Research for Ship Crews

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Outsourcing Service Functions Afloat: Issues and Concerns With a Military-Civilian Mixed Crew
May 1, 2000
The Navy is considering outsourcing some ship functions to civilians. This report focus directly on the issues related to the outsourcing of service functions aboard deploying ships and examines practical issues that arise in integrating civilians into a military working environment on board the ship. Our main interest in this effort is to get an accurate sense of the fleet's issues and concerns, particularly the sailors who will have to work with civilians, should the Navy decide to outsource. This research memorandum identifies the main issues and discusses their effect on the compatibility of a mixed crew of active duty personnel and civilians.
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Seasonal Patterns in SEA Fleet Gains and Losses
October 1, 1999
Historically, the level of fleet manning has varied over the course of the year. Arrivals to and departures from the sea fleet have not coincided well, resulting in significant understaffing at certain times of the year. The objective of this report is to recommend policy options to bring about better matching of enlisted sea gains and losses to reduce the seasonal variation in sea manning. We first document the pattern of seasonal variation. We then decompose the transitions to and from the sea fleet to determine the sources of the variation. Finally, we offer an initial look at certain policies that aim to reduce the seasonal variation. We find substantial variation in sea manning over the course of the year for both E1-E4 and E5-E9 sailors. The main contributor to the seasonal variation in E1-E4 net gains is strength losses at End of Active Obligated Service dates (EAOSs). We construct several policy options that aim to reduce seasonal variation by shifting these EAOSs dates so that they match sea gains more closely.
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Experiment of Paying for Voluntary Extensions at Sea: An Analysis of Two Proposals
May 1, 1994
N1's Sponsor Program Proposal of 12 April 1994 recommended paying sailors to stay in sea duty beyond five years. In this briefing, we analyze that proposal as well as a modified proposal that we present as an alternative. Our modified proposal offers two fine-tuning changes to what we believe is a good and workable original proposal by N1. We think of these proposal as experiments because until such a program is instituted, we have no estimates of how many sailors would extend their sea duty in exchange for a bonus. Thus, the early stages of any such program would be experimental in nature.
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Enlisted Crew Turnover and Ship Readiness: Review, Refinements and Recommendations
July 1, 1989

This research memorandum reviews and extends research from recent studies on the relationship between enlisted crew turnover and surface ship readiness. The effect of turnover on readiness is compared to that of other resources. Recent trends in the turnover rate are analyzed and potential policies to reduce the impact on readiness are assessed.

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How OPTEMPO, Crew Turnover, and Material Condition Affect the Training Readiness of Surface Combatants
March 1, 1989
This research memorandum analyzes the probability that surface combatants, specifically frigates and destroyers, begin deployment fully combat ready in training. Full combat readiness in training is defined as C1 status in the Status of Reference and Training System (SORTS). The analysis examines the relationships between deploying C1 in training and various measures of the ship's operating tempo before deployment, enlisted crew turnover, and the material condition of the ship in the months before deployment.
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MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL EFFECTIVENESS IN THE NAVY
February 1, 1981
This paper illustrates and supports the hypothesis that the composition of a ship's crew is an important factor in explaining the ship's condition. The focus is on maintenance as an activity contributing to effectiveness. Revised by CNA Memorandum 05 760162.10 dtd 27 Oct '76.
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CREW CHARACTERISTICS AND SHIP CONDITION, MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL EFFECTIVENESS STUDY (MPES)
December 1, 1978
The productivity of enlisted personnel aboard ships is estimated as a function of their personal characteristics. Ship readiness is measured by the material condition of shipboard equipment. Up to now, little has been known about the relative value of different kinds of personnel. The goal of this study is to improve on the assumptions underlying Navy personnel policies. Casualty reports from 91 cruisers, frigates, and destroyers are used to study how the productivity of enlisted personnel varies systematically with high school graduation, entry test scores, paygrade, experience, Navy training, race and marital status. Six occupations and three subsystems are examined separately. Equipment complexity, ship age, and overhaul frequency are accounted for. Implications are drawn for Navy policies regarding recruitment, retention, manning, rotation, and pay.
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