|
 he Maritime Forces and Manpower Management Directorate develops programs and administers policies for Military Sealift Command's civilian and
| Seventy-four percent of Military Sealift Command employees serve at sea aboard MSC-controlled ships. |
|  |
 |
 | |  |
|
military members covering manpower management, organizational structure, commercial activities, strategic sourcing, shipboard training, medical and industrial hygiene and personnel and installation security.
At the end of FY 2000, MSC employed 8,532 people worldwide, including federal civil servants, military members and contract mariners. Seventy-four percent of those employees served at sea aboard MSC-controlled ships.
 |
Vice Adm. Gordon S. Holder, Commander, Military Sealift Command and Capt. Tom Carter, Chief of Staff, are briefed on the latest health and nutrition issues by HMCS(SW) Troy Flury, Shipboard Medical Program, at headquarters' first annual health fair. Visitors to the fair were offered cholesterol screening and counseling and information on health topics ranging from healthy food recipes to tobacco cessation programs.
(Photo by Barry Lake) |
| MSC Employees Worldwide |
| |
| Serving Afloat | 3,365 | 823 | 0 | 1,921 | 6,109 |
| Serving Ashore | 1,181 | 214 | 1,028 | 0 | 2,423 |
 |
| TOTAL | 4,546 | 1,037 | 1,028 | 1,921 | 8,532 |
During FY 2000, MSC continued to implement organizational changes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the command and provide best value to the customer. Several MSC offices were disestablished: MSC Office New Orleans, La. -- December 1999; MSC Office San Diego, Calif. -- July 2000; MSC Office Concord, Calif. -- July 2000, and MSC Office Southwest Asia -- July 2000.
| MSC wants to be the employer of choice for mariners. |
| |
|
| | |
|
MSC Office Beaumont, Texas, and MSC Atlantic Command representatives in Puerto Rico and New Orleans, La., continued to provide service to the MSC customer support base throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico.
MSC Pacific Command continued the requisite support in San Diego and Southern California, and MSC Pacific's representative for the San Francisco Bay area provided assistance to customers throughout Northern California from offices in Alameda, Calif.
MSC Central Command in Manama, Bahrain, was officially established in FY 2000 as the fifth MSC area command and provides direct support to the Navy's Fifth Fleet.
Additional organizational changes involved the re-titling of MSC Office Benelux to MSC Office Northern Europe to better describe the assigned area of responsibility for this office.
During FY 2000, MSC implemented a program for bringing upgrade training and U.S. Coast Guard merchant mariner document endorsements to civil service mariners, or CIVMARs, where they work.
 |
| Phyllis Spano of the Afloat Personnel Management Center (center) receives the Navy's 1999 Human Resources Award for Excellence from Betty S. Welch, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Civilian Personnel and Equal Employment Opportunity (left). Also shown are APMC director Kevin Cassidy, and the Honorable Carolyn H. Becraft, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. | The concept of training being brought to the ship, coupled with sea time earned, allows CIVMARs to upgrade without having to return to a shore-side classroom.
MSC is testing methods of making the command the employer of choice for mariners. In addition to recruitment bonuses and retention allowance for hard-to-fill positions, shorter at-sea tours are being tested, and leave and wage programs are being evaluated in that context.
The Afloat Personnel Management Center, which celebrated its third anniversary August 6, continued its efforts to offer improved service to MSC's civilian mariners in FY 2000. Captain Jeff Siepert was designated as the first Special Assistant for Mariner Affairs, and in September two other licensed officers were hired as civilian mariner marine placement assistants to help with mariner placement.
The Office of Counsel provides legal advice and guidance in support of all aspects of the Military Sealift Command's business and operations. MSC attorneys are involved in all areas of the law relevant to a large maritime organization. The attorneys provide legal advice in diverse areas of the law such as contract, fiscal, labor, environmental, procurement, personnel, maritime, international, insurance and administrative law.
| MSC attorneys are involved in all areas of the law relevant to a large maritime organization. |
| |
|
| | |
|
Highlights for FY 2000 include successfully defending the Navy's anthrax vaccination program, resolving liberty restriction disputes in Persian Gulf ports and advising the command on obtaining diplomatic clearances for the commercially contracted vertical replenishment helicopters in Italy. MSC attorneys also defended appeals before the United States Court of Appeals, represented the command in political-military talks with the government of the United Kingdom and provided briefings to congressional representatives and staff on overseas ship repair legislation. Defending bid protests at the U.S. General Accounting Office and in the U.S. District Courts and investigating ship collisions rounded out the efforts of MSC's officers of the court.
The Operations and Plans Directorate provides the interactive linkage between global operations at sea, operational readiness, joint exercises, MSC force protection, joint training and planning, strategic studies, war gaming and mobilization plans. The directorate coordinates fleet operational readiness information and force protection policies. The operations and plans staff also directs the implementation of contingency, mobilization and surge operations plans, analyzes deliberate operation plans and deployment data and staffs the MSC command center 24 hours a day. The operations and plans directorate consists of four divisions: Current Operations, Force Protection, Joint Plans, and Strategic Studies and War Gaming.
The Current Operations Division leads MSC's involvement in both real world operations and training exercises. (See Exercise Participation section on page 21.) The division includes four branches: Readiness, Shipboard Information Systems, Exercises and the MSC Command Center.
The Readiness Branch works issues concerning plans and procedures for MSC ships to operate safely and effectively in a biologically, chemically or radioactively contaminated environment and handling shipboard allocations of small arms and ammunition. The Readiness Branch also is responsible for oversight and reporting assurance on MSC's shipboard capabilities. Their efforts led MSC to obtain funding for protective clothing and detection and decontamination equipment for ships in the Ready Reserve Force and ships chartered by MSC to support contingency operations.
The Shipboard Information Systems Branch acts as liaison between MSC ships and MSC's Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate, the technical communication experts.
The Exercise Branch coordinates MSC's participation in exercises worldwide. During FY 2000, the branch also focused on Y2K operational communication issues aboard MSC ships.
The MSC Command Center is the focal point for current information about the command's worldwide operations and maintains a 24-hour/seven-days-a-week watch.
The Force Protection Division focuses on the protection of MSC ships forward deployed in areas of heightened terrorist threat conditions. During FY 2000, the division coordinated the introduction of thermal imaging systems to MSC ships, a $3 million project. Seven thermal-imaging, forward-looking, infrared cameras are on order with first delivery expected early in FY 2001. First ship installation was scheduled for mid-March on USNS Pathfinder, a Special Mission oceanographic survey ship. MSC ships permanently assigned to missions in the Middle East/Persian Gulf area will follow.
 |
| Special Mission oceanographic survey ship USNS Pathfinder. |
The Force Protection Division also has been developing a risk assessment matrix that will allow MSC area commanders to more accurately determine the overall risk to ships in remote areas from terrorist attack.
The division also continued to develop new software that will help automate force protection reporting requirements and permit ships to maintain force protection security plans, training data, physical equipment inventories and related information in one database.
The Joint Plans Division provides MSC input to combatant commander-in-chief operation plans, Navy operations planning conferences, forward presence (prepositioning) workshops and the Defense Planning Guidance.
This year, the division built the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan ship file and maintained MSC ship file databases. The division also provided MSC input to joint logistics over-the-shore plans, Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future) discussions and the Joint Monthly Readiness Review.
The Strategic Studies and War Gaming Division coordinates and oversees the participation of command personnel in joint service and Navy strategic studies, war games and seminars. The division also oversees formulation and review of the associated documentation of joint and Navy directives and instructions. During FY 2000, the division participated in several major studies including Mobility Requirements Study 2005, the joint warfighting capabilities assessment process, the fifth annual Expeditionary Warfare Conference and the Department of Defense's Quadrennial Defense Review.
MSC representatives from throughout the command participated in several war games and seminars in FY 2000, including Joint Force After Next, Army After Next, Global Engagement IV, Global 2000 and the Focused Logistics War Game. MSC's involvement in several smaller seminars and workshops educated non-Navy agency representatives on MSC's sealift capabilities and assisted joint war game developers in designing more realistic game scenarios.
The division provides the command with a glimpse of what the Department of Defense and the Navy of tomorrow may look like, and how best to prepare to meet MSC customers' future logistic and transportation requirements.
The Logistics Directorate provides technical logistics support, property administration, material asset re-utilization, data management and contractual support services; develops MSC logistics/supply policy and procedures; manages logistics automated systems; trains afloat and shore-based personnel and coordinates headquarters facilities and printing services.
During FY 2000, the Logistics Directorate was integrally involved with the implementation of MSC's new financial management system. Support provided to the program managers included coordination of system functional analyses, identification of the effects of staffing changes, training manual development and data conversion.
MSC logisticians at Camp Pendleton, Va., in conjunction with the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Port Hueneme, Calif., completed a joint review of stock levels for underway replenishment equipment aboard MSC's Fleet Oilers in FY 2000. The periodic assessment ensures that MSC ships have all the spare parts aboard that are needed, but only those parts that are needed, saving scarce supply stock dollars. A second review was begun for MSC's Mars-class combat stores ships.
MSC property administrators were busy in FY 2000. Traveling worldwide, they made sure that $86 million worth of MSC property, afloat and ashore, was managed and controlled properly by contractors and contract operators. The command awarded new operating contracts for both the fast sealift ships and the oceanographic ships -- a total of 18 ships -- and the property administration team coordinated the closeout of the old contracts and the implementation of the new contracts. The team also supported the delivery to MSC of one conversion ship -- USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin -- and four new construction ships -- USNS Red Cloud, USNS Bruce C. Heezen, USNS Seay and USNS Charlton. The team performed major property audits as well on the ocean surveillance ship operating contract.
For the first time in nine years, the basic daily food allowance aboard MSC ships was increased.
 |
Military Sealift Command culinary students Enrique Evangelista, Simeon Eleccion, Joselito Vasquez and Verando Amio with Chef Monroe Gaultney prepare cinnamon rolls during the advanced culinary course for students of MSC's basic storekeeping course.
(Photo by MSCS(SW) Roberta Jio, USN) | The allowance, which establishes the monetary limitation per person per day, went from $6.75 to $7.30 for ships operating from U.S. ports and from $6.75 to $7.96 for ships forward deployed.
In FY 2000, the Advanced Food Training Team completed implementation of the pre-prepared food initiative aboard Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force ships. The team visited 24 ships worldwide training food production staffs on product availability and preparation techniques. Ships using pre-prepared foods have the ability to tailor individual menu items to crew likes and dislikes. Coordination continues with regional suppliers and the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia, Pa., to increase the range and quality of products available.
Finally, the FY 2000 MSC Food Service Management Excellence Award recognized fleet oiler USNS Big Horn, large mess, and fleet tug USNS Apache, small mess, for superior shipboard food service and food service management.
Community Management describes those activities associated with recruiting, training, evaluating, and promoting MSC's civilian mariners in the supply/storekeeper and food service/steward communities. During FY 2000, the Logistics Directorate developed a close partnership with the Afloat Personnel Management Center, reviewing position qualifications, duty statements, promotion processes and training requirements. As a result of this comprehensive review, the first advanced culinary course was held Naval Supply Corps School in Athens, Ga., in July. This was the first culinary curriculum developed to address MSC- and Navy-specific issues such as shipboard equipment, ordering from prime vendors and menu preparation.
Fiscal year 2000 saw the beginning of a new chapter in MSC service to the Navy fleets. Based on a memorandum of agreement between MSC and the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, MSC began providing civilian mariner food service attendants and laundry operators aboard USS Supply, a fast combat stores ship crewed by active duty Sailors. This is believed to be the first time that civilian mariners have served aboard a Navy combatant ship as part of the normal deployment crew. Historically, the Sailors that supported these areas were temporarily assigned from other divisions aboard the ship. Beginning in March, a 19-member civilian mariner detachment provided the services aboard Supply both in port and underway, freeing active duty Sailors to pursue training and gain experience in their warfighting duties.
MSC reservists are an integral and vital resource for the Logistics Directorate, providing invaluable supply management, data processing and logistic analysis for all MSC-controlled ships. During FY 2000, MSC reservists developed and maintained a web-based application that provides MSC's program managers with fleet logistics readiness metrics (e.g., repair parts demand and assets, configuration feedback, customer wait time, supply department overtime). By tracking and analyzing such metrics, the command can more effectively identify trends in logistic deficiencies, thus reducing ship operating downtime and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of material and supply management.
| (Photo by PH2 Drew Rosenfelt, USNR) IT1 Richard Myrick, USNR, (right) and BM2 Jay Gautney, USNR, (left) listen to IT3 Donta Harper, USNR, (center) discuss the configuration of the communications patch panel in the Mobile Sealift Operations Center. |
 |
The Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems Directorate manages information technology systems throughout Military Sealift Command's worldwide operations, encompassing both shipboard and shoreside systems.
| The C4S Directorate manages information technology systems throughout MSC. |
| |
|
| | |
|
Shipboard systems include the radio frequency communications and information technology infrastructure as well as the shipboard management information system software architecture. Shoreside systems include MSC's worldwide information technology infrastructure, participation in the global transportation network and MSC's financial management system.
MSC is replacing its legacy accounting systems with an improved, integrated financial management system. The initial operating capability was reached July 1, 2000. This commercial, off-the-shelf system replaced a number of older, more cumbersome mainframe software programs. The new system will reduce operations and maintenance costs while providing decision makers with direct and rapid access to command financial data.
In the fall of 1999, MSC began testing a new state-of-the-art, commercial, off-the-shelf wideband International Marine Satellite system called Bandwidth Efficient Satellite Transport, or BEST. This system provides the MSC Fleet with the capability to conduct high-speed voice and data communications to and from the ships.
BEST was fielded on six initial test ships in the Pacific area of operations under a three-phase test plan that ended in June 2000. The test validated the capability of the system and evaluated the use of the technology in the shipboard environment. The test system configuration allowed the use of multimedia capabilities (i.e., simultaneous voice, fax and data operations). The test also allowed ships to become familiar with this new technology and allowed MSC to gather data regarding operational use, cost savings and effectiveness, as well as operation and maintenance affect on existing satellite resources.
User response was overwhelmingly positive and the system will be expanded in phased steps during FY 2001.
The Engineering Directorate manages MSC's engineering programs, provides in-service engineering support to MSC ships, reviews engineering performance of MSC ships and advises the command on ship material readiness. The directorate also provides naval architecture, marine engineering and electrical engineering management to the MSC fleet and manages the command's safety and occupational health program.
In FY 2000, the environmental and safety specialists became part of the Engineering Directorate to better align and standardize the approach to command environmental and safety issues.
During FY 2000, Engineering Directorate personnel set up and managed MSC's Y2K preparedness efforts worldwide, investigating more than 500,000 systems afloat and ashore. Minor problems were, for the most part, anticipated, and alternate procedures were in place. The relatively seamless transition was the direct result of many hours of planning, testing and repair efforts by personnel throughout the command.
The Engineering Directorate helped develop the performance specifications for the new advanced dry cargo ship program, now designated T-AKE. This highly automated fast combat supply ship will take fleet logistics services into the next century. Directorate personnel also participated in the extensive ship design reviews held with participating shipyards.
The Engineering Directorate provided on-site technical assistance for two heavy lifts in FY 2000. MV Strong Virginian off-loaded a utility landing craft in Hythe, England, in June, and MV Blue Marlin, a float-on/float-off heavy lift ship,
| A truck sprays MV Cape Knox's ramp, practicing decontaminating an area that has been exposed to dangerous chemicals during a chemical warfare exercise held in conjunction with Military Traffic Management Command and the South Korean Army. |
 | carried two coastal mine hunters from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Bahrain during July and August.
The maintenance software that supports MSC port engineers was upgraded to assist in overhaul availability management and ship inspections. The upgrade included software designed specifically for use on new personal data assistants. These small, hand-held computers proved invaluable during inspections and for subsequent reporting requirements.
During FY 2000, the directorate initiated a new shipboard/shoreside training plan that allows for cross training and rotation of both shipboard and shoreside engineering personnel. The first trainee, a member of the marine engineering group at headquarters, sailed in the engine department of three different MSC ships, earning excellent reviews and validating the new program.
Finally, two new lubrication oil contracts were awarded in FY 2000. The contracts provide for commercially available lubricants and for lubricant testing and predictive analysis support, lowering the overall lubricant program cost by an estimated $200,000 and improving ship performance.
MSC's office of Safety and Occupational Health provides a unique training program adapted to both its civilian mariners and shore-side employees. The core material of the program is MSC's 27-chapter safety manual. Based on the Navy's program and training materials, MSC's efforts are tailored to the civilian mariner environment and MSC's operational specifics, as approved by the Chief of Naval Operations.
Prior to shipboard assignment, mariners attend a two-day safety training course. While afloat, they receive on-the-job training in 18 MSC safety areas using MSC-produced safety videos, handbooks and an extensive safety-training guide, all of which are maintained in each ship's afloat library.
Field safety specialists in San Diego, Calif., and Norfolk, Va., conduct annual afloat-safety inspections aboard ships in their areas of responsibility. During the inspections, the specialists conduct safety training in subjects such as operational risk management and proper fit and testing of respiratory apparatus. They also conduct a walk-through safety check of the ship.
The Comptroller Directorate advises the Commander on financial matters related to MSC operations and manages MSC funds to assure effective, efficient and economical mission accomplishment. The directorate oversees MSC's financial management information system and is responsible for meeting the requirements of the Chief Financial Officers Act.
MSC implemented a new financial management information system that is compliant with the CFO Act, uses the U.S. Standard General Ledger and performs standard Department of Defense budgetary and proprietary accounting. The new system is being procured and implemented with the support of and in coordination with the Department of the Navy, the U.S. Transportation Command and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.
| In the coming year MSC will focus on career-building tools and mentoring. |
| |
|
| | |
|
The Strategic Planning Directorate is MSC's focal point for the future. As such, it is responsible for developing and managing the strategic and corporate planning system, evaluating and pursuing new business growth opportunities, enhancing relations with our maritime industry and government transportation partners and promoting small business opportunities. This directorate was established in August 2000 and is organized around the four focus areas.
A major focus area is completion of the MSC corporate plan. This plan will highlight the command's strategic issues and corporate metrics and will link the MSC Strategic Plan, published in March 2000, with the business and support plans developed by MSC program managers, functional directors and area commanders.
Another area that will receive attention in the coming year is workforce development support with emphasis on career-building tools and mentoring.
With the ever-growing interdependence between the U.S. maritime industry and Military Sealift Command, it is increasingly important to develop and maintain positive working relations with the various elements of
| The business development group helps MSC diversify into areas that complement our primary mission. |
| |
|
| | |
|
the industry as well as other government agencies that have a role in the health of the industry. Through numerous forums, such as the National Defense Transportation Association, the Propeller Club, and MSC's National Defense Executive Reserve, MSC has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to a mutually beneficial partnership with the U.S. maritime industry. One major undertaking within this partnership is to continuously monitor the ability of the U.S. maritime industry to provide sufficient merchant mariners to crew Department of Defense strategic sealift assets during contingency activation periods.
In FY 2000, a business development group was established to help MSC diversify into areas that are complementary to our primary mission. The major objectives of this group are to identify areas where the core competencies of MSC could be made available in new business ventures benefiting the U.S. Navy and U.S. Transportation Command. Responsibilities include marketing MSC capabilities, optimizing customer relations and creating new business development implementation plans.
For FY 2000, MSC exceeded Navy goals for award of prime contracts to small businesses, small business set-asides and small disadvantaged businesses. Working closely with the new business development group, additional opportunities may be identified for small and disadvantaged businesses to participate in the MSC mission.
The Contracts and Business Management Directorate provides contracting support throughout MSC's business programs for supplies and services and for ship, tug and service craft chartering. The directorate comprises four headquarters divisions and two field divisions.
Operational contracting support is provided by the Services and Ship Support Division and the Chartering and Ship Operations Division located at MSC headquarters, MSC Contracts and Business Management East located in Norfolk, Va., and MSC Contracts and Business Management West located in San Diego, Calif.
The Services and Ship Support Division contracts for harbor tug, service craft and helicopter services; ship conversion contracts, and day-to-day supplies and services. The Chartering and Ship Operation Division provides acquisition support using commercial type charters and long-term ship operating contracts for MSC's Prepositioning, Special Mission and Sealift Programs. The division field offices contract for ship repair and maintenance for ships of the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force and Special Mission Programs.
The headquarters Policy and Compliance Division implements acquisition reform initiatives; conducts acquisition training; develops and deploys state-of-the-art automation technologies; performs business analysis; and conducts strategic planning.
| MSC is looking for opportunities to partner with other U.S. government contracting operations around the world. |
| |
|
| | |
|
The Acquisition Reengineering and Special Projects Division, the fourth headquarters division, is a small "think tank" group that spearheads integrated project team efforts to improve cross-functional acquisition processes and other MSC-specific procurement improvement projects.
The directorate continues to look for opportunities to partner with other U.S. government contracting operations around the world, consolidating contracting efforts within geographic regions to reduce overhead costs and provide best value to customers. Partnering with the Fleet and Industrial Support Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, paid dividends this fiscal year during an emergency ship repair effort.
In FY 2000, MSC combined its implementation of the federal government's standard procurement system with a new financial management system, automating much of MSC's work and providing improved tools to manage workload, respond to data requests and prepare contracts.
MSC continues to lead the Navy in paperless acquisition initiatives with more than 70 percent of the MSC acquisition process paperless in FY 2000. MSC implemented Navy Electronic Commerce Online, which requires the posting of solicitations on the Internet. Other information technology initiatives include modification of the MSC web pages to allow advanced search features and emails to vendors on the bidders list.
MSC is also involved in Navy initiatives to enable the standard procurement system to interact with joint electronic document access, the contractor performance assessment reporting system and the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet. This will allow MSC to benefit from the speed and accuracy of electronic invoicing in the near future.
At the end of FY 2000, MSC managed more than 800 government commercial credit card accounts held by shoreside personnel, ship masters, supply officers and chief engineers around the world. MSC spent more than $46 million on more than 26,000 purchases in FY 2000 using the purchase card program.
 |
| A commercial helicopter under contract to MSC places a pallet on combat stores ship USNS Sirius during a vertical replenishment in the Mediterranean. |
The Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement program assures the availability of U.S.-flagged sealift capacity in times of contingency, national emergency or war through the placement of pre-negotiated contingency contracts with commercial vessel owners. In FY 2000, MSC awarded 260 VISA contracts for dry cargo time charters through the Sealift Program.
MSC's commercial helicopter contracting team earned one of three Admiral Stan Arthur Awards for Logistics Excellence.
MSC awarded 5,208 contract actions totaling more than $1.4 billion in FY 2000. More than 97 percent of contract dollars were awarded on a competitive basis.
|
