Thursday, November 15, 2007

A Navy at war? - Part 2

Building on the drink-craving-creating Part 1.

A few points. - Are these really the top three priorities for a nation involved in a war against a retrograde force bent on killing millions of US citizens on the way to enslaving and/or converting them? - What is the life/work balance of the Army and USMC personnel?

My only response to this is: look at the life/work balance of yourself, the Flag Officers you own paper on, and your Staffs first.
R 241718Z OCT 07
FM COMNAVAIRFOR SAN DIEGO CA
TO ALNAVAIRFOR
NAVAIRES
INFO COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N00//
COMUSFLTFORCOM NORFOLK VA//N00//
COMNAVAIRSYSCOM PATUXENT RIVER MD//N00/AIR6.0// CNATRA CORPUS CHRISTI TX//N00//
BT
UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR ALL AVIATION FLAG OFFICERS, CAGS, COMMODORES AND COMMANDING OFFICERS
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/COMNAVAIRFOR/-/OCT//
SUBJ/PREPARING NAVAL AVIATION LEADERS FOR 21ST CENTURY - RETENTION// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. IN MY FIRST MESSAGE TO THE FORCE AS THE AIR BOSS, I STATED THAT ONE OF OUR PRIMARY IMPERATIVES IS TO CULTIVATE LEADERS WHO POSSESS THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO LEAD NAVAL AVIATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS A READINESS ISSUE. OUR MISSION SUCCESS DEPENDS ON US MEETING THIS LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE NOW. THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF THREE MESSAGES THAT ADDRESS SPECIFIC AREAS OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
I WANT YOU AS COMMANDING OFFICERS TO FOCUS ON: RETENTION, DIVERSITY, AND EDUCATION.
2. RETENTION. WE ARE IN A WAR FOR TALENT. IT IS VITAL WE KEEP THE RIGHT PEOPLE WITH THE RIGHT SKILL SETS ON BOARD, SERVING IN THE NAVY, ACTIVE OR RESERVE. AS OUR NAVY ZEROS IN ON THE REDUCED ENDSTRENGTH TARGETS ESTABLISHED FOUR YEARS AGO, IT IS IMPORTANT WE TAKE MEASURES TO ENSURE WE DON'T OVERSHOOT AS WE LEVEL OFF. TO DO THAT, WE MUST ADDRESS BOTH THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL NEEDS OF OUR SAILORS.
A. I CHARGE ALL COMMANDING OFFICERS, COMMAND MASTER CHIEFS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT TEAMS TO EXAMINE AND IMPROVE YOUR CURRENT CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. MENTOR YOUR SAILORS. WE MUST ENSURE WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO HELP OUR PEOPLE MAKE WELL-INFORMED CAREER DECISIONS BASED ON FACTS AND GIVE THEM THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
B. THE CRUX OF ANY SAILOR'S DESIRE TO CONTINUE MILITARY SERVICE IS THE ABILITY TO BALANCE THEIR PERSONAL LIVES WITH THEIR PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. THE NAVY RECENTLY STOOD UP TASK FORCE LIFE/WORK (TFLW) WITH THE MISSION OF DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING WAYS TO ENHANCE LIFE/WORK BALANCE FOR ALL SAILORS. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE TFLW INTITIATIVES BRIEF FOUND AT HTTP://WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/COMMANDSUPPORT/TASKFORCELIFEWORK/ AND ADVISE YOUR SAILORS OF THE NEW OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM. AS COMMANDERS, YOU SET THE CLIMATE AND MUST FOSTER BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH. WORK WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP TO ENGAGE EVERY SAILOR AND OFFICER, EARLY AND OFTEN, TO PULSE HOW WELL THEY ARE MANAGING THEIR CHALLENGING CAREERS WHILE BALANCING THE DEMANDS PLACED ON THEM BY THEIR PERSONAL LIVES.
C. WHEN OUR PEOPLE DO MAKE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO LEAVE ACTIVE DUTY, LEADERSHIP MUST MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE BRIGHTEST AND BEST SAILORS TO TRANSITION TO THE RESERVES. WE MUST UTILIZE OUR ENTIRE CAREER DEVELOPMENT TEAM, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, INCLUDING CAREER COUNSELORS, CARIT TEAMS AND NAVY RECRUITERS, TO FACILITE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND ENSURE WE KEEP OUR SAILORS' TALENT WITHIN THE TOTAL FORCE.
3. THE FORCE OF TOMORROW WILL ONLY BE AS GOOD AS THOSE WHO LEAD IT. WE NEED TO GIVE OUR BEST YOUNG PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. IF WE DO THAT, THEY WILL CHOOSE TO STAY NAVY, AND WE CAN BE CONFIDENT THEY WILL CARRY ON NAVAL AVIATION'S TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE. I EXPECT YOU AND YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AND BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR UNIT'S RETENTION.
4. FLY, FIGHT, LEAD. KILLER SENDS.//
People need more sea time.

If anyone has message 2 & 3, send it along. Especially #2.

NB: Is is not a P4 if it is mass emailed. Just a little note there to my fellow staff weenies - but that is just my minority opinion. (I know; everyone gets a trophy and everyone gets to read the P4).

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