Quick Hit:

The U.S. Navy may temporarily remove crews from 17 support ships due to a significant shortage of qualified mariners, according to a report. The plan, still awaiting approval, aims to redistribute personnel to meet the Navy's critical staffing needs.

Key Details:

The Military Sealift Command (MSC) is facing a severe shortage of mariners, which could lead to the sidelining of 17 Navy support ships, including replenishment vessels, fleet oilers, and Expeditionary Fast Transports.
The potential sidelining could reduce the demand for mariners by up to 700 billets, easing the strain on the Navy's current personnel. The move is intended to improve the work-life balance for mariners, many of whom have been struggling with the current rotation schedules.
Among the ships identified are two forward-deployed Expeditionary Sea Bases, USS Lewis Puller and USS Herschel "Woody" Williams. These vessels play a crucial role in U.S. operations in the Middle East and Africa.

Diving Deeper:

The U.S. Navy is considering a plan that could sideline 17 support ships due to a significant shortage of qualified mariners, according to a report from U.S. Naval Institute News (USNI News). This potential operational shift originates from a "force generation reset" plan drafted by the Military Sealift Command (MSC). The idea behind this reset has been informed by internal assessments and defense officials, as well as input from industry experts.

USNI News cited three sources familiar with the plan, who revealed that the proposal could lead to the removal of crews from several types of support vessels, including two Lewis and Clark-class replenishment ships, one fleet oiler, twelve Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPF), and two forward-deployed Expeditionary Sea Bases. Additionally, USNI News referenced confirmation from a defense official regarding the general outline of the plan, further validating the information.

The two forward-deployed Expeditionary Sea Bases identified in the plan, USS Lewis Puller (ESB-3) and USS Herschel "Woody" Williams (ESB-4), have been critical assets in U.S. Central Command and U.S. European and Africa Command operations. The USS Lewis Puller, stationed in Bahrain since 2017, has supported mine countermeasures and special operations and served as a platform for anti-smuggling operations. The USS Herschel "Woody" Williams, based in Greece, has played a key role in the Navy's operations around Africa.

The MSC's mariner-to-billet ratio is currently unsustainable, with only 1.27 mariners available per billet, according to the report. This shortfall has led to significant strain on mariners, who are struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance under the current rotation schedules. Former MSC master mariners, interviewed by USNI News, emphasized that the current ratio is untenable, driving many mariners to leave the service.

The "great reset" plan aims to improve the mariner-to-billet ratio to approximately 1.5 mariners per billet, which would allow for better shore leave and more sustainable rotations. This would also address the Navy's retention challenges, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe "gangway up" measures that restricted mariners from leaving their ships.