Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Bill Moran visited Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, Oct. 15, as part of a scheduled trip to Europe, during which time he reenlisted 10 Sailors and hosted two All Hands Calls.

Reflecting on the beginning of his own Naval career, which started at NAS Sigonella, Moran remarked on the incredible amount of operational tempo supported out of NAS Sigonella and the 6th Fleet area of operations and underscored the strategic importance of this part of the world.

"History has a way of resembling itself if you give it enough time, which is why we should never leave this place. We should always be part of Sicily and Sigonella, and I would argue you guys are in the transformation phase of what this base is going to be like for the next 30 years," Moran said.

Moran spoke on relevant topics such as potential changes in retirement benefits and advised that any potential revisions would not take effect until 2018 at which time Sailors would have the choice to opt in to the new model. Moran also spoke to advancement opportunities, current recruitment levels, changes to the physical readiness, and the Meritorious Advance Program (MAP).

Following his remarks, Moran along with Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education Fleet Master Chief April Beldo, fielded questions regarding potential cuts to dual-military BAH, changes to the maternity leave policy, improvements in training delivery and other concerns raised by the Sailors.

Before concluding, Moran and Beldo thanked the Sailors for their feedback, pledging to bring their concerns back to Washington. "Above all else, thanks for your service. Thanks for what you do wearing this uniform for our country and our Navy every single day. You are making a difference out here in a big way," stated Moran.

Naval Air Station Sigonella: "The Hub of the Med," is a U.S. Navy installation and an Italian Air Force base in Sicily, Italy. NAS Sigonella is the Navy's second largest security command, second only to that located at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

Because of its location near the center of the Mediterranean Sea, NASSIG is well placed to support operations by the U.S. 6th Fleet, other U.S. military units, and U.S. allies and coalition partners.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnre/.

For more news from Naval Air Station Sigonella, visit www.navy.mil/.