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4 tips for new SecNav

New Navy Secretary Ray Mabus was sworn in May 19, the 75th man to hold the post.

Now, as he considers the job before him, here are four things he can do to help right a service that’s been rocked by readiness issues, acquisition problems and mishaps over the past two years.

• Restore credibility. Navy acquisition programs have soared over budget and finished behind schedule (Littoral Combat Ship, LPD 17); haven’t performed to expectations (LPD 17); and have been changed, delayed, renamed and otherwise shuffled around with little explanation (DDG 1000).

Two decades ago, the Navy was scrambling to grow to a 600-ship fleet. Today, it is struggling to get back to 300.

Navy leadership has failed to articulate a vision to lawmakers — for example, the brass decided to withhold this year’s fleet plan — or to hold program managers and planners accountable. Mabus must set clear goals for current and future programs, demand clarity and accountability from the admiralty, and communicate clearly and openly with Congress.

• Restore readiness. Last year alone, five ships and a submarine were deemed “unfit” by the Board of Inspection and Survey. In December, however, Navy leaders classified future InSurv reports after embarrassing news stories documented some of those problems.

Hiding bad news is not the answer. The U.S. Navy is a public trust, accountable to Congress and taxpayers, as well as to fleet leaders.

The material condition of warships and the preparedness of their crews is of intense public interest; public release of those reports helps ensure that problems are fixed, rather than hidden and allowed to fester.

Mabus must find a way to balance the public’s right to know against the risks posed by the release of information that could be useful to an enemy.

• Listen to sailors. How is morale? Are they working too much? How are their families coping with deployments? Are they adequately trained and equipped to do their jobs? Are their commanders looking out for their best interests? What do they think needs to be changed?

Mabus won’t get the real answers to those questions while standing on a stage at all-hands calls, or while glad-handing sailors at quick pierside visits in the shadow of their commanders. It’s imperative that he seek out ways to interact with the rank and file and listen to their concerns.

• Solve the commander crisis. The number of commanding officers relieved of their duties is a serious threat to the Navy, one the service can’t seem to shake. Commanders are fired at the rate of more than one per month.

While it’s possible to view this as a positive — the Navy holds its leaders accountable — the matter raises questions about how officers are screened for command; how they are trained and prepared for the job; and what is expected of them once they are in charge.

Three threads seem to come up in this context, all of which point to possible systemic problems: significant maintenance failures, perhaps related to undersized crews, not enough training and inadequate yard periods; underway accidents, possibly indicating training and experience shortfalls; and improper personal behavior, typically including either alcohol problems, extramarital relationships or both.

Mabus should commission a study of the matter and seek solutions, rather than accept the company line that no pattern is apparent.