SECNAV’s 100 Day Message

Posted on September 20, 2020 Updated on September 19, 2020

ALNAV 083/20

MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/SEP//

SUBJ/SECNAV 100-DAY MESSAGE//

RMKS/1.  Shipmates, in my first 100 days as your Secretary, I have had 
several opportunities to engage with many of you across the fleet.  As some 
of you may have heard during my confirmation hearing, re-establishing a 
strong culture starting with leadership, trust up and down the chain of 
command, upholding good order and discipline, and empowering people to 
embrace their responsibilities have all been top priorities for me.  My 
conversations with many of you have filled me with great pride and confidence 
in where our force is headed.  These interactions reinforced what I already 
knew when I took this job:  our Navy and Marine Corps is composed of a 
remarkably talented force of our finest Americans, executing difficult 
missions with commitment, perseverance, and excellence every day.
I fully recognize you routinely perform your duties under austere conditions, 
the challenges of which have only grown during the global Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.  I am acutely aware of the strain that cancelled 
port visits, increased family separation, and PCS challenges have had on you 
as you've continued to protect our nation during this pandemic.  I know many 
of you joined the Navy to see the world as did I when I joined in 1990  and I 
want each of you to be able to demonstrate to the world the best our nation 
produces.  I promise you we will loosen restrictions as soon as it is safe to 
do so.

The best part of serving as our Secretary is getting out to the fleet and 
talking with the remarkable Sailors and Marines who are accomplishing our 
mission every day.  I am in fact returning from Pearl Harbor as I write this. 
I enjoy taking questions because it keeps me up-to-date on the issues that 
each of you face.

Questions about educational benefits, particularly Tuition Assistance (TA), 
are the most common queries I get.  First, it is terrific that so many 
Sailors and Marines are taking advantage of the educational opportunities 
offered by our Department.  It is one of the greatest benefits of serving in 
uniform.  Education not only makes us a more effective Naval Force, but 
increases employment options for Sailors and Marines after leaving the 
service.  Last year, 43,000 personnel took advantage of TA  so many, in fact, 
that we ran out of TA money.  Unfortunately, this meant that some TA requests 
were denied, which disrupted many individual's college plans.  To ensure that 
every Sailor and Marine could apply for TA, we temporarily capped the number 
of credit hours at 12 per year.  In order to remove the cap, we have 
requested more funding for the program to prevent future funding shortages.  
I would like each of you to receive all the education you can complete.
We are also pursuing accreditation for the Navy Community College program so 
that the courses you take can count towards a degree program.  Additionally, 
if your operational schedule permits, you will be able to take courses while 
at sea or deployed through the Navy College Program for Afloat College 
Education.  This program currently offers 332 distance learning courses that 
are self-contained and do not require internet connectivity.
Recently while in San Diego, I was also asked if women would be able to serve 
on Columbia-Class submarines, our planned replacement for Ohio-Class 
ballistic missile submarines.  Yes!  I am happy to report that berthing 
facilities for Columbia are being designed to allow mixed gender crews, 
allowing women to continue to integrate and excel in our submarine force.
Finally, I received a great question from a Sailor who was unable to take the 
SAT or ACT due to testing center closures because of COVID-19; this meant his 
Seaman to Admiral (STA-21) application was incomplete for reasons beyond his 
control.  Thanks to his question, your shipmates here in the Secretariat are 
working to ensure that those who were unable to take the SATs or ACTs due to
COVID-19 will not be disadvantaged at the STA-21 selection board.
Please continue to ask questions like these  they help identify the gaps and 
the issues that are sometimes overlooked.  My direction to leadership at all 
levels is to provide responsive, transparent guidance ensuring you receive 
the support you require to do your jobs to the best of your ability!
I am looking forward to meeting many more of you and hearing what is on your 
mind as I travel throughout the fleet.  I am committed to building an even 
more capable force while improving the quality of life for you and your 
families.  Finally, I am looking forward to sharing with you some more 
exciting announcements in the very near future.  In the interim, continue to 
do the great job you are doing every day  the one I tell all Americans I meet 
how proud I am of each of you.  And as always, thank you for all that you do 
to protect our nation, around the world every minute of every day.  It is the 
greatest honor to serve at your side.  Full speed ahead!

2.  Released by the Honorable Kenneth J. Braithwaite, Secretary of the 
Navy.//