Page 42: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2003)

Natter Passes Command of Atlantic Fleet

Adm. Robert J. Natter relinquished command of the Navy's Fleet Forces

Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet to

Adm. William J. Fallon in a ceremony to be held aboard the aircraft carrier

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)

Oct. 3. Fallon comes to Norfolk from

Washington. D.C., where he most recently served as the Vice Chief of

Naval Operations.

As Commander, U.S. Atlantic Fleet,

Natter bore the responsibility for 156 ships, nearly 1,200 aircraft, 18 major shore stations and more than 129,000 personnel during an unusually critical three-year period in naval history. Since he assumed command June 23, 2000,

The Honorable Gordon R. England, right, receives the oath of office during a short swearing in ceremony as the 73rd Secretary of the Navy. Administering the oath is Mr.

John H. La Raia, Assistant for Administration to the Under Secretary of the Navy. Secretary

England becomes only the second person in history to serve twice as the leader of the

Navy Marine Corps Team and the first to serve in back to back terms. U.S. Navy photo by

Chief Journalist Craig P. Strawser.

Gordon England becomes only the second person in history to serve twice as the leader of the Navy Marine Corps Team and the first to serve in back to back terms. The

Honorable John Mason served as the 16th

Navy Secretary from 1844-1845 and 18th

SECNAV from 1846-1849. England had served as the 72nd Secretary from May 2001 until January 2003, before President George

W. Bush tapped him to serve as the first

Deputy Secretary at the newly created

Department of Homeland Security. Since

January 2003, England has served as the first

Deputy Secretary of the Department of

Homeland Security. the Navy was called on repeatedly to deploy in defense of the nation. The attack on USS Cole (DDG 67) in

October 2000 and the events in New

York and at the Pentagon, Sept. 11, 2001, tested the readiness of the Atlantic-

Fleet. When the majority of the Atlantic-

Fleet surged to fight in Operation Iraqi

Freedom, Natter agreed with the Chief

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Kawasaki Heavy Industries (USA) Inc. Ph of Naval Operations that the Navy need- ed to rethink how it deployed and main- tained presence globally. Natter and his staff developed and instituted the Fleet

Response Plan (FRP). FRP has revolu- tionized Navy planning and has been heralded as a possible training and maintenance model for adoption by all service branches. The plan calls for the ho. 2 ivisio 44-2C one:c 5:1-21

Navy to have six surge-ready carrier strike groups, and an additional two car- rier strike groups ready to follow shortly thereafter. This has resulted in a new way of thinking about how the Navy mans, maintains, equips, trains and ulti- mately, fights, its ships. Natter enlisted as a Seaman Recruit in the U.S. Naval eserve in 1962.

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Circle 283 on Reader Service Card 41

England Sworn in as

Secretary of The Navy