The Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, the U.S. Navy authority that coordinates shore-based naval personnel and shore activities in the Mid-Atlantic region, which encompasses 20 states, 14 installations, and 50 Naval Operational Support Centers, has announced a major reduction in force to meet the Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
The reduction in force will affect approximately five hundred Navy civilian employees on the East Coast. The layoffs will include approximately 300 Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic and 200 Navy Region Mid-Atlantic civilians, most from family services and Morale Welfare and Recreation roles, to achieve a $66 million budgetary reduction. U.S. Navy shore facilities from Maine to Virginia and as far west as Illinois will be affected.
The Navy is also planning to restrict port operations to a daylight Monday to Friday schedule. “In order to reduce overtime cost, these hours will be more strictly enforced to core weekday working hours. Ships and submarines shall only depart and arrive at Navy-controlled ports Mon-Fri between 0630-1500. Commands needing ships to leave outside the port hours need to reimburse CMRA and NAVFAC for the extra cost."
"Other reductions include reducing the CMRA fleet of vehicles by 1,300, reduction in morale, welfare and recreation facilities, cutting back on janitorial services and groundskeeping spending and canceling cable television for ships and submarines that are pier side."
Some positions may be reduced via early retirement and voluntary buyouts.
According to Rear Admiral Charles Rock, “CNRMA staff completed a comprehensive review of our products and services to develop a plan to manage and execute shore services with our $66M (16 percent reduction) budgetary shortfall to our facilities programs with the goal of minimizing negative impacts to the Fleet, Fighters, and Families we support. Toward that end and given the lack of flexibility to cut utilities costs, we prioritized resources to mitigate potential impacts to mission readiness while focusing on ensuring continuity of operations, to include our primary responsibility for life safety and security.”
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?