One of many lasting Big E memories ... goods & others that shaped aspirations to serve as a carrier CMC.

1. From: Winnefeld, J.A. CAPT
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2000 12:16 PM
To: HOD's
Cc: CPO Selectees; CPO's CVN-65; Officers CVN-65
Subject: sponsor program
Folks,
As you know, I've recently "seized" control of our sponsor program. I know that some of you were
probably doing an acceptable job, but far too many of the folks I would ask at INDOC would come up with
very unacceptable answers when I asked how well they had been sponsored. So I decided that all
Sailors coming to Big E will be sponsored by khaki, and that I will personally sponsor the next Sailor with
orders to our fine ship. I will set the example.
As an aside, I will refresh your memory on a line from my "blue blaster" from the section on
micromanagement: "Recognize when there are times when I must insert myself into the process--when I
do, listen to my ideas and bear with me." This is one of those times.
I would add that sometimes, as more senior folks, we lose sight of how hard it can really be to get things
done on the deckplates, and I've suspected all along that the reason behind our poor sponsor
performance had at least as much to do with how hard it is to get in touch with recruite/trainees as it did
with people simply not caring. So, besides sponsoring a Sailor to set the example, I am also doing it to
discover the systemic problems---both inside and outside our lifelines---that are keeping us from doing a
good job.
I will keep you informed as I travel down this road. Here is what I have so far:
- I received a piece of paper from PERS giving me my Sailor's name and some info clipped from his
orders regarding approximately where he will be for the next couple of months (RTC and apprenticeship
training). I called the phone number at RTC that was on the paper, and reached their Admin office.
They said they could not give me the information on how to get hold of my Sailor, and that I had to talk to
PSD. (This tells me that our folks would likely have the same problem, and if so . . . how come that
number is still on the sheet I received? I would think someone who tried to call and failed would have
told PERS "This is the real number you need to call . . . ").
I then called RTC PSD, who told me I was not allowed to talk to my Sailor and would have to write a letter
to him. When I protested that I just wanted to be a good sponsor, I was firmly, but nicely told that's the
way it is. So I called the RTC CMC office and spoke to the CMC.
Nice guy, very enthusiastic and good to talk to. He agreed to help, and admitted that there might be
some problems with the system . . . and that perhaps he might need to give Fleet and Force Master
Chiefs the correct contact numbers (by the way, in my opinion, the number to the recruit's "ship"
(barracks), along with the senior chief petty officer running it ought to be on the Sailor's orders!). The
CMC stated that, when he was CMC on STOUT, they had to try all kinds of ways to get to speak to their
Sailors at RTC . . . (which begs the question . . . based on his experience, what is RTC doing about the
problem? Perhaps not enough of us fleet folks have complained about not being able to reach recruits).
I also asked him about the addition of e-mail in the RTC barracks (which we heard four or five months
ago was going to happen) so we could reach recruits . . . he stated that it would be on line in a couple of
months (which is what we heard four or five months ago). I asked him if it was a funding problem (i.e.,
lack of computers), because I know people who would love to jump on a donation of that sort. He said
something about whenever they plug in 3 irons in one of the barracks that the power goes off, etc . . . He
said that he would get the info on how to reach my recruit to me within 24 hours (not at my demand, I
might add, he was the one who offered the 24 hours).
My game plan from here is to see if the 24 hours pans out, and, if it doesn't, to call back on Monday.
Once I figure out how to talk to the lucky young man, I'll do so. I will want to know how he wants me to
mail his welcome aboard package to him. I haven't seen our package yet, and look forward to

2. it---whoever is in charge of this, please bring me one. (By the way, we have found that trying to
pre-position these packages at various strategic points is a great idea that fails miserably in execution,
and is a great waste of money and time.) If our welcome aboard package is merely a bunch of literature
about Norfolk, I will add a photo of Big E and a sticker, as well as a personal letter. If I discover in my
phone call that, for example, he is interested in wood working, I will go to the wood working shop on base
on my way home and will get whatever literature they have and enclose it as well. I'll also send him any
Big E literature I can, including our schedule to the extent it is unclassified. I will then have Admin mail it
wherever he and I agree is the highest percentage place for him to get it (home? RTC? apprenticeship
training?). I'll also be asking him about his travel plans so I can meet him at the airport. You get the
picture.
But . . . I have to reach him first. I'll let you know how it works out in next week's episode.
I want to emphasize that sponsorship is a critical program for us . . . it has leverage that we don't even
know about yet. I consider sponsorship to be a long term idea. I prefer that sponsors be identified as
people who will be aboard the ship at least through our deployment, if possible. If someone goes to
mast, their sponsor should be there with them. A sponsor should check on their Sailor frequently. With
over 300 officers and chiefs on this ship, and only about 50 people arriving per month, you will not have to
sponsor someone very often . . . so you can REALLY do the job right. A sponsor does NOT need to be
from a Sailor's department . . . indeed, it might be better to have the sponsor NOT be from the Sailor's
department. Good sponsorship will help us retain Sailors in the Navy and will prevent their attrition.
Improving these numbers is not a CO's fitrep bullet . . . it will make life better for all of us . . . more people
on the job, less time taken up by discipinary problems, etc. Let's make this work.
More to follow.
R/
CO