This Rhumb Lines discusses 21st Century Sailor and Marine.

1. A product of...
Navy Office of Information
www.navy.mil
March 5, 2012
21st Century Sailor and Marine
“The new defense strategy will put increased responsibilities on the Navy and Marine Corps in the years to come.
You are the department’s most essential asset, and it is the duty of the department’s leadership to do all we can to provide
each individual Sailor and Marine with the resources to maintain that resiliency.”
– Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus
After a decade of hard and effective fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Navy and Marine Corps Team has proven it
can withstand a sustained, high operational tempo. Sailors, Marines, and their families must be equipped to continue
to meet both the physical and mental challenges of a military career. The 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative
puts together a set of objectives and policies, new and existing, to maximize each Sailor’s and Marine’s personal
readiness. This initiative will advance progress by leveraging programs under the following five areas.
Readiness
 Reduce suicides and manage stress by providing Sailors with the support network, health care, and skills
needed to overcome adversity and training leaders to recognize when Sailors need help.
 Curb alcohol abuse and bring down the number of alcohol related incidents which can end careers and
sometimes end lives.
 Reinforce the Navy’s zero tolerance policy on the use of synthetic chemical compounds or designer drugs,
including synthetic substances like Spice.
Safety
 Aggressively prevent sexual assaults from occurring, support sexual assault victims, and hold offenders
accountable. The 21st Century Sailor and Marine will not tolerate any form of sexual assault.
 Improve motorcycle safety by closing the training gap with the Military Sportbike Rider Course (MSRC).
Physical Fitness
 Move from a “culture of testing” to a culture of physical readiness by strengthening PRT requirements and
providing better nutrition options.
Inclusion
 Increase the diversity of ideas, experiences, areas of expertise, and backgrounds necessary for the Navy to
fulfill the variety of missions asked of us.
Continuum of Service
 Recruit Sailors once and retain them for life through flexible service options that provide opportunities for
meaningful and valued work across a career whether in the Navy Reserves or in the civilian workforce.
 Provide tools for life after the Navy to Wounded Warriors and those impacted by force-management actions.
Key Messages Facts & Figures
 Our people are DoN’s most important asset.  The DoD Safe Helpline 877-995-5247 provides sexual
 Our resiliency will be important after a decade of assault support for the DoD community.
combat.  In FY11, the Navy separated 1,515 Sailors for illegal
 The initiative is designed to prepare our Sailors, drug use.
Marines and families with the tools to face all
challenges.  In FY11, 12 Sailors were killed on sportbikes. Nine of
those had not met their MSRC training requirement.
 We must preserve the skill and talent Sailors and
Marines bring to the fight.