The Navy's top personnel officer highlighted Sailor 2025 initiatives Tuesday, at the Navy League's 2017 Sea Air and Space Sea-Air-Space Exposition at National Harbor, Maryland.

Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke moderated a panel entitled "Sailor 2025: Preparing Sailors for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond" and stressed the importance of modernizing the Navy's personnel system.

"While the Navy is in a good position today with recruiting, retention and manning, it's important we put in place updated polices that position us to deal with challenges before they arise," he said. "Sailor 2025 is a roadmap to help us do just that."

As head of Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPT&E) for the Navy, Burke is responsible for making sure that Sailors are ready for the litany of jobs they will be asked to perform. This includes finding and recruiting talented individuals to serve, executing training pipelines and implementing policies that remove barriers to having a Navy career and a family.

"Built on a framework of three pillars - a modern personnel system, a career learning continuum and career readiness - Sailor 2025 consists of approximately 45 living, breathing initiatives and is the Navy's program to more effectively recruit, develop, manage, reward and retain the force of tomorrow," said Burke. "We are focused on empowering Sailors, updating policies, procedures and operating systems, and providing the right training at the right time in the right way to ensure Sailors are ready for the Fleet."

Burke also discussed a recently-announced effort to transform the MPT&E organization.

"Transforming the way MPT&E operates to streamline and optimize all of our processes will help us improve Fleet readiness, customer service to our Sailors, reduce operating costs and better manage our organizational data and programs," said Burke. "It will also allow us to effectively recruit, train, and retain the force of tomorrow as well as strengthen the Navy for the future."

Other panel members on the Sailor 2025 panel included:
* Vice Adm. Luke M. McCollum, Chief of Naval Reserve
* Rear Adm. Michael S. White, Commander, Navy Education and Training Command
* Rear Adm. John Nowell, Director, Military Personnel Plans and Policy, OPNAV N13
* Rear Adm. Richard A. Brown, Commander, Navy Personnel Command
* Rear Adm. Jeffrey W. Hughes, Commander, Navy Recruiting Command
* Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Steven S. Giordano

As the Chief of Naval Personnel, Burke answers to the Chief of Naval Operations on matters of the Navy's manpower readiness. He also serves as the deputy chief of naval operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education/N1) and oversees the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Navy Personnel Command, Naval Education and Training Command, and Navy Recruiting Command.

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