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Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force Looks to the Future

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070731-06
Release Date: 7/31/2007 10:17:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Riza Caparros, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic

NORFOLK (NNS) -- East and west coast senior leadership from the maritime patrol reconnaissance force gathered for a three-day conference at Naval Station Norfolk July 23-26 to gather information and discuss challenges and changes in the community.

Rear Adm. Brian C. Prindle, commander, Command Patrol and Reconnaissance Group (CPRG), said the conference was a forum designed to give a voice to senior leadership within the maritime patrol reconnaissance force who have concerns involving the changes in the community.

“Because of all the demand and change within our part of the Navy, and within the Navy as a whole, we felt it was very important to pull all our senior enlisted leaders together,” said Prindle. “They’re the ones that are on the deckplates with our junior Sailors and understand that despite all this change, there is a very stable place in today’s Navy for Sailors to change, participate and go on to have full careers.”

Among the conference speakers was Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)(SW/FMF) Joe R. Campa Jr., who addressed questions asked by senior leadership.

“It always feels good to come back and talk with a group of chiefs and to get their feedback, because I really believe deckplate leadership is the type of leadership that connects us with our people,” said Campa. “It should offer our Sailors a level of comfort in what they can expect from our senior enlisted leaders.”

One topic of the conference was the realigning of the aviation maintenance organization that comes with the introduction of the P-8 Poseidon to the fleet in 2009.

The Poseidon, formally the multimission maritime aircraft or MMA, will replace the P-3 Orion. The Poseidon is designed to operate in conjunction with the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle and assist in providing maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.

With the introduction of the new aircraft, maintenance and logistics support will realign and become more efficient and ultimately more cost effective for the Navy.

The P-3 is presently scheduled to remain active until 2020. With both the P-3 and the Poseidon active in the fleet, aviation maintainers’ roles will increase.

“Enlisted aircrewman and flight technicians [for the P-3] will continue to have an important role for many, many more years,” added Prindle. “The concern for when we start phasing out the P-3s will be answered, because there will be opportunities for these Sailors to transition to other aircrew responsibilities. [Like] Sailors who go through a Perform to Serve process, changing rates from one that is overmanned to one that is undermanned – we’re going to provide the same opportunities for them to move and continue to grow and advance.”

Commander Patrol Reconnaissance Group (CPRG) Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Ricky Parker realizes the changes will be an obstacle to overcome for aviation maintenance personnel.

“We have to sustain our current operation tempo, but at the same time, take and detract from this aviation rating,” said Parker.

Parker estimates anywhere from 600-800 personnel and maintainers will be deployed wherever they are needed. These Sailors will be trained to maintain the P-3 as well as the Poseidon.

The CPRG initiative called the Personnel Readiness Initiative (PRI) was another topic of discussion.

“We’re taking a holistic view of how things affect the ability of a command to help and influence the readiness of our Sailors,” said Prindle. “Things like e-learning, general military training, college courses and the physical readiness program are being studied within our community to measure how well we are training them on a command level.”

“We are ensuring, through the PRI, that our Sailors are prepared mentally, physically and morally,” Parker added. “Senior leadership’s role will continue to focus on developing and training a total force Sailor, a 21st century Sailor as indicated by the Chief of Naval Operations.”

Parker believes the conference was an informative stepping stone for the community.

“I believe this [conference] spurred and increased discussion and amplified the voice of the deckplate Sailor. We are depending on the communication pipeline of our forces’ senior leadership and trust them to use it for the better of our community and our great Navy as a whole.”