ARABIAN GULF (NNS) – September 14, 2015 — Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) Vice Adm. Bill Moran visited Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) as part of a tour to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Sept. 10 – 11.
“We’re here to hear from you,” Moran said at a luncheon with enlisted Sailors, “We want to hear feedback – good and bad. Tell us what you like that we’re doing so we can make sure to keep that programming for the future. Tell us what you’re not too happy with too so that we can make adjustments. What you’re doing out here is important and it’s also important for me to hear what’s on our Sailors’ minds.”
During the trip, Moran, joined by Fleet Master Chief April Beldo, master chief for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education, discussed a variety of initiatives including the Meritorious Advancement Program, uniform changes, advancement, compensation and many of other new personnel initiatives during their visit, which included an all-hands question-and-answer session broadcast shipwide via closed-circuit television.
This was the second time Moran has visited Sailors in the U.S. 5th Fleet as CNP, and the trip gave Sailors an opportunity to discuss new initiatives.
“I think it’s pretty cool that our leadership is concerned about our perspective even while we’re out here on deployment,” said Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class Tracey Walker, a TR Sailor. “I really enjoyed lunch with [Fleet Master Chief] Beldo. She answered a lot of my questions and I look forward to running into her again.”
In the thick of CPO 365 Phase II, Beldo made it a point to meet with TR’s cohort of chief selects during her visit.
“This was the perfect opportunity to meet with some of our chief selects,” said Beldo. “It’s an important time, and I value their feedback.”
Beldo addressed a few of the new policy changes for the crew including maternity leave and increased female accessions. She explained the Secretary of the Navy authorized expanded maternity leave, up to 18 months for new mothers. Some crew members were concerned that paternity leave is only 10 days by comparison. Beldo clarified that paternity leave is a Department of Defense policy currently under review.
“As a mother, I especially appreciated the face time I was able to have with our Navy’s policy makers,” said Lt. Jennifer Yedoni, TR’s assistant strike operations officer. “The new maternity leave policy shows mothers that the Navy supports them, and I value their support.”
Theodore Roosevelt is the flagship of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG), which is composed of Carrier Strike Group 12, Carrier Air Wing 1, Destroyer Squadron 2 staff, the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and the guided-missile destroyers USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), USS Farragut (DDG 99) and USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98).
Theodore Roosevelt is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the region.