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The Navy’s Impact in the Puget Sound Region

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The Navy’s Impact in the Puget Sound Region

Rear Admiral Len Herring commands the Naval Surface Group Northwest and stopped by to tell the BBRC how the Navy is changing and the role this important segment of our nation’s military has on the economy of the region. Admiral Herring is a member of the Rotary Club of Seattle.

“The military in this region forms a good partnership with the people. Whether you served in the military before or know little about it, people are always interested in the future of America’s defense. From the founding of the U.S. Navy 228 years ago to today, the Navy has embarked on a new direction, one that will totally transform the service as we know it.”

Admiral Herring said the major mission of the Navy is to defend the Constitution, while taking a phrase from the Declaration of Independence to protect “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of All Threatening” to our way of life. The Navy has a global force, capable of striking any where, any time. “Today, one-half of our forces are deployed in harm’s way ... the Arabian Sea, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, Western Pacific, and now Haiti.”

The Admiral said this transformation now underway depends on a high tech workforce who will become “smaller and smarter.” The ship of tomorrow will be “three times more capable than today’s designs, while depending on much smaller crews to service a ship twice as big.” Ninety percent of all Navy enlisted personnel have high school diplomas. The goal is to reach 95%, and that all of these personnel will come from the upper 40 percentile of their graduating class.

Perhaps the biggest change is how the Navy views its mission. Admiral Herring pointed out that a survey of its budget revealed that 60% goes to manpower. “Now, we are staging for a revolution as we create the Navy for the 21st Century. It’s called SeaPower 21, which adds a business element to the Navy’s decision-making. We’re looking to become more cost-effective, reduce infrastructure, begin to function more like a business and operate with a return on investment.” In reshaping the Navy, a realignment will occur with a reduction of personnel. The Navy’s new goal is 365,900 individuals. “It will be a new and radical means of management, offering incentive pay for sailors to serve where they’re needed most, doing more meaningful work with greater competition and more opportunity. In other words, a more dynamic workplace.”

The morale of the Navy has never been greater. “Support from the folks at home is critical. Our retention has never been higher. You should know that we have the best military force in American history and they are all volunteers.” The Admiral told of a recent meeting in Russia he attended, a conference with former adversaries of the Russian and American navies. The leader of Russia’s navy departed from a canned script to say, “You (America) are the envy of the world. Your military has no conscripts. No other national can boast of a military built on an all-volunteer concept.”

So, what kind of impact does this “business” have in the region? As Admiral Herring said, “It’s a $1.2 billion business, which just recently got a business plan. We are being responsible custodians of the taxpayer’s dollars. This region has 40,000 employees ... we’re the second largest employer, next to Boeing. We bring $3.8 billion annually to the economy. Navy families make great neighbors. We all know that change is inevitable and we also know that current and future freedom depends on the success of the U.S. Navy and the rest of America’s military.”

For being the BBRC’s guest, Admiral Herring was presented with a certificate noting the club has presented a book in his name to a need student of the Bellevue schools. Thanks to Jim Gordon for his introduction.

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