Navy News
Navy releases FY19 budget
The Department of the Navy released its proposed $194.1 billion budget Feb. 12, for fiscal year 2019.
This budget is part of the $716 billion defense budget President Donald Trump submitted to Congress the same day.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Budget, Rear Adm. Brian Luther, briefed media during a Department of Defense press conference on the Navy and Marine Corps portion of the budget.
"Our ability to complete our mission rests on the entire Navy and Marine Corps team - Sailors and Marines, Active Duty and Reserve, our Civilian teammates and all our families," said Luther. "The Department is grateful for the increased funding and has worked diligently in this request to ensure the funding provided protects and sustains the readiness gains of FY18 and creates a balanced warfighting force with the capabilities needed for the fight and the capacity to win the fight."
This year's budget request is focused on restoring wholeness by growing the readiness, capability and capacity of the Navy and Marine Corps in an effort to build a more lethal, resilient and agile force to deter and defeat aggression by great power competitors and adversaries in all domains across the conflict spectrum. This force is necessary to fulfill the maritime responsibilities articulated in the National Defense Strategy.
Wholeness will be achieved by focusing on six specific dimensions, according to the Navy Office of Information: building a bigger, better, networked, talented, agile and ready fleet.
The submission will build on current programs and invest in innovation to enable the Navy to compete in a fast-paced, complex global maritime environment - today and in the future. The submission includes a $58.5 billion procurement budget that would buy 10 new ships and 54 ships across the Future Years Defense Plan and invest in high-tech systems including unmanned, cyber and directed energy weapons.
The 10 new ships the budget would purchase include three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, two Virginia-class submarines, one littoral combat ship and one expeditionary staging base to prioritize stability in major combatant shipbuilding as the fleet continues to grow. Additionally, the budget funds the construction of 120 aircraft in FY19 and 655 aircraft across the FYDP
By fully funding the Columbia-class SSBN program, the FY19 budget maintains the Navy's commitment to providing the nation with a credible and survivable sea-based strategic deterrent.
In order to meet dynamic changes in the security environment of today, this year's submission includes $18.6 billion for research and development, supporting the Navy-Marine Corps team of the future through technological advantages designed to counter adversaries in all environments and across all spectrums.
The budget supports our personnel by funding career-development initiatives and providing a 2.6 percent pay increase, while developing and procuring the most cutting-edge platforms and weapons available. It also continues to invest in Sailor 2025, to promote the transformation of internal business processes to improve service to Sailors, increase organizational agility and responsiveness and reduce cost.
Highlights of the proposed DoD budget are outlined at http://comptroller.defense.gov/BudgetMaterials.aspx
The entire fiscal 2019 DON budget proposal may be viewed at www.finance.hq.navy.mil/fmb/PB/books.htm
Navy updates SRB
The Navy updated the Selective Reenlistment Bonus award plan for active component and full time support Sailors in NAVADMIN 032/18 released Feb. 15.
This NAVADMIN updates NAVADMIN 311/17, adding award levels for 39 skills in 24 ratings and increasing one award level. There are no decreases or deletions of skills in this update.
In addition, this NAVADMIN provides Sailors more flexibility, by expanding the eligibility window to reenlist for SRB from 90 days to 180 days before a Sailor’s end of active obligated service. However, Sailors who are nuclear qualified, have an early promote on their most recent regular periodic evaluation or are eligible for combat zone tax exclusion are authorized to reenlist any time during the fiscal year of their EAOS, per this NAVADMIN.
Eligible Sailors desiring SRB reenlistment are encouraged to work with their command career counselors, command master chiefs and chains of command to discuss timing of reenlistment and procedures well before their EAOS. Requests are required to be submitted a minimum of 35 days prior to the requested reenlistment date.
SRB serves as an incentive for those Sailors with critical skills and experience to remain in the Navy. Enlisted community managers continuously monitor the health of their communities to maintain acceptable manning levels in critical skills, and recommend adjustments to SRBs when necessary.
Sailors can stay informed of award changes through the Navy’s SRB web page at www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/enlistedcareeradmin/Pages/SRB.aspx/ and review the NAVADMIN for a complete listing of changes to skills award levels eligible for SRBs.
NAVADMIN 032/18 can be read at www.npc.navy.mil/.