Get Real Get Better ... Ummm

what, exactly, do you do here?

For most of the last year it seems, in fits and starts, we have another, oh I don’t know, campaign of sorts … I’m not sure. Read the graphic above if you have not already and join me in the rabbit hole for a bit.

I’m getting a whiff of TQL meets Up With People.

What little I’ve heard from the fleet has been a mix from “WTF” to what is best described as eye rolling. I’d really be interested in your thoughts, especially if you are inside the lifelines of the Navy. Share in comments or drop me an email or DM.

If you search “Get Real Get Better” on youtube, after a video from 10-months ago from then VCNO Admiral Lescher, USN (another hour plus endurance exercise) and then a few other videos from the same time then you get this panel uploaded from the IITSEC conference at the end of November. Your search may get something different - but to say the idea isn’t getting traction is an understatement.

One panel, five Flag Officers, nine stars total … and …

… not that much interest.

Zero likes. Zero comments. I guess no one bothered to share this? Not even a proud family member or obsequious JO?

Huh.

Heck, I can’t even find anything about it on the official US Navy youtube page.

Maybe it is just me, but this borrows a lot from, for a lack of a better description, therapeutic culture. You don’t have to listen to it all - clearly almost no one has - but you should.

That many senior officers are not there by accident, were flush in the new FY with travel funds, or because they had nothing better to do.

This is someone’s pet project that needs to see their team “gets it.”

The wider Navy community may not know about it - and it may be rather opaque to the deckplate Sailor - but the project started off last summer with what seemed like a focus on Sailor pay.

Yes, they started with Sailor pay…as in “one of the most basic functions of an officer for <checks notes> the dawn of recorded military history.” There is a nice “back to basics” feel about the start and no one has ever been happy about pay since - ever - and it got worse once we consolidated things in the 1990s.

Top two things to do; make sure your Sailors are 1. Fed. 2. Paid.

My-oh-my does the Ottomanesque shore bureaucracy love a process laden busy work project.

It appears we need a long-ass message on the topic. If the Fleet has to suffer through it, so do you.

R 091120Z JUL 22

FM COMUSFLTFORCOM NORFOLK VA

TO ALFLTFORCOM

ALPACFLT

COMNAVPERSCOM MILLINGTON TN

INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC

COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI

COMUSFLTFORCOM NORFOLK VA

COMUSNAVEUR COMUSNAVAF NAPLES IT

BT

UNCLAS //N01000//

MSGID/ORDER/COMUSFLTFORCOM/22-CFFC-001/-/JUL//

ORDTYP/TASKORD/GET REAL GET BETTER LOE 1 - SAILOR PAY//

TIMEZONE/Z//

REF/A/DOC/VCNO-CFFC/23JUN2022//

AMPN/REF A IS VCNO GRGB SPRINT 1 IPR WITH CFFC//

RMKS/This is the first in a series of coordinated Task Orders (TASKORDs) from Commander, Naval Forces Europe/Africa (CNE); Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (CFFC); and Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CPF) to rapidly move out on Get Real Get Better (GRGB) SPRINT 1 activities. This TASKORD directs subordinate and supporting commander actions in accordance with ref (a) to take action as part of an integrated approach to remove barriers and build trust with Sailors.//

GENTEXT/SITUATION//

1. Situation. The Navy must improve as a learning organization committed to “getting real and gettingbetter” on a daily basis. This message focuses on the most urgent Fleet GRGB Line of Effort (LOE) - Sailor Pay. Our Sailors and their families must be paid accurately, consistently, reliably, and most importantly, on time. This is both a quality of life and a readiness issue, and it is certainly Commanders’ business.//

GENTEXT/MISSION//

2. Mission. The Fleet Commanders have identified three near-term and most impactful “GRGB SPRINT 1” LOE requiring urgent attention: (1) Sailor Pay, (2) Sailor Quality of Service (QOS) during Availabilities, and (3) Unaccompanied Housing. Correcting Sailor Pay deficiencies and timeliness is our top priority, and the remaining GRGB LOEs will be addressed in the coming weeks. We expect every supporting Commander to aggressively correct problems within his or her area of responsibility and complete assigned tasks with a sense of urgency and enthusiastic passion. If a barrier is discovered that is beyond your ability to resolve, rapidly elevate it.//

GENTEXT/EXECUTION//

3.A. Execution. Although we believe we have a good sight picture of Sailor Pay issues, Commanders must take action to clearly understand all existing pay issues at a command.

3.A.1. Commanders’ Intent. For Fleet-driven Sailor Pay improvements, our objective is to work with the Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) in the near-term to: (1) eliminate PCS travel liquidation and separation/retirement backlog of overdue claims (with DD-214 in hand prior to separation/retirement) by 15 December 2022 (with no claim over 30 days in the queue), (2) by 1 October 2022 develop an enhanced unified Command Financial Report (CFR), and (3) by 31 December 2022 transition the My Navy Career Center (MNCC) enterprise to a new Human Resources Information System (HRIS) system that provides timely and accurate Sailor Pay and entitlements within 14 days of initial documented submission without the need to resubmit.

3.A.2. Method. We are taking the following actions to improve Command Pay and Personnel Administrator (CPPA) and Transaction Service Center (TSC) clerk performance and increase chain of command (COC) visibility and transparency of pay issues to improve Sailor Pay transaction effectiveness and timeliness.

3.A.2.A Establishing waterfront tiger teams at TSCs and Regional Support Centers (RSC) to reduce the transaction backlog. Building these tiger teams is in progress as the Fleet N1s have already engaged each TYCOM. Initial tiger teams to be in place by the end of July 2022. This process will include specialized training to gain additional release authorizations that these individuals will retain when they return to their parent commands.

3.A.2.B Conducting additional training for all CPPAs to improve the quality of submitted transactions. Training to start by 29 July 2022.

3.A.2.C Expanding CPPA authorities. This will be a conditions-based phased approach, leveraging trained and ready tiger team members, and returning pay and personnel administration and release authority to the Commands utilizing the Pay/Personnel Clerk/Supervisor roles currently in practice by 30 October 2022.

3.A.2.D MNCC is incorporating the development of an enhanced unified CFR focused on ensuring transparency and feedback with each command. This will be rolled into the ongoing MNCC transformation and will be available as soon as possible, coordinated with the ongoing rollout of electronic Customer Relationship Management (eCRM).

3.A.2.E CNP, in coordination with the Fleet N1s, is reviewing the key supporting documents (KSDs) required for every transaction to significantly streamline the process and reduce errors.

3.A.3. End State. By 31 December 2022, all Sailors will receive pay and entitlements within 14 days of becoming eligible for the pay or entitlement.

3.B. Tasks.

3.B.1. Every Command submit a weekly pay transaction report via the administrative COC. This report will include the number of transactions in the queue, the oldest pay transaction, the number of transactions returned that week, and the average days to process entitlements from initiation to payment. Commanders will also report via the administrative ISIC any outstanding pay claims that have not been processed and submitted to MNCC within 14 days, including the causes and corrective actions.

Also report any pay claims that have not liquidated within 30 days of submission to MNCC. TYCOMs provide a consolidated summary report to the respective Fleet Commander with each biweekly report. OPR: All Commanders. Due: 1 August 2022.

3.B.2. MNCC develop the specialized training necessary for tiger team members to earn additional authorities; be prepared for tiger team member identification and management including submission of SAAR forms for systems access by 15 July 2022. Management reporting will include (but not limited to)the following: (1) Provide USFF and PACFLT N1 (as appropriate) with points of contact at each TSC charged with leading each tiger team member. (2) Weekly status of transaction report which will include the amount of transactions processed by each tiger team and the remaining number of transactions to be processed in the backlog (3) Tiger team organizational chart for each rotation of mobilized teams. (4) Status of SAARs for Tiger Team members. OPR: CNP; Due: 15 July 2022.

3.B.3. Every command prepare to accommodate additional CPPA training. OPR: All Commanders. Due: 15 July 2022.

3.B.4. TYCOM N1s support ongoing tiger team formation by identifying experienced CPPAs for TDY assignment. Details and execution of these tiger teams is being managed by respective Fleet N1s. OPR: TYCOM N1s. Due: 15 July 2022.

3.B.5. Fleet N1s establish Personnel/Pay Senior Liaison for continuous oversight of Personnel/Pay operations to liaise between MNCC and the Fleet. Liaisons will be responsible for tracking command timeliness and accuracy, monitoring trends, providing training, oversee and direct command visits, and reporting to Fleet Commanders. OPR: Fleet N1s. Due: 31 December 2022.

3.B.6. Create continuous training plans and alternate delivery options to be provided by TSCs to Commands. OPR: MNCC. Due: 22 July 2022.

3.B.7. MNCC track all transactions exceeding 30 days from initial receipt in addition to tracking average transaction timelines. Provide summary report to Fleet N1s weekly. OPR: CNP. Due: 31 July 2022

3.B.8. MNCC develop an enhanced unified CFR and pay dashboard suitable for providing each command with transparency and timely feedback for Sailor Pay issues, incorporated into the ongoing rollout of eCRM. OPR: CNP. Due: 30 September 2022.

3.B.9. CNP grant CPPAs authorities to initiate and release all ESR/OSR and submit and approve/authorize all pay related transactions at the UIC level upon UIC CO request. OPR: CNP. Due: 31 Oct 2022.

3.B.10. CNP establish a working group with representatives from the Fleet N1s to reduce the number of KSDs required for each transaction. The goal is no more than one KSD per transaction. OPR: CNP. Due: 15 July 2022.

3.B.11. Create and promulgate a Commander’s guidebook for Fleet Pay. OPR: USFFC N1. Due: 31 July

2022.//

GENTEXT/ADMIN AND LOGISTICS//

4. Administration and Logistics.

4.A. Reporting. Provide reports for paragraph 3.B tasks via the administrative COC.//

GENTEXT/COMMAND AND SIGNAL//

5. Command and Signal.

5.A. Points of Contact.

5.A.1. Mr. Rob [redacted], COMM: 757-[redacted]

NIPR: [redacted]@us.navy.mil

5.A.2. Mr. Steve [redacted], COMM: 808-471-[redacted],

NIPR: [redacted]@us.navy.mil

5.A.3. RDML Stu Satterwhite, COMM: 901-874-2583

NIPR: [redacted]@us.navy.mil

5.B. Authentication.

5.B.1. CFFC OFFICIAL: VADM James Kilby, N01, Deputy Commander,

CFFC.

6. ADM Munsch, ADM Caudle, and ADM Paparo send.//

AKNLDG/YES/Action Addees via NIPR e-mail to administrative ISIC.//

BT

#0001

NNNN

This is clearly important to someone very high in the Navy, but I don’t see where this moves the needles we need to get moving.

I can almost smell the desire from some to believe this does something, or at least sounds like you desire something, but that is about it. That is focused on feelings about yourself, not so much who we are supposed to be leading and for what purpose.

I hope everyone involved here is enjoying listening to everyone speak on this … but at night in a quiet moment, has anyone involved reflecting if this is a smart use of the finite number of hours they have in the day?

Later that summer this … whatever it is … morphed in to a serial reading from the teleprompter you really need to watch to fully … experience.

To really get a an idea of the full court press, give a solid viewing of the video over at DVIDS, “Get Real Get Better: A Message to Navy Leaders.”

Outside the production effort here (nice production quality that a lot of people invested a lot of time in putting together), try to get your mind around not just the time the Flag Officers, Captains and Master Chiefs invested here, but their support staff as well. Yes, in the end you have a bunch of senior leaders drilling down to DIV Os and LPOs again.

Is that who we need to be talking to?

When I think of the events of 2017 in WESTPAC in regards to MCCAIN and FITZGERALD, the primary shortcomings were not the DIV Os and LPOs.

Perhaps that really isn’t the desired audience. Perhaps in the end it is an attempt to show the person whose pet project this is that senior leadership is, “all in.”

That is admirable - as that is part of the job - but the rest of us should ponder that point because we are all paying for it.

Give it a view and let me if this is just me - but does this get any traction? We’re in month 10 or so.

My recidivist staff weenie background get itchy every time I watch it. I know this may be a hobby horse of mine - but the camo uniform fever has got to break. How excited can the Fleet get when its most senior officers want to dress like they are in the Army - the only battle ashore they are dressing for in their commute - and many of them didn’t get the memo the uniform the CNO was wearing so they made the mistake of actually wearing the proper uniform ashore.

Hell, we can’t even get the CNO and VCNO’s Loops to coordinate uniforms.

Shambolic mess, but it is ours to enjoy. One hell of a benchmark in the delivery of the most banal, anodyne, and platitudinous D&G I’ve seen in awhile.

A month ago, we find ourselves to another phase where we want everyone to be a like an inquisitive 2nd grader and ask 5-Why’s about everything.

She’s doing her best in a difficult job, as we all are.

We also have two more versions of “why ask why” by a Warrant and a Fleet Hinge.

OK.

So, I’ll repeat the alter call I made at the top of the post; what are you seeing, if anything, in the Fleet on this? Ask around and let us know in comments - or if you have something you want to share on the DL, email or DM me.