CommunityEditor
12-28-2009, 07:25 PM
If sailors are being asked to work out, then Fleet Master Chief (SW/AW) Tom Howard says it should officially be part of their schedule.
Howard — in a Dec. 15 interview with Navy Times — noted that physical training is not a part of the standard Navy workweek. That metric breaks down all 168 hours of a sailor’s week, including working, sleeping and eating.
“We talk about PT and tell sailors they should PT three times a week — that it’s mandatory they do that, but we haven’t yet been able to formally make that part of the workday,” said Howard, who became Fleet Forces Command’s top sailor six months ago. “It’s not included in the standard Navy work week — those hours aren’t calculated in to the work we’re asking our sailors to do, and it needs to be.”
The result is sailors are being asked to come in early to do physical training.
“So what do commands do, they modify the workday and hold PT at 0600,” he said. “That PT is supposed to take place during the workday, not at 0600 — let’s stop manipulating that number and no kidding, make it mandatory — if we’re telling them to do it, we need to formally give them the time to do it.”
The Navy workweek is developed and controlled by the Navy Manpower Analysis Center in Millington, Tenn.
Howard said no formal effort to make a change is underway, but he hopes it will be soon. He plans to bring the idea forward next year through the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Leadership Mess, which is made up of all fleet and force master chiefs, along with command master chiefs who work for flag officers.
“Any changes would have to come through NavMAC,” he said. “We do plan to ask the question and find out what’s possible and move on from there.”
Howard said that overall, sailors have made great strides in creating a culture of fitness. Fitness failures are down across the fleet, and most of the sailors who regularly failed their tests have either gotten with the program or headed home.
Chiefs’ misconduct
Howard said he is also fully onboard with Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/SW) Rick West’s call for chiefs to clean up their behavior.
“That [message] was a long time coming,” said Howard, referring to a Dec. 11 personal message West sent to his top master chiefs. “When [West] was in this job and I was out in the Pacific, we had talked about the behavior of our chiefs and things that needed to change.”
He said having a senior enlisted reporting system in place will help all chiefs learn from others’ mistakes and perhaps be a deterrent.
“Command master chiefs will report not only the problem, but their take on why it happened and how they plan to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Howard said. “That reporting starts with notifying their [immediate superior in command], and it will go through their force master chief to me and then to MCPON.”
Howard said he realizes that chiefs are human and make mistakes. But he believes that most chief misconduct is the result of someone making bad decisions — and therefore is preventable.
“Sometimes that prevention has to come from within the chief,” he said. “But there’s also the responsibility of those in the mess taking care of their own and pointing out when their fellow chiefs appear to be heading on the wrong course.”
Having an “average of 54 chief DUIs in a year is an unacceptable number,” he said. That annual number is from 2005 to this year.
Howard acknowledged that a chief could have “a glass of wine or two” at a party and get pulled over while driving home, but he said that’s the exception, not the rule.
“Many of the DUIs we see are not ‘a glass of wine’ DUIs,” he said. “They are conscious decisions made to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking too much. Decisions like that are just unacceptable — no excuses.”
He also has strong feelings about fraternization — brought to the fore as the commanding officer, the command master chief and five other chiefs aboard the destroyer James E. Williams were pulled from the ship earlier this month amid numerous cases of fraternization.
“When you have anchors pinned on your collar and you make the decision to accept that promotion, there are things that you are no longer allowed to do,” Howard said. “Having a relationship with an E-6 or below is one of those things — you just don’t cross that line.”
Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/12/navy_workout_122809w/
Howard — in a Dec. 15 interview with Navy Times — noted that physical training is not a part of the standard Navy workweek. That metric breaks down all 168 hours of a sailor’s week, including working, sleeping and eating.
“We talk about PT and tell sailors they should PT three times a week — that it’s mandatory they do that, but we haven’t yet been able to formally make that part of the workday,” said Howard, who became Fleet Forces Command’s top sailor six months ago. “It’s not included in the standard Navy work week — those hours aren’t calculated in to the work we’re asking our sailors to do, and it needs to be.”
The result is sailors are being asked to come in early to do physical training.
“So what do commands do, they modify the workday and hold PT at 0600,” he said. “That PT is supposed to take place during the workday, not at 0600 — let’s stop manipulating that number and no kidding, make it mandatory — if we’re telling them to do it, we need to formally give them the time to do it.”
The Navy workweek is developed and controlled by the Navy Manpower Analysis Center in Millington, Tenn.
Howard said no formal effort to make a change is underway, but he hopes it will be soon. He plans to bring the idea forward next year through the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Leadership Mess, which is made up of all fleet and force master chiefs, along with command master chiefs who work for flag officers.
“Any changes would have to come through NavMAC,” he said. “We do plan to ask the question and find out what’s possible and move on from there.”
Howard said that overall, sailors have made great strides in creating a culture of fitness. Fitness failures are down across the fleet, and most of the sailors who regularly failed their tests have either gotten with the program or headed home.
Chiefs’ misconduct
Howard said he is also fully onboard with Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/SW) Rick West’s call for chiefs to clean up their behavior.
“That [message] was a long time coming,” said Howard, referring to a Dec. 11 personal message West sent to his top master chiefs. “When [West] was in this job and I was out in the Pacific, we had talked about the behavior of our chiefs and things that needed to change.”
He said having a senior enlisted reporting system in place will help all chiefs learn from others’ mistakes and perhaps be a deterrent.
“Command master chiefs will report not only the problem, but their take on why it happened and how they plan to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Howard said. “That reporting starts with notifying their [immediate superior in command], and it will go through their force master chief to me and then to MCPON.”
Howard said he realizes that chiefs are human and make mistakes. But he believes that most chief misconduct is the result of someone making bad decisions — and therefore is preventable.
“Sometimes that prevention has to come from within the chief,” he said. “But there’s also the responsibility of those in the mess taking care of their own and pointing out when their fellow chiefs appear to be heading on the wrong course.”
Having an “average of 54 chief DUIs in a year is an unacceptable number,” he said. That annual number is from 2005 to this year.
Howard acknowledged that a chief could have “a glass of wine or two” at a party and get pulled over while driving home, but he said that’s the exception, not the rule.
“Many of the DUIs we see are not ‘a glass of wine’ DUIs,” he said. “They are conscious decisions made to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking too much. Decisions like that are just unacceptable — no excuses.”
He also has strong feelings about fraternization — brought to the fore as the commanding officer, the command master chief and five other chiefs aboard the destroyer James E. Williams were pulled from the ship earlier this month amid numerous cases of fraternization.
“When you have anchors pinned on your collar and you make the decision to accept that promotion, there are things that you are no longer allowed to do,” Howard said. “Having a relationship with an E-6 or below is one of those things — you just don’t cross that line.”
Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/12/navy_workout_122809w/