FIRST ON FOX: Navy slashes civilian public affairs jobs in push for military readiness

FIRST ON FOX: The Navy is taking bold steps to cut red tape and sharpen its focus on the fight. 

A new memo signed by Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan orders a 35% cut to civilian Public Affairs Officer (PAO) billets and moves all hiring and contracting decisions under tighter control.

Leaders say the goal is to make the force leaner, faster and more disciplined while saving taxpayer money.

“The memo was signed with the intent to make a more lethal and agile force, placing the most capable people in the right positions to support the warfighter,” a Navy official told Fox News Digital on background. “It seeks to prioritize warfighting readiness, reinforce standards and discipline, as well as accelerate decision-making.”

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“The Department of the Navy must ensure public affairs resources are aligned to warfighting readiness, standards and discipline, and rapid decision-making,” the memo states.

From now on, any civilian public affairs hiring must be approved by the Navy’s Chief of Information (CHINFO) or the Marine Corps Communications Directorate (CD). Contracts for media and messaging support will also be pooled into one system so commands across the fleet can use the same process.

The memo directs that “civilian public affairs billets in headquarters, staff support, and non-operational environments shall be reduced or eliminated.”

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The changes come after a review found the civilian public affairs workforce had grown far beyond what was needed. The study flagged overlapping jobs, inconsistent messaging and inefficient spending. 

Navy leaders say the overhaul will not only trim costs, but also ensure that every communication effort supports readiness and the men and women on the front lines.

The Marine Corps is not included in the cuts because it is already going through a separate review.

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For the Navy, the memo notes that “some billets may be realigned to active-duty or reserve Public Affairs Officers,” putting more uniformed leaders in charge of telling the Navy’s story.

The directive also requires CHINFO and CD to “document projected cost savings and assess opportunities to reinvest in fleet support and uniformed public affairs capacity.”

“This is about discipline, efficiency and lethality,” a senior Navy official told Fox News Digital. “Every resource we save here is a resource we can put back into readiness and the fight.”