Team,
This will be my last posting to the CNRFC Blog. I will be relieved on 25 September by
RDML Eric Young and retire from the Navy.
As I close out this blog, I’d like to offer some thoughts about our Navy
Reserve through the looking glass of 31 years of service:
--We are an operational force more than ever before. When I entered service in 1983 our Reserve
force was primarily a strategic force, a force structured to mirror the active
force, a force that trained independently and autonomously and had a very
structured, deliberate and lengthy mobilization process. While today’s force still has strategic
surge inherent in its mission, we are now an agile, responsive, smaller force
able to respond in hours and days, not months. Our mission sets run the gamut but we bring many more complementary
capabilities, some found only in the Navy Reserve.
--Our force is ever more diverse and that diversity brings
great strength. Our Sailors bring
unique civilian skills highly valued by our active counterparts. As always, our Navy veteran accession
source makes us a more mature and experienced force, one of our key attributes.
--We have become more and more integrated into the active
force. Our Navy Reserve leaders need
to continue to provide the active component with easy access to their Reserve
Sailors. We do this through our
Operational Support Officer network, the one-stop shopping place for every Commander
to get operational support.
--We are lean.
Since 9/11, we have re-shaped the force down to a head count of 59,700. We have focused on key capabilities and
divested of any excess.
--As we start to turn the page on OEF and continue to deal
with the fiscal challenges of sequestration, our force will need to remain
operational. We must look for
opportunities to take on additional capabilities. The Reserve
component must do what we can, so the active force can do what it must.
As I hang up the uniform for the last time, seeing the
talent, energy and dedication of our young Sailors of today allows me to transition
with confidence in knowing those capable Sailors stand ready to assume the
watch, manning the finest Navy in the world.
Fair Winds and Following Seas, shipmates.
Regards,
Clutch
