Naval Surface Force Atlantic

GAO Report on Sailor Fatigue, Crewing Shortfalls

The following is the May 27, 2021, Government Accountability office report, Navy Readiness: Additional Efforts Are Needed to Manage Fatigue, Reduce Crewing Shortfalls, and Implement Training.

From the report

What GAO Found

The Navy issued a fatigue management policy in 2017, but has inconsistently implemented it and sailors are not receiving adequate sleep. GAO conducted a survey in 2020 and estimates that 14 percent of officers received the then recommended 7 hours or more of sleep a day during...

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/28/gao-report-on-sailor-fatigue-crewing-shortfalls

Navy Announces Slew of Promotions, Including New Head of Submarine Force Pacific

Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), center, discusses submarine maintenance with Rear Adm. Jeffrey Jablon, commander of Submarine Group 10, left, and Capt. Paul Dinius, commanding officer of the Trident Refit Facility, at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga. US Navy photo.

The Navy this week announced a series of promotions and new assignments for flag officers, including a new head of submarine forces in the Pacific.
The service on Thursday issued a list of 25 rear...

https://news.usni.org/2021/02/26/navy-announces-slew-of-promotions-including-new-head-of-submarine-force-pacific

Latest Surface Navy Sleep Policy Aims for Better-Rested, More Alert, Healthier Crews

Cmdr. Jefferey Servello, executive officer aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), conducts a berthing inspection on Sept. 5, 2020. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s surface fleet has a new set of orders that updates a sleep policy to give sailors on watch rotations a bit more sleep and create a culture supporting a more ready, rested and focused seagoing force.

The “Comprehensive Crew Endurance Management Policy,” signed off Dec. 11 by Naval Surface Force...

New SWO Boss Eyeing Advanced Warfighting Training, Mainstreaming LCS

Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, Commander, Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, meets with Sailors during a tour of the Amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) on Aug. 13, 2020. Kitchener also evaluated Boxer’s current state of readiness during his visit. US Navy photo.

The new head of the Navy’s surface fleet said his predecessor made major improvements in training and readiness, and he wants to use them as a foundation to improve the tactical side: more advanced warfighting training, more...

GAO Report on Navy Ship Maintenance

The following is the May 11, 2020 Government Accountability Office report, Navy Ship Maintenance: Evaluating Pilot Program Outcomes Could Inform Decisions to Address Persistent Schedule Challenges.

What GAO Found

Since shifting to the Multiple Award Contract-Multi Order (MAC-MO) contracting approach for ship maintenance work in 2015, the Navy has increased competition opportunities, gained flexibility to ensure quality of work, and limited cost growth, but schedule delays persist. During this...

https://news.usni.org/2020/05/12/gao-report-on-navy-ship-maintenance

Navy Striving for 71% On-Time Ship Maintenance This Year, No Extensions By End of 2021

Tugboats maneuver the guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) in position for dry-docking in preparation for the ship’s Extended Dry-Docking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) on March 5, 2019. US Navy photo.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The chief of naval operations gave the Navy an aggressive goal to eliminate lost operational days from overrun maintenance availabilities by next year, and surface navy and maintenance community leadership believe they’re on track to do just that.

The...

https://news.usni.org/2020/01/23/navy-striving-for-71-on-time-ship-maintenance-this-year-no-extensions-by-end-of-2021

Navy Modifies Small Boat Procedures Following 2018 Red Sea Death

Sailors assigned to the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) conduct a man overboard training exercise in a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) on Sept. 28, 2019. US Navy Photo

The Navy has modified its small boat operations following the 2018 death of a junior officer who fell from a rigid hull inflatable boat in the Red Sea during a series of high-speed maneuvers, according to a Navy memo obtained by USNI News.

Ens. Sarah Mitchell was killed after she was thrown from a...

https://news.usni.org/2019/11/05/navy-modifies-small-boat-procedures-following-2018-red-sea-death

VIDEO: East Coast Opens High-Fidelity Surface Trainer

Sailors train on consoles in a simulated combat information center at Center for Surface Combat Systems’ (CSCS) Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) / Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Trainer (CIAT), aboard Naval Base Norfolk. US Navy Photo

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. – The surface force is catching up with naval aviation in how it prepares for tougher, more complex fights by opening new facilities for combat training.

The new Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense / Anti-Submarine...

https://news.usni.org/2019/07/22/video-east-coast-opens-high-fidelity-surface-trainer