The transformation of today's Navy to meet the challenges of the future will be accomplished by our Sailors. The Navy's men and women - with their deeply held values of honor, courage, and commitment - will be the cornerstone of the Navy of the 21st century. Faced with the demand for a leaner but more capable Navy, both the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and the National Defense Panel recognized that we will rely on the innovation and dedication of our people to ensure that the Navy of tomorrow can indeed meet the demands thrust upon it. To that end, the Department of the Navy must attract, train, and retain dedicated, career-minded men and women for the arduous tasks ahead.
The Navy's Quality of Life programs have a direct impact on the readiness of the Total Force and, as such, are essential to the Navy's mission. Thus, the Navy will continue to request funding to support several important initiatives.
Health Care
All Navy and Marine Corps families must be provided with quality medical care. Managed-care initiatives have been extremely successful at increasing access to care, ensuring the highest quality, and managing costs. The Navy recognizes the commitment its men and women make to serve our nation, and will continue to support these and other Quality of Life programs to address unique and compelling needs of service members and their families. These programs provide a high return on investment and contribute to preserving the readiness of the Navy's Sailors to meet the daunting professional and personal demands placed upon them.
Educational Services
The Navy continues to support fully Voluntary Education, recognizing that Sailors who improve themselves through further schooling increase force readiness, in addition to enjoying more productive and satisfying military careers. In recognition of the role of voluntary continuing education, the Office of the Secretary of Defense will require a uniform tuition assistance policy across the Armed Services by 1 October 1998. The Navy has further demonstrated its support for continuing education through two major achievements:
· Twelve new Academic Skills Learning Centers are being established, bringing the worldwide total to 21 in FY 1998. All major Navy bases will have such a center by the year 2001.
· During FY 1998, every eligible Navy ship will have an educational program under the Program for Afloat College Education (PACE), which will be sustained into the future.
The Navy is also planning to increase educational opportunities with the addition of upper division courses. Through its investment in educational technology, the service is making it possible for every Sailor to continue advancing academically, regardless of mission or duty location. A smarter Sailor is better able to meet the challenges of the coming decade, thus, the investment in this important Quality of Life program is an investment in readiness as well.
Finally, the Navy has also redesigned its recruitment training program and is taking an innovative approach to leadership training. From the first day of boot camp, the Navy instills pride in the service's core values - honor, courage, and commitment - and builds the warrior spirit in each recruit. To guarantee today's recruits become tomorrow's leaders, the Navy has added a new Leadership Training Curriculum program with eight structured blocks of additional training. The courses will be taught by Navy Sailors willing to make a serious commitment to leadership training. The Navy is thus laying the groundwork for every Sailor to make a difference and take pride in his or her service to the nation.
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