Navy Personnel Command News

The Navy is bringing warrant officers back to Naval Oceanography in 2018 after a 28-year hiatus. In late March, the Navy Personnel Command released the message, NAVADMIN 079/16, reestablishing the program and at the same time disestablishing the Oceanography Limited Duty Officer (LDO) Program. "In order to meet the increasing demand for officers with specific technical meteorology and oceanography knowledge, skills and abilities, the Secretary of the Navy has approved the establishment of the Oceanography Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Designator," the message said. The first warrant officer candidates will be selected by the fiscal year 2018 board.

An electrical storm that hit the evening of June 27 affected the data center at Navy Personnel Command (NPC) and BUPERS On-Line (BOL) was offline until 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday. No data has been impacted or compromised and restoration of the data center is ongoing. Selection board servers have been restored and the boards are operational. Updates will be posted on the NPC website at www.npc.navy.mil. For more information at 1-866-U-ASK-NPC (827-5672) or via email [email protected].

Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) held a change of command ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) at Naval Air Station North Island Jan. 22. During the ceremony, Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker relieved Vice Adm. David H. Buss as CNAF. While serving as the Navy's "Air Boss" since October 2012, Buss ensured the material readiness, administration, and training for all Naval Aviation commands and provided operationally ready squadrons and aircraft carriers to the fleet. He also led the Naval Aviation Enterprise, a partnership between Navy and Marine Corps aviation organizations that work closely to improve processes for more efficient and effective Naval Aviation forces.

Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) Vice Adm. Bill Moran visited Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Sailors during an all hands call on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Oct. 21. Moran discussed a variety of topics, including enlisted retention boards, retirement, and compensation. "I don't often get to see and talk with NSW Sailors for a lot of reasons, mostly because you're always deployed," Moran said. One of the topics Moran addressed was Sailors' concerns about the possibility of another enlisted retention board (ERB). The ERB was a manpower reduction tool that resulted in a force reduction of nearly 3,000 Sailors in 2011. Moran said, "We didn't do a very good job communicating about the ERB and the program was not executed very well.

Due to a lapse in federal funding, all statutory and administrative selection boards scheduled for October are being rescheduled, Navy leaders said Oct. 11. According to Capt. Chris Halton, assistant commander for Career Progression, NPC, boards are comprised of Sailors from around the world. Since Navy Personnel Command (NPC) has no travel funding, no one is able to be a voting member of a board or work as an assistant recorder. "NPC does not vote on any board and the board recommendations are made by Fleet sailors," said Halton. An updated fiscal year 2015 board schedule will be posted on the NPC website once all of the details are worked out. Visit www.npc.navy.mil/boards/generalboardinfo in the upcoming days for the updated schedule. navy.mil

This week, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Captain Paul Nathan Jaenichen, Sr., USN (Ret) as Administrator of the Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation. Jaenichen has been Acting Administrator since David Matsuda’s departure. Captain Paul Nathan Jaenichen, Sr., USN (Ret), currently serves as the Acting Administrator and as the Deputy Administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) at the Department of Transportation. Captain Jaenichen was a career naval officer…

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) changed command in Norfolk on August 5. Capt. Tushar R. Tembe relieved Capt. Joseph M. Clarkson as Truman's commanding officer during a ceremony at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center at Nauticus museum. Tembe, the new commanding officer, said he intends to take what he has learned while previously serving as a commanding officer and apply it to leading the ship and crew to further success. "Today belongs to Joe and Sandy Clarkson," said Tembe. "You two have had a very successful command tour and have poured your heart and souls into Truman over the past two-and-a-half years and it shows over every inch of the ship and her crew. Tembe reported to Truman in July 2011.

In a ceremony today at Naval Support Activity Capodichino in Naples, Italy, Capt. Richard Soucie assumed command from Capt. James E. Tranoris of Military Sealift Command Europe and Africa, also called MSCEURAF, MSC’s Naples-based office. MSCEURAF is responsible for MSC ships operating in the European and African theaters and is dual-hatted as Commander, Task Force 63, coordinating and providing transportation and delivery of personnel, equipment, fuel, supplies, repair parts, mail and ammunition via air and surface logistics assets to sustain U.S. forces in the European and African theaters. Soucie reports to MSCEURAF from his most recent duty as director of the Plans and Policy Division in the manpower and personnel directorate at U.S. Central Command Headquarters in Tampa, Fla.

Military Sealift Command's Singapore-based Sealift Logistics Command Far East changed leadership as Navy Capt. Jim Romano relieved Navy Capt. Susan Dunlap. The change of command ceremony, held near SEALOGFE's headquarters office at Sembawang Wharves, was the command's first since it moved to its current location from Japan in July 2006. Dunlap, SEALOGFE's first Singapore-based commodore, led the charge to establish a permanent MSC footprint on the city-state island nation. SEALOGFE operates an average of 50 ships in the eastern Pacific and Indian oceans, delivering fuel and supplies to U.S. Navy forces at sea, transporting military cargo between ports, responding to humanitarian crises and conducting other special operations.

The United States must engage with maritime partners around the world to create and build trust, according to senior Navy leaders speaking at the 2007 Surface Navy Association West Coast Symposium, held pier side at Naval Station San Diego, in August. Surrounded by ships and cooled summer breeze coming off the harbor, the many attendees heard about the Navy’s efforts to create and build upon meaningful partnerships. Rear Adm. Pete Daly discussed the Navy’s efforts to create a new maritime strategy. The previous maritime strategy addressed a Soviet threat that no longer exists. “We had one big enemy. We understood that enemy. We knew where they were coming from. In the past, military powers knew that military adventurism would be met with reciprocal force.

Rear Adm. Edward Masso relieved Rear Adm. David A. Gove as commander of Navy Personnel Command (NPC) and deputy chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) in a change of command ceremony May 17. Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education) was principal speaker at the ceremony. Gove leaves NPC after nearly two years of service. Under his authority, the command faced challenges ranging from correctly prioritizing limited resources in completing the mission, technical upgrades, and personnel manning issues relating to the Navy’s contribution to the global war on terrorism. “I believe our team here at NPC did an excellent job in mission accomplishment –- to create 21st century leaders.

In a traditional Navy change of command ceremony Capt. Mary E. Dexterrelieved Capt. David W. Bellaas the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair (SUPSHIP) Gulf Coast on Feb. 24. Bella was the first SUPSHIP Gulf Coast, which resulted from the summer 2003 merger of SUPSHIPs New Orleans, LA and Pascagoula, MS. Rear Adm. Mark A. Hugel, deputy commander for Logistics, Maintenance and Industrial Operations, Naval Sea Systems Command (SEA 04), spoke and presented Captain Bella with the Legion of Merit. Hugel paid tribute to Bella's strong leadership as he molded the two SUPSHIPs into one and in meeting the challenges of quickly restoring his command following Hurricane Katrina.

By Journalist 1st Class (SW) Hendrick L. WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Mullen addressed the Navy's ongoing participation in Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts during a Sept. 8 interview. The Navy has played a major role in relief efforts since Hurricane Katrina ravaged much of the Gulf Coast, paralyzing the entire area. Mullen began by expressing his sympathy to all of those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Mullen said thousands of Sailors and Seabees and more than 20 ships are currently in the area providing medical services, conducting search and rescue and search and recovery operations as well as dive and salvage efforts. "We have several ships in the area including USS Harry S.