Conversation with Vice Adm. Bill Moran
Chief of Naval Personnel
09 August 2013
Missing Summary
Editor's note: Vice Adm. Bill Moran assumed the duties as the 57th Chief of Naval Personnel Aug. 2. He is responsible for the overwhelming majority of policies and programs that directly affect Sailors and their families. Moran takes helm of a command that has an operating budget of $29 billion and a staff of more than 26,000 Sailors and civilians that perform a wide variety of missions, including managing Navy manpower, readiness, education and training, and professional development of Sailors. Moran sat down with All Hands Magazine Aug. 8 to talk about his priorities.
Q- What are your expectations? What do you hope to be able to do during your tenure as Chief of Naval Personnel?
A- Well, I've thought about it a lot coming into the job. Principally, having come from the resource sponsorship over in director of air warfare and watching the challenges that we are going to be faced with in the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy going forward, the fiscal challenges ahead of us are going to be pretty difficult to deal with.
So, any time you've got that kind of fiscal pressure on an organization, there's likely to be a lot of change, and there's likely to be a lot of pressure to reduce force structure, potentially reduce the number of folks we have in the Navy, and that creates a sense of uncertainty throughout the fleet.
So my goal, hopefully at the end of my tenure here, is that we've been able to manage that in such a way that there is less uncertainty for Sailors and their families and the workforce. And we're able to find the right balance for the fleet so that they continue to operate forward, as Adm. Greenert [Chief of Naval Operations] talks about, we continue to put warfighters on the front lines, and that we are ready to go operate in any environment when called upon. And I think the Navy, in this environment, is going to be called upon more and more because coming out of Afghanistan and coming out of Iraq, there's a great sense that someone still has to be forward, keeping watch, being out there ready to protect the nation's interests, and I think the Navy's going to be a principal force in that.
You know, it's a long-winded answer to basically saying a lot of change is coming, potentially, a lot of change, a lot of pressure and a lot of uncertainty. So if I can help reduce that uncertainty, and give some stability and balance to the force, I think we'll have a successful time here.
Q- You mentioned a lot about uncertainty. What are some of the things that you can do in your position to quell some of that uncertainty in the fleet and give a little reassurance to the fleet?
A- It's going to take me a little bit of time and going out and talking to the fleet first. I really have to understand what's on their minds, what are they reading, what do they believe is the future from their perspective? I have my own perspective as a resource sponsor, but I've been locked up in the Pentagon for three years, and I haven't had the opportunity to get out and listen to the Sailors ... and folks that are operating forward. So I look forward to doing that. And once I get that sense from them, I think I'll be able to get back here and talk to the N1 and the personnel workforce that is trying to set the right policies, set the right tone, so that they have confidence in our decision making about the future. So it's too early for me to say, "I have the following things I'm going to do to create certainty." I need to get out to the fleet and really understand where they feel there's an uncertainty in the future.
Q- Can you tell me about your three "key words?"
A- I think they are words that resonate with everybody. Trust is one. I think if you're in the detailing business, or in the personnel business, often times, you don't feel like your constituents, the fleet, trusts you because there are many policies that come out and they seem counterintuitive, and sometimes they counter each other, and so people aren't real sure where you're trying to go. I think that if we're going to be trusted by the fleet - and we have to be - we've got to get out and we've got to talk to them. We've got to understand what their concerns are, and we've got to show them through our actions and our policies, that we understand what is important to them, and what's important to the CNO, the Secretary, and the institution. And as long as we are doing that well, openly, and transparently, I think we'll earn their trust over time.
Q- And what about balance?
A- Balance is a lot of what you're seeing today when we're talking about fit fill. There is a lot of discussion in the fleet about, "Do we have the right fit for the type of Sailor with the right NEC, and the right experience levels at different places ... operating in the fleet?" And then there's the fill - I just need a body to be able to do certain types of work. Admiral Gortney [Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command] and his team are really driving us to try to satisfy the demand signal for the right Sailor at the right place at the right time, and there's a balance to that because you can take all the Sailors you have at shore and put them to sea, and fill out the gaps that currently exist at sea, but then you leave big holes, potentially, in the shore establishments that train the Sailors that are going to sea. We've got to balance the sea and the shore piece correctly. We've got to balance the right training to effectively get the Sailor we want in a particular billet that is trained to the highest degree possible, given the time constraints, and making sure the ships and aircraft squadrons and submarines deploy with the right people.
Q- So, it takes a combination of trust and balance to reach the stability we're looking for?
A- Yes, stability takes a lot of meaning, but you're right. It is a combination. If we find the right balance and we achieve the trust, then there is a stabilizing influence in the lives of Sailors and their families because they are not guessing what's coming next. In this environment, where a lot of change could occur, that stability is going to come in the form of making sure that we don't change policies just for change's sake. That we find the right policies that are going to give that balance and trust back to the Sailors in a way that gives them ... a greater sense of certainty. And I think inherent in that is the stability that comes from smart policies and smart manning in the fleet.
Q- What are the sorts of things, at this stage, do you imagine are going to keep you up at night?
A- You know, nothing really stresses me out on the job. It is a big job, you're right. I am just beginning to understand the breadth and depth involved in the N1 organization. We're obviously split between Washington, D.C., and another major hub, Millington, [Tennessee], where the primary workforce that interfaces with the fleet exists. So that's a big piece. The time-distance issue for the organization is important. And then, of course, the rest of our domain includes Great Lakes and all the recruiting districts around the country, and a variety of other smaller organizations. So there's a lot going on that, frankly, after one week, I'm just beginning to understand. So it's going to take a little time.
I think what keeps me up at night is thinking about how we're going to manage the force if we are asked to get smaller, and making sure that manning does not become the first thing we give up in this give-and-take over the amount of money that we are going to have to account for in the budget. So, manning is a fundable asset, in the sense that it's a lot easier to carve out, or harvest cash to pay bills with manpower than it is [with] ships and airplanes and submarines, because of all the intricacies in building platforms. My job is to protect that manning, so we don't inadvertently cut the manning to the point where the force of the fleet is not well-served, and we have an issue with the appropriate level of manning at sea. That is probably the biggest challenge - just trying to ensure that we get the right manning for whatever size force comes in the future.
Q- What can Sailors do at their level do to help you support them?
A- My intent is to get out a lot and talk to the fleet and to have a conversation with Sailors. That is the most important thing. Their direct feedback to me is really important as I bring that information back to my organization here in the N1 CNP. I obviously appreciate and observe the chain of command, but being out and about and listening and watching Sailors operate in the fleet and seeing what their concerns are will only work if they are willing to have a conversation and ask me questions and give me feedback on what they think is working, and what they think is not working.
Q- What is your message to the Sailors in the fleet?
A- You've got a great organization up here that understands the interest of Sailors, families, civilians, and retirees - that we are trying very hard to stay on top of a changing environment and be responsive enough to make sure that we're anticipating the issues that are going to face us in a very tough, challenging fiscal environment in the future. We have your best interest at heart and we're going to work hard for Sailors and families to make sure that they understand whatever changes are being made, they understand the reasoning and the rationale behind them, but that also we're here fighting for them every single day.