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Navy Reserve Policy Board Meets at NAS JRB Fort Worth

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080416-08
Release Date: 4/16/2008 12:29:00 PM

By Rusty Baker, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, Public Affairs

FORT WORTH, Texas (NNS) -- The National Navy Reserve Policy Board (NNRPB) met at Naval Air Station (NAS) Joint Reserve Base (JRB) Fort Worth, April 12, to consider, recommend and report to the Secretary of the Navy, policy matters that may affect many Sailors in the Navy Reserve community.

Currently, NNRPB has three recommendations up for review; increasing the Reserve quarterly maintenance clothing allowance, changing the Navy's order writing practices for those on partial orders for permanent change of station and adjusting selected Reserve enlisted high-year tenure limits.

Submissions for the board can come from individual Sailors or a Naval Operation Support Center's policy board, but if a policy may affect a larger section of the Navy Reserve community, it make be forwarded for consideration by NNRPB.

"We see anywhere from 80 to 100 issues each year, the vast majority of those get resolved at the Commander Naval Forces Reserve Command Board in New Orleans every spring," said NNRPB Chief of Staff, Capt. Keith Mahosky. "We take their most overarching issues that may affect SECNAV or entire Reserve community."

Thanks to United States Code Title 10, the nation's entire Reserve community has the ability to quickly change outdated policies. However, with most Reserve members drilling once a month, a marketing strategy was needed to alert members of their capability to influence the status quo.

"Our goal is to get the word out about who we are and what we can do for the Sailors," said Senior Chief Personnel Specialist (SW) Ray Sutton, Secretary of the Navy staff, senior enlisted leader deputy ASN (Reserve Affairs).

To aid in getting that word passed, the Navy has introduced an online submission form on their human resources Web site, www.hq.navy.mil/nnrpb. Now, any selected Reservist or full time support member in the Navy or Marine Corps can interact directly with the NNRPB staff with nearly immediate feedback. The submitting member receives correspondence from the panel, and if there is a conclusion, the member will be notified of the recommendation, according to Mahosky.

"It's a good opportunity [for Reservists]," said Mahosky. "It's effective when we have good issues, and a part of our charter is to look under every rock to make sure that we're finding every good issue."

If a recommendation is approved, it is then submitted to SECNAV via Assistant of Secretary of the Navy Manpower and Reserve Affairs, however if a change could affect other branches of service, it is then submitted to the Reserve Force (RESFOR) Policy Board for consideration.

Mahosky explained the time it takes for a policy to be implemented varies by the severity of the issue in terms of its complexity, the fiscal implication and the number of people needed to get involved in solving the issue. A policy that affects only the Navy could be put into effect that same year, but if it reaches to other branches of service it may take longer.

One item that was recommended at the RESFOR board level was the removal of social security numbers as service identification, according to Mahosky. Over three years ago, the idea was considered in the Reserve community after identity-theft issues became rampant across the nation as well as in the military. Now after being recommended jointly to all branches of service, independent service identification numbers will be introduced Department of Defense wide by 2010.

The NNRPB board meets twice a year, once in Washington, and once in a major command, like NAS JRB Fort Worth, to help spread the word directly to individual Reservists. Fort Worth has one of the largest fleet concentration areas by selected Reserve population. Combined with the Navy/Marine Corps aviation community on board the base, Fort Worth became the meeting place by choice of NNRPB's chairperson, Rear Adm. Karen Flaherty, according to Mahosky.

"I believe the Navy and the Marine Corps do the very best jobs of reaching down to our very best folks to give them a voice and an opportunity," said Mahosky. "This policy board process empowers our folks at the lower ranks to be able to say something, and it gives them a great venue to come up with good ideas that haven't been thought of before. I think the Navy and Marine Corps have it done the right way."

For more news from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas, visit www.navy.mil/local/nasjrbfw/.