Monday, December 23, 2013

Longer Carrier Deployments

Here's a Christmas gift nobody wants ...  As reported by Navy Times website (1), just months after declaring that 8 month deployments would become the new standard, CNO Greenert now states that carriers will routinely deploy for 9 months for next couple of years. 

We recently discussed Deployment Lengths and noted the trend towards increased lengths.  This is yet more evidence of the increasing trend.  The stress on family life is only going to continue to get worse.


3 comments:

  1. I wonder how this will affect recruiting and retention

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    Replies
    1. Depends a lot on how bad the civilian job market is faring. There are still a lot more applicants for recruit training than there are available billets.

      And I suspect if/when 8 months becomes the "expected normal" then folks in Navy will get used to it.

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  2. Nine month deployments are a direct consequence of the gutting of the fleet. Conventional aircraft carriers were ran ragged pulling multiple deployments while their nuclear powered cousins languished in RCOH, DPIA, and PIA's. Now that we have an all nuclear fleet of just 10 carriers, one is always in RCOH, leaving nine available. One is also always in DPIA, leaving eight available. Another is usually in PIA, leaving seven available. Case in point, right now CVN-72 is in RCOH, both CVN-69 & CVN-74 are in DPIA. CVN-68 just returned from deployment so CVN-75 is the only carrier now on deployment. Am I the only one who saw this coming?

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