CNO praises IAs calls for expanded fleet

[unhappycamper]

Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, in his offices at the Pentagon on Thursday.



CNO praises IAs calls for expanded fleet
By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 17, 2007 8:30:10 EST

The Navy’s top admiral is putting a premium on the work of sailors on the ground in the Middle East and is pushing for more ships to maintain presence around the globe.

In his first interview since taking over as chief of naval operations at the end of September, Adm. Gary Roughead spoke of the value that having thousands of sailors on the ground in a war zone brings to the fleet.

“For the first time in history, we have more sailors on the ground in the Middle East than we do at sea — 14,000 sailors ashore and about 11,000 at sea,” Roughead said during the interview in his Pentagon office.

In his first month on the job, he unveiled a new maritime strategy, written in concert with the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and visited sailors in Iraq and Bahrain in a sweeping overview of operations there. The admiral’s own op tempo was made obvious by his office — except for the large paintings that always adorn the CNO’s workspace, the walls were bare.

During his Iraq trip, Roughead said, he had the opportunity to speak to 3,000 to 4,000 sailors on the ground.

Air Force, Army and Marine commanders all noted the strengths of sailors serving as individual augmentees in their units, he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/11/navy_roughead_071117w/



uhc comment: I expect to hear more about 'individual augmentees' in the coming months. Look for the term 'IA'.