First Term Sailor Retention

In September, I had the opportunity to visit the Naval Academy for a “Candidate Visit Weekend.” During my two-night visit, I was paired with a current midshipman, whom I accompanied to classes, meals, and a sports practice. Personally experiencing daily life at the Academy and meeting current midshipmen has reinforced my desire to join their ranks. The most inspiring thing about the midshipmen I met was the effort that they put into succeeding. Being a part of this culture, even for two days, has shown me that I can work just a little harder, and that I can push myself just a little further. Since returning home, I have done just that in numerous ways.

Since its formation during the early years of our nation the United States Navy has always stood out among other militaries, playing a vital role in the protection of our own country as well as the rest of the world. Founded upon the core values of honor, courage, and commitment the Navy has continued to uphold its men and women to exceptionally high moral, mental, and physical standards for nearly 240 years. It is my favorite branch of the military and becoming an officer in it has been a goal of mine for a long time.

“It has been so long ago I can hardly remember any experiences, what I can remember is thinking my youth was being left behind” Mr. Johnson replied after being asked to describe his experiences at Navy boot camp. He also stated that he learned very quickly to take care of himself, and was given a lot more responsibility than he was accustomed to in previous years. He believes that is aspect of youth and responsibility makes the military such a good option for young adults. It leaves the parents behind from a reliance standpoint and gives members the tools to succeed and be responsible in so many various

1550 01 Aug 05 CAREER RETENTION SPECIALIST (MCI 0084) 1. Purpose. This handbook for career retention specialists (CRS) is published to provide reference material to all Marines whose duties require them to understand the basic tasks of a CRS. 2. Scope. This handbook addresses the reference material needed for the following: choosing the Marines who need a CRS interview and specifying the type of interview, researching the Marine’s performance history for eligibility and career options,

The military has always been an integral part of U.S. history. It dates back to 1775, even before the Declaration of Independence. The United States Armed forces currently has five branches of service; Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. This essay seeks to take a closer look at the United States Army and the United States Navy, which are the two largest branches. A comparison of their history, mission and the transition of its members back to civilian life will shed some light on how similar but different these two branches are. Although the overall goal of all branches of the Armed Forces is to protect the United States of America’s borders and interests, each branch has a unique history and specific mission in accomplishing this.

The work conditions in the U.S. Navy varys. If you are a recruit you do not get treated with respect. You will have to be able to

The expanded quotas available for the Meritorious Advancement program have taken opportunities away from Sailors advancing under the semi-annual advancement program.

Throughout history, the U.S. military has enjoyed a reputation of being one of the most respected and reliable organizations in the United States. Although the military continues to make every effort to achieve excellence, the very real threat of drawdowns and budget cuts have constrained and forced leaders to change the way they conduct business. Even though the objective remains to be building a stronger and superior force, the latest changes to policy have ushered in a destructive zero-defect attitude within its ranks.

1. Never forget where you came from, you were once that junior Sailor looking for guidance. Pass along your knowledge and experience and train your replacement.

I have garnered many military certifications and qualifications during the course of my almost twenty year career in the US Navy. From teaching and instructing students how to operate and utilize complex test equipment to training and qualifying seasoned sailors on maintaining weapons systems my experience and knowledge is vast and expansive. Early in my career I worked as a technician on deceptive electronic countermeasure systems (DECM) for F-14 Tomcats. Applying my technical acumen and know how I utilized Navy Electronic Warfare Test Set (NEWTS) and overhauled countless assets returning them to supply shelves completely repaired and ready for re-issue. Additionally, as I advanced in rank, I managed the production efforts of technicians

A half-dozen chartered busses sat idling at the departure center of the Recruit Training Center Orlando on a Friday morning in June, waiting to take the graduates of Company 129 to the next stop in their fledgling Navy enlistments. About half of C-129’s 60 or so graduates were staying put right there in Orlando, off to attend one of the many schools hosted by the adjacent command, Naval Training Center. The rest of us, along with the females in our “sister company” boarded one of the six busses that would take us to the next stop on our way to the fleet.

Over the past few months the workforce study conducted on BBH has brought to attention some serious issues that possibly have been going on for years. Some of the issues they have are, one the Navy budget problems involving BBH taking majority of the risk due to budget being cut. Second BBH has had an increase in their workload and the numbers are steady rising each year. The only issue is that with an aging workforce and a need to hire younger guys who have no experience, how these ships will get built on schedule for the Navy. The third issues comes from the new hires who have recently left the company. Many of them complained about how much the supervision was bad and how complicated the work being done was to them. The fourth issue simply

The Navy has come to a crossroad to meet today’s demands while trimming down the fat. In order to meet this increasing demand for U.S. Maritime presence around the world and to satisfactorily support the war, the Navy needs to increase its ships number while decreasing its manpower. This is the dilemma that Navy policy makers have to deal with. Performance-driven organization must maintain its workforce at peak levels and meet retention goals while coping with budget cutbacks and an unyielding "do-more-with-less" mandate. How to properly downsize the force while retaining the right skills in order to afford the increase numbers of ships. But that might prove to be more difficult than originally planned. There much to be consider when it comes to making cuts among the ranks. An analysis of the DOD budget constrictions reveals one challenge facing our troops today: Downsizing the military force and converting jobs designators.

oining the Navy is a first time experience for many. Not coming from a military background made the transition even harder because my parents, and I, were not sure what I would be walking in to. The lack of information being given to new members of the military has to change. It is the job of the recruiter to provide them with the proper knowledge they need before even signing the military contract. Also, it is the responsibility of the recruit to ask as many questions as they can, and if needed, conduct further research on his/her own.

Surveying the workforce, 52 percent of management is eligible to retire in the next 5 years. Our middle management workforce has only 7 years of experience, a decline 4 years of average experience. Training costs have soared, but are proving ineffective. Despite a Navy high budget of $5M in FY13, quality defects have increased 10%. The Carrier maintenance leadership