SUBJ/DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY RESPONSE TO SEQUESTRATION

DTG 022300Z Mar 13

FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC

TO ALNAV

INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC

CMC WASHINGTON DC

CNO WASHINGTON DC

BT

UNCLAS

ALNAV 014/13

MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/MAR//

SUBJ/DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY RESPONSE TO SEQUESTRATION//

RMKS/1. LAST NIGHT, BECAUSE NO BUDGET DEAL HAD BEEN REACHED, THE BUDGET CONTROL

ACT REQUIRED SETTING IN MOTION THE AUTOMATIC, GOVERNMENT-WIDE CUTS KNOWN AS

SEQUESTRATION. GIVEN THAT REALITY AND THE ASSOCIATED IMPACT OF BUDGETARY

UNCERTAINTY IMPOSED BY AN INDEFINITE CONTINUING RESOLUTION, THE DEPARTMENT OF

THE NAVY INTENDS TO COMMENCE SOME REDUCTIONS IMMEDIATELY.

2. NAVY PLANS TO:

A. SHUT DOWN CARRIER AIR WING TWO (CVW-2) IN APRIL. THIS WILL INITIATE THE

PREPARATIONS TO GRADUALLY STAND-DOWN FLYING IN AT LEAST THREE ADDITIONAL AIR

WINGS WITH TWO MORE AIR WINGS BEING REDUCED TO MINIMUM SAFE FLYING LEVELS BY THE

END OF THE YEAR; B. DEFER USNS COMFORT HUMANITARIAN DEPLOYMENT TO CENTRAL AND

SOUTH AMERICA, “CONTINUING PROMISE 2013″, INCLUDING SUPPORTING SHIPS, SEABEES,

AND MEDICAL UNITS; C. CANCEL OR DEFER THE DEPLOYMENTS OF UP TO SIX SHIPS TO

VARIOUS AORS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF APRIL; D. LAY UP FOUR COMBAT LOGISTICS

FORCE (CLF) UNITS IN PACOM STARTING IN APRIL; E. RETURN USS SHOUP (DDG 86) TO

HOMEPORT EARLY AND NOT PROCEED AS USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) ESCORT TO CENTCOM; F.

RETURN USS THACH (FFG 43) TO HOMEPORT EARLY FROM DEPLOYMENT TO SOUTHCOM.

3. WE WILL ALSO IMMEDIATELY:

A. BEGIN NEGOTIATING CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS TO DE-OBLIGATE EFFORTS FOR ANY

INVESTMENT PROGRAMS FOR WHICH THE REMAINING UNOBLIGATED BALANCE WILL BE

INSUFFICIENT AFTER THE SEQUESTRATION REDUCTION IS APPLIED. MAJOR PROGRAMS

AFFECTED INCLUDE VIRGINIA-CLASS SSN ADVANCE PROCUREMENT, REACTOR POWER UNITS AND

JOINT HIGH SPEED VESSEL (JHSV 10); B. COMMENCE FINAL PLANNING TO SLOW MARINE

CORPS DEPOT MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING REDUCTIONS IN THE NON-PERMANENT

WORKFORCE; C. CANCEL MARCH INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT SCREENING FOR FUTURE

PILOTS/NFOS; D. ANNOUNCE INTENT TO CANCEL BLUE ANGELS SHOWS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL

2013 [FOUR SHOWS: MACDILL AFB (TAMPA, FL), NAS CORPUS CHRISTI TX, VIDALIA GA,

MCAS BEAUFORT SC]; E. CEASE NEW USMC ENROLLMENTS IN VOLUNTARY EDUCATION TUITION

ASSISTANCE; F. CANCEL MARCH NAVY RECRUITING MEDIA SUPPORT AND REDUCE THE

MAJORITY OF ADVERTISING CONTRACTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE UNDER CONTRACTUAL

CONDITIONS.

4. THESE ACTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN TO PRESERVE SUPPORT FOR THOSE FORCES STATIONED

OVERSEAS AND CURRENTLY FORWARD-DEPLOYED. REDUCTIONS IN LOWER-PRIORITY FORWARD

OPERATIONS, AND SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN ALL OTHER OPERATIONS, TRAINING, AND

MAINTENANCE ARE THE RESULTS OF THIS SELECTION PROCESS. WE MADE THESE CHOICES

CAREFULLY, WHILE TRYING TO PRESERVE OUR ABILITY TO REVERSE OR QUICKLY RESTORE

NEGATIVE EFFECTS IF AND WHEN FUNDING IS RESTORED.

5. ACTIONS WE HAVE TAKEN TO DATE WILL CONTINUE, TO INCLUDE THOSE AFFECTING THE

DEFERRAL OF MAINTENANCE FOR USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72); THE DEFERRAL OF REPAIR

WORK FOR USS MIAMI (SSN 755) AND USS PORTER (DDG 78); THE DELAYED DEPLOYMENT OF

USS HARRY S TRUMAN (CVN 75) AND USS GETTYSBURG (CG 64); THE CIVILIAN HIRING

FREEZE; THE PLANNING FOR CIVILIAN FURLOUGHS; AND THE REDUCTION OF ALL TRAINING

NOT RELATED TO THE READINESS OF DEPLOYED OR NEXT-TO-DEPLOY FORCES.

6. NAVY DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP UNDERSTANDS THE UNCERTAINTY THAT THESE AND OTHER

DECISIONS CREATE BOTH AMONGST OUR PEOPLE AND IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY UPON WHICH

WE RELY. THE LACK OF A LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION TO AVOID SEQUESTRATION IS DEEPLY

REGRETTABLE. THAT SAID, WE MUST ENDEAVOR TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION AS WE FACE

IT, NOT AS WE WISH IT COULD OTHERWISE BE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE SAFETY

AND WELL-BEING OF OUR PEOPLE FOREMOST IN MIND, EVEN AS WE TRY HARD TO KEEP WHOLE

THE FORCE STRUCTURE WHICH SUPPORTS THEM. WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE

FLEET AND FLEET MARINE FORCE FULLY INFORMED AS FOLLOW-ON DECISIONS ARE MADE.

7. RELEASED BY RAY MABUS, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.// BT