{"id":23481,"date":"2019-03-04T19:37:36","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T19:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/04\/why-big-navy-wants-to-do-more-to-retain-sailors\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:09:22","slug":"why-big-navy-wants-to-do-more-to-retain-sailors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/03\/04\/why-big-navy-wants-to-do-more-to-retain-sailors\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Big Navy wants to do more to retain sailors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last year, the Navy kept 78 percent of its reenlistment-eligible sailors in uniform \u2014 the best retention rate in more than a decade \u2014 but the sea service\u2019s top uniformed personnel officer says that\u2019s not good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Vice Adm. Bob Burke<\/a>, the Navy\u2019s outgoing chief of personnel, <\/a>has his recruiters out scouring America for new enlistees and has raised the retention goals for commands nationwide, urging them to become more creative about keeping sailors for another tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee\u2019s <\/a>Personnel Subcommittee on Feb. 27, Burke told lawmakers that the Navy will grow by 7,500 personnel this year and another 5,100 next year \u2014 an \u201caggressive pace,\u201d as he put it \u2014 but they \u201cstill have work to do\u201d and warned that the service can\u2019t make its goals without \u201cconsistent and full funding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of September, the Navy\u2019s end strength should total around 335,500 sailors. Next year\u2019s numbers will put the Navy at roughly 340,500 uniformed personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current long-term budget projections show the Navy topping out at around 344,800 officers and sailors at the end of Fiscal Year 2023, the largest tally of personnel since early 2007 and 17,400 more than were in the service at the beginning of this fiscal year.<\/p>\n\n\n\t