MSC realigns its shoreside operations

Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby, commander of the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command says the command is “proactively streamlining and improving our organization so that we will be ready for anything that comes our way in this challenging fiscal environment.”

MSC  announced today that it is implementing a plan that will realign three core aspects of its shoreside operations:

• the roles of three of the command’s Senior Executive Service personnel,
• the number and structure of programs that conduct the command’s seagoing missions, and
• the reporting structure of several field activities.

MSC says it is repositioning three of its key Senior Executive Service members to better manage this new program structure. One SES will be the program executive over MSC’s government-operated ships, a second SES will be the program executive over contract-operated ships, and a third SES will oversee total force manpower management for MSC worldwide.

To increase effectiveness in MSC’s operations, the command is also realigning two of its four mission-driven programs and adding a fifth.

The new program structure is:

• Combat Logistics Force: Includes the 32 government-operated fleet underway replenishment ships from the former Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force (NFAF): dry cargo/ammunition, fast combat support, ammunition, and fleet replenishment oilers.
• Service Support: This new program is composed of four government-operated ships formerly in the Special Mission program (two submarine tenders, one command ship and one cable laying and repair ship), as well as 10 government-operated ships formerly from NFAF (hospital ships, fleet ocean tugs, and rescue and salvage ships).
• Special Mission: Maintains all of its 24 contract-operated ships: missile range instrumentation, ocean surveillance, submarine and special warfare support, oceanographic survey and navigation test support.
• Prepositioning: Maintains its current inventory of 31 ships
• Sealift: Maintains its current inventory of 16 ships

In addition, MSC’s 12 worldwide MSC Ship Support Units, which previously reported to MSC’s Military Sealift Fleet Support Command in Norfolk, Va., will now report to the MSC operational area command in their respective areas of responsibility. MSC’s area commands are MSC Atlantic in Norfolk, Va.; MSC Pacific in San Diego; MSC Europe and Africa in Naples, Italy; MSC Central in Bahrain; and MSC Far East in Singapore.

MSC will also establish a competency-based support structure to provide the technical knowledge, skills and abilities to the two program executives. Functions such as human resources, logistics, engineering, information technology and others will be competency aligned in support of the programs.

MSC operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.

January 9, 2012