Call at Great Lakes
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS060713-05
7/13/2006
By Eva Kowalski, Training Support Center Great Lakes Public Affairs
GREAT LAKES, Ill. (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen conducted an all hands call for students at Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes, July 7.
The main topic was "change," and during the event, some of the Navy’s newest Sailors got a glimpse into the future and had an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the Navy’s current state of affairs.
“If you have something on your mind, today’s the day,” said Mullen, who introduced three main topics - gratitude toward service, the momentum and nature of change, and the function of leadership.
“There’s a lot going on, and the focus of that is change; it’s not just change, it’s the pace of change – new mission, new skills, new requirements,” he said to a crowd of more than 1,400 Sailors, 30 Marines and a local Army unit.
“You’re joining a Navy that’s in great shape,” he said, adding, “There are many opportunities today for young people coming in.”
The majority of Sailors stationed at TSC are recruit graduates, acquiring rating-specific apprentice skills at one of six learning sites located at Great Lakes, prior to reporting to the fleet for the first time. Students from the learning sites comprised the bulk of attendees at the all hands call.
“It was great to get a feel for the direction we’re heading in right now,” said Seaman Apprentice Dustin Hoftman, 19, of Helena, Mont., who is studying to be a Fire Controlman.
Mullen gave an overview of ongoing and recent naval operations in support of the global war on terrorism and humanitarian relief, illustrating the impact the Navy is having around the globe, from the detainee mission in Guantanamo Bay to the relief effort in Kashmir, Pakistan, following the earthquake there in October.
With joint operations becoming the way of the future, Mullen explained that Sailors would be expected to expand their skill set.
“Having multiple skills for every Sailor is going to be critical,” he said. For example, the new Littoral Combat Ship only requires a crew of approximately 75 Sailors. The manning requirements will call for fewer Sailors who are multi-skilled to handle the mission of smaller ships. Mullen said the number of Sailors anticipated by the end of 2007 is 340,000, down from a present force of more than 350,000.
The CNO also stressed the importance of diversity and leadership in today's force.
“I expect everybody to be a leader,” he said, acknowledging that leading change is tough, yet essential. He also said that diversity is important, and that the service composition should reflect the country that it is representing and leading into the 21st century.
During the all hands gathering, Sailors inquired about overseas missions, changes to technology, ratings and the promotion system.
At present, more than 4,000 Sailors are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the joint service Individual Augmentee (IA) mission. As an IA, Sailors help support ground operations after receiving training, often from the Army. Mullen reminded them that the war on terrorism is a “national fight,” and Sailors provide unique skills to a joint effort to fight the war.
In response to a question about the Navy’s missile defense capabilities, Mullen talked about the most recent missile defense test conducted from the Aegis cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) June 22 off the island of Kauai, Hawaii, during a joint Missile Defense Agency test. The Standard Missile 3 that was launched via a new configuration successfully hit the separating target, becoming the seventh successful intercept test out of eight conducted. The technology is designed to intercept short- to medium-range ballistic missile threats in the midcourse phase of flight.
“We can’t do this without you,” he commented, underlining that the Navy’s high-tech equipment does not operate itself, and without a committed force dedicated to the mission, the Navy would not operate effectively.
“There are a lot of opportunities for competitive people in the United States Navy,” he said, adding that changes to the promotion system are in the works, with items such as performance-based pay under consideration.
“We’re working our way through a series of issues tied to future advancement. We want to reward our best performers,” he said.
Seaman Tim Clancy, 20, from Bronx, N.Y., who attended the all hands call said, “The CNO gave us a very down-to-earth perspective on today’s issues. I felt like I was a real part of the Navy today.”
For related news, visit the Naval Personnel Development Command/Task Force EXCEL Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/tfe/.
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