September 2010 Navy
by Aaron Bresnahan
AUSN: Thank you for meeting with us today, Vice Admiral Debbink. We know you have been very busy of late and hope to accomplish quite a bit more during your remaining tenure as Chief of the Navy Reserve. We are here today to review the status of your recent initiatives, and also share a view of what can be expected from the second half of your tour. By the way, I was really tickled to see your Naval Reserve Association membership card dating from when you were still a commander. Your familiarity with the Association goes back quite a long time, and we are proud of what you have accomplished throughout your impressive career.
VADM Debbink: Well, it’s great to spend some time with you today; and I feel like I’m still accelerating. July 22 was the second anniversary of my four-year tour, and we still have a lot of work to do.
AUSN: Admiral, this is our third interview with you, and each time we learn a lot more about Reserve priorities. Last year, aside from implementing the Navy Reserve Strategic Plan, you had five priorities. They were to define better the Continuum of Service, to create a single integrated pay and personnel system, to solidify access to ADT, ensuring support for our Yellow Ribbon/Returning Warrior/psychological health outreach programs, and to define better the Navy Reserve aircraft procurement plan. Could I start by asking for an update on whether we are any closer to having an integrated pay and personnel system?
VADM Debbink: We’ve made great progress. This was my top priority because so many things are impacted by having two different pay and personnel systems. Our ability to deliver a Ready and Accessible Force, provide Valued Capabilities and enable the Continuum of Service are all tied to this system; and if we get it right, we will be able to better live up to our Navy Reserve Force Motto: Ready Now. Anytime, Anywhere. Last year, we called this initiative the Single Integrated Pay and Personnel system. It is now known as the Future Pay and Personnel system. Our goal at the beginning of this year was to make significant progress towards fielding the system, and I can tell you that we have made progress; “we” being the Department of the Navy, and, in fact, the entire Department of Defense. I was told just recently that we should have the Navy solution narrowed down from five alternatives to one by January of 2011. The Reserve-specific requirements will be some of the very first that will be fielded because we are the ones that need it the most. Active Navy is supporting this, and we are on a really exciting path. We should see the initial operating capability sometime late in 2012 and the full operating capability sometime during 2014.
I would also like to make the point that if any Selected Reservist is having a pay problem, we need to help resolve those problems as quickly as possible. Every time I visit NOSCs, I always ask that same question, and each time that number keeps going down. There are always cases that are challenging to resolve. However, the main point is if it can’t be resolved at the NOSC level or can’t be resolved at the regional Reserve Component level, then we have the RPAT (Reserve Pay and Assistance Team) at CNRF, which is standing by to assist. Every day that we have a single Reservist with a pay problem is a day that I want to see behind us.
AUSN: You mentioned solidifying access to ADT as a top priority. How is that progressing?
VADM Debbink: If you look at our ADT budget for this year and talk to our SELRES, you will see that we have done very well for FY2010. In the FY2011 budget, which is still being debated on the Hill, we were basically very wellsupported, like we were in 2010. I feel really good about that. The key to the ADT budgeting process, as well as to preserving future access to ADT funding, is to better prioritize whatever ADT dollars we have. For example, last year I think we had something in the order of over $230 million worth of fleet and other provider requests for ADT, so we formed an executive committee, consisting of USFF and CNRF representatives, to work together with our Active Component Operational Support Officers to prioritize all those requests. In the end, being able to stand up in front of the Active commands and say that we had a prioritized list was really powerful.
AUSN: Does this approach to ADT funding become more successful as the Active Component gains more visibility on the employment of the Reserve Component and controls where those Reserve dollars are going?
VADM Debbink: Yes, it provides visibility, a sense of responsibility and control, and ownership. At the end of the day, it is one Navy. It is one Total Force.
AUSN: You also wanted to define better the Navy Reserve aircraft procurement plan. Was there was any agreement for the acquisition of F/A-18Gs for VAQ-209?
VADM Debbink: Those issues in particular...the F/A-18Gs issues are all in the POM process, and there is really no update on that. However, I can tell you that this is just one of many mission capabilities that the Reserves have been delivering with the E/A-6B Prowlers and the personnel we have in theater. The credibility that we gain day-to-day, by the job we are doing in Afghanistan, places us in very good stead in the POM process. We will keep working through it. It is always a balancing act, but we are doing pretty well.
AUSN: As a follow-up question, what is the latest news concerning the C-40 aircraft acquisition timeline?
VADM Debbink: This is a big month for us. We will have two new C-40s coming online this year. We have one rolling off the assembly line in July and another one coming off in September. They have to go through their final outfitting and painting, but we will have two brand new C-40s by the Fall and one more next Spring. These are FY-09 and FY 2010 programs; and we are seeing a lot of support from all the various constituents, including CNAF, N88, OPNAV, OSD, and Congress, to finish out the buy, which is 17. Those will be in the out years, and the need will obviously be balanced against the other programs. The C-40 is an incredibly efficient airplane.
AUSN: We talked a little about aircraft acquisition. However, considering that the Seabees and other units also need equipment, what is your assessment of their readiness?
VADM Debbink: We have done a very good job with the National Guard and Reserve Equipment (NGRE) account. This past year, considering the base budget plus the additional amounts allocated for NGRE within the OCO (Overseas Contingency Operations) budget, I believe the number was close to $55 million. Most of that went to NECC. We decided to allocate a lot of that base funding to NECC this year, since they stood up from virtually zero just a few short years ago.
AUSN: But, do you foresee other Reserve units receiving equipment funding in the future?
VADM Debbink: Well, I really do believe that we have a Total Navy Force. There isn’t Active Navy money and Reserve Navy money. When we buy a C-40, for example, we use APN funds. When we buy tens of millions of dollars worth of bulldozers or small craft for NECC, it goes to NECC and that equipment is used by both Active and Reserve sailors. There are only Navy ships, Navy aircraft, and Navy submarines; and they are utilized by a Total Navy Force.
AUSN: Based on the announcements related to draw-downs in Iraq and plus-ups in Afghanistan, do you foresee the Navy Reserve transitioning or adapting to any new mission requirements, or modifying support for these contingencies?
VADM Debbink: Well, the future is unknown for sure; however, what we are seeing is a very rapid draw-down in Iraq and, by extension, a draw-down in Kuwait. Kuwait was primarily set up to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. We have mobilized additional Sailors to Afghanistan. However, I see that where we are right now is a fairly steady state. I don’t see a whole lot of demand coming. That could always change based on what is happening in theater. Yet, I feel pretty comfortable we are in a good place there.
We are currently averaging about 6,400 mobilized Reservists. I told the Navy that this is a sustainable level. To push us much beyond that, we will feel the strain. On the other hand, if we take fewer Mobs assignments, we could put strain on the Active Component and their process for handling IA requirements. The Active Component has different rules, but I am hearing very positive reports on some recent changes enacted for supporting Overseas Contingency Assignments. There is a constant balancing act and USFF and OPNAV N3/5 do a great job of maintaining the right balance.
AUSN: Sometimes, it seems like Active Component Individual Augmentee tours are shorter than those allocated for Reservists. Do you know why there is a discrepancy?
VADM Debbink: I don’t have the data to really agree or disagree with that statement. However, in a recent tour of Djibouti, I encountered perceptions that there were differences in tour lengths. More Reservists seemed to have orders written with an average of 350 days “boots on ground.” Many of the Active sailors seemed to have their orders written with 270 days “boots on ground.” We have taken that into consideration within the last couple of months. The final guidance isn’t out yet, but we are working with the OPNAV staff, USFF, and the Office of the Secretary of the Navy to try to narrow that gap. I think we are moving towards somewhere between 270 to 310 days “boots on ground.” That would still allow a sufficient number of days to complete predeployment training, spend sufficient time in theater without creating too much churn, and then get back to complete the demobilization process within a 12-month window. That is our goal.
AUSN: VADM Mark Ferguson, Chief of Navy Personnel, and you had a common goal to transition a Reservist to Active status as well as a fleet Sailor back into the Reserves in about 72 hours. Are we there yet?
VADM Debbink: We made a great deal of progress from where we were. Right now, we think that the typical transition time will be about eight or nine days. However, in order to get down to our 72-hour goal, we will most likely have to wait for the rollout of the Future Pay and Personnel system. On the other hand, we understand the process much better now, and there are many different ways of transitioning. In most of those transitions, we are trying to provide much more notice. Much can be done during the notice period, whether coming-on or going-off Active duty, in order to make the actual transition time much shorter.
AUSN: It seems as though the RMP notification process has contributed to a portion of that success.
VADM Debbink: You know, the Ready Mobilization Pool or RMP system is actually an idea that came out from the field. CNRF heard about it and it sounded good, so we decided to implement the program. It is such a success because it gives people more control. When your name shows up on that list, you are more likely to be mobilized to somewhere within that next year. Therefore, it gives the Sailor a chance to review the mobilization requirements and to say to him/herself, “where is a good place or time for me;” gaining more control over his/her life. Since it has been such a huge success, this year, we extended it to enlisted personnel as well.
AUSN: We continue to hear about redeployment issues, particularly medical issues. We read a published piece recently that was rather critical of how the Navy in general handles “fit for duty” issues. The sense is that some people are caught in limbo – not good enough to stay in the Navy but released without the necessary determinations that allow for VA medical benefits. What is your assessment of the size of the problem as it relates to Reservists and what is being done to solve it?
VADM Debbink: As a Sailor redeploys, there are many touch points; first, in theater, through the Warrior transition program over in Kuwait and then through the stateside NMPS site. The vast majority of our Sailors redeploy through the NMPS site and then head back to their families and their civilian jobs with no issues. One of our goals is to get them through that process as quickly as possible. However, at the same time, you want to be sure that they don’t literally go from a war zone to the comfort of their own home all in one day. It is a difficult transition, so they need a structured process.
If there are any medical issues, it can become more complex. It’s complex, but, hopefully, to the benefit of the Sailor. Within thirty days, there is a medical evaluation at the NMPS site to verify a “fit for duty” status. Sometime during that thirty day period, if there is a bigger problem, we could also determine if they would need to be transferred to a “medical hold” status. Beyond that “medical hold,” first for six months, then up to 18 months, if we find that we can’t help that Sailor get “fit for duty,” we would help them through the Physical Examination Board process. If the medical issues are such that the Sailor can no longer be considered “fit for duty,” he/she would then be transitioned to the Veterans Administration for further support.
We need to assure our Sailors that we do care about them. Throughout the whole process, we have case managers, both medical and nonmedical, to assist. I need our people to know that we care.
AUSN: One of your priorities was to define better the Continuum of Service. “Perform-to-serve” and Continuation Boards have garnered a lot of attention for our senior enlisted team members. How do you think this process is affecting personnel considerations for the future?
VADM Debbink: For our senior enlisted community, we plan to participate in the continuation board this year. The good thing about that Board is that it is not about quotas or numbers to leave our Navy. The goal of the Board is to find quality. In fact, on the Reserve side, we are actually slightly undermanned in the E-7 to E-9 ranks, so it really is about quality. I think that it will be a good news story in the end.
AUSN: How are the new enlisted Apply and junior officer Apply processes improving the life of Reserve Sailors? We seem to have more and more Reservists cross-assigned and drilling away from their units. Will we see changes in the future?
VADM Debbink: Billet assignment, especially for our enlisted Sailors since our force is mostly enlisted, is a very complex picture. I think Career Management System Interactive Detailing (CMSID) has done a great job in allowing us at the CNRF level to understand all the factors to where Sailors should to be assigned; first and foremost, where they want to be assigned.
We will never get to the point where we will permanently relocate SELRES to fill a Reserve billet. SELRES will choose to live where they want. We come from the heartland as well as the coasts and from the North as well as the South. Therefore, we will do our best to optimize unit location. In fact, we have a new computer program that we are Beta testing right now that will constantly look at our units, our billets and our SELRES Sailor population. It should help determine when units should shift around. With all that said, there will always be Reservists cross-assigned. That is exactly why CNRF published the “Cross-assigned Guide” to help people understand the issue and optimize the implementation of it.
AUSN: Has the decoupling of Reserve officer promotions from Active running mates turned out to be as beneficial as originally planned?
VADM Debbink: Overall, it is positive. Obviously, there are individual officers that are impacted more than others. However, we are on track to get the officer community healthy by 2014. By get healthy, I mean both for fit and fill. Our goal is to have the right number of officers in the right grades. It is quite a complex challenge because every grade and every designator has different requirements. We have four years to go; but, overall, it has been going quite well.
AUSN: At this point, do you consider the Navy Reserve to be fully integrated with the Active Component? Is there still some work to be finished?
VADM Debbink: A big priority for this office lately has been to support a question circulating around the Pentagon in response to directives from the latest QDR and in relation to the 2008 report from the Commission on the National Guard and Reserve. The question that is being asked is what will the post-OCO period look like for Reserve and Guard employment? How are we going to continue to honor the service of our Reservists and Guardsmen in that period; and the expertise, skill sets, and the combat experience that they have, so that we don’t allow that to atrophy over the years? These are very real conversations being held literally with the SECDEF and the CJCS. There is a high level working group being lead by the Assistant SECDEF for Reserve Affairs, Secretary Dennis McCarthy, and the VCJCS, General James Cartwright. Their task is to assess the right balance, or right mix, between the Active Component and the Reserve Component, assess how we are going to preserve the accessibility to the Reserve and Guard, and assess how we are going to fund it into the future.
Furthermore, one of the key conversations that we are having is the difference between a mobilization and a deployment. Mobilizations are usually about one year long. When was the last time that we ever deployed any part of the Navy for a year? Deployments are usually six-to-seven months for a Carrier Strike Group. Those are the type of conversations that we are trying to have now. How can we include Reservists in these routine deployments, these periodic and predictable deployments, in the future?
We are playing a very important role in providing input into those conversations. Your Navy and your Navy Reserve are right in the middle of it all because we are so well integrated. Since we have been doing this for so many years, people are looking to us as leaders for Active-Reserve integration. It is an exciting time to be part of all this, again, because of our Total Force look at things.
AUSN: VADM Debbink, it certainly is an exciting time for our Navy and our Navy Reserve. We wish you the greatest success as you move forward on behalf of our Sailors. We thank you, once again, for your time and candid responses to our questions.
VADM Debbink: Thank you, and thank you for providing me this opportunity. Every day, I get to go to work on behalf of our Sailors; and I take to heart that each of them has made a covenant with our Nation to support and defend the Constitution. My covenant to them is to do all that I can to make their service truly meaningful, truly significant and truly rewarding. It’s an honor to serve in this capacity at this important time.
Let me also thank AUSN for all you do to advocate on behalf of our Sailors, and for their families and their employers. This support helps to enable us to live up to our Navy Reserve Force Motto: Ready Now. Anytime, Anywhere.