Naval Counselors Board USS George Washington

Naval Counselors (NC) embarked on the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) keep the ship properly manned by providing career services for Sailors.

NCs monitor and maintain the ship’s manning and retention rate, and provide career advice and assistance to Sailors.

An NC makes use of a periodic career development board (CDB) to get an understanding of a Sailor’s goals during their enlistment.

“A CDB helps us see a Sailor’s current goals while in the service and if he plans on making a career in the Navy,” said Jimenez. “Knowing this we’ll be able to make the right decisions during his progress.”

Retention, whether or not a Sailor opts to remain in the Navy, is an important aspect for NCs.

“Since the Navy invests time and money into training our Sailors, it’s important to try and keep who we can,” said Jimenez.

NCs provide for more than 5,000 Sailors throughout the ship. To assist them, they work with appointed departmental or divisional career counselors.

“There are simply too many people for us to get to by ourselves to maintain the standard 30:1 ratio,” said Navy Counselor 1st Class Adam Powell, from Crescent City, California. “They will essentially do the same job as we do only on a much smaller level. This gives a Sailor an option within his department, and would allow more face-to-face time than what we can provide.”

Sailors are placed in several brackets depending on their time in service. These brackets help NCs to organize and track retention rates over time.

“Younger generation Sailors are especially important to us,” said Powell. “A Sailor’s first command has a huge impact in his decision to decide if the military is right for him or herself.”

NCs ensure that Sailors are taken care of, wherever their career make take them.

George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.