Ike Puzon posted on March 01, 2006 10:15
March 2006 - Navy
by CAPT Ike Puzon, USNR (Ret) Director of Legislation
With the recently passed FY06 Defense Authorization and Appropriation Acts, the Navy Reserve has had five years of rebalancing and transformation. Because these critical defense bills were passed extremely late, the military, including Reserve Components, are implementing FY06 budget authorities, reacting to the FY07 budget request, and working on POM FY08 submissions.
The Navy Reserve has seen changes in traditional policies and procedures since 2000. The Navy Reserve had just spent the 30 years prior rebuilding, rebalancing and transforming into a viable, highly capable reactive surge force. It was not all just for the Cold War as claimed by many. Change came because it was demanded and required by world events and changing leadership. It was not the Navy Reserve’s fault that Active Navy refused to mobilize Reserve Components as other services did. We are all now familiar with current transformation terms that deal with a Total Force Policy – that never was realized. We are all familiar with the cultures in the Navy. Therefore, all that follows should not be a surprise:
- Naval Reserve changed to Navy Reserve.
- Navy Reserve – downsized by 31 percent in manpower – 10,300 in FY06 alone.
- Navy Reserve aviation hardware – downsized by 60 percent.
- Navy Reserve infrastructure downsized – Aviation – 50 percent; Surface – 23 percent.
- Navy Reserve staff and support levels greatly reduced.
- Navy Reserve Active Reserve Integration claimed implemented – but not reported to Congress.
- Navy Reserve Zero Based Review completed, while GAO reports deficiencies in that effort.
- Navy Reserve promotion percentages greatly reduced for integration and manpower reductions.
- Reserve hardware equipment redefined as Navy equipment solely.
- Tactical Air Integration – questioned by GAO – Navy Reserve will use Navy equipment to train and go to war both foreign and domestic.
We all are committed Sailors. We all understand honor, courage, rule of law, and service to country. Our country is at war because we were attacked by unpredictable enemies. We were unprepared for those attacks because we live in a system that is not prepared. From 1945 to 2001, America had never understood our enemies and those that would wish us harm prior to the event. It is doubtful that we as a country under- stand the threats that face us now. This is our culture.
The Navy is downsizing manpower over the f iscal year f ive-year plan as much as 35,000 active duty personnel. Manpower is reportedly the most expensive program that the Defense Department (and Navy) has. The philosophy of less manpower and more technology is the law of the land in the Pentagon. Manpower is an expendable item in this era of “technology” love. Only the right people with the right skills will be maintained. The Navy Reserve has down- sized from 106,000 in FY00 to 73,000 in FY07. What the bottom line is, no one knows. Programmers define the bottom line through budget reductions not effectiveness and efficiency (see GAO reports.) The Navy Reserve is a bill payer. Integration is not a cross-culture process. Integration in a cultured society has never been easy or swift. How long will it take to change the Navy culture?
Navy Reserve manpower is affordable, effective, and eff icient (see numerous GAO reports). Navy Reserve hardware units and nonhardware human Sailors are and always have been ready, available, and as capable warfighters as any Sailor in the Active fleet. In fact, the units and human capital of the past 30 years have more experience and more capabilities than those of a junior fleet unit or Sailor – because they were in the fleet! So, where will the 35,000+ Sailors immediately being eliminated from the Active fleet (and those from the Reserve Component) go if they want to continue serving their country?
For those who are paying attention, there will not be a Naval Air Reserve Force – it will be gone by FY11! This includes VR. If that upsets you, you should have done something about it in FY02. There may well be no reserve units at all under Active Reserve integration, since fleet integration means something totally different to the Active Component. In fact, the entire military of tomorrow will be more like a commercial entity of today because that is what the budget will afford. So, how will military culture be maintained?
The condition of the Navy Reserve is defined differently. Ask any Sailor in recently disestablished (why not use the word “decommissioned”) unit. Their perspective of integration is quite different, especially when they know that they are efficient (60-70 percent less cost than an active unit), and just as effective in warfighting (the proof is in the statistics and GAO). Look at the facts. Perhaps it is time to pay attention to the threat analysis. There is no doubt that Reservists need to integrate – They always have needed this, and have always tried. The question is, what is more effective, efficient, and what can the American people really afford? The Navy is reconstituting at a time when our country is at war. A strategic and tactical operational reserve force is needed. So, why is the condition of the Navy Reserve still being cut in FY07, and planned for more cuts in the out years? Congress will do what Defense Department wants with Navy Reserve, because few care! We will focus on taking care of the service members and their families, since few care about the warfighting capabilities that are lost due to budget-cutting decisions.
To see where we are going now, view the QDR at http://www.defenselink.mil/qdr/.