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Third Fleet Hosts Standard Task Force Structure Workshop

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100903-04
9/3/2010

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Torrey W. Lee, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Navy fleet representatives gathered at Commander, 3rd Fleet Headquarters in San Diego Aug. 31 to attend the Standard Task Force Structure (STFS) Workshop.

The workshop marks a final step in a proposed pilot to change and standardize fleet task force structure. If implemented, the new structure is hoped to correct some common inefficiencies in communications and operations found throughout the fleets.

"The vision was to have the fleets standardizing how the Navy organizes its task forces," said Terry Foster, 3rd Fleet STFS workshop coordinator. "Navy leadership saw a disconnect between what the fleets do, and how they organized their subordinate tasks forces."

U.S. 2nd and 3rd fleet were charged with implementing the pilot. Within 3rd Fleet the pilot has been used by taking observations of current exercises completed within the fleet. The examples were taken to see how future task force operations would be effected if implemented.

"Task force commanders are the bridge between the operational level commands and the tactical level," said Foster. "They take the operational guidance from the three stars (admirals) and convert it to orders to the individual ships to go out and do the task."

During the two day workshop, the fleet task force representatives spoke on the issues of the proposed changes. The workshop asked what had worked, what didn't work, and how much the changes would cost.

William Personius, a former Navy commanding officer aboard USS Peleliu (LHA 5) and the workshop coordinator, affirmed that there were complications prior to the STFS pilot.

"As a big deck (large ship) CO (commanding officer) I know that as we transited one fleet to another, there were certainly differences between the fleets," said Personius. "Standardization can make things much simpler and less complicated at sea when you're actually trying to accomplish a mission."