Compass Points - Phelan's ALNAV

SecNav Speaks to Sailors & Marines.

Compass Points - Phelan's ALNAV

SecNav Speaks to Sailors & Marines.

April 3, 2025

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The new Secretary of the Navy John Phelan has sent out ALNAV 026/25 - MESSAGE FROM THE 79TH SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.

The complete text of the ALNAV is included below.

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TO ALNAV

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INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC

CNO WASHINGTON DC

CMC WASHINGTON DC

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UNCLAS

ALNAV 026/25

MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/APR//

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SUBJ/ MESSAGE FROM THE 79TH SECRETARY OF THE NAVY//

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RMKS/ 1. It is the honor and privilege of my lifetime to serve as 79th Secretary of the Navy.

As I end my first week in office, I remain humbled by the extraordinary dedication and bravery you display every single day. Our Navy and Marine Corps stand unmatched today because of you, our people. Ships, aircraft, and advanced technology are crucial, but they are nothing without the Sailors and Marines who bring them to life. Your commitment, courage, and resilience make our Navy and Marine Corps the most lethal and vital force in America's arsenal.

Admiral William "Bull" Halsey once said, "There are no extraordinary men ... just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are forced to deal with." Each day you prove yourselves more than capable of handling extraordinary circumstances. For this you have my utmost respect and admiration.

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2. My priorities as your Secretary will always begin with you and your families. It is your sacrifice and talent that truly set our forces apart from every other military in the world. Caring for our Sailors and Marines means ensuring that you have everything you need to survive and to thrive. It means providing the best family support, safe and comfortable housing, and fostering an environment where you feel valued and supported every single day.

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3. Ensuring you have the best weapons on earth is a commitment I take very seriously. But weapons alone do not guarantee victory. They must be accompanied by unmatched, world-class training. Your dedication to constant training and self-improvement is what makes our Navy and Marine Corps feared around the globe. I pledge to make certain your training not only equips you to decisively defend our Nation today but also prepares each of you to excel wherever your lives take you when you take off the uniform.

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4. Revitalizing our shipbuilding and industrial base is crucial, and we will aggressively pursue improvements. We must build better ships and better aircraft, and put them under, on and above the sea more quickly and more efficiently. Through responsible stewardship, disciplined budgeting and robust oversight we will restore readiness, eliminate maintenance backlogs, and ensure every dollar contributes directly to mission success. We will also focus intensely on enhancing recruitment and retention so the Navy and Marine Corps remain the first choice of America's best and brightest.

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We will confront our challenges honestly, directly and without hesitation . . .

— US Naval Secretary John C. Phelan

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5. Admiral James Stockdale once mused about how he survived seven years as a prisoner of war, saying, "You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be." Today we will embody this wisdom. We will confront our challenges honestly, directly and without hesitation, maintaining unwavering confidence in our ultimate success.

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6. Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak, an innovative Marine leader, once declared, "Being ready is not what matters. What matters is winning after you get there." It is not enough to merely prepare. We must prevail. The days of risk aversion and hesitation are behind us. Change is coming. Together we will relentlessly pursue excellence and innovation. Your service, sacrifice, and devotion to duty inspire me every day, and I am committed to ensuring our Navy and Marine Corps remain the most formidable deterrent against anyone who seeks to threaten the American way of life. In the weeks ahead you will hear from me on how to provide feedback and help inform my readiness strategy.

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7. You are the stewards of our proud naval tradition and the architects of our future. I pledge to support you in every possible way, ensuring that you have the resources, the tools, and the leadership necessary to uphold and advance this legacy of excellence.

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8. Our adversaries must clearly understand that America's strength is unquestioned and unwavering. With a Navy and Marine Corps powered by Sailors and Marines who are cared for, respected and fully supported, we will continue to achieve peace through undeniable strength.

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9. Thank you for your steadfast commitment, your service, and the sacrifices you and your families make daily. I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled to serve alongside you. Together we will ensure our Navy and Marine Corps remain the greatest fighting force in the world.

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Semper Fortis. Semper Fidelis.

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10. Released by the Honorable John C. Phelan, 79th Secretary of the Navy.//

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Compass Points joins all members of the Department of the Navy in welcoming the Honorable John C. Phelan, 79th Secretary of the Navy. In his ALNAV 26/25, Secretary Phelan says, "Change is coming." He also says, "I am committed to ensuring our Navy and Marine Corps remain the most formidable deterrent against anyone who seeks to threaten the American way of life."

If the Marine Corps is genuinely going to be the "most formidable deterrent" then change really is needed. Poor Navy leadership and worse decisions have caused Navy shipbuilding and ship maintenance to alarmingly deteriorate. In the same way, poor Marine Corps leadership and worse decisions have caused Marine Corps global, combined arms, 9-1-1 crisis response to alarmingly deteriorate.

Over the last five years, the Marine Corps has taken its focus off global crisis response and as a result the Marine Corps no longer has the units, equipment, or capabilities needed to patrol the oceans 24/7/365. As global threats and dangers have grown, Marine Corps global muscle has withered. Both US policy makers and US allies around the world want and need a fast, flexible, and formidable force of Marines always nearby and always ready to arrive to any crisis to deter, assist, and fight.

Mr Secretary, there are legions of Marines of every rank and experience, and legions more friends of the Marine Corps, who will support all efforts to rebuild, restore, and enhance the global, crisis response, Marine Corps. You have arrived just in time. Welcome aboard. Let's get to work.

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My Navy HR

ALNAV 026/25 - MESSAGE FROM THE 79TH SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/References/Messages/ALNAV-2025/