By Capt. John Cordle (ret.)
The quantity 17 ought to have particular that means for the CNO, because it does for me. It’s the variety of Sailors we misplaced within the 2017 collisions, as a consequence of fully preventable flaws. The CNO ought to proceed to concentrate to the teachings from these occasions, and gauge the extent to which they’ve really been realized and applied. Whereas these collisions occurred greater than six years in the past, the method of studying from them stays very a lot a piece in progress.
Among the many many challenges highlighted by these deadly occasions, manning shortfalls and pervasive fatigue proceed to persist. The U.S. Fleet Forces Complete Evaluate (CR) options the phrases “manning” and “fatigue” 117 instances. Within the years because the horrible occasions of 2017, the variety of gapped Sailor billets at sea has nonetheless managed to extend from 6,592 (per the CR) to over 9,000, with many ships manned under 90 %. Many have forgotten the truth that the USS Fitzgerald had no Quartermaster Chief for at the very least a 12 months resulting in the collision, and that the helm and lee helm driving the USS John S. McCain have been cross-decked from one other ship. Each the CR and the Nationwide Transportation Security Board report cite an absence of manning as a serious contributor to fatigue, which exacerbated each occasions, in keeping with the investigations. The problems of manning and fatigue are inextricably linked. Fatigue can be linked to operational stress, psychological well being, and even suicide.
A cornerstone of the CNO’s duties is making certain there are sufficient Sailors to serve at sea. Granted, there are limits to what the CNO can do, together with topline budgets, recruiting and retention challenges, and a robust financial system to compete towards. However in the long run, it comes all the way down to setting agency priorities and making the tradeoffs. The very best weapons on the planet will fall brief if they’re manned by overworked and exhausted Sailors.
The CNO ought to pay shut consideration to 2 measures – the variety of billets at present gapped at sea, and the typical hours slept by sailors on ships. The measure of effectiveness shall be for the previous to go down and the latter to go up every month. If profitable, the gaps will go from 9,000 to zero in 4 years, and the sleep common from 5.5 to 7 hours. The outcome shall be improved operational effectiveness, high quality of service, and security. The recollections of the Sailors we misplaced deserve no much less.
Captain John Cordle is a retired Floor Warfare Officer who served as a Kind Commander Personnel Officer and Chief of Employees, and twice Commanding Officer of Navy warships, USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) and USS San Jacinto (CG 56). He’s the recipient of the U. S. Navy League John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Management.
Featured Picture: EAST CHINA SEA (July 16, 2020) Deck division Sailors restore line utilizing a method referred to as ‘serving’ on the forecastle of the amphibious dock touchdown ship USS Germantown (LSD 42). (U.S. Navy picture by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)
