ADM John Harvey here. I'm stopping by this coming Tuesday. What questions do you have for me?

ADM John Harvey — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 13:12:21 -0400

*Post Your Questions Below*

From RallyPoint Staff:

Admiral John C. Harvey most recently served as the 31st Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command through September 14, 2012. During his reputable career, Admiral Harvey served aboard the USS Enterprise, USS Bainbridge, USS Mcinnerney, USS Nimitz and USS Long Beach. He also served as Commander of the USS David R. Ray, USS Cape St. George and the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a well-informed perspective on the future of the Navy, or its role in affairs abroad, Admiral Harvey is the guy to ask.

In 2012, we were honored to have Admiral Harvey join our esteemed board of advisors. We’re delighted to welcome him to RallyPoint for a Q&A on July 28th!

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Jul 24 at 2015 1:17 PM

PO2 Mark Saffell — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 13:17:32 -0400

Good afternoon Sir. I also served aboard the USS Enterprise. No other ship will ever compare. I would like to know when they plan to begin construction on CVN80. I was at My ships retirement and would love to be around long enough to be at her replacement's commissioning.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Jul 24 at 2015 1:38 PM

SN Greg Wright — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 13:38:45 -0400

Hi Admiral. I was on the USS Wichita (AOR-1) with the Long Beach and Enterprise alongside. Long Beach lost her rudder control, resulting in one of the two non-drill emergency breakaways in my time on board :). Interesting day, for sure. Just an anecdote, no questions for you, sir. Although now I wonder if you were on either of those ships when it happened lol. The big E, of course, also had to breakaway.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2015 2:44 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 14:44:16 -0400

Admiral, thank you for taking the time to respond to questions on this forum. My question is in relation to the Nuclear Navy, and no I did not serve as a nuclear power officer just a straight stick SWO.

With all the advancements in the civilian power industry do you think the navy is falling behind in reactor technology or is it the old adage if it works don’t mess it up?

Response by LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2015 3:42 PM

LT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 15:42:58 -0400

Good afternoon Sir, what do you believe are the greatest problems (internal or external) JO's face in today's Navy? And what advice do you have for overcoming those problems?
Very Respectfully,
ENS Forrest Grissom

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2015 7:48 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 19:48:41 -0400

Greetings Sir, It is an honor to have someone of your stature here with us. I would like to focus on the style of war we are fighting. With ISIS still fighting in Iraq and Syria we are seeing the Army as the main force on the ground. The Navy has always been able to provide a platform to launch air strikes as they did to take Muammar Gaddafi out of power in Libya. But now we are more in a support role. The Army is slowing moving back to training to take on large armies instead of solely fighting a counter insurgency. How, if at all, did the role of the Navy change in combating hostile threats like ISIS? Did the Navy treat this as a situation that that was only pertinent this era or did they see this being just the future of war and alter the navy to address this more on a permanent basis?

Response by SN Earl Robinson made Jul 24 at 2015 8:57 PM

SN Earl Robinson — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 20:57:04 -0400

Sir, given the expansion of the Chinese Navy why don't we give some of our allies in the area some Military assistance? For example we have been mothballing the Perry class Frigates wouldn't it make sense to donate 6 or 7 of these to the Philippine Navy? Also donating one or two of the Tarawa class Amphibious Assault Ships along with Harriers to Australia would make a serious statement to China. Another option would be creating small task forces with LHA class ships with Harriers or F-35B's and stationing them in Asia. I am not wanting us to get into a shooting war with China but they should understand that they cannot just take an island or even make an Island where they want without repercussions. This form of aggression poses a danger to Japan, the Philippines and other friends of ours. We have a number of warships sitting in long term storage that could still be not only put to good use by other nations but would be happily accepted by them.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jul 25 at 2015 4:43 AM

PO1 John Miller — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 04:43:38 -0400

ADM, I actually have 2 questions.

I would like to know where you stand on dual military BAH and all the other proposed BAH changes.

I would also like to know your position on the proposed overhaul of military compensation and benefits. As a retiree my pension is safe but I feel that the proposed 401(k) style retirement will be bad for retention. I also do not like the proposed changes to Tricare. As the parent of a special-needs child I'm already paying quite a bit out of pocket for my daughter's care that Tricare doesn't cover but if the changes get approved I will have to pay even more. I don't know about anybody else but I'm already on a budget and I feel like the Navy and military in general don't care about its greatest asset, people.

Very respectfully,
IT1(SW) John Miller (Ret.)

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 25 at 2015 8:46 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 08:46:39 -0400

Sir, welcome to the board, and I have to ask... when will my Marine brothers and sisters get a good, worthy amphibious assault vehicle to replace the 1970's/80's era vehicles they've been using? Thanks!

Response by MCPO Tom Miller made Jul 25 at 2015 1:58 PM

MCPO Tom Miller — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 13:58:12 -0400

Adm, my sincere respect for your position and leadership. I am strongly concerned about the new PC movement in the ranks of our Navy. When you take away 1st ammendment rights of the freedom to worship the Christian faith openly, I think we will really pay a price in the future. With the mixture of transgenders, Gay rights with special days of honor, women rights and special exemptions such as Muslims able to wear their headgear in uniform is a standard we can abide by and still be the effect team as before? All I hear from friends is my son will never join into that crap or what happened to our countries leadership. My father served as a career officer in both WWII and Korea and died in a VA hospital. He always said, for God and country, and he told me always take care of your people and your people will take care of you and not only did I love my Dad, but did my best to emulate him. Are we going out as a severely weakened Armed Forces both in strength in abilities to defend and ineffective choices in morality leadership. Our edge was the strength in our members to always work as a team and to win at all cost as a team.

Response by PO2 Steven Erickson made Jul 25 at 2015 5:20 PM

PO2 Steven Erickson — Sat, 25 Jul 2015 17:20:03 -0400

As a former nuke submariner (EM2/SS, USS Permit, SSN-594), I consider the teamwork and camaraderie found on the boats one of the greatest gifts/rewards my service gave me. The success I enjoy today is in no small part descended from my time underway.

I served during "the glory days" of the President Reagan's 600-ship Navy, where we had the support of the entire chain of command. So...

I don't have a question, Admiral, but as a citizen, I ask you to use your position to always fight for the "working sailors" - the E-2s to the E-5s - the Snipes and the Airedales, the Deck Gang, Twidgets and the Marines. I know they will do ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING we ask them to do, but THE CHAIN OF COMMAND must commit to give them ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING they need to do the things we ask.

Sir, please remember to look "down" the chain of command when decisions are made for basic maintenance, deployments and sustenance for the Sailors (and their families) under your command.

Thank you for your service to our men, women, our Navy and our Nation. And thanks for "Stopping By" here at Rally Point.

Response by SN Victoria Glover made Jul 26 at 2015 10:51 AM

SN Victoria Glover — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 10:51:03 -0400

First off Thank you sir for your service and time. I may not be on come Tuesday due to being busy with my job, I do have a question for you. Nothing major though. I d not recall learning anything in regards to "The Four Chaplains" when I was in the service. I learned of the story and observe it every year with my American Legion post. Do you know if they are even teaching about that? It is an awesome part of the history everyone should know.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jul 26 at 2015 1:21 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 13:21:36 -0400

Hello Admiral, my biggest concern with military readiness remains the, imho, misguided choice among DOD leadership to apply the Sequestration pain mainly to the military personnel budget. I understand that it's the biggest part of the military, but without people the military can't function. Cuts in Active Duty pay, huge increases in Tricare costs, COLAs that don't come close; all of these and more are huge breaches of the promises made to most of us when we Enlisted/accepted Commissions...

It seems to me that there are better ways to trim DOD costs. The attack on personnel is going to, in the end, significantly hamper readiness and morale.

I'd appreciate your thoughts...

V/R Rabbi Jaron Matlow, LCDR (Nuclear 1110) USN Ret...

Response by PO1 Tracy Dreyer made Jul 27 at 2015 9:06 AM

PO1 Tracy Dreyer — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:06:36 -0400

Is there any truth to the rumor that the Navy is looking at getting rid of the Seabees? I know there has been a lot of downsizing of NMCB's.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 3:38 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 15:38:49 -0400

ADM John Harvey Sir, my question is related to the supposed shift to the Pacific that we have been experiencing or not experiencing over the past several years.

Have we truly drawn down enough on the East Coast to shift to a higher presence off our West Coast or is this something that won't happen for quite some time? I'm looking at this specifically from a carrier presence.

Response by CH (MAJ) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 4:09 PM

CH (MAJ) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 16:09:41 -0400

Sir:
What would you do differently, were you afforded the opportunity to everything over again? What mistakes or pitfalls would you avoid? V/R

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 6:07 PM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 18:07:43 -0400

Sir, Good Afternoon Admiral John C. Harvey,
I am very fortunate to have this oppurtunity to connect with someone as yourself in a Command and Leadership position. I do have a few questions for you and for our new JCS and Marine Corps Commandant. I'm old school, by that I mean I came in the Marine Corps in 1972 and retired in 1994. We both know the situation for our Active Duty Military Men and Women, Reserve Forces and National Guardsmen that they have had a disadvantage because of our current Leadership and all the new changes in regulations, downsizing. Are you folks looking at changing the UCMJ? The National Security Act of 1947? I ask these questions because what will become of our next generation of people, equipment, logistics, who will be serving our Nation? We in the Marine Corps have and always will be the Combat Forces abroad for our Sister Service; the U.S. Navy. I don't like what I have been reading lately about Navy Flag Officers, and Marines Corps Officers. Unbecoming of an Officer because of ethics and illegal operations outside of this Country? How will this effect our Navy/Marine Corps Team Leadership and it's people? With our technology today it seems that DOD really don't care about it's personnel, just the budget, new equipment and how it will be utilized and by whom. Sir, with all due respect, My father who will be 86 years old served in the Army of the U.S and in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He hardly talks about the Army of today anymore. Secondly, My Father-In-Law came from American Samoa and served Honorably in the Navy during WWII as a RM1 and retired in 1962. I retired from the Marine Corps. My wife is a veteran of the Air Force and also her older sister, who served in the Army. So as you can see I come from a generation of military members. How will we expect our Flag and General Officers conduct their actions when dealing with our elected officials and when all the truth is not on the table. I understand about SecOps and I know our Armed Forces has changed since 2001, but will our Leadership do if we get involved in another conflict in the near future? Our Military Service Men and Women need to know that they can trust their Senior Flag Officers to make those hard decisions and make them Fair and Just for All. Or it will destroy our Nation as a whole. I know deep down you feel the same way I do. To make our Forces better equip, better educated, and better prepared for the next ultimate test. And I pray we won't have to see that. I trust You Admiral and the rest of our Senior Flag Officers to include General Dunford and General Neller. I personally want to Thank You for a job well done and for your services that you personally have given to our Nation and also to your wife who still stands by your side and to all of the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps Team who have done an outstanding job in the last two decades. God Bless America and God Bless You and Your Staff.

Anchors Aweigh & Semper Fidelis,

James K. Kaupe, Jr., CWO-3, USMC, (Ret. & Disabled)
Sr. Veterans Advocate, County of San Diego, CA. (Ret.)
MOAA Life Member
VFW Life Member

Response by SSG John Erny made Jul 27 at 2015 6:09 PM

SSG John Erny — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 18:09:43 -0400

Sir, thank you for your time and visiting us at Rally Point. I have a couple question about the future of warfare.

1 How important are the new weapons systems that the Navy is testing like the rail gun and laser going to be in the future of Naval warfare?

2 Are these weapons systems really as devastating to a target as they are claimed to be?

Response by MSgt Manuel Diaz made Jul 27 at 2015 7:38 PM

MSgt Manuel Diaz — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 19:38:37 -0400

Sir with all the cyber theft going on as far as remotely taking over automobiles and aircraft; are military defensive and offensive weapons systems really immune or actually set up for safe manual shutdown. Once shut down how vulnerable are we and can those systems operate mechanically. Without today's electronics systems how well would the navy and the rest of our armed forces be able to function, say after a emf attack

Response by CMDCM Gene Treants made Jul 27 at 2015 7:47 PM

CMDCM Gene Treants — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 19:47:08 -0400

Good Day Admiral, As a 4 time Command Master Chief I am thrilled to see the Navy taking on more of a role in the Littorals where we really do belong. Carriers and Carrier Battle Groups aside, and I did love my Aegis Cruiser, USS Anzio (CG-68), I really do think smaller ships like the LCS platforms have a real place in the US Navy of the future. Even though I retired in 1996 I keep up with the fleet and people today.

Having said all of that, I am very concerned with the manning of the ships. Blue and Gold crews sort of work on submarines, sort of. BUT, Admiral you and I both know that if no one really owns it, well, lets leave it for the next guy (or other crew) to worry about becomes a real problem. Can 40 Sailors really do the job of 200? Sure they can as long as everything works and no one gets hurt or killed, but Admiral, we are here to fight wars and Sailors die in wars. There is NO redundancy in case of Battle death. I love the concept of the LCS Ships, but loathe both the swap of crews and under manning. Can we fix these People problems and make these ships fantastic?

Response by LCDR H. Craig Holoboski made Jul 28 at 2015 4:18 AM

LCDR H. Craig Holoboski — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 04:18:23 -0400

Until I retired in 1989 I worked all over the PacFLT with the VP Admirals...How can I get involved with a new ASW study group to replace the Sosus System which Toshiba of Japan nearly obsolesced. I had TS Crypto, Restricted Data,based on a BI 17 Oct 60, as a flag officer CDO and did so for several RIMPACs.
[login to see]
LCDR Craig Holoboski
USN RET.

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Jul 28 at 2015 11:27 AM

Capt Brandon Charters — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:27:43 -0400

Sir, Thanks for spending time with us today! I have very few friends that have served in the Navy and I'm always curious to learn about the unique operational challenges that come with deploying a large scale Naval fleet. Can you provide us some insight into what it's like to mobilize such a massive logistical effort?

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jul 28 at 2015 1:04 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:04:59 -0400

Adm Harvey, another question, how much is too much automation? I can tell all kinds of sea stories of officers relying on shipboard automation, and then being at a total loss when those automated systems crash, which they will...
For instance, what happens if you're in the channel and the computerized charting system crashes?

What happens if your bridge radar repeaters crash and all you have is the Feruno? Many JOs I've seen don't know about scope head plotting, taking fixes, using paper charts, etc...

Maybe I'm just too much of a dinosaur, but as a computer expert, this is scary to me...

V/R Rabbi Jaron Matlow, LCDR (1110 Nuclear) USN Ret...

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 1:10 PM

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:10:09 -0400

ood afternoon sir. My question is... What is your view on the presidents deal with Iran and his thing with isis. Obviously he priorities are wrong if he is saying guns are a bigger threat than terrorism. But the way I see it, he is enabling terrorism with this "deal" made with Iran and hasn't done one thing to stop isis.

SPC Brojakowski

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jul 28 at 2015 1:11 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:11:11 -0400

What time will this discussion be?

V/R Jaron

Response by Sgt Nick Marshall made Jul 28 at 2015 1:17 PM

Sgt Nick Marshall — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:17:05 -0400

What are your thoughts on our strategic lack of heavy duty ice breakers (only one serviceable). We will be reliant upon other nations to access parts of the arctic.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 1:17 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:17:12 -0400

What's you're take on PACO & CENTCOM for the last 10 yrs and how does it project our future on war, allies and political relationships?

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 28 at 2015 3:36 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:36:47 -0400

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2015 1:02 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 01:02:57 -0400

Sir, I'm curious as to what your position is on having a sea based missile defense strategy? Will a sea based missile defense system circumvent objections to a land based one by Russia, Iran, China... so long as we remain in international waters or will it add to the already heated issue?

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Jul 29 at 2015 9:54 AM

SGM Mikel Dawson — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 09:54:52 -0400

Sir, I have a two fold question about China:
1. How worried should we be about China's Silkworm missile?
2. How do you see the Spratly island dispute playing out especially after China built their military bases there?

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Jul 29 at 2015 10:30 AM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 10:30:40 -0400

I INFINITELY respect YOU; SIR! THANK YOU, for doing what you are doing for this great country of ours.
May GOD eternally bless you; and shed His grace upon you.
-In Him, SPC Margaret C Higgins United States Army Retired

Response by Cpl Robert Masi made Jul 29 at 2015 2:40 PM

Cpl Robert Masi — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 14:40:10 -0400

Why is the Military Bending over backwards for Political Correctness, when it's clearly not even worked in the Civilian sector? Especially considering it's far more dangerous with our lives on the line.
.....Are us enlisted really just a number, and so easily replaced that you would put politics before our lives?

Response by Sgt Joseph Brent Montgomery made Jul 29 at 2015 3:20 PM

Sgt Joseph Brent Montgomery — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 15:20:02 -0400

Admiral Harvey, given the recent shooting in TN, as well as previous shootings on Army and Navy bases, where do you stand on the issue of allowing concealed carry on bases for qualified and licensed service members?

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2015 4:57 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 16:57:44 -0400

Sir,
Any insight on the future of uniforms? Any sense on whether there will be one for all of the services? It almost feels like every 2-3 years, there is a new uniform. For officers, that is hundreds to thousands of dollars out of our pockets. It's very frustrating when buttons etc. fly off in the washer b/c they are not cheap!

Thank you.
Vr,
LT

Response by Sgt Ken Prescott made Jul 29 at 2015 9:01 PM

Sgt Ken Prescott — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 21:01:46 -0400

Sir, do you have any thoughts on how to get the Navy's apparent focus away from mere operations and programmatics, and to be able to make a case for the Navy's contribution to national strategy? The Navy's leadership doesn't really seem to be able to rise above either sending a CSG/ESG off to the latest hot spot on the one hand, or justifying the latest acquisition effort on the other. The Navy is doing a terrible job of answering the inevitable question: "So what?"

The Navy made one heck of a splash in the 1980s with the Maritime Strategy--arguably, the Navy drove the nation's debate on military strategy through the last decade of the Cold War, and even a good ways into the New World (Dis)Order. We need to get back to that level of strategic thought, especially in a world of declining budget authority and rising threats.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jul 29 at 2015 9:57 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 21:57:27 -0400

ADM John Harvey, Will the
U. S. military ever maintain/practice/reinforce/
sustain the system of ethics promogulated/practiced by the service academies? CSM Charles Hayden

Response by GySgt Bryan A. McGown "Gunny" made Jul 30 at 2015 9:47 AM

GySgt Bryan A. McGown "Gunny" — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 09:47:35 -0400

ADM Harvey, Thank you for participating in this forum today on RallyPoint! I am concerned that some leaders on active duty, and from the Guard and Reserve Components, aren't doing enough to allow access to Veterans like me who truly want to help transitioning service members and their spouses find meaningful employment opportunities in their intended markets. Can't we, as a modern Navy use some sort of system to vet and sanction Veteran Job Seeker coaches like myself so that our Sailors and Marines can make a smoother transition back home? I am not ALL about my own business as a military headhunter. I serve on boards, do tons of pro bono counseling everyday, and find it nearly impossible to reach the masses without spending thousands of dollars on job boards or forums like here in RP.

Very Respectfully,
Semper Fidelis!
Gunny McGown
216.200.USMC (8762)
[login to see]
@GunnyRet

Response by CPT Beverly VanTull made Aug 2 at 2017 1:25 PM

CPT Beverly VanTull — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 13:25:17 -0400

Thank you Sir for all your support! We truly appreciate you fighting for Virginia to have the first Military Medics and Corpsman program in the nation. See one our local Corpsman messages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6qZWgbkvAM

Virginia's Military Medics and Corpsmen Program, Interview with First Female Veteran MMAC Hire

Shanail Romane, Navy Corpsman discusses her transition from the Navy to the civilian healthcare workforce in Virginia via assistance from Virginia's Military...

Response by SN Richard Bonilla made Apr 27 at 2019 3:26 PM

SN Richard Bonilla — Sat, 27 Apr 2019 15:26:42 -0400

Admiral Harvey, In your years as a leader, what the two situations, where you remembered outstanding examples of ethics in the men and women you led ? a BIG thanx, for your service ...Richard / Colorado / USS Ranger / 74-76