The Navy’s 2nd Fleet isn’t fully up and running yet, but it’s already scored a direct hit.

Against a run.

But at least it wasn’t a kill shot.

Because of the expected throngs of bigwigs bound for Naval Station Norfolk for Friday morning’s ceremony re-establishing a fleet to patrol the North Atlantic, the brass nixed the popular annual Run With the Chiefs 5k scheduled at the same time.

It’s now postponed until Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Chiefs flock from across the Eastern seaboard to the annual trot. It’s posted in every local mess guidance and the Navy’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation wing puts out a schedule months in advance so deckplates and their commands can plan for it.

The run also is included in the initiation process for many petty officers who have been selected to become chiefs.

The Goat Locker learned less than two days before the race that it had been axed.

Word first trickled out in an email from Trudi Penn at N-24 Fitness & Sports. Citing “operational commitments," she apologized for the inconvenience but said she looked forward to seeing all the runners who already had signed up for the event on Wednesday.

She didn’t return messages left by Navy Times.

Capt. Brad Rosen, the commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk, followed that up with an email to admirals and other Navy leaders shortly before noon on Thursday announcing that he had to postpone the race in order to “accommodate significant activity on the base."

Chief petty officers, CPO selectees and family members prepare to start the Run with the Chiefs 5K last year. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kayla Cosby/Navy)

He was more direct in a Monday afternoon “BLUF” email he fired off to superiors.

Rosen said that he was trying to “de-conflict with the Second Fleet Establishment Ceremony” by making “significant changes to the route and road closures” for the Run With the Chiefs.

Beyond the headache caused by gaggles of the Goat Locker showing up at the base’s gates around the same time dignitaries were expected, the Navy faced another problem.

The original run route took joggers near the aircraft carrier George H. W. Bush, where the ceremony commemorating the return of the 2nd Fleet is slated to take place Friday at 10 a.m.

An Aug. 17 press release from U.S. Fleet Forces Command announced that Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis will take command of the re-established 2nd Fleet.

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The Navy disbanded it in 2011 and folded most of its personnel, warships and responsibilities into Fleet Forces Command. Increasing activity by the Russians in the North Atlantic and in Europe prodded Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson to bring it back.

Flanked by Fleet Forces Command’s Adm. Chris Grady, Richardson is slated to preside over Friday’s ceremony.

Second Fleet became operational officially on July 1 with a skeleton crew but it’s expected to expand to hundreds of personnel in the coming months.

To learn who made the call to cancel a race that had been on base bulletin boards for months, Navy Times tried to talk to Naval Station Norfolk’s Rosen and 2nd Fleet officials.

But Rosen declined comment and 2nd Fleet doesn’t have a public affairs officer yet, according to Fleet Forces Command.

Navy Region Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman Beth Baker, however, told Navy Times by phone that it was a “mutual decision by a lot of different folks.”

Baker said that crowds for multiple events on the same day threatened to snarl traffic but there will still be a terrific race on Wednesday.

“It’s a great event,” she said.

About Carl Prine

Prine came to Navy Times after stints at the San Diego Union-Tribune and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He served in the Marine Corps and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His awards include the Joseph Galloway Award for Distinguished Reporting on the military, a first prize from Investigative Reporters & Editors and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

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