Chapter XIX

Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel

 

During the latter part of 1944 a thorough study was made of district personnel staff organizations and a plan for reorganization was promulgated by the Vice Chief of Naval Operations in a directive dated 30 November 1944. The plan was to be placed in effect as soon as possible, with 1 February 1945 as a target date on which to have the personnel organization set up as outlined. On 19 February 1945 the Bureau assigned a captain to the staff of the Commandant, Eighth Naval District, as Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, and immediately thereafter the reorganization of the district personnel staff was begun in compliance with the directive of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

Prior to the reorganization most of the personnel offices had been under the Director of Naval Reserve and District Personnel Officer. The Director of Training and the Director of Women's Reserve had been two separate offices under the Commandant. Under the new plan the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel headed the following offices:

The bringing together of these offices under the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel was done in order to secure more effective

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administration of personnel within the district by:

  1. Providing both the Bureau of Naval Personnel and the district commandants with more integrated, effective machinery for personnel administration.
  2. Providing one officer on the staff of each district commandant to whom the Bureau of Naval Personnel could look for assistance on all its problems.
  3. Providing on the staff of the district commandants an organization which would parallel insofar as feasible the organization of the Bureau of Naval Personnel in order that the channels for the conduct of business might be clear and reasonably standard in all districts.

The Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel thus became, under the Commandant, the Bureau's primary representative on personnel. The Bureau conducted its business in such a way as to keep him completely informed, and he was considered the Bureau's primary channel of administrative authority in the district. He initiated recommendations to the Commandant on any personnel matters that required attention or action and maintained close contact with the Bureau.

With the district organization roughly paralleling the organization of the Bureau of Personnel, authority was delegated to officers on the district staff who could communicate, through the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, with their counterparts in the Bureau. Conversely, a particular division in the Bureau could expedite its affairs by conducting business with an officer on the district staff who was concerned with its special problems.

The Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel maintained liaison with the Assistant Commandant for Logistics in order to act upon any requests made by that office concerning the coordination of personnel services

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and activities of the district in support of the fleet. He also was responsible for the coordination of civilian personnel with military personnel, but not for the internal district organization as prescribed by the Division of Shore Establishments and Civilian Personnel.

Consideration of the special functions of the district staff offices under the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel indicates the scope of the services performed under his supervision.

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