Force cuts hit fleet

[unhappycamper]

Force cuts hit fleet
By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Sep 16, 2007 9:46:53 EDT

The end of the Navy’s drawdown may well be in sight, but the effects of those cuts will be felt by thousands of sailors for years to come.

That’s because it’s not just bodies and billets that are going away. As billets are slashed — nearly 18,000 over the next six years — there will be fewer shore-duty jobs for all and lower advancement chances for many who are left standing.

The bulk of those drawdown cuts, 14,300 all told, will happen by the end of fiscal 2009. The Navy is marching toward a 322,000 end strength by 2013.

Already in the works is a plan to eliminate 4,000 billets beginning in 2008. For the most part, the cuts will potentially impact 46,000 sailors in 10 ratings.

~snip~

In addition, they’re planning that another third will ether retire or get out, thinning the ranks. The remaining third will simply rotate back to sea when their normal tours are over.

The bottom line, LeFever said, is that the Navy is changing and the future will have more sailors working closer to, if not on, the waterfront — and cuts of unneeded shore-duty billets are a tough but necessary consequence.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/09/navy_rottenrating_070916w/


uhc comment: It appears *Co is privatizing the Navy.

[Captain Hilts]

1. The Navy's the smallest it's been since BEFORE WWII...

I was glad to see Pres Clinton mention on Larry King Live last week that sailors were being trained with firearms and sent to Iraq.