Too many people on Shore Duty

UPDATE below.

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Does anyone actually talk to Sailors anymore? Does anyone actually walk through spaces at 2130? Does anyone come in on Sunday to talk to those on watch, or the few just staying on board ship because they have nowhere else to go?

Why do we have Command Master Chiefs if we are going to do everything by a New Age group grope? We need another Task Force like we need another POS outcome that Task Force Uniform got us (that was a such a cost effective success, wasn't it?).

Who is advising the CNO and why did the MCPON let this go through? To me this just says, "Our Chiefs don't know their Sailors, our Officers never make an effort in know the needs of their Sailors, and our Flag Officers spend so little time at sea they need a gaggle of out of touch people to develop leadership by committee."

This is an insult to our entire Navy. We are better than this. Give me 72 hours and I can answer all these questions by walking down to the pier and getting a random sample of CMDCM and LPOs - chaired by a 30 year in service LDO and a 18 year in service CWO2.

R 192328Z JUN 07
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
ZEN/NAVADMIN @ AL NAVADMIN(UC)
INFO ZEN/CNO CNO
BT
UNCLAS
SUBJ: TASK FORCE LIFE/WORK//
PASS TO OFFICE CODES:
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
UNCLAS //N03000//
NAVADMIN 159/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JUN//
SUBJ/TASK FORCE LIFE/WORK//
RMKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE STAND UP OF TASK FORCE LIFE/WORK (TFLW) WHICH WILL INCLUDE A TEAM FROM ACROSS THE FLEET, NAVY ENTERPRISES AND OFFICER/ENLISTED COMMUNITIES WITH THE MISSION OF DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND CHANGES WITH THE REAL POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE OUR SAILORS LIFE/WORK BALANCE.

2. RECENTLY A SMALL NUMBER OF NAVY FLAGS, DON SENIOR CIVILIANS, AND SENIOR ENLISTED LEADERS MET TO EXAMINE THE EMERGING CHALLENGES WE FACE IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF 21ST CENTURY LEADERS. OUR NATION S CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS, ABOVE AND BEYOND GENDER AND RACE (of course), MUST BE ADDRESSED IF NAVY IS TO REMAIN RELEVANT IN THE EVOLVING AND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE FOR TALENT. DESIGNING NEW APPROACHES TO EXPAND AND TO STRENGTHEN LIFE/WORK INTEGRATION WHILE REMAINING TRUE TO MEETING NAVY S MISSION REQUIREMENTS IS ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN OUR RECRUITING AND RETENTION EFFORTS, BOTH TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE.

3. IN THE NEXT YEAR, TFLW WILL FOCUS ON INITIATIVES TO ENHANCE HEALTHY LIFE/WORK BALANCE SUCH AS THE RECENT UPDATE TO THE PREGNANCY AND PARENTHOOD INSTRUCTION. SPECIFIC TFLW TASKS INCLUDE: EXAMINE INITIATIVES NAVY CAN INFLUENCE NOW THROUGH POLICY; IDENTIFY EFFORTS WHICH REQUIRE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL TO PLAN FOR LONG RANGE ENGAGEMENT; AND SOLICIT FEEDBACK FROM THE FLEET ON WHAT CHANGES SAILORS DESIRE FOR IMPROVED LIFE/WORK BALANCE.

4. OVER THE COMING MONTHS, WE PLAN TO TAKE WHAT WE LEARNED DURING THE LIFE/WORK SUMMIT TO THE WATERFRONT TO BRIEF SAILORS AND GET THEIR DIRECT FEEDBACK (Why just stick to the waterfront? We can find a COD for you if you want to talk to Sailors while deployed. Stay for awhile. Spend some time on the enlisted smoking sponson or we can put you on the Sunday Holy Helo to the small boys for a few days - take some time having a cigar with the Chief's Mess on DDG-XYZ.). YOUR THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, AND INSIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT TO TFLWAS FUTURE WORKFORCE POLICY IS DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED.

5. IMPROVING LIFE/WORK BALANCE FOR OUR SAILORS MEANS RECOGNIZING THAT OUR SAILORS NEED AND WANT TO MAINTAIN DIVERSE INTERESTS IN ADDITION TO THEIR NAVY COMMITMENT (we don't now? Maybe YOU don't). IT DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE WHAT HAS MADE US SUCESSFUL SIMPLY FOR THE SAKE OF CHANGE (yes you are) OR ARE MERELY PURSUING FEEL GOOD PROGRAMS WITH NO REAL IMPACT(you protesteth too much). BY POSITIVELY IMPROVING LIFE/WORK BALANCE FLEET-WIDE, WHILE CAPITALIZING ON THE BEST OF OUR TRADITIONS AND HERITAGE, WE CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCE HOW WE CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS, DEPLOY FORCES FORWARD, AND PREPARE OUR 21ST CENTURY SAILORS FOR A RAPIDLY CHANGING FUTURE (if you are saying that now we are "negatively improving" and "insignificantly influencing" then who is going to be held accountable?). TFLW IS NOT LOOKING FOR THE EASY BUTTON (oh, how cute, a pop-culture reference) FOR OUR SAILORS - IT WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE BETTER BUTTON.

6. POINTS OF CONTACT:
- LT STEPHANIE Mxxxx, OPNAV N134, AT (703) 695-xxxx/225 OR EMAIL AT STEPHANIE.xxxxx(AT)NAVY.MIL.
- CAPT KEN xxxxx, OPNAV N134, AT (703) 695-xxxx/DSN 225 OR EMAIL AT
KEN.xxxx(AT)NAVY.MIL.

7. RELEASED BY VADM J. C. HARVEY, JR., N1.//

BT

NNNN

Para 5 is a classic; if you have to tell someone .....

Finally, what has happened to clear and precise language? Why do I feel the need to parse every sentence? Because I know this is not the whole agenda - because if it was a clear agenda the message would be half the size and wouldn't feel like it just got out of an afternoon of yoga and aroma-therapy.

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UPDATE: Oh, dear hearts. I am not cynical, I just get to see the PIO release early, maybe.

Why am I not surprised about the press release on Task Force Work/Life? If the focus is on Sailors work/life then why is this PIO releasing it?

By Lt. Cmdr. Kim Dixon, Chief of Naval Personnel Diversity Directorate Public Affairs

Very nice. I thought is smelled of the Diversity Bullies. The rest speaks for itself.

“Retention statistics and survey feedback tell us that meeting the professional and personal development needs of our Sailors, particularly women, ..... “This (summit) is a very big signal,” said Harvey. “I want it to be a signal to our Navy, our women, ... After hearing additional briefs on the retention of women in the Navy, particularly in the unrestricted line officer communities, ..

I knew my suspicions were right.

VADM Harvey had this very interesting thing to say as well,

The second phase will be to start a pattern of activity that demonstrates Navy leadership’s level of commitment in influencing positive cultural change.

It begs the question: if we need positive cultural change, it implies that there is something wrong with our Navy culture. If you want change, first you need to define what is wrong. State the default and the conversation can take place. If you cannot define the default, because to clearly define what you see as a fault in the Navy culture would be too inflamatory, then perhaps that inability to clearly discuss difficult issues should be the first thing an effort to "influence positive cultural change" should be made at.

If you want to address the fact that it is exceptionally difficult for a Unrestricted Line Officer to stay on Active Duty, be the mother to three children, and still be competitive for Flag Officer - then say that is what you want to do. The Fleet will figure that out anyway - we can read your own press releases after all. Just be honest with us. It is what you expect from the Fleet - that respect flows both ways.

Skippy, find a good internet connection and help a brother out here.

Hat tip "my Fleet LT spy."