FLEET MASTER CHIEF’S

“Word to the Warriors”#2 ------(November 2007)

This document is for information purposes and is designed to ensure that all personnel are aware of the many issues/changes that occur in our Navy, although not inclusive it is a great venue to share our best practices. If you have information, programs or best practices that you would like to share Navy wide, send them via your applicable ISIC or Force Master Chief for inclusion. Thanks for your support and feedback!

CNO GUIDANCE 2008: Attached is the 2008 CNO guidance.

WHAT DOES SHIPMATE MEAN TO YOU: We have recently initiated a contest for every Sailor to define what SHIPMATE means to them in the 21st century. Contest will run through 31 December 2007.

FSGLI: We need your immediate attention to this matter…..Dual military couples HEADS UP!

A few months ago, OSD (P&R) contacted each Service for assistance in collecting Family Servicemember's Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) premiums from military members married to military members who do not have their spouses enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, known as DEERS. As you know, DEERS is commonly known as a 'dependent' database; however, DoD requires ALL family members be enrolled in DEERS--it is the authoritative source for family member data. Military members simply do not enroll their military spouses in DEERS since the spouse is a member enrolled in their own right in DEERS. But, these military member spouses are in fact, by law, covered by FSGLI (unless the military spouse is enrolled in DEERS and an FSGLI declination is effected) and premiums are paid by DoD to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) for these spouses because the Master Military Pay Account (MMPA) at DFAS reflects a spouse. The deductions are made at DFAS only by a DEERS trigger, because the MMPA doesn't contain the spouse info necessary to calculate the premium rate.

We have to change the mindset that DEERS is for dependents and we have to make sure military members marrying or divorcing military members report the family change data in DEERS. OSD reports almost $25M in premiums have not been deducted from member's pay because of their failure to report their military spouse in DEERS. Leadership has to take a active roll to ensure DEERS data is accurate for all members.

Despite NAVADMINs, LES statements, Navy Times articles, etc. members are still claiming they don't know about FSGLI and they don't know they have to enroll their military spouse in DEERS. Many personnel offices even told members they didn't need to enroll their military spouse in DEERS because the military member is already in DEERS. This has high level interest and we need your help to make sure ALL family members are enrolled in DEERS, period.

Bottom Line: If your married Mil to Mil…..your spouse should be enrolled in DEERS regardless of their active duty role!

Related story:

If you have questions regarding FSGLI contact PERS-35 POC for FSGLI debt collection; PSCS Gary Rowe at 901-874-4334 or email via or AVCM Ralph Gallaugher at 901-874-4311 or email via

FLEET MASTER CHIEF P-4: Attached is the P-4 to all CSC’s, COB’s and CMC’s on Motorcycle Safety….ensure you engage the deckplate…..keep up the good work and keep the feedback coming.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING:

(Navy Times article 3 Sep.,"10,000 Sailors can't advance")

Navy Times article on attendance at Leadership Training is below. Please take note of CNP PA remark regarding the way this story was handled by Navy Times. Please pay particular attention to the fact that the quotes from the ETC in the article came from a discussion Mark Faram sat in on at the NC Symposium. Lesson learned: all presenters at large gatherings like that need to be made specifically aware that media is in the room/on site.

Message from VADM Harvey:

Command Career Counselors,

You may get questions from Sailors about the Sept 3rd Navy Times headlines (see story below), hitting the newsstands this week, about NavalLeadershipSchool. Since this week’s edition contained some misinformation that could affect your Sailors, I wanted to give you the facts so you can inform the people who count on you.

*No Sailor is in jeopardy of not advancing due to a lack of school quotas. There are plenty of quotas available. They are scheduled at very flexible times and locations, and CNL offers the one-week course on weekdays and on weekends, providing maximum availability and flexibility.

*We’ve been hugely successful in going from 28,000 Sailors (last Sept.) who needed the class to advance to a steady state of approximately 10,000 Sailors today.

*For those 10,000 who still need the school, we process nearly 10,000 attendees every 2-3 months, so this is nothing new and you should not be in fear of being unable to complete the course .... as long as you take control of your career by enrolling and showing up.

*Here’s what’s interesting: There will always be thousands of Sailors who need these courses, because people are always getting advanced and moving up with Time in Rank (TIR). That’s not a bad thing, and it also isn't true that 10,000 Sailors can’t be advanced. We have the capacity and we routinely put 10,000 people through the school every 2-3 months!

Bottom Line

*No Sailor is in jeopardy of not advancing due to lack of school quotas.

*In only 8 months, about 50,000 Sailors have completed leadership training. No one who needs a seat will get left out.

*We have courses on weekdays, weekends and by Mobile Trainer. There are dozens of courses every week at over 70 sites. NKO is updated weekly with new courses and locations.

If there is any question about the policy, please see NAVADMINs 339/06 and 139/07.

The attached document provided by PERS 81 and CNL is a great reference.

Remember, leadership is not only taught in school. It happens on the waterfront every minute, and I need your leadership to ensure our Sailors understand what courses they need and how to get them.

I've attached the article for your reference. I am working closely with Master Chief Kennamore to get you the most up-to-date information possible about things that affect you and the fleet, please contact him at (901) 874-2470 or email if you need more information.

Vr,

J.C. Harvey, Jr.

Vice Admiral/USN

Chief of Naval Personnel

IA FAMILY SUPPORT: It’s never been more important to ensure our Sailors, their spouses (if applicable) and their families are contacted to stay in the command loop of information. An occasional phone call by your IA Coordinator (hopefully this is a Chief, Senior Chief or Master Chief) calling on behalf of the CO and CMC to the family is a priceless couple of minutes.

FOREIGN TRAVEL; IS A PASSPORT REQUIRED?….PLAN AHEAD: Below is the link to the Foreign Clearance Travel guide which governs passport requirements for all countries that our Sailors travel to. This is a great resource!

Shortcut to:

CREDO RETREATS: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THIS RESOURCE????

Attached is information concerning CREDO/Spiritual Fitness Division retreats and workshops. The retreats are normally held at off-site retreat areas to allow our Sailors and their families some respite from the daily grind of the military. Each is free so there are no cost inhibitors for our junior Sailors or their families.

From the Fleet RP: I had a Chief come up to me yesterday who recently participated in a Marriage Enrichment Retreat. He was so impressed that both he and his wife are now volunteers in facilitating CREDO retreats. They just completed their Training Team Retreat and are excited about helping Sailors and their families. This was his email to me later that day:

John,

My wife and I have been on the Marriage Enrichment Retreat in September and the Team Member Retreat this past weekend. I have been in the Navy for 21 years and never knew CREDO offered this. My wife and I have a deeper understanding of what the CREDO community has to offer our Sailors. Those retreats have been an eye opening experience and our lives have been changed for the better. I recommend every Chief and spouse in the Navy attend a retreat, not only will they get a deeper understanding of themselves, their lives will be changed and they will have a ready available resource to offer to the Sailors we impact.

Unfortunately, his statement, "I have been in the Navy for 21 years and never knew CREDO offered this" is the norm. A lot of our CPOs are not aware of this resource for their Sailors, themselves and our Navy families.

MILITARY SPOUSE NETWORK: The Military has launched a new web site as a way to connect, inform and empower America’s military spouses located around the world. ( This free social network is the largest online community for the over one million spouses and significant others of Active Duty, Reserve, and Guard forces.

The Military Spouse Network provides this active group with a destination to share experiences, trade lessons learned, find neighborhood or school information when relocating, use military discounts, maintain connection with spouse clubs and other organizations and professionally network with peers. Most importantly, the Military Spouse Network offers an informal support system which endures over time and defies geographical confines.

“The nature of military life creates a bond among spouses, and this group is eager to lend a hand to one another,” said Andi Hurley, creator of Military.com’s SpouseBUZZ blog ( “While there is no single location where this growing population can connect in person, the Military Spouse Network will provide the more than 435,000 Military.com spouse members with access to an interactive, responsive and supportive online community.”

INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEE (IA’s) AND FAMILY SUPPORT: Sailor and Family support is the key to the success of our IA program. As many of you know our requirements for IA’s is expected to continue. Currently we have several thousand personnel on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, Horn of Africa and GTMO, Cuba, and other locations throughout the world. Every Sailor that deploys for an IA should be receiving regular contact from their command, contact with their work peers is important but contact should also be made by the CO, XO and CMC’s. Additionally commands should make it a point to contact the IA families to ensure their needs are being met. Chiefs, if you have an IA assigned from your division ensure you gain contact and provide a continual flow of information.

Additionally on the lines of Family support….if you have personnel who have been injured or is hospitalized the command should continue to be engaged to ensure those individuals have command contact and are supported throughout their recovery process and beyond. Some of the recent issues we continue to see regarding IA’s are as follows:

  • Improper Medical screening. Use the latest ECRC Screening checklist (located on NKO) when preparing your Sailor.
  • Have your Sailors and their families attend Regional IA briefs. (Great resource)
  • Read and follow the IA orders.
  • Security Clearances are not IAW with the rqmt.
  • Evaluations and exams not thought about or ordered. (Don’t forget advancement worksheets)
  • Have you looked at the ECRC command website?

NAVADMIN 182/07 announces implementation of the Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) and Warrior Transition Program (WTP). Commands should review.

CMC’s….if you Sailors are going on an IA the following Command Master Chiefs are stationed in CENTCOM and are available to assist you in locating your IA Warriors:

CMDCM Jeff Covington (IRAQ):

CMDCM Steve Markum (AFGHAN):

CMDCM Gary Doner (HOA):

CMDCM Kelly Schneider (ECRC): (for personnel heading to training)

CHIEFS STANDARDS AND CONDUCT BOARD: We recently began a pilot program with various commands from both coasts. Attached is the draft instruction for your SA.

CPO INDUCTION BEST PRACTICES: Leaders, we need your best practices and lessons learned from the FY-08 CPO Induction. There are so many of you that have incredible programs and developed POA&M’s that some of our other CMC’s, COB’s, CSC’s and CSEL’s can learn from and utilize it’s imperative we share this information. What is being done on a CVN is undoubtedly different than what is being done on a DDG which is certainly different that what can be done on a SSN. Take into account what can be done on a shore facility and we have one more venue to learn from. Send your Best Practices to your ISIC and/or Force Master Chief so we can populate an upcoming link on the MCPON’s Directline.

TRIPS (Travel Risk Planning System): Chiefs….this is a great tool and should be used as your Warriors head off during our holidays……Here is the link to the Navy Safety Center’s TRiPS website and specifically their brief for use at GMT that details how TRiPS is utilized and can be coupled with the ORM 5 - Step Process. With the Critical Days of Summer behind us, we have done well but have to keep the press on…….we are forwarding the brief to you in the event you wish to post with the Critical Days of Summer and ORM Tools websites. It includes notes so that it can be downloaded and taught at GMT.

NOMINATIVE CMC BILLET ANNOUNCEMENT: On September 10thCMC Jackie DiRosa sent out the below information in an email to the Mess. This is the process for Nom job consideration.

“This will be the standard announcement format for all upcoming nom-CMC job slates. The Slate Announcement will take the place of the message commands routinely released in the past. These will be included in the routine "Hot Sheet" and posted on the "Direct Line".

Please review the pre-req section and the nominative process section (highlights below). There are some business rules attached here that need to be discussed with your CMCs.

PREREQUISITES FOR CONSIDERATION:

D.MUST HAVE A MINIMUM OF 24-MONTHS TIME IN SERVICE REMAINING TO HIGH YEAR TENURE (HYT) DATE FROM REPORT MONTH. IF NOT, MUST FIRST BE CONDITIONALLY APPROVED FOR A HYT EXTENSION PRIOR TO NOMINATION CONSIDERATION.

E.MUST BE WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF PRD. BY CASE EXCEPTIONS CONSIDERED.

F.MUST MEET ALL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS AS OUTLINED IN REF A.NOMINATION PROCEDURES:

G.CMCs BEING CONSIDERED FOR THIS SLATE MAY BE NOMINATED BY THEIR COMMANDER / COMMANDING OFFICER, SENIOR NOMINATIVE-CMC, OR THE CMC MGMT OFFICE. CMCs MAY REQUEST NOMINATION THROUGH THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND.

SAFETY: Attached is the recent CNO NAVADMIN announcing the 2006 Afloat Safety Awards. BZ!!!!

PREDATORY LENDING: DOD recently announced a new Predatory Lending Regulation which took effect 1 October.

RETENTION STAY NAVY CAMPAIGN:Attached is the NAVADMIN concerning Reserve Affiliation and the many benefits of staying Navy…… Also attached is a recent NAVADMIN (287/07) announcing new transition procedures for Sailors in the National Call to Service program.

7 FOCUS AREAS: Warriors these are seven specific areas each of you need to be looking at within your lifelines and throughout your areas of responsibility. The performance of our Sailors begins with our direct leadership at morning quarters as well as continually within the spaces and throughout the day.

These specific focus area’s are:

  • Sexual Assault
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Substance Abuse Prevention
  • Alcohol Abuse Prevention
  • Drug Testing (Compliance and reporting)
  • Domestic Violence
  • Physical Fitness Assessment
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Zone “A” Retention

We have got to continue to work these focus areas and share idea’s and best practices to further reduce the negative trends associated with them. Best practices should be shared Navy wide.

NAVY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY:

NAVY DIVERSITY:

The CNO has cited diversity as a strategic imperative for the Navy. Navy leaders must quickly become familiar with the concept of diversity. "Diversity is Our Strength," is now available to all hands as part of the Navy's GMT Program. "Diversity is our Strength" demonstrates that diversity is about understanding how each of us brings different skills, talents, and experiences to the fight and how we should all value those differences. The primary venue to complete the newly-released diversity training will be Navy Knowledge On-line (NKO). For more information, refer to DTG 311559Z AUG 07 CNO WASHINGTON DC.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:

OPNAVINST 5354.1F, Navy Equal Opportunity (EO) Policy, was signed out on 25 July 2007. The instruction is a complete revision with no phase-in period, and mandates several new requirements for commanders and CMEOs. A sample of these changes include:

*Commanders may issue an order that only English be spoken in a work place when they have a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for the rule.

*Personnel engaged in personal conversation off-duty should be allowed to communicate in the language of their choice.

*Establish a Command Training Team (CTT), a Command Assessment Team (CAT), and ensure all personnel receive Navy Rights and Responsibilities (NR&R) training (or CPPD-approved equivalent).

*Conduct a command assessment 90 days after assumption of command. This is accomplished by using the DEOMI Organizational Climate Survey (DEOCS) and a minimum of two other methods of data collection (e.g., review of records and reports, individual interviews, observations, focus groups, or other methods deemed appropriate by the commander).

*Submit Climate Assessment Executive Summaries to the Echelon III EOA, via ISIC, within 60 days of completed assessment.

*Forward all completed Formal Equal Opportunity complaint investigations, with endorsements, to the Echelon III EOA, via ISIC, for review.