The United States Navy

IV. Sailors, Marines and Civilians:
Our Most Valuable Resource


People are the heart and soul of the Navy-Marine Corps team. With a FY 97 end strength of 395,000 active duty and 95,898 Reserve Sailors, 174,000 active duty and 42,000 Reserve Marines, supported by 220,000 federal civilian employees, the Department’s personnel form a flexible, well-trained and responsive team.

A key element in recruiting and retaining a high quality all-volunteer force must be a military compensation package that allows the Department of the Navy to keep faith with our people and is reasonably competitive in the civilian labor market. A solid and sensible compensation plan remains essential to maintaining operational readiness. Compensation competitiveness is determined by the real-dollar value of basic pay, food and housing allowances, special and incentive pays or bonuses, and such benefits as commissary and exchange privileges, medical and dental care, retirement, and paid leave. Given the extraordinary demands placed upon Sailors, Marines, and their families, it is imperative that we ensure all factors of compensation, from basic pay and dependents’ medical care to retirement benefits, are adequately addressed. This is even more vital given the vast array of private sector opportunities which continue to attract our most talented, highly trained, and experienced Sailors and Marines.

Together, the Navy-Marine Corps team has served as the shield of the republic since the earliest days of our nation. Navy and Marine Corps personnel have performed together magnificently as a result of our ability to recruit, train, and retain the highest quality personnel. For over two centuries, Navy and the Marine Corps personnel have exemplified our shared core values of honor, courage, and commitment. At the leading edge of the new century, the significance of our forward-deployed Navy-Marine Corps team has never been greater. The unique culture and traditions that have brought success in the past need to be sustained and nurtured in the future.

Shaping the Total Force

Navy-Marine Corps end strength is approaching steady-state, but will require further modest reductions to implement the recommendations of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). Consequently, the operational readiness of the Navy and Marine Corps depends, now more than ever, upon our ability to recruit and retain the very best men and women with the right mix of skills and experience. Ensuring the quality of life and professional development of our Sailors and Marines is of primary importance. We must provide rewarding career opportunities, a quality standard of living, and fair and adequate compensation.

Recruiting Tomorrow’s Leaders

Attracting the high-caliber youth needed to maintain our future force is the recruiting focus of the Department of the Navy. Although low national unemployment and an increase in college enrollment created a challenging recruiting environment, 1997 proved to be a successful year for Navy and Marine Corps recruiting. Recruiting strategy focused on attracting highly qualified individuals for particular skills in the Fleet and Fleet Marine Forces. Navy recruiters achieved 100% of their overall recruiting goals, employing targeted marketing to achieve 100% of nuclear field and critical-ratings goals. In addition, the academic quality of Navy enlisted recruits remains high: more than 95% earned high school diplomas, and 66% scored in the upper half of the Armed Forces Qualification Test. The Marine Corps attained more than 100% of enlisted recruiting goals and exceeded Department of Defense goals in all tier and aptitude categories for the previous 30 consecutive months. This singular accomplishment is directly attributed to the dedicated efforts of our Marine Recruiters.

Traditional commercial advertisements, emphasizing our core values of honor, courage, and commitment continue as the mainstays of our recruiting effort. The Marine Corps also has developed a series of advertising campaigns designed to attract more women and minorities into officer and enlisted programs. They are increasing the use of radio, print, and direct-mail advertising specifically tailored for women, as well as such high-profile marketing opportunities as sponsorship of the Extreme Games and Hoop-It-Up.

Partly responsible for this success is the boost special duty assignment pay (SDAP) has given to maintain a quality recruiting force. The Navy and Marine Corps recruiting commands continue to assign the highest-caliber commanders and most stringently screened Sailors and Marines to recruiting duty. A number of initiatives are in place to improve the quality of life for recruiters and their families assigned away from major bases or stations.

As we continue in our efforts to attract highly qualified and culturally diverse officer and enlisted candidates, we are ever-mindful of the formidable challenges the future presents. Historically low unemployment, record high college enrollment, and a declining veteran population which reduces exposure to the military as a career option, contribute to a potentially lower propensity to enter the military services. For the first two months of FY 98, Navy recruiting accessed only 91% of goal. If that trend continues through FY 98, it may lead to an annual accession goal shortfall of 4,000 personnel.

Realizing that recruiting top quality people is one of the most significant challenges facing the Department, we have developed a recruiting campaign involving the entire chain of command. As an example, the Secretary of the Navy has sent letters to high school principals throughout the Nation, urging them to actively discuss the potential of a Navy or Marine Corps career with their students. We also are attempting to address the challenge head-on with a number of new initiatives, including accessing more females, recruiting more general detail (GENDETS) personnel, and increasing opportunities for Navy veterans to return to active duty. Extensive use of Internet homepages to advertise highly technical careers in the Department also has proven to be a superb recruiting tool. Additionally, funding has been increased for traditional advertising, enlisted bonuses, and the Navy College Fund (NCF) program to help in all aspects of retention and recruiting.

We made improvements in increasing minority accessions in both officer and enlisted ranks through the enhanced opportunities for minorities initiatives (EOMI) program. While solid progress was made for enlisted accessions, more work is needed in the area of officer accessions. Additionally, we are exploring better ways in which to achieve a better distribution of minorities across technical and nontechnical ratings. Our efforts are not focused on achieving quotas, but rather continuing to accept and promote only the best qualified and highly motivated personnel to serve in the Department of the Navy.

The Department’s ability to recruit an exceptionally well-qualified and diverse civilian workforce has been enhanced through a series of coordinated recruitment programs, which have brought Navy and Marine Corps activities together with college and university students. To invest in future civilian recruitment, special residential and scholarship programs were established to acquaint outstanding high school and college students with the Department’s technical missions.

Retaining the Best and the Brightest

Maintaining a skilled, motivated and ready force is the foundation for the future of the Navy-Marine Corps team. By FY 00, after several years of downsizing, we will be at a point where every loss to the Navy must be offset by a recruit in order to maintain stable end strength. This will be challenging. The United States has a strong economy with plentiful employment options. Moreover, fewer young people today express interest in joining a military service. Although faced with further reductions associated with the Quadrennial Defense Review, it is prudent that we start retooling our retention program now. For example, we continue to offer a selected reenlistment bonus to keep critical billets filled. The percentage of Sailors offered this program was greatly reduced during peak downsizing years, but current personnel levels demand an increase in those eligible for this bonus. Other career stabilizing initiatives include affording Marine Corps first- term reenlistees the option of choosing one of three duty stations for their second term. Similarly, Navy homebasing initiatives give families more stability by serving in a single fleet concentration area.

Educational opportunity remains a cornerstone of Department of the Navy career- incentive programs. New Navy recruits report that the Montgomery G.I. Bill was the number one reason for enlisting, and the Navy College Fund (NCF) continues as a primary incentive program for specialized-skill areas. This past year, Navy increased the NCF to provide a total of $40,000 in benefits for nuclear program enlistees. In addition, tuition assistance is available for self-motivated Sailors and Marines. At sea, or when deployed to remote locations, the Program for Afloat College Education (PACE) and the Marine Corps Satellite Education Network (MCSEN) continue to accelerate the use of distance learning for further education.

A stable and competitive officer corps is essential to lead the Navy and Marine Corps. Nuclear officer incentive pay, medical officer incentive special pay and Aviation Continuation Pay (ACP) are some of the tools enabling the naval services to retain capable, talented and technically oriented leaders in the face of ever-increasing private sector competition. Using the higher authority approved in the 1998 National Defense Authorization Act, the Navy and Marine Corps are addressing pilot retention issues within selected warfare communities.

Adequate compensation fosters improved retention in mission critical skills, increases morale, and maintains high readiness. The basic allowance for housing (BAH) system, authorized by Congress in the FY 98 Defense Authorization Act, will be phased in over a six-year transition period. The BAH is expected to provide an immense benefit for Sailors and Marines stationed in high-cost, metropolitan coastal areas, and improve the lives of our junior enlisted personnel.

Passage of the Military Retirement Reform Act of 1986 (Redux) has decreased considerably the benefits of making military service a career. Studies have shown that a typical enlisted member with 20 years of service will receive 25% less retirement compensation than before Redux. This erosion of benefits translates into a growing perception that a military career is less advantageous than civilian employment. This, in turn, affects force retention and stability in our mid-grade officer and enlisted personnel. The Department supports the exploration of alternative retirement savings programs.

Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Contribution

The Naval and Marine Corps Reserve provided an unprecedented level of support during the past year. Increasingly used as a force multiplier to accomplish everyday missions, the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve is no longer just a force-in-waiting — to be called upon in the event of global war. To this end, Reserve contributory support to the active Fleet has more than doubled since 1991, to more than two million man-days of direct mission support in 1997.

The Naval Reserve plays a significant role in virtually all major operations and exercises. Reserve ships and aircraft are increasingly used for counter-drug and other fleet operations, such as a Mediterranean deployment for the operational reserve carrier John F. Kennedy (CV 67) and a deployment to Europe for a multinational mine countermeasures (MCM) exercise for the reserve MCM command ship Inchon (MCS 12). A driving force in this increased deployment of reserve force ships and aircraft has been to lessen active duty personnel operational tempo. This increased role is highlighted by the fact that five of the ten reserve frigates were deployed for periods of four to six months in 1997. These deployments included CARAT, BALTOPS and counter-drug operations, which were missions previously assigned to active units. Naval reserve force ships have expanded their role in these deployments by rotating selected Reservists that make up one-fourth the crew.

The reserve expanded their support of the fleet in other ways as well. Reservists filled critical positions in fleet hospitals, naval hospitals and with the Marine Corps, and participated in virtually all naval medical exercises. Even critical leadership positions have become an area for Reserve personnel to assist the fleet.

In addition to the traditional mobilization posture, the Naval Reserve has expanded its utility to the active component, as a contingency response team and a vital pool of manpower and equipment. Structured to support the fleet on a daily basis, the Naval Reserve provides 100% of the Navy’s forces in such mission areas as: adversary aviation squadrons, fleet aviation logistics support, mobile inshore undersea warfare, and naval control of shipping.

The Marine Reserve component is a critical element of the Total Force. The active component, as the nation’s most ready force, has primary responsibility for forward presence, operations other than war, and crisis response. The Marine Corps Reserve supports these missions with individuals and units as required. During FY 97, Marine Reservists worked and trained alongside their active counterparts in numerous operations and exercises. More importantly, the Marine Reserve augments and reinforces the active component, creating a Total Force capable of sustained combat in the event of a major theater war.

Today, more than 95% of the units of Marine Forces Reserve are assigned to active component forces in support of the Marine commitment to joint operations plans. Reserve participation is essential with today’s smaller active-duty force. Success throughout the full range of possible missions, from military operations other than war (MOOTW) to augmenting and reinforcing the active component in periods of crisis, demands the seamless integration of both forces.

The Marine Corps Reserve exists to enhance the operational capabilities of the active component. The Marine Corps Reserve currently contributes 26% of the force structure and 37% of the trained manpower to the Total Force Marine Corps. One hundred percent of the adversary squadrons, civil affairs groups, and battalion-sized reconnaissance units; 50% of the tank battalions and theater missile defense detachments; and 33% of the artillery battalions are provided by the Marine Corps Reserve. The full integration of active and reserve personnel into combined-arms air-ground teams are the nation’s force- in-readiness... the highly capable Marine Corps.

Naval Training: Today’s Investment, Tomorrow’s Capability

The Navy Training Continuum

The Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois, has initiated an innovative boot camp final exam named “Battle Stations.” This was done to ensure that Sailors were ready to join the Fleet. New Sailors use teamwork, basic seamanship and nautical knowledge gained during the boot camp curriculum to master seven training stations during a pre- graduation battle problem. “Battle Stations” uses fleet experiences to create a more challenging and relevant training regimen for the Navy’s newest Sailors.

To continue preparing junior Sailors for career success after basic recruit training, the Navy uses basic and advanced-skills schools in areas such as engineering and weapon systems. Employing electronic manuals, remote video classroom techniques, and on- board systems, the Navy is training more Sailors with greater productivity. Afloat training groups at fleet concentration areas are used to tailor training to meet the needs of individual commands. Tailored training eliminates duplication, saves time and concentrates on correcting individual and unit weaknesses. In addition, through careful planning, operational exercises provide windows of opportunity for follow-on at-sea training.

The Navy’s leadership continuum puts career-spanning rigor into leadership training, for both active and reserve personnel. The leadership continuum is the Navy’s vehicle for imparting leadership qualities into a program of recurring training from recruitment to retirement. The purpose of the training is to produce warriors whose individual skills and values enable them to bond together as a cohesive combat-ready team.

Leadership training commences at accession training and is reinforced through eight courses for officer and enlisted personnel, which form the basis of the continuum. Enlisted personnel attend the leadership training after selection to E-5, E-6, E-7, and Command Master Chief or Chief of the Boat. Officers attend the leadership training en route to specific leadership assignments. These progressive and sequential courses are all two weeks in length with the exception of the nine week Senior Enlisted Academy.

Four major themes are the foundation of all the courses: values; responsibilities, authority, and accountability of leadership; unity of command, Navy and services; and continuous improvement. The training is a deliberate process to transform behavior and attitudes, rather than just ensuring compliance with regulations, by providing a common perspective on the real importance of the Navy’s core values of honor, courage, and commitment. As each Sailor progresses through the leadership training courses, they acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience to form the basis of leadership techniques. The formal leadership training is periodically reinforced in warfare and specialty pipeline training, at annual All-Hands training, and during development/professional assignments. Current education and training programs, which include leadership modules, are being aligned with the continuum themes to ensure consistency, and to eliminate redundancies and conflicts.

Marine Corps Transformation Process

Transformation is an ongoing and dynamic process of making Marines, and consists of four phases: recruiting, recruit training, cohesion, and sustainment.

Recruiting. The transformation process begins with the first contact with a Marine recruiter. A demanding and extremely selective screening process follows: Those who qualify enter an improved delayed-entry pool to prepare for recruit training; enhanced physical conditioning, study guides, and instruction on Marine Corps history and traditions become integral parts of that preparation; and potential recruits also receive their introduction to Marine Corps core values. In addition, the recruiter introduces them to the concept of total fitness — body, mind, and spirit. From the outset, it is made clear to recruits that they will be expected to undergo a transformation to become a valued part of an elite organization.

Recruit Training. On 1 October 1997 recruit depots implemented significant changes to the focus and content of recruit training. Recruit training was lengthened from 11 to 12 weeks for both males and females. This provides additional time for drill instructors to teach, mold, and mentor their recruits. Supporting this change is a significant increase in core values training, totaling more than 50 hours of instruction, discussion, and training reinforcement critiques. The most notable enhancement to recruit training is the addition of the “Crucible” event, intended to test the mettle of every recruit at the culmination of recruit training. As the true rite of passage from recruit to Marine, the Crucible is a 54- hour field training evolution, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in overcoming adversity. The regimen includes food and sleep deprivation and an operational tempo that poses continuous physical and mental challenges.

Cohesion. Unit cohesion is defined as the intense bonding of Marines, strengthened over time, resulting in absolute trust, subordination of self, and an intuitive devotion to the collective actions of the unit. To achieve this, the Marine Corps is forming teams of Marines immediately after recruit training and assigning those teams to follow-on skill producing schools. Subsequently, they are assigned to operational units in the Fleet Marine Force. Changing from individual assignment to unit assignment is a major modification of personnel policies — but one that will improve combat efficiency.

Sustainment. The sustainment of the transformation process is continuous, and spans all that Marines do throughout their service. Professional military education schools educate Marine leaders — officers, staff noncommissioned officers, and noncommissioned officers — in “whole Marine” character development. Leaders in both the operating and in support forces conduct business and accomplish their missions in ways that support and reinforce both core values and team building. Leaders are also expected to manifest core values and mentor their subordinates. Living the Marine Corps ethos is a shared responsibility for all Marines and continues until the day a Marine hangs up the uniform for the last time — and beyond.

Voluntary, Professional, and Graduate Education

Voluntary education programs have made a significant contribution to recruiting, retention, and readiness. The latest recruiting survey indicates that over 25% of Navy’s enlistees cited “money for college” as the primary reason they joined the Navy. Our enlisted force has shown that pursuing follow on education remains a high priority. For the past several years, a majority of our E-4 to E-6 potential career force retention candidates have used tuition assistance (TA). The interest in advanced education prompted the Department to consolidate the Navy and the Marine Corps tuition assistance programs in 1995. This “centralized” TA system saved $1 million in its first year of operation. These and future savings will translate in more courses for our personnel.

The Department of the Navy is committed to making it just as easy for personnel at sea to have access to educational opportunities as those ashore. In FY 97, the Navy’s Program for Afloat College Education (PACE) became available in every one of the 346 ships in the Navy, and over 20,000 Sailors participated in the program. Using tools such as PACE and the Marine Corps Satellite Education Network (MCSEN), most Sailors and Marines are able to pursue an education during off-duty time, regardless of duty assignment or location.

To increase access to education, the Navy is moving to establish academic skills learning centers worldwide. By FY 99, 21 centers will be activated, with a total of 52 centers planned by FY 01. These centers provide Sailors with the opportunity to improve basic academic skills, assist them in retaking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests, help prepare them for college work, and achieve their educational potential.. The MCSEN also provides the technology to deliver a standardized military academic skills program to all major Marine Corps installations, which guarantees accessibility to basic skills improvement courses in reading, writing, communications, and mathematics.

As the largest single source of Navy and Marine Corps officers, the Naval Reserve Officer Training Command (NROTC) prepares men and women at civilian universities to assume junior officer positions in today’s technical Navy and Marine Corps. NROTC scholarships at our nation’s finest universities gives the Department added visibility to recruit tomorrow’s leaders.

The Department of the Navy is evaluating our graduate education programs to ensure that its leaders are prepared for the challenges of warfare and national security in the next century. Naval flagship education institutions, which include the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval War College, Marine Corps University, and the United States Naval Academy, provide multiple opportunities for officers to attain graduate education in a military setting. Opportunities for naval personnel to obtain postgraduate education at civilian universities also exist in several disciplines under the graduate education at civilian institutions program. Joint postgraduate education enables naval officers to function within the joint environment and master the intricacies of joint warfare planning and operations. The Naval Academy now offers a graduate program in leadership, culminating with a Master’s degree for junior officers. Navy graduate medical education programs prepare medical officers for the challenge of operational and peacetime roles. In addition, the Navy and the Marine Corps have ensured that tuition assistance remains a continuing option to complete graduate education for enlisted and officer service members.

The Department of the Navy civilian leadership development program identifies certain leadership competencies that commands and activities use to establish formal leadership programs. The program provides all employees with opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills that enhance their competitiveness for higher level positions. Civilian leadership development also supports the Defense leadership and management program, which offers advanced leadership and executive-level skills and professional military education to GS-14 through Senior Executive Service (SES) employees. These programs support Department of the Navy initiatives to bring civilians into high-demand technical career paths. These programs start at the entry level and can help highly motivated and successful employees move to senior management and executive levels.

Fostering Excellence

Core Values: Principles By Which We Live

The Navy and Marine Corps are committed to sustaining our tradition of building strong character and ethical behavior. Character, ethics, and core values underscore morale and personnel readiness to improve mission performance. People who are trained and led by role models of high character are inspired to attain equally high levels of integrity and commitment.

The emphasis placed upon our core values of honor, courage, and commitment is the foundation of Navy and Marine Corps efforts to combat such unacceptable behavior as sexual harassment, alcohol and drug abuse, hazing, and fraternization. Ethical awareness and adherence to core values is at the forefront of Department policy, planning, and action. In 1996, we promulgated our core values charter, which highlights the bedrock principles of the Navy-Marine Corps team. Character, ethics, and core values are emphasized throughout the career of each Sailor, Marine and civilian. This approach ensures that character, ethics, and core values are visible continuously at all levels, and reemphasized as each individual grows in tenure, responsibility and authority.

Equal Opportunity

The Department of the Navy offers every Sailor, Marine, and civilian employee equal opportunity to succeed and achieve his or her fullest potential, regardless of ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, or religion. With strong emphasis on core values, the Department ensures that each individual is treated with dignity and respect. A recent amendment to Department of the Navy regulations prohibits participation in any supremacist organization espousing discrimination based upon race, creed, color, sex or national origin. In addition, the Department of the Navy continues to emphasize the critical role of women in the fleet.

Since 1994, women have been eligible for assignment on board combat ships and aircraft. With the exception of submarine duty and special operations, women train and serve in every Navy community and career field. Moreover, the women at sea program continues to expand career opportunities for women on combatants and in aviation. In FY 98, more ships and another carrier air wing will become gender integrated, bringing the gender- integrated ship total to 133 and the air wing total to five.

The Department of the Navy’s focused efforts to eliminate sexual harassment were reflected in the 1995 Department of Defense Sexual Harassment Study, which reported that the Navy and Marine Corps showed the greatest declines in reported sexual harassment incidents among all the Services. We continue to reemphasize our commitment to eradicating sexual harassment, unprofessional relationships, and unacceptable conduct. Active efforts concentrate on oversight, leadership, policies, and training, while providing assistance and formal assessments of our programs. In a recent survey, Navy and Marine Corps focus groups reported we are successfully communicating to the field our core values and policies on sexual harassment and unprofessional relationships. When policy infractions occur, our toll-free advice lines, victim/witness assistance programs, counseling, advocacy, and other community support services are working effectively with our commanders to take action to eliminate the problem and prevent recurrence.

Quality of Life: Taking Care of Self and Family

The Department of the Navy recognizes quality of life as a vital component in recruiting and retaining the quality men and women needed for the force of the 21st century. The Departmental focus is to provide an acceptable level of quality housing, health care, and community support services to Sailors, Marines, and their families, regardless of duty station. Key elements of the quality-of-life program include an adequate compensation and benefits package, as well as a positive environment that provides our personnel the requisite tools to reach their full potential. To this end, the Department of the Navy has established minimum quality-of-life guidelines, and is working toward consistent and professional delivery of all quality-of-life components.

Alcohol and drug abuse can seriously impact the quality of life of Navy and Marine Corps members and their families. Alcohol abuse accounts for almost half the accidental deaths each year in the Navy and Marine Corps. It is also associated with many safety, health, discipline, and family problems. We are actively and aggressively addressing these issues and promoting an environment and culture which will not accept alcohol abuse. We have established a standing committee on alcohol use “deglamorization” that monitors the Navy’s “Right Spirit” campaign and the Marine Corps “Semper Fit” program. These initiatives have contributed to the declining trends in alcohol abuse.

Additionally, our “Zero Tolerance” policy has significantly reduced drug abuse. Positive drug-test results have declined from 14% in 1981 to less than 1% today. More recently, both Navy and Marine Corps have initiated pre-employment drug testing at Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) which should further reduce drug abuse within our active duty forces.

Housing the Force

Properly housing our personnel and their families remains a core quality-of-life issue. New initiatives underway in family housing, bachelor quarters, and housing allowances underpin our commitment. The military housing privatization authorities are rapidly becoming the sharpest tools in our kit. Erasing maintenance and repair backlogs and suitable-housing deficits hinges on the careful use of these authorities, in concert with the traditional application of appropriated dollars. Changes to the housing compensation system now provide allowances that more closely match actual housing costs.

The availability of family housing program dollars continues to challenge the Department in its desire to eliminate maintenance and repair backlogs. With more than 45,000 homes in need of major repair or replacement, the Department is developing projects to be funded through a combination of family housing funds and an aggressive public-private venture (P/PV) program. By calling upon the strengths and capabilities of private-sector housing providers and experts, the P/PV authorities will allow the Department to accelerate revitalization goals and stimulate the development of quality housing units.

The Navy is reexamining the requirements necessary to achieve the barracks standard of “1+1” (e.g., two single-occupant rooms that share restroom and bathing facilities) for permanent-party personnel in grades E-1 through E-4 and have committed to the development of installation-level implementation plans. The Navy plan will be completed by April 1998. Construction funds have been programmed through the current Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP) to help the Navy attain the “1+1” goal. The Marine Corps plan began in FY 96 by identifying priorities at each installation, based upon projected manning requirements, the current inventory of adequate spaces, and proposed new construction. As an interim step in executing its plan, the Marine Corps has programmed more than triple the historic funding level to replace approximately 10,000 inadequate barracks spaces and meet a “2+0” standard by 2005 (e.g., double-occupant room with a private restroom and bathing facility).

Child Care

Affordable, high-quality child care also is a critical quality-of-life requirement. Initiatives to expand availability include: contracting for spaces in qualified off-base civilian centers, expanding family child care to incorporate off-base residences, enhancing our resource and referral program, school-age care partnerships, and regional contracts with local providers.

Community and Family Support

Rounding out quality-of-life services for Marines, Sailors and families are community support programs, entailing individual and family support services. A full range of family support services, emphasizing basic skills for living, are available. The Marine Corps’ formal Key Volunteer Network Program and the Navy’s Ombudsman Program work at the grass roots level to assist spouses and families while the service member is deployed. In addition, the Marine Corps is implementing LINKS (lifestyle, insights, networking, knowledge, and skills) to assist new families adapt to life in the Marine Corps. These outreach efforts are an integral part of readiness and retention.

Single Sailors and Marines represent the largest category of personnel in our Armed Forces. Typically, they live in modest accommodations, and need programs which enhance their physical and mental readiness, provide recreational opportunities, and offer meaningful and beneficial activities during off-duty hours. The single Sailor and Marine programs address these specific needs. Initiatives include safe and secure storage for personal belongings and vehicles during deployment, pier-side laundry facilities for those who live on board ship or are deployed overseas, and quality fitness equipment. The Great Lakes Training Center even has a recreational facility, providing activities for recruits during the recruit training curriculum.

Meeting Spiritual Needs

Quality of life for Sailors and Marines also means ministry at sea, in battalions, on flight lines, and in housing areas. More than 900 chaplains in the Navy, including 350 serving with Marine Corps units, mold values by facilitating the free exercise of religious faith, providing around-the-clock pastoral care and counsel, and encouraging spiritual growth. As key players during crises, chaplains provide intervention skills and spiritual, emotional, and practical support during times of personal loss, bereavement, and transition. Chaplains interact with Family Service Centers, the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, American Red Cross, and other agencies to ensure that military personnel always receive superb support.

Drug Demand Reduction Task Force

The Secretary of the Navy’s Drug Demand Reduction Task Force (DDRTF) continues its contribution to the war on drugs and is committed to increasing Navy and Marine Corps readiness. The cornerstone program, drug education for youth (DEFY), provides constant positive influence for 9-to 12-year-old children of Sailors and Marines. In 1998, the DDRTF is producing television public service announcements, spotlighting the “It’s a Life or Drugs Situation” campaign.

Serving our Retired Shipmates

We are committed to fulfilling our promises to the more than 460,000 Naval Service Retirees. The Navy and Marine Corps have established Retired Activities Offices worldwide, manned by volunteers who provide counseling and assistance to retirees and family members.

Health and Fitness

The goal of the health promotions program is to develop physical health and readiness of all Department of the Navy military personnel. Progress in achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is evaluated through semiannual physical fitness and body-composition testing programs. Today’s Sailors and Marines are more fit and healthier than at any other time in our nation’s history.

Morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) programs support the mental and physical readiness of our Sailors. Our fitness and sports activities are the cornerstones of our approach to ensure all Sailors meet mandatory fitness standards. Our main focus is to engage naval personnel in a comprehensive fitness program for the benefit of the individual, the unit in which they serve, and the Department as a whole.

To better prepare Marines for the rigors of combat, the Marine Corps is developing training and education programs that will provide access to basic sports-medicine information. These courses will be offered on the Internet and in CD-ROM format. Sports medicine and rehabilitation therapy (SMART) clinics at both San Diego and Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depots were established to assist recruits who receive sports-related injuries during their initial training. In addition, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, has established the Wellness Center in Larson Gym, to provide preventive medical care.

Medical

Quality health care is the hallmark of Navy medicine. In recent years, average accreditation scores for Navy hospitals have been in the 90th percentile, exceeding average civilian hospital scores.

Navy medicine will continue to find innovative ways to provide medical and dental care as close to the worksite as possible. Pierside clinics, deployment of health-care specialists with the operating forces, and new programs at recruit training activities that save valuable training time by delivering health care to trainees on-site are just the first steps.

New technology enables the Navy to provide specialty consultation in remote areas and achieve cost and time savings by reducing the need to transport patients. It also greatly enhances the ability to provide quality health care for forward-deployed operating forces and at remote medical treatment facilities. The successful telemedicine technology developed in our operational testbed, George Washington (CVN 73), is now being applied to support operational medical services in other locations.

Navy medicine is committed to providing an atmosphere of health care excellence. Guiding Navy medicine are three basic themes: taking health care to the deckplates; moving information not people; and making TRICARE work. TRICARE’s triple option health plan offers opportunities to reduce family member out-of-pocket expenses and improves health care access. While the HMO option of TRICARE (Prime) is most likely the best choice for most family members and retirees, the program offers traditional fee- for-service options for those who prefer more freedom of choice in selecting a health care provider.

We are working to improve the ways we assist people who have experienced problems with the health care system. We demonstrated a TRICARE Advocacy Plan at several facilities recently which has shown very promising results. The Department plans to expand this program to more Navy and Marine Corps bases.

In conjunction with the Department of Defense and other Services, the Navy is working to ensure TRICARE’s success. As TRICARE approaches full implementation in 1998, delivery of patient-focused, consistent health care to all beneficiaries, regardless of geographical location, remains our goal.

Beneficiary education and customer-focused marketing are some of our important priorities. The Navy and Marine Corps leadership is promoting improvement of services and our response to the needs of Sailors, Marines, retirees, and family members. Encouraging current legislative authority allows the Department of Defense to proceed with the Medicare subvention demonstration project. Although the subvention test sites have yet to be approved, Navy is preparing to participate in this important demonstration. Working with DoD and the other services, we look forward to demonstrating our ability to offer TRICARE Prime to our valued retirees age 65 and older. We also are continuing to assess options to improve access to medical care for our Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. Indeed, we estimate that only half of our medicare-eligible population lives near a military treatment facility and would therefore not be eligible to join TRICARE even if it were authorized across the country. Navy supports all initiatives to assess alternative health care options for our retirees. We are acutely aware of the “broken promise” of lifetime care expressed by many retirees, especially those over 65 years old and not eligible for TRICARE. Recent efforts by DoD to review options to the present programs are fully supported by the Department. Our study of this issue will hopefully help us develop an equitable and consistent health plan for all retirees.

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