SAN DIEGO (NNS) – January 7, 2015 – The Navy’s top personnel officer is kicking off the New Year by visiting Sailors assigned throughout the U.S. Pacific Fleet, starting today.
Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. Bill Moran, will visit San Diego, Japan, and Hawaii, over the next several days to discuss how the Navy’s personnel policies are affecting Sailors serving in the Pacific.
“The U.S. Navy is more important to national security than ever now, and our presence in the Pacific plays a key part of that,” said Moran. “As we conduct more operations in the Pacific, there is no better way to know how our personnel policies are affecting Sailors than to hear it from the men and women serving there.”
While in San Diego Jan. 7-8, Moran will visit Sailors assigned to USS Makin Island (LHD 8) and the U.S. 3rd Fleet. He will then head to Japan, which will mark his first visit to Yokosuka, Japan, the U.S. 7th Fleet headquarters and Naval Air Facility Atsugi as Chief of Naval Personnel. In Yokosuka, Moran will visit USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), which recently completed an historic homeport change as part of the Navy’s three-hull carrier swap, as well as a variety of other commands.
“Make no mistake,” Moran said. “The men and women stationed in Japan are a vital part of the Navy’s mission, and work alongside our allies and partners to promote security and stability throughout the region. It’s vital to know, and hear, that we’re supporting our Sailors here and taking care of them while forward deployed.”
In Hawaii, Moran will visit Sailors assigned to a variety of ships and aircraft squadrons in Pearl Harbor and Kaneohe Bay as well as embark a submarine overnight before returning to Washington, D.C. next week.
“As we assign more women to submarines over the next few months and years, it’s important for us to get a first-hand look at life aboard an underway submarine for an extended period of time,” said Moran. “Spending a night aboard a submarine, alongside Fleet Master Chief April Beldo, will help us do just that.”