Admiral says expeditionary warfare should be made a career path

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Admiral says expeditionary warfare should be made a career path
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, January 16, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — Navy Expeditionary Combat Command wants the Navy to make expeditionary warfare a career path for both officers and enlisted sailors, the outgoing head of NECC said.

“This is a critical warfare program that we need a professional force for,” said Rear Adm. Ronald K. Bullard. “That includes officers and enlisted.”

Established in January 2006, NECC is in charge of sailors, such as individual augmentees, Seabees Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians and riverine sailors, who fight in shallow water and on land.

More than 40,000 sailors are part of the command, which is operating in more than 41 countries, Bullard said in a Jan. 9 interview, two days before he retired.

But while EOD technicians and Seabees are dedicated communities, most sailors come to NECC from across the fleet, do one tour and then leave the command, Bullard said.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51667