thoughtleaders
BY STEVE GEARY, EDITOR AT LARGE
The sequester may be causing havoc
to budgets across the military,
but Rear Admiral Mark Heinrich
says it’s also an opportunity.
INTERVIEW WITH
REAR ADMIRAL MARK HEINRICH
Leadership
in times of
sequestration
EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT OF
Defense suffered significant budget cuts as a result
of the sequester. The impact on the Navy is apparent: The aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman did
not deploy to the Persian Gulf as scheduled, and
the department is working through hiring freezes,
furloughs, and layoffs of temporary and term
employees. Starting in April, the Navy started to
gradually stand down at least four air wings. The
chief of naval operations has announced cuts to
facilities maintenance and contract delays.
None of that has made the job of Rear Admiral
Mark Heinrich any easier. Heinrich is the com-
mander of the Naval Supply Systems Command
(NAVSUP), which provides logistics support to
the Navy and deployed forces around the world.
He now faces the unenviable challenge of main-
taining morale and keeping a complex operation
going in remarkably difficult fiscal times.
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