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Navy Staffs Ships With Civilians |
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But he could be the
look of its future. Reflecting increasing
pressure to cut costs and shift personnel to where they are most needed, the
USS Coronado recently sailed into Yokosuka, the fleet's home port just south
of Tokyo, with a mostly civilian crew in an experiment officials say could
have broad implications for the way the U.S. Navy staffs its ships around the
world. Stretched thin by tight
fiscal restraints and the demands of supporting operations in The Though the top command,
weapons and other key positions are reserved for military personnel,
civilians outnumber military sailors on the San Diego-based Officers say the crew
reduction was possible mainly because of the experience the civilians bring
with them. Though most Navy ships carry many young sailors still learning how
to do their jobs, the civilians aboard the "If they want to
save money, we can do the job cheaper and more effectively," Busk said,
adding that he was able to cut the Coronado's engine room staff from 18 to
just three by increasing automation and cutting redundancy. That approach has a lot
of appeal to today's Navy. Unlike their enlisted
counterparts, civilians can be let go as soon as they are no longer needed.
Though they are paid about twice as much as people in uniform, they don't get
many of the military's benefits, including its retirement package. They can also be used
for custodial or cooking tasks, freeing up sailors for what Navy planners
call "tip of the spear" posts. "Typically a new
sailor is trained for a couple of years in a skill, and then when he gets his
first assignment at sea it's something like cooking in the mess," said
7th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Scott Gureck. "This allows more people to do
what they signed up to do." The program is
patterned after the use of mainly civilian crews on supply ships, tankers,
tug boats and other vessels in what is called the Military Sealift Command.
One of the command's main missions is to position dozens of ships off the
shores of troublespots around the world to supply military operations. "More than 100
ships combine sailors and federal service employees," said Coronado
Capt. Chris Noble. But the use of
civilians on warships challenges some deep traditions. Coronado Master Chief
Bill Porter noted that, unlike merchant marine ships, the Navy has to plan
for the possibility that crewmembers may be killed in combat, and have crew
ready on board to act as a backup. For that reason, officials say they do not
plan to send the leaner, mixed crews on combat missions. "The Navy has some
fat built in by design," Porter said. "The end product may be that
this is not efficient for every ship in the Navy. It's not so much can we
reduce our manning, but should we." Noble acknowledged the
program was, in part, the result of a "a
business discussion." "We are always
looking for ways to improve," he said. "This may be one of
them." Noble added that the
presence of the civilians, who have brought up the crew's average age
significantly, has changed the general feeling onboard. "I've had people
with type II diabetes, heart attacks, a pacemaker," he said. "As
long as you're able-bodied, you can be a civilian mariner." Even so, Noble stressed
that although the pilot program is still underway, he believes the
arrangement has already shown great potential. "It's a whole
different culture," he said. "But it feels right." |
