The Navy‘s new prime enlisted sailor stated he needs to be an issue solver for the fleet in his first remarks to the press since taking workplace in September of final yr.
Grasp Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea got here out with a transparent message to reporters Tuesday on the Navy’s annual Floor Naval Affiliation convention, a gathering simply minutes from the Pentagon in Virginia.
“Sailors can rely on that out of me … eradicating the obstacles that forestall them from having a secure and safe place to dwell and to work and execute their oath of enlistment,” Honea stated.
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“I do it as a result of I am passionate, and I care about our individuals,” he added.
The MCPON took the highest put up within the wake of a number of incidents corresponding to suicides among the many crew of the plane service USS George Washington and potable water contamination on Navy ships, which have uncovered critical points going through a few of the service’s most junior sailors.
Pay and personnel actions, in addition to medical care, are additionally prime issues for sailors, in accordance with the MCPON.
Honea, who has been within the Navy for 35 years and began his profession as a boatswain’s mate, comes throughout in particular person as a cheerleader for the service members he represents.
“The women and men which might be serving in our Navy right this moment are simply as succesful and prepared to defend our lifestyle and combat for our nation than any era that is come earlier than them,” Honea stated. “I’ve simply as a lot confidence in them that I’ve had in anybody else that I’ve ever served with.”
The Navy skilled a raft of suicides that went undisclosed till reported on by media shops. Within the spring of 2022, Navy.com revealed that the George Washington was experiencing a spate of suicides. Then, within the winter, one other cluster was found at a upkeep heart in Norfolk, Virginia.
Final fall, the Navy confirmed that two of its plane carriers had found contaminated consuming water whereas they have been at sea.
The USS Nimitz had jet gas in its water provide. Regardless of early reviews that the matter was solved, reviews of contamination endured and accounts of diseases trickled in. Then, it was found the USS Abraham Lincoln’s bilges — a shipboard drainage system — had leaked into its water.
Each tales have been first revealed by social media reviews from sailors aboard the 2 ships.
Honea says that he heard a few of these issues from sailors as soon as he took over the job in September and spent the subsequent 4 months touring the fleet.
“I believe we’re fairly conscious of a few of the issues which might be bothering our sailors,” he stated.
“The highest two is timeliness of our pay and personnel actions after which entry to high quality medical care,” Honea stated, earlier than including that “each of these we must always be capable to execute to an expressed commonplace.”
He stated that’s what he’s now targeted on, and people are the problems “you possibly can maintain me accountable for.”
The backlog of pay and different administrative duties has been one other persistent situation for the Navy this yr.
Honea is fast to level out that he “bought much more good than … unhealthy” from his conversations with sailors and the Navy is “on a very good path” however, nonetheless, “it hurts me that we’re inferior to we predict we must be.”
Though Honea would not suppose he has a “distinctive strategy” to fixing a few of the points he is heard about, his hope is to make use of his affect — some of the highly effective points of his new job — to impact change.
“I do not anticipate to win every thing, however I additionally do not anticipate that I will discover myself confounded or bitter or pissed off,” he stated.
“I’ve bought lots of fleet perspective, I’ve bought lots of day out within the fleet, and I can carry that to bear. … I believe that our policymakers, our decision-makers, and our lawmakers will perceive that, respect that, and take that in.”
Honea, the Navy’s prime chief petty officer, stated he acknowledges the function his fellow chiefs can have in effecting change within the Navy.
“You have to shield them and maintain them fueled up,” he stated, referring to the senior enlisted leaders. “You possibly can’t simply drain all of them out.”
— Konstantin Toropin may be reached at konstantin.toropin@navy.com. Observe him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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