Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania - Gathering from across the globe, Naval Supply System Command’s (NAVSUP) senior leaders reunited for the semi-annual Commanders' Conference onboard Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, April 16.
In her opening remarks, NAVSUP Commander Rear Adm. Michelle Skubic reminded the participating assistant commanders, commanding officers and executive directors why they are here and provided focus. “We're in the fight; you're where the country needs you, when it needs you."
Much of the two-and-a-half-day event centered around NAVSUP’s fleet focus, auditability, reform, readiness, and the people who are the core of NAVSUP’s worldwide enterprise.
“It is important that we’re able to sync on key issues face-to-face,” Capt. Terrel Fisher, commanding officer, NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Bahrain, said. “Even teleconferences wouldn’t allow the level of conversations we need.”
Several success stories were shared from NAVSUP’s ongoing reform program. The program’s 2019 focus areas include forecasting, integrated logistics, customer presence, and a new era workforce. The conference included an update on NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support’s new Inventory Operations Center (IOC), which is responsible for centralized planning, coordination, oversight and reporting of the command's $34 billion Navy Working Capital Fund Supply Management inventory.
Initially started as a special project in March 2018 to improve overall inventory accuracy, the IOC has become the spearhead of NAVSUP’s reform efforts to increase transparency and auditability.
“We need to recover the robustness of the supply system,” NAVSUP Vice Commander Michael Madden said regarding NAVSUP’s continued reform efforts.
Skubic emphasized how prominently the Chief of Naval Operation’s priorities featured logistics. Supply will play a key role in posturing the Navy for the great power competition, where nation’s abilities to freely exert their will globally are at stake.
“Our stock is high, but make no mistake, the expectations are even higher,” Skubic challenged.
“We have the responsibility to set the workforce’s minds on strategic goals,” said Madden, reinforcing the commander’s prioritization of positioning supply for long-term superiority through leadership. “We need to adapt a warrior mindset, it’s not business as usual.”
Indicating that NAVSUP leaders will maintain a drumbeat focused on priorities, Skubic said, “We will continue to build our strategic view and impact.”
Headquartered in Mechanicsburg and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter.