Navy plans currently call for 6.7 to 7.5 per year. Shortly before his change of command, I had a meeting with all the three-stars, where he was present, and we went over each of those issues. And for the future, within a matter of a few weeks, I am going to personally designate him as the head of all naval aviation. Adm. Clark noted that some areas of greatest concern had seen a turn-around in recent years. He also praised congressional concern for Navy recruiting efforts.
Retention is better, but remains below goal.
Our attrition level is too high, and Navy leadership is taking action to reduce it. The CNO said keeping good Sailors in the Navy was a top readiness priority. We are stressing to Navy leadership the importance of fostering a work environment that is more conducive to personal and professional growth. Even with recent retention and recruiting successes, the Navy remains well short of the people it needs, he reported. If you look at our trends, you find that I'm 14,000 people short almost 8,000 at sea, and 6,000 ashore.