Updated Mission of the Navy

[charwakeup]

I've memorized Appendix B over the past few weeks in preparation for OCS. I was curious if anyone knows why the mission of the Navy was updated in 2018 to:

"Mission of the Navy, to recruit, train, equip, and organize to deliver combat ready Naval forces to win conflicts and wars while maintaining security and deterrence through sustained forward presence."

versus the 2017...

"The Mission of the Navy is to maintain, train, and equip combat ready Naval Forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas."

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I've memorized Appendix B over the past few weeks in preparation for OCS. I was curious if anyone knows why the mission of the Navy was updated in 2018 to:

"Mission of the Navy, to recruit, train, equip, and organize to deliver combat ready Naval forces to win conflicts and wars while maintaining security and deterrence through sustained forward presence."

versus the 2017...

"The Mission of the Navy is to maintain, train, and equip combat ready Naval Forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas."

Because the Admiral said so?

 

[charwakeup]

Because the Admiral said so?

Okay Thanks.

 

[RedFive]

There's a lot of things you're about to endure for OCS that may not entirely make sense. But it will be worth it in the long run and even memorizing stupid shit like the mission of the Navy will, ultimately, lead you through a path that will develop your character, broaden your horizons, and give you an experience you're never going to find anywhere else. I'm not a fan of useless rote memorization, but...until they pin a bar on your shoulder, press the "I Believe" button and don't give up.

Goodluck!

 

[vxc961]

I've memorized Appendix B over the past few weeks in preparation for OCS. I was curious if anyone knows why the mission of the Navy was updated in 2018 to:

"Mission of the Navy, to recruit, train, equip, and organize to deliver combat ready Naval forces to win conflicts and wars while maintaining security and deterrence through sustained forward presence."

versus the 2017...

"The Mission of the Navy is to maintain, train, and equip combat ready Naval Forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas."

Good catch! I was a nuke, and (then) Capt Winnefeld stressed a questioning attitude among his nukes (who still pressed the “I believe” button plenty).

I actually believe that mission statements, and re-evaluating them every now and then, does have some value. I’m speculating here, but I suspect that either an opportunistic Admiral over recruiting added it, or an idealistic Admiral added it (Marines* seem to place a higher esteem on recruiting/recruiters than we do), since we really should constantly be looking to improve our force.

*It also seems like every job for the marines requires a 285 PFT and expert rifle, so I’m not sure where the 3rd class/pizza-box go...

 

[Spartans1991]

Good catch! I was a nuke, and (then) Capt Winnefeld stressed a questioning attitude among his nukes (who still pressed the “I believe” button plenty).

I actually believe that mission statements, and re-evaluating them every now and then, does have some value. I’m speculating here, but I suspect that either an opportunistic Admiral over recruiting added it, or an idealistic Admiral added it (Marines* seem to place a higher esteem on recruiting/recruiters than we do), since we really should constantly be looking to improve our force.

*It also seems like every job for the marines requires a 285 PFT and expert rifle, so I’m not sure where the 3rd class/pizza-box go...

You definitely don't need a 285 or expert rifle score for any job. Your job has no effect on those as long as you meet the minimum qualifications. I knew plenty of riflemen who had 3rd class pfts and marksmen badges.

 

[MIDNJAC]

This mission statement (as well as the previous one.......sorry, guess I never thought to read it) surprises me given the scope.......isn't that basically the fleet forces mission? As in the folks who are supposed to run "man train equip" to provide forces to the COCOMs? The "Navy" encompasses not only the very small supporting role of FFC, but also the majority of folks and commands who are operational.

 

[vxc961]

Should have been more specific, and my experience is mostly on the O side. Want to be a recruiter(relevant to thread) need those. Want to go to jump school with ANGLICO, need those. Want to be a FCT leader (as a navy guy) need those. Want to be an embassy guard (e-side), need those. Want to make Major, need those.

Also, your statement “your job has no effect on those” is sort of putting the cart before the horse; my premise was that those scores seem to have a big effect on your (beyond entry level/rifleman) position, but that just about every follow on job I saw as an outside observer seemed to require a 285 (raw score seemed all that anyone cared about) and expert rifle.

I’m sure I’m wrong, since by definition not everyone can’t be above average, so there must be jobs for those below the line. I think the Marines are right to place such a strong emphasis on recruiting, and that was a good natured jab at the “everyone must max pft and rifle scores...and then we’ll be fine” mentality I’ve seen.

Sorry for the threadjack. Let’s get back to the Navy’s 2018 Mission!

 

[charwakeup]

There's a lot of things you're about to endure for OCS that may not entirely make sense. But it will be worth it in the long run and even memorizing stupid shit like the mission of the Navy will, ultimately, lead you through a path that will develop your character, broaden your horizons, and give you an experience you're never going to find anywhere else. I'm not a fan of useless rote memorization, but...until they pin a bar on your shoulder, press the "I Believe" button and don't give up.

Goodluck!

I BELIEVE. (And I am curious about how these sorts of things get done.) I figure minor changes in wording of something everyone memorizes would likely have an impact on group mindset. The notable change to me was the “sustained forward presence” vs “maintaining freedom of the seas.”

That being said, I know OCS is not a time to ask questions, and AirWarriors is.

 

[RedFive]

We will always maintain freedom of the seas, it's a prime directive. Could probably say the same about "sustained forward presence" as it goes hand-in-hand with freedom of the seas. Don't think too hard about it, they're just words written by someone who is probably unaware that OCS forces you to memorize them. I could be way off, maybe it is on their radar, but...look...the words don't matter. The actions do. Because whatever bullshit PR slogan the Navy comes up with, I'm pretty sure it's not why you're joining. And I'm pretty sure that the actions you perform in OCS are going to mean a lot more to you for the rest of your life than something you memorized because you were told to do so. And you know what's also going to matter? The actions you perform once you put on that bar. Whether it's in the aircraft or in Mexican jail helping a sailor out of a bad spot, that's the shit that matters, not some bullshit words.

I don't want to discourage you from asking questions. You definitely should -- and you can look at my post history from a decade ago and see some dumb ass questions, trust me -- but this is not something you should spend any more brain power on beyond memorizing it. You're better off working on your running or push ups. In fact, you should be doing push ups right meow.

 

[Mos]

I've memorized Appendix B over the past few weeks in preparation for OCS. I was curious if anyone knows why the mission of the Navy was updated in 2018 to:

"Mission of the Navy, to recruit, train, equip, and organize to deliver combat ready Naval forces to win conflicts and wars while maintaining security and deterrence through sustained forward presence."

versus the 2017...

"The Mission of the Navy is to maintain, train, and equip combat ready Naval Forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas."

I don't know the people responsible for writing it, so I can't speak to their frame of mind, though the newer one seems more awkward and less clear to me that the old one. However, here's how I'd interpret this statement based on my experience with these ideas.
Recruiting, training, equipping and organizing are all tasks making up the Navy's ongoing effort to be ready for operations. Think of your high school football team. Every ten days or so they're playing against another school. What are they doing the rest of week? They're practicing and getting ready for the next game. The first part of the Navy's mission statement acknowledges that the Navy does the same thing on a much grander scale.
What are we getting ready for? Fighting, for one - i.e., conflicts and wars. But we engage in conflicts only periodically and wars only occasionally, so what do we do when we're not fighting? We act as the nation's guard dog, making ourselves intimidating enough to make them think twice about hurting our interests. The means by which the Navy currently does this is through forward presence, a fancy way of saying "we have ships, aircraft and sailors over there virtually all the time".
This statement has direct impact on your life as a naval officer. Its emphasis on the support structures of the Navy mean that you will be beholden to the massive bureaucracy that serves as both an anchor and a millstone. Its requirement of forward presence means that you and the sailors you lead will be 'over there' for many months, not here with your families, and your equipment will break down fast due to over-utilization. Sustained forward presence requires ships, aircraft and people we don't have. The only recourse is extra duty for what we do have. Adding this in the mission statement reflects the reality of what the Navy does today.

 

[Deleted member 67144 scul]

Marines* seem to place a higher esteem on recruiting/recruiters than we do

Seems like any time I hear about someone who can't get into the other services for whatever reasons (testing, medical, etc.), they end up in the Marines, and they don't exactly go after the best and brightest, either. That put a bad taste in my mouth with regards to their recruitment.

*It also seems like every job for the marines requires a 285 PFT and expert rifle, so I’m not sure where the 3rd class/pizza-box go...

I am legitimately curious as to where you heard that as it sounds like the typical kind of chest-puffing statement. There'd hardly be a Marine Corps to speak of at all if that was the case.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

The only recourse is extra duty for what we do have

This precisely seems to be the point that distinguishes the USN from any other navy of the world, in my opinion. Any other would prefer to fuck the mission up and save resourse instead. Even Brits are doing this way nowadays. The burden of "Big White Navy" is barely bearable for all except you. If I were American, I'd be proud, frankly. Yet accepting this, one should accept the growing danger of incidents/accidents with the hulls, airframes and people suffering from fatigue. Just what we can see at least in USN Shoe world. Just what we saw during Cold War with Soviet Navy submarine service...

 

[Renegade One]

If I were American, I'd be proud, frankly.

If you were American, you'd have good reason, frankly.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

If you were American, you'd have good reason, frankly.

(Sigh)