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This article is more evidence that we need to get out there and share our #stories and positive experiences of Naval service. You may not be able to recruit someone but you can plant the seed. 🤿💣🦀 #Navy

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"Let's have a conversation, let's talk." September was Suicide Awareness Month, but it is our responsibility to raise awareness, encourage seeking assistance, and cultivate a culture that promotes trust, respect, and connection among Marines, attached Service Members, and their family members year round. Our own Chief of Staff, Col David Hyman, took this principle to heart and put it into action. Learn more about this story on WKTR here: https://lnkd.in/eHHzVjvK #marines #suicideawarness

Every journey starts with a plan - and a path. How do we make a case to change policy? The submission process is detailed in the MILPERSMAN. It looks like this: “b. Uniform Change Recommendations. Sailors may make uniform or uniform regulation change recommendations via their chain of command to the Navy Uniform Matters Office.  Recommendations are to be submitted in letter format with subject line: REQUEST FOR UNIFORM BOARD POLICY CHANGE.  Recommendations should reflect navy-wide application with an eye towards standardization and uniform policy reduction.  Uniform change proposals are to be endorsed via cover letter by each endorsing echelon.  The final endorsement should include proposal Subject Matter Expert contact information.  Uniform proposals which are not endorsed favorably at any level will not be accepted by the office.  Proposals favorably endorsed shall be submitted to Navy Uniform Matters Office, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (N13X), 701 S. Courthouse Road, Arlington, VA 22204-2164.  Recommendations shall be submitted as follows:   (1). Fleet Units: Uniforms and uniform regulation change proposals shall be evaluated and endorsed at the Unit level, forwarded through the chain of command up to the Force (TYCOM) (N1) and Fleet Level (N1), as appropriate.  Fleet Commanders will perform a final screening and endorsement prior to final forwarding to the Navy Uniform Matters Office.” First step: Retirees. Next step: Active Duty. The journey begins. Stay tuned!

As a non-"Due Course" Officer, I have thought a lot about this topic in the last few years. I believe that the Navy has so many talented people who either: 1. get disgruntled with jobs they do not like in order to make it to retirement, or 2. leave the service because they are not willing to take jobs they don't like once they are off the "golden path." It is a struggle for many who are not selected by a statutory board because the only advertised path to many officers is the "golden path." My first CO told me that everyone should want to be a CO, though many will not make it. So what about those of us who do not "make it" to CO? What about those of us who do not want to be COs, but want to serve in a different capacity, in a role where we know we can excel? I am very fortunate to serve in a role where I can grow, personally and professionally, and I am very passionate about my current job. From personal experience, I do see a shift in detailing, especially at the O5 level, to ensure the member's desire to serve is met. The views expressed in this post are my own and not endorsed by the DoD or US government.

Commandant Gen. Eric Smith recently provided insights into the ongoing efforts to improve the conditions of United States Marine Corps barracks. While work is currently underway, it is expected to be a long-term endeavor that may take up to a decade to fully address. The strategy, known as "Barracks 2030," involves securing additional funding and professionalizing the entities responsible for maintaining the barracks. Gen. Smith, along with Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz, have taken the initiative to tackle these issues during their tenure. However, Gen. Smith anticipates that the problem will extend beyond his time as commandant, emphasizing that the fixes will require a significant time investment. During a visit to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Gen. Smith and other officials witnessed firsthand the living conditions in the barracks. This visit aimed to raise awareness among Congress regarding the urgent need for increased funding. Gen. Smith highlighted challenges such as a shortage of construction companies and high costs that hinder the swift resolution of the issues. A recent US Government Accountability Office report revealed substandard living conditions for service members, including brown water, insect infestations, and problematic handling of maintenance requests. The report indicated that approximately 17,000 Marines were residing in inadequate housing as of March. To address these concerns, Gen. Smith aims to professionalize barracks managers, ensuring individuals with expertise and knowledge of the ongoing problems are overseeing the maintenance process. Currently, junior troops often take on these responsibilities as an additional duty, which may result in inadequate solutions. With approximately 652 barracks across the Marine Corps, the average age of these facilities is 32 years, with some being over 40 years old. The focus is on enhancing the quality of barracks and meeting Defense Department standards. Gen. Smith emphasized the importance of support from Congress and additional funding to overcome the challenges. He acknowledged the need for a substantial investment, estimating that it will take around 10 years to fully address the barracks issues. #MarineCorps #BarracksImprovement #LongTermProject #CommandantUpdate #MilitaryNews #HousingConditions

During the week of 24-27 June 24 in Puerto Rico, representatives from Navy Medicine (BUMED N3N5 and NMFL Subordinate Cmds, NECE & NMPH) met with Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Hon. Meredith Berger. The Navy Medicine Team took the lead on addressing the Community Health and Safety focus area as part of the SECNAV-Led US-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 in a Tabletop Exercise (TTX). This exercise involved Partner Nations (PNs) from four (4) regions (North-West, East, Central, and Western) to ID opportunities for collaboration in addressing climate change activities across the Caribbean. The key opportunities identified are: 1) Expansion of Health Security Cooperation (HSC) efforts across the Caribbean (Continued Promise, KLEs, SME Engagements [HN/US], KSA sustainment, and other GHE Activities) to include Mental Health Support. 2) Standardization and streamlining of support approval to include medical credentialing for rapid support and partnering with Caribbean partners. 3) Nation-specific Cultural Sensitivity Training in support of HSC Engagements and response planning/execution. 4) Emergency Response Stockpiles - Distributing storage to mitigate risk/impact of climate change events to response capabilities/capacity.

With the recent and significant changes in recruiting policies for the #Navy and #AirForce, the conversation around the future viability of the all volunteer force is becoming more pressing. These “stop gaps” will not alleviate this growing national security imperative in the long term. We need a whole of nation approach to fixing this issue if #service in our military is to remain a voluntary calling. Mandatory national service and Stop-Loss are inevitability’s if we don’t engage the private and nonprofit sectors in a way that acknowledges the value they could bring. #Veterans in the private sector must play a larger role in shaping perceptions and propensity to serve among young people. And I am not talking about Veterans who work for Fortune 500 companies. The 2 million #Veteran owned small businesses that hire 6 million people in America are key to solving this problem. We are the agents for change at the local level. Our stories of success are critical to addressing this national security imperative. We are Veterans. We Served. And We are #MilitaryThriving.

How exactly is a stretched-thin Navy doing anyhow?: With conflicts in the Middle East, and having to keep tabs on affairs in the Pacific, the Navy has a hefty to-do list. How is it coping? To find out, Federal News Network’s Eric White… The post How exactly is a stretched-thin Navy doing anyhow? first appeared on Federal News Network. #FedearlNewsRadio #News

Did you know today is National Coast Guard Day, celebrating & honoring the courageous work of the service members of Coast Guard? Learn more at https://buff.ly/2v6NoOb #DidYouKnow #NationalCoastGuardDay