Navy Staffs

NAVY STAFFS A typical Navy staff structure is shown in figure 1-1. In addition to the commander (usually an admiral), the staff includes a chief of staff, personal assistants (the PAO and JOs may be included in this category) and five staff divisions. These divisions are the major structural elements of the staff and may be designated by letters and numbers as follows: administration (N-l), intelligence (N-2), operations and plans (N-3), logistics (N-4) and communications (N-5). A joint staff, comprised of personnel from more than one service, uses the letter “J” before the division number. On small staffs (below fleet and force), titles of officers heading the various sections vary from the above designations, depending on the rank of the commander. For example, instead of a chief of staff, you might find a chief of staff officer or an assistant chief of staff for administration. It all depends on the size of the command. The commander’s personal staff performs duties prescribed by the commander and is directly responsible to him. This staff group, normally composed of aides to the commander and staff officers handling special matters over which the commander wishes to exercise close personal control, usually includes the PAO, and in major overseas commands, the political adviser. When reporting to a new command or staff, you should examine the staff organization and become familiar with the functions of the various divisions. Become thoroughly familiar with your internal and external audiences of the organization and the extent of their knowledge of command activities. COMMAND AND STAFF ACTION A military organization is designed primarily to be victorious in battle. Decisive elements of a problem must be promptly identified and accurately defined. Command decisions must then be made and translated into timely orders to be carried out by subordinates. Figure 1-1.-Typical modern staff organization. 1-2