ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 141542Z DEC 01 ZYB MIN PSN 096170J23
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 326/01
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/N1//
 
SUBJ/BEST PRACTICES TO REDUCE GENDET ATTRITION//
 
RMKS/1.  DURING THE PAST 24 MONTHS, THE FLEET HAS LOST 8,934 GENDETS
TO ATTRITION.  TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S MORE THAN TWO
MONTHS WORTH OF RECRUITING DOLLARS AND EFFORT WALKING DOWN THE BROW
WITH BRAND-NEW SEABAGS.  ONLY 22 PERCENT OF ALL NEW RECRUITS ARE
GENDETS, YET THEY ACCOUNT FOR 45.6 PERCENT OF TOTAL NAVY-WIDE,
POST-RTC ATTRITION.  TO ASSIST YOU IN YOUR RETENTION EFFORTS, THE
CNO ASKED THAT I PASS ALONG SOME BEST PRACTICES THAT HE PERSONALLY
OBSERVED IN USS FLORIDA (SSBN 728), AS WELL AS OTHER IDEAS THAT OUR
CENTER FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT HAS COMPILED.
    A.  SPONSOR PROGRAMS.  THERE IS NO REASON FOR A SAILOR TO BE
STANDING IN AN AIRPORT OR ARRIVING AT OUR COMMANDS UNEXPECTEDLY.  I
KNOW YOU ARE CONTACTING YOUR SAILORS BEFORE THEY ARRIVE, BUT WHAT
ABOUT THOSE CASES WHERE YOU DIDN'T KNOW AN INDIVIDUAL WAS HEADED
YOUR WAY UNTIL REPORTING ABOARD?  THE REVERSE-SPONSOR PROGRAM IS
DESIGNED TO HELP GRADUATING STUDENTS CONTACT YOUR COMMAND TO LET YOU
KNOW THEY ARE COMING.  YOU CAN HELP THIS EFFORT BY PUBLISHING
CONTACT INFORMATION AND OTHER SPONSORSHIP INFO ON YOUR COMMAND
WEBSITE.  IF YOUR PHONE NUMBER CHANGES EVERY TIME YOU GET UNDERWAY,
ENSURE A SHORE-BASED PHONE NUMBER IS AVAILABLE TO YOUR NEWLY
REPORTING SHIPMATES (PERHAPS IN THE OFFICE OF YOUR SQUADRON OR PSD).
IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE A SAILOR ARRIVES UNANNOUNCED, A SUCCESSFUL
COMMAND NEVER MISSES A BEAT AND HAS DESIGNATED PERSONNEL IN EACH
DUTY SECTION TO ENSURE THESE SAILORS "FIRST 72 HOURS" ARE POSITIVE
AND PRODUCTIVE.
    B.  MENTORING.  THE SPONSOR'S DUTIES DON'T END WHEN THE SAILOR
REPORTS.  MENTORING PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE GENDETS WITH HIGH-CALIBER
RUNNING MATES SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER ATTRITION.  IN USS FLORIDA (SSBN
728), FIRST CLASS AND CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS ARE ASSIGNED AS MENTORS
FOR GENDETS.
    C.  CHARTING COURSE.  THE VALUE OF EFFECTIVE CAREER DEVELOPMENT
BOARDS (CDB) CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH AS A KEY FACTOR IN GENDET
SUCCESS.  CONDUCT A CDB WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF A SAILOR'S REPORT DATE
AND PLACE STRONG EMPHASIS ON THEIR EXPECTATIONS AND THE COMMAND'S
EXPECTATIONS.  IDENTIFY THE GENDET SAILOR'S PERSONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL GOALS, INCLUDING WARFARE QUALIFICATIONS.  SAILORS
SHOULD LEAVE THIS PROCESS WITH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF EXPECTATIONS
FOR QUALIFICATIONS, INDIVIDUAL DUTIES AND WHAT THE COMMAND WILL DO
TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORT.  USS FLORIDA (SSBN 728) ASSIGNS THEIR
GENDETS TO OPERATIONAL DIVISIONS DURING THEIR FIRST THREE MONTHS
ONBOARD.  DURING THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, THE GENDETS FOCUS ON THEIR
CHOICE OF RATINGS AND BEGIN PREPARING FOR THE THIRD CLASS EXAM WITH
THE GOAL OF BEING ACCEPTED INTO THAT RATING WITHIN NINE MONTHS OF
REPORTING.
    D.  COMMAND INDOCTRINATION.  USED BY SUCCESSFUL COMMANDS TO
ALIGN EXPECTATIONS BY MAKING SURE ALL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLE
IN THE COMMAND AND HOW OTHERS FUNCTION IN IT.
    E.  FOOD SERVICE ATTENDANT DUTIES.  SPONSOR AND MENTORING DUTIES
ARE PARTICULARY IMPORTANT DURING THIS TIME.  WHILE AVOIDANCE OF FSA
DUTY IS CHALLENGING, IT CAN BE APPROACHED IN A MANNER TO ENSURE THE
GENDET DOES NOT FEEL ISOLATED FROM THE PARENT DIVISION.  THIS
INCLUDES REDUCING FSA TOURS TO MINIMUM TIME POSSIBLE (NO LONGER THAN
90 DAYS) WITH AT LEAST 90 DAYS BETWEEN RETOURS IF REQUIRED.  TOO
OFTEN, DIVISIONS SEND MEMBERS TAD TO FSA DUTIES AND FORGET ABOUT
THEM.  ENSURE THE DIVISION REMAINS IN ACTIVE CONTACT WITH EACH
GENDET THROUGHOUT THEIR FSA TOUR.  WHEN POSSIBLE, ENSURE MEMBERS
DIVISION TRAINING.  REMIND THE SAILOR THE DIVISION IS CONCERNED
FOR ATTEND THEIR WELL-BEING AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH WHILE THEY ARE
ASSIGNED TO FSA DUTIES.
    F.  "A" SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT.  COMMANDS MUST WORK TO ENSURE ALL
GENDETS ARE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST "A" SCHOOL FOR
TRANSFER BETWEEN 18 AND 24 MONTHS AFTER ARRIVAL.  MOST COMMANDS THAT
ENCOURAGE "A" SCHOOLS ALSO FIND A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF GENDETS CHOOSE
TO STRIKE WITHIN ASSIGNED DEPARTMENTS.  COMMANDS CAN ALSO PURSUE
USE OF RETURNABLE QUOTAS TO TRAIN SAILORS AND HELP COMMAND MANNING
IF A VALID BILLET EXISTS.
    G.  COURSE CORRECTIONS - CDB.  SCHEDULE CDBS REGULARLY WITH EACH
SAILOR TO ENSURE SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT OF GOALS AND PROVIDE
COURSE CORRECTIONS IF REQUIRED.  THE "I CARE" ATTITUDE IN USS
FLORIDA (SSBN 728) MEANS DIRECT INVOLVEMENT WITH CREWMEMBERS BY
SENIOR LEADERSHIP AND FOSTERS A SENSE OF BELONGING AMONG THE CREW.
 
2.  IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ALL OF US TO ENSURE OUR SAILORS HAVE EVERY
OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS IN OUR GREAT NAVY.  I URGE EACH OF YOU TO
EVALUATE HOW YOUR COMMAND FUNCTIONS IN THE AREAS MENTIONED.  USE THE
FULL SPECTRUM OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE AND ACTIVELY SEEK IDEAS TO
IMPROVE YOUR RETENTION EFFORTS.  TAKE A LOOK AT THE STAYNAVY WEB
SITE AT WWW.STAYNAVY.NAVY.MIL TO READ -- AND SHARE -- IDEAS THAT
HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT.
 
3.  RELEASED BY VADM NORB RYAN, JR., N1.//
 
BT