Feb
07
2010

Haiti Trip

Team, I returned Thursday evening from a visit to our ships operating off Haiti in support of Operation Unified Response and to the Forward Logistics Hub we established at our base in Guantanamo Bay. It’s been 25 days since the earthquake struck, and 24 1/2 days since the Navy began responding to the disaster.

What our Sailors have accomplished during that period of time is simply remarkable and fills me with great pride. The Navy responded rapidly and well, putting together a strong team under RADM Vic Guillory, our 4th Fleet Commander, who leads the Navy relief efforts in the Southern Command region as part of Joint Task Force-Haiti.

COMFORT

The role of the USNS COMFORT is well known, but what is not so well known is that Navy Doctors, Nurses, Corpsmen and support personnel from over 100 separate commands came together in just 2 weeks to bring that hospital ship to life and deliver a well-organized, well-led and supremely competent medical team to the relief effort.

I was able to get through quite a few of the wards onboard COMFORT and see some of the seriously injured Haitians whose lives were saved by our medical teams. Of note, many of the linguists who were translating for the Haitian patients and their family members were Red Cross volunteers who were doing 30 day stints helping out onboard – these Red Cross volunteers were simply invaluable. I also met with volunteers from Project Hope and other non-governmental organizations who were aboard providing a wide-array of very important medical services. All in all, a very moving experience to see our Navy medical teams, the various volunteer organizations and the mariners of the Military Sealift Command working together to make such a profound difference for so many seriously injured Haitians. Here is a story that is typical of what our Sailors aboard COMFORT are doing in Haiti – “Comfort Corpsmen Give Infant Another Shot at Life.”

USS BATAAN (LHD 5) is the amphibious “big deck” in the Haitian relief operation and the Flagship of the BATAAN Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). She had returned from a regular, 6 month deployment to Central Command on 5 December and was in the middle of her refit when she got the word to get underway as soon as possible, along with the USS FT McHENRY (LSD 43) and USS CARTER HALL (LSD 50), steam to Onslow Bay, NC to onload the Marines of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and then proceed at best speed to Haiti. When the call came, BATAAN was in a status that required her to be ready to get underway for a contingency in 96 hours – she made it in just 48 hours from a standing start; an extraordinary effort for her great crew, but typical of what I’ve seen BATAAN do throughout this operation.

Sailors

BATAAN brings extensive command and control capabilities, a large flight deck and the ability to support many Navy and Marine helicopters for an extended period of time, and the largest afloat medical facility in the Navy other than one of our Hospital ships. Most of all, BATAAN brought our Sailors and Marines with all they can do to help in the relief efforts. This story gives you a quick glimpse of what I saw when I visited this ship and her terrific crew – “BATAAN Relief Efforts.”

I was also able to visit the USS FT McHenry (LSD 43), one of our amphibious ships that can operate both helicopters and landing craft. All her capabilities were needed after she arrived and went to work as part of the Navy’s Task Force 41. As I talked to many members of the crew, I heard one story after another of how our Sailors and Marines went ashore and just “figured it out”, using their initiative to deal with the extensive devastation they found and get food, water and medical care to the people as soon as possible. See some of what these FORT McHENRY Sailors did here – “Sailors Ashore from FORT McHENRY Provide Relief in Haiti.”

The USS GUNSTON HALL (LSD 44) was already loaded out for a deployment to our Africa Partnership Station when she was ordered to get underway and proceed to Haiti to participate in the relief operations. The first week after I took command of US Fleet Forces in July 2009 I visited the GUNSTON HALL and spent an afternoon onboard learning all I could about this ship and her crew. She was the first of our LSDs to go through the extensive mid-life modernization and I wanted to see the results up close. I had a great visit with the ship and found her crew to be a tough, capable bunch of “get ‘er done” Sailors. After departing the BATAAN, I was able to get aboard GUNSTON HALL and see for myself what these Sailors were doing. As on the other ships, I found myself greatly inspired by what I saw and heard. GUNSTON HALL’s relief work ashore has been focused on the area around the small town of Killick. This short story can give you a quick picture of what these sailors have done – “Gunston Hall Establishes Killick Landing Zone for Haitian Relief Efforts.”

DSC01680After departing BATAAN, I flew to our Naval station at Guantanamo Bay, about 160 miles from Haiti, and met with many of the Sailors from our Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) who deployed on no-notice and set up the logistics hub through which we’re sending many of the supplies to our ships off Haiti. As on our ships, these NECC Sailors were highly motivated, exceptionally skilled and showed great initiative as they created the Navy’s logistics chain to Haiti – moving people, relief supplies, enormous amounts of food and water and everything else our Sailors need to get the job done ashore. It’s a real joint effort at Guantanamo; here’s a clip of our Sailors loading an Army LCU for its trip to Haiti – “GTMO Serves as a Supply Hub.”

What I’ve given you here is just a very small sample of what I saw first-hand when I visited our ships – I think I can sum it up by simply saying that I saw the very best our Navy has to offer. And while I was deeply inspired by what I saw, I was not surprised. We have the best men and women in the nation in our Navy and we’re seeing them display their many talents, their extraordinary initiative and their unyielding dedication in Haiti. It’s what our Sailors do every day, all around the globe.

When you next see the advertisement and hear the words, “The United States Navy – a global force for good”, think of what our Sailors are doing in Haiti. Those words are true, as true as the Sailors who give them meaning. It is the great privilege of my life to serve with them. All the best, JCHjr

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (0)
Feb
02
2010

Operation Unified Response Update

Translator on Comfort

Team,

I escaped the winter weather in Norfolk and I’m now visiting with the Sailors of the BATAAN ARG and USNS COMFORT supporting the joint force relief effort in Haiti.  I’ll have some great stories and pictures for you of what our Sailors are doing when I get back.

Lummus

In my last update, I mentioned our Logistics Over-the-Shore (LOTS) capability which is providing a much needed lighterage system until Haiti’s seaport is rebuilt.  I have posted some video of our LOTs in action here.

 

USFF UNIFIED RESPONSE Brief_ 01FEB 1000

Right now, we have 28 US ships on station, underway, or preparing to get underway in support of OPERATION UNIFIED RESPONSE.  As you can see from the Force Laydown slide, we are joined by ships from many other nations.  The importance of building partnerships and executing our maritime strategy has paid great dividends in developing this multinational response.

Finally, I want to leave you with another update from Captain Dom DeScisciolo (CO, USS BUNKER HILL) — another great story you probably won’t hear on the news of U.S. Navy Sailors making it happen.    All the best, JCHjr.

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Picmi SOS

The little town we provided relief for today (Picmi, on the southeast coast of La Gonave) had actually written “SOS” in the sand (picture attached).  Ops had flagged down a helo and gone up for her daily ‘aerial recon’ the other day and thought she saw the letters while she was taking pictures.  When she got back and we looked at the photos – sure enough, it was there!  We sent in our survey team this morning and found nearly 2,000 residents with no food or water.  Plus we were the FIRST assistance they’d seen since the earthquake 17 days ago.

We began our by now trademark water-and-food shuttle with the RHIBs, and we ended up providing nearly 2,000 meals (MREs) and 400 gal water before wrapping up at sunset.  No medevacs today, but HMC and his team still provided care for over 200 persons (mostly children).  All in all a good day.  And all from an “SOS” in the sand…

 Our 6th town in 8 days… V/R Dom

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts | Tagged , | Comments (4)
Jan
27
2010

Operation Unified Response Update

100123-N-7508R-092

Team,

I wanted to provide you another update on our Navy’s efforts in Haiti.  Our Sailors continue to make an extraordinary contribution to the relief efforts and I continue to be impressed with their flexibility and willingness to help in anyway they can.  100115-N-6247V-596For example, the crew of USS HIGGINS had just finished a 6 month round the world deployment and was en route to their homeport in San Diego transiting the Caribbean when the earthquake struck.  USS HIGGINS immediately diverted to help the people of Haiti and was the first Navy ship on station.

Overall, the response of our Navy continues to be rapid and effective.  Since my last post, we have established a Joint Logistics Hub in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and our Sea Base is providing aid by helo and LCAC to remote locations currently inaccessible any other way due to the significant damage to Haiti’s infrastructure.  We’ve also provided a field hospital ashore to improve effective patient flow to our afloat operating rooms.

100124-N-6070S-003One capability we are bringing to bear that I find particularly interesting is our Navy Logistics Over-The-Shore (LOTS).  With the damage to Haiti’s port, the investments in Military Sealift Command’s NLOTS are proving invaluable.  With the maritime prepositioning ship, USNS 1ST LT. JACK LUMMUS (T-AK-3011), we are able to transfer large construction equipment and up to 200 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) per day ashore (roughly half the capacity of Haiti’s port in Port-Au-Prince before the earthquake).  Over the coming weeks, USNS LUMMUS will be joined by the CAPE MARY, GOPHER STATE, CORNHUSKER STATE, and PETERSBURG – which will increase our TEU capacity to 1500 per day and offshore petroleum discharge capacity to 300,000 gallons per day.  If you are interested, I have posted a LOTS overview here.  Our Logistics Hub at GTMO, our Sea Base, and our LOTS are all impressive capabilities our Navy has established in Haiti and have greatly relieved the significant pressure on Haiti’s airport, seaport, and hospitals.

One final note, I received the below email from Captain Dominic DeScisciolo.  Dom was one of my former Department Heads when I was the CO of USS CAPE ST. GEORGE and is currently the CO of USS BUNKER HILL (CG-52).  Dom’s email is a great representation of “a day in the life” of our ships and what is being accomplished everyday by our Sailors.

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We are on our fourth town since last week. As you know, we began on the southwest coast of La Gonave at Point-a-Raquettes. We have since distributed relief aid to Anse-a-Galets, La Source, and Gros Mangle on the northwest coast of La Gonave. All of the towns mentioned, if not affected directly by the earthquake, are feeling some sort of indirect need due to the internally displaced people (IDPs) and the disruption of normal supply lines from Port Au Prince. And we’ve been figuring it out and getting more effective and efficient at delivering relief as we go along. The system goes something like this:

My Ops Boss arranges for a helo flight and takes picture after picture of potential communities in need, ingress and egress points, distribution areas, landing zones, places to access via RHIB and where to moor on the shore. Myself, my XO, CMC, DH’s, Chaps, and HMC huddle up that evening and review the photos Ops took that day. We practice the art of the possible in determining where we will put folks ashore and what we could potentially accomplish based on the size of the town, location, natural features, whether there are NGO contacts (like our Fr. Roosevelt from the first town) we could exploit to our advantage, etc.

The next morning I position the ship as close to shore as possible. Due to the lack of sufficient charts in this area, we’re being forced to get close to the beach in support of RHIB ops by sight, feel, and fathometer – which can get pretty sporty. Cheng then leads my two RHIBs ashore for a detailed eyes-on survey of the town, scouts out the most suitable LZ, and establishes a security perimeter manned by my Weapons Officer and his team. We then work with the town ‘elders’ through a combination of translators and our Chaplain, to set up the food and water distribution points. My HMC and his assistants go right to work in the town “clinic” (usually a thatch-roofed affair under a palm tree). The worst medical cases we arrange for medevac. They usually include the IDP’s that have sought refuge here on La Gonave from Port-Au-Prince. By around noontime food, water and medicine start flowing in from the ship via RHIB and helo (if avail; we don’t have our own embarked helo det – we’ve been begging helos each day from air ops on the CSG staff) and gets handed out like an assembly line. We can usually get about 2,000 individual meals and about 1,000 gal of water in to the beach each day before we have to wrap up near sunset. We have been averaging 1-2 days per town to try to bring them up to a ‘pre-earthquake condition’ in terms of food, water, and medical care. We are beginning to see a decline in injuries directly attributed to the quake or its aftermath. We are now seeing more injuries and illnesses that are in keeping with the generally low standard of living, malnutrition, and poverty that prevails in this country.

Anyway – just wanted to give you a glimpse of our day-to-day existence since my last e-mail. No end in sight just yet. But morale is SKY-HIGH and we’re happy to keep perfecting our “system” for the time being.

V/r,

Dom

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts, Operations | Tagged , | Comments (4)
Jan
19
2010

Operation Unified Response

Team, 

I wanted to provide an update on our current relief efforts in Haiti.  From the first news report, we sent all available ships, aircraft, and Sailors to help the people of Haiti.  We have set up a webpage dedicated to the Haiti relief effort and will continue to add more information over the coming days.  You can get to it by clicking here. 

I could not be more proud of our Sailors who acted on the first report, leaned forward, and were able to get their ships underway quickly to be a part of our Nation’s relief efforts.  Many of our Sailors deployed on a moment’s notice without a known end date. I am also very mindful of the burden we’ve placed on their families and appreciate their sacrifices as we act to provide this disaster relief. 

We’ve done this before – humanitarian assistance / disaster relief is one of our core capabilities.  We prepare for this, we practice for this, we’re ready for this, and we are moving out.  But that doesn’t mean that there are no more good ideas.  I ask that you give thought to the situation and post your ideas on how we can better support our Sailors, their families, and the people of Haiti.  It’s going to take a very long time for Haiti to recover from this disaster.  Navy is already looking at long-term solutions to ensure we are able to sustain our efforts until they are no longer required.  All the best, JCHjr

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts, Operations, People | Tagged , | Comments (11)
Jan
08
2010

New Blog Format and Maintaining our Standards

Team,

I started this blog when I assumed command of US Fleet Forces Command because I wanted to get feedback from the deckplate on the current state of the fleet as well as different perspectives and ideas on particular topics.  I have been very happy with the comments you have provided me and your feedback has really helped shape my thinking.

Now that I am approaching my six month mark in command, I would like to change the format of this blog in a manner which I hope will benefit us both – but particularly increase what you get out of the time you devote to reading and responding to my posts.

For the past six months, I have asked questions that can pretty much be mapped to one or more of my three primary concerns as Commander, USFF: to provide forces ready for tasking to our Combatant Commanders, to sustain those forces (including our people) so that we may fight today’s wars, tomorrow and get our ships, submarines, and aircraft to their expected service life, and to ensure our force deploys confident in their readiness to execute their missions through adhering to the tried and true standards that have benefited our Navy throughout our history.

Based on the picture of Fleet conditions I’ve developed over the past six months, I intend to transition away from predominately asking questions to letting you know my thoughts and informing you of the decisions I’ve made.  The value of your comments will not diminish, quite the contrary, but hopefully this will give you a better opportunity to understand what is on my mind and the actions I am taking.

That said, one area I have significant concern with is the confusion between “taking risk” and lowering standards.  As Navy made hard decisions over the past six years to meet growing Combatant Commander force demands, come off the manpower glideslope, and fund recapitalization after the “procurement holiday” of the 1990s; we began to use phrases such as “taking risk.”  Taking risk was often used to describe the actions that must be taken to “do more, with less.”  What really occurred in some instances was we did more, but we did it less well and we lowered our standards. 

As we recapitalize the fleet, meet Combatant Commander demand, and properly invest in the sustainment of our ships, submarines, and aircraft, we cannot lower the tried and true standards which have served our Navy for over 230 years.  Recent incidents – HARTFORD, JAMES E WILLIAMS, and flight discipline lapses – are just some examples that illuminate areas where we must re-educate, reinvigorate, and reinforce the bedrock importance of our tried and true standards that run the gamut from how we operate, to how we maintain, to our conduct, and the concept of accountability.  As a Fleet Commander, fewer resources means that there are things we will do less, but that must not result in doing things less well.  More to follow.  All the best, JCHjr.

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts, Readiness | Tagged , , | Comments (26)
Dec
15
2009

Navy as a Learning Organization

Team,

A Learning Organization is one that cultivates change through its people. It adapts by encouraging them to be creative and share ideas. I believe our Navy is a Learning Organization. That is one of the reasons I maintain this blog – to learn from you. 

As part of my recent trip to the CENTCOM AOR, I was struck by the vast array of experience and skills our Sailors are acquiring executing their missions. As a Learning Organization we must institutionalize this knowledge along with the other critical lessons our Sailors are learning every day while executing our more traditional missions. To accomplish the required learning, and to ensure we begin evolving, we must first ensure we have a healthy learning environment underpinned by concrete practices and supportive leadership.

What are your thoughts? Do you feel Navy is an effective learning organization today? If not, how do we take the next step from learning as individuals to learning as an organization? What must Navy do to improve how Sailors and Civilians create, acquire, and – most importantly – transfer their knowledge? Finally, how do we evaluate progress in this area? All the best, JCHjr

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts, People, Readiness | Tagged , , | Comments (9)
Dec
08
2009

Suicide Prevention

You have heard me talk on many occasions about the importance and value of our Sailors and the contributions they make to our Fleet and our Navy. One of the more tragic issues we face today is suicide. In FY09, Fleet Forces lost 14 Sailors to suicide and had more than 485 reported cases of suicidal behavior. Last year we conducted five suicide prevention workshops in Fleet concentration areas with Fleet leadership at all levels and, frankly, I think our leadership gets it. They understand the tragedy that occurs when a Sailor takes his or her own life. Not only is it a loss of life for a Sailor, but it leaves permanent scars on those left behind.

However, this is not an issue that can be solved by a policy message or a single training session. I am interested in your feedback on how we reach Sailors who are at the point of taking such a desperate and destructive act as suicide. How do we get to them with help before they reach this point? What can we do as a Navy family to help those around us deal with life issues – be they emotional, financial, whatever – that they may see as simply insurmountable? If you have been involved with a shipmate who was thinking of suicide, how did you handle it? All the best, JCHjr

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts, People | Tagged , | Comments (16)
Dec
03
2009

CENTCOM Trip Update

Admiral Harvey speaks to Sailors assigned to CJTF-HOA

Admiral Harvey speaks to Sailors assigned to CJTF-HOA

Team, 

My trip to CENTCOM was outstanding – all my objectives to get an accurate, in-depth look at the Navy IA experience and see the full array of Navy’s support for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan were achieved.  I was able to spend Thanksgiving with the best Sailors in the world and see first-hand the impact our Navy is having on our Nation’s efforts in Iraq, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and Djibouti.  My next few posts will include portions of my trip.  During one stop, I was able to take some questions from some Sailors and Officers stationed in Djibouti.  Because I am sure they are not the only ones with these questions and concerns, I told them I would respond to their questions on my blog.  Below are their questions and my responses. 

Q1) Why can’t Reservists extend to fill a valid billet instead of the six-month process of returning to the stateside NMPS to demobilize and then remobilize back to the same place of duty?

A1)  Reservists can voluntarily extend beyond 12 months without having to return stateside to demobilize.  The only exceptions are Sailors in high-stress missions such as PRTs, Counter IED, and SIGINT.  Key to success is making the decision as early as possible in your tour and getting your request quickly to your chain-of-command.  Big Navy wants to make sure you have a relief and must assume you are not going to extend (plan for worse case) so once this process gets moving, it’s hard to shut down, especially if you make a last minute decision.

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Q2) When can we get a coherent dedicated harbor security force in Djibouti? There was an RFF submitted, what is the status?

A2) Djibouti will not get a Navy Harbor Security Detachment near-term.  Demand far outstrips our capacity.  All our Harbor Security Detachments are either deployed, preparing to deploy to other missions or in post-deployment dwell.   That said, because you are at ground zero for our piracy issues, we will revisit our priorities and our investments.

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Q3) Will there be an Selective Reenlistment Bonus for Seabees?

A3) Yes.  Effective 1 Oct 09 through 31 Dec 09, there is an authorized SRB for Seabee-specific NECs (5931, 5932, 5933, 5633) and for Construction Electricians (CE).  For more details, the NAVADMIN can be found at http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/3EC0D96C-B0FD-42EA-A56A-4C482775F290/0/NAV09250.txt

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Q4) Why does the process sometimes require an East Coast Sailor (Portsmouth Navy Hospital) to travel to a West Coast NMPS?  Seems wasteful with TAD and unnecessary time away from family.

A4) Although I know it may be annoying, the NMPS location is selected to maintain the maximum number of personnel from a common IA mission to create unit cohesion prior to arrival at the IA training site or in theater.  Most of the time, the NMPS location is chosen closest to the IA training site unless there isn’t enough capacity, in which case, an alternative site will be chosen. 

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Q5) Why can’t a Reserve Officer on IA qualify for tuition assistance? Apparently, you must be on two-year orders to qualify. Is this policy intended to exclude Reservists on active duty or an oversight?

 A5) Tuition Assistance (TA) is available for RC Enlisted Sailors if their orders are for a minimum of 120 days.  You are correct, RC Officers on active duty can qualify for TA provided they are ordered to active duty for a minimum of two years.  But RC Officers may also qualify for one of the other education benefits programs below:

 1.  Post-9/11 GI Bill (PGIB)

2.  Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)

3.  MGIB-Selected Reserves (MGIB-SR)

4.  Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP)

The details can be found at http://www.gibill.va.gov/

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Q6)  What is the status of transitioning RC over to DTS?

A6) Orders generated by Navy Reserve Order Writing System (NROWS) will transition to DTS by this summer.  Mobilization and ADSW orders for RC personnel generated in the Navy-Marine Corps Mobilization Processing Systems (NMCMPS) cannot be processed through DTS at this time. 

However, to address issues with timeliness of travel claim payment, PSD Bahrain and subordinate PSDs in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Djibouti recently started processing travel claims for IA members in CENTCOM and HOA.

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Q7) Why is it so hard for reservists on IA to extend into sanctuary?

A7) It is currently Navy policy that orders directing members to 18 years of cumulative active duty service will not be issued except in certain limited circumstances.  The Navy will only authorize Reserve personnel who possess unique or critical skills to exceed 18 years of active duty service to meet mission requirements. 

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts, People, Readiness | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)
Nov
20
2009

Improving our Blog Experience

I will be on travel over Thanksgiving visiting deployed Sailors to see how well we prepared them to support our CCDRs. As with this blog, getting direct feedback from the deckplates on how we’re really doing has been important to me throughout my entire career. Since I will not have much opportunity to monitor my blog during the trip, I think now would be a good time to take a step back and evaluate what is, and is not, working on my blog.

Over the past five months, I have learned a lot about the challenges and rewards that come with hosting a blog. That said, while I am on travel, I would really appreciate it if you took the time to reflect on your blog experience (with mine and others) and comment on how I can improve it to reach more people and improve its value to you. Thanks and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! All the best, JCHjr

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts | Comments (8)
Nov
06
2009

Civilian Policy Recommendations

Last month, the President and Congress directed the Department of Defense to terminate the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). “The Secretary of Defense shall take all actions which may be necessary to provide, beginning no later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, for the orderly termination of the National Security Personnel System and conversion of all employees and positions from such System, by not later than January 1, 2012, to the statutory pay system [applicable before the conversion to NSPS].” No employee shall suffer any loss of or decrease in pay during and after the pay system transition.

I believe this decision provides us with an opportunity to evaluate our current civilian policies beyond those specific to NSPS to ensure they enable mission accomplishment, reward initiative, and provide opportunities for career advancement.

In order to back out of NSPS and create a smooth transition to a new system, we need your advice and recommendations. What policies are working and should be preserved? What policies should Navy and DoD change? What other ideas do you have that may result in attracting and retaining our civilian talent?  All the best, JCHjr

By ADM J.C. Harvey, Jr. | Posted in Commander's Posts, People | Tagged , , | Comments (7)