R 302123Z SEP 07
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLAS//N05060//
NAVADMIN 248/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/SEP// 
SUBJ/CNO MESSAGE TO THE FLEET// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE AND TO LEAD 
OUR NAVY IS THE HIGHEST HONOR FOR ANY NAVAL OFFICER.  ASSUMING THE 
LEADERSHIP OF OUR NAVY FROM ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN IS A GREAT PRIVILEGE.  
HIS VISION, DRIVE, AND COMMITMENT TO THOSE WHO SERVE HAVE POSITIONED US 
WELL TODAY AND FOR TOMORROW.  I KNOW ALL OF YOU JOIN ME IN WISHING HIM 
AND DEBORAH EVERY SUCCESS AS HE TAKES UP HIS NEW RESPONSIBILITIES AS 
CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.
2.  I AM OF THE FLEET.  IT IS WHERE I BEGAN AND WHERE, FOR THE PAST 
FOUR YEARS, IN THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC, I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF 
LEADING OUR OPERATIONAL FORCES, NAVY AND JOINT.  I HAVE WATCHED OUR 
SAILORS PERFORM MAGNIFICENTLY FROM THE HIGH END OF WARFARE TO THE MOST 
EXTENSIVE HUMANITARIAN OPERATION EVER UNDERTAKEN BY OUR MILITARY.  I AM 
INSPIRED BY OUR INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEES AND OTHERS ON THE GROUND.  THEY 
ARE A NEW DIMENSION OF OUR NAVY AND ONE IN WHICH WE CAN ALL TAKE PRIDE.  
WE ARE TRULY A READY, AGILE, AND GLOBAL NAVY. 
3.  MY PRIORITIES HAVE BEEN AND WILL REMAIN, MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT 
READINESS, BUILDING A NAVY FOR TOMORROW, AND THAT WHICH UNDERPINS ALL 
WE DO, OUR PEOPLE, OUR SAILORS, OUR CIVILIANS AND OUR VERY SPECIAL 
FAMILIES, WHOSE HALLMARKS ARE SACRIFICE AND SELF-RELIANCE.
A.  CURRENT READINESS.  MAINTAINING OUR WARFIGHTING READINESS WILL 
ENSURE WE ARE AN AGILE, CAPABLE, AND READY FORCE.  WE ARE CONTINUALLY 
GENERATING FORCES FOR THE CURRENT FIGHT AND ARE DEPLOYING AND EMPLOYING 
OUR NAVY MUCH DIFFERENTLY THAN IN YEARS PAST.  WE ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY 
PROVIDING READY NAVAL FORCES AND PERSONNEL FOR JOINT FORCE COMMANDERS, 
SUSTAINING FORWARD PRESENCE, FULFILLING COMMITMENTS TO ALLIES, AND 
RESPONDING TO INCREASING DEMANDS IN REGIONS WHERE WE HAVE NOT ROUTINELY 
OPERATED, SPECIFICALLY SOUTH AMERICA AND AFRICA.   OUR GLOBAL BLUE-
WATER NAVY, CENTERED AROUND CARRIER STRIKE GROUPS, EXPEDITIONARY STRIKE 
GROUPS, AND SUBMARINES IS UNMATCHED, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUR 
CORNERSTONE.  OUR FLEET RESPONSE PLAN WILL INCREASE OUR OPERATIONAL 
AVAILABILITY AND ALLOW US TO OPERATE WITH MORE FLEXIBILITY.
B.  A NAVY FOR TOMORROW.  THE MEANS AND METHODS OF CONFLICT AND THE 
SECURITY ENVIRONMENT UNDERGO CONSTANT CHANGE.  TECHNOLOGY AND NEW 
APPROACHES ARE ADVANCING RAPIDLY.  OUR SHIPS, SUBMARINES, AIRCRAFT, 
WEAPONS, AND NETWORKS MUST OUTPACE POTENTIAL ADVERSARIES.  THE COST OF 
FUTURE SYSTEMS AND THE ABILITY OF OUR OVERALL ACQUISITION PROCESSES TO 
PACE THE SPEED OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION WILL CHALLENGE OUR ABILITY 
TO DELIVER A BALANCED FORCE.  ACCORDINGLY, WE MUST BE EXACTING IN 
DEVELOPING REQUIREMENTS, MINDFUL OF THE FACTORS THAT INCREASE COST, AND 
DISCIPLINED IN OUR PROCESS TO BE EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, AND TIMELY IN 
DELIVERING FUTURE CAPABILITY.
C.  PEOPLE.  OUR PEOPLE ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL WE DO.  ALL WE 
ACQUIRE IS OF LITTLE WORTH WITHOUT THE PEOPLE WHO GIVE IT VALUE.  OUR 
POLICIES AND PRACTICES MUST ENABLE US TO ATTRACT, RECRUIT, RETAIN AND 
FULFILL THE MEN AND WOMEN OF AMERICA, AND OUR NAVY MUST REFLECT THE 
DIVERSITY OF OUR NATION.  THE DEMOGRAPHICS, ATTITUDES, AND EXPECTATIONS 
OF OUR POPULATION ARE CHANGING AND WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT DYNAMIC.  
OUR POLICIES MUST ADVANTAGE US AND ADDRESS THE MANY REWARDS OF SERVICE, 
AND WE MUST BE UNWAVERING IN OUR OBLIGATION TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE WHO 
SERVE IN OUR NAVY AND THE FAMILIES WHO SUPPORT THEM.  THIS IS 
PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TODAY FOR THOSE SERVING IN INDIVIDUAL 
AUGMENTATION ASSIGNMENTS.
4.  THOSE ARE MY PRIORITIES, BUT THERE IS ANOTHER DIMENSION TO OUR 
FUTURE.  WE HAVE A UNIQUE HISTORICAL, ORGANIZATIONAL, AND OPERATIONAL 
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S. MARINE CORPS.  OUR FORCES TRAIN, DEPLOY, AND 
FIGHT TOGETHER.  OUR CAPABILITIES, PROGRAMS AND PERSONNEL ISSUES ARE 
INEXTRICABLY LINKED.  I AM COMMITTED TO THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS 
PARTNERSHIP AND TO MAKING IT EVEN STRONGER AND MORE RELEVANT FOR THE 
FUTURE.  WE CAN DO MUCH FOR OUR COUNTRY AS A NAVY-MARINE CORPS TEAM.
5.  ALTHOUGH WE ARE AT WAR, I SEE MORE OPPORTUNITY THAN CHALLENGE AND 
MORE IN OUR FUTURE THAN IN OUR PAST.  I LOOK FORWARD TO LEADING OUR 
NAVY.  I AM EAGER TO MEET ALL THAT IS BEFORE US, AND TO SERVING WITH 
YOU AS WE FACE THE FUTURE AND SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD.
6.  RELEASED BY ADM GARY ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//

BT


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