If you are inclined toward geopolitics, the environment, engineering, or information technology, Installation Command might be for you.
Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) oversees operations, maintenance, and quality-of-life programs for 70 installations across ten Navy regions. Each installation has its own unique rhythms and concerns based on its locale and the nature of its support to the fleet.
An installation commanding officer (ICO) leads a multidisciplinary team of civil servants who work as installation program directors (IPDs) for base operations. IPDs are experts with extensive experience in the joint and Navy Installations enterprise. Like any operational unit leader, an ICO never knows what kind of day he or she might face. However, most challenges can be solved locally thanks to the talent and experience of IPDs and their close coordination with counterparts at region headquarters.
On a typical day as an ICO outside the continental United States (CONUS), I would consult with Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command engineers on environmental projects or water-quality concerns. Then I would work with the installation staff judge advocate or the Office of General Counsel attorney on command sponsorship for dependents, adjudicating eligibility and access to the Navy Exchange, or gaining an improved understanding of international real estate contracts. Information technology and spectrum management are important considerations during renovations or construction, so coordinating with Naval Information Warfare Command and Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station representatives is essential.
CONUS ICOs perform the same functions, supporting military populations of more than 80,000 in Norfolk and 60,000 in San Diego. Overseas bases at Yokosuka, Japan, and Naples, Italy, support 24,000 and 8,500 people, respectively. Because there often are only six or eight ICOs within a region, they enjoy close camaraderie and connectivity with their region commander and chief of staff.
ICOs also integrate the capabilities of the various commands and commanders who reside on installations and rely on shore services. The ICO is often the leader and the critical node when problems arise that are not wholly owned by any single tenant command. In these instances, the ICO negotiates and enacts solutions for the community’s benefit.
Twenty-five years of regional management of Navy shore installations have streamlined the provision of standardized services to the fleet and guaranteed quality of life for service members of all branches and for their families. This standardization occurs within the context of the surrounding cities, counties, and states. Overseas ICOs must consider U.S. alliances, bilateral treaties, and agreements in their decisions. This requires the ICO to work with host-nation authorities across disciplines ranging from education to health and immigration.
ICOs have opportunities to improve sailors’ lives. For example, local oversight of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program through the Sexual Assault Case Management Group provides the ICO with data to make minor modifications to lighting and Wi-Fi access, making common areas safer. Installation Command also offers a unique vantage point for the experienced commander to spot trends and behavioral patterns and to employ counselors preemptively.
Shaping Engagement
ICOs work closely with U.S. embassies and consulates. U.S. diplomats occasionally are part of the broader installation constituency, taking advantage of operations and maintenance support as agreed upon by the Departments of State and Defense. Unlike their operational brethren, ICOs can turn to functional areas of an embassy outside the defense attaché office. Depending on the locale, close collaboration with embassy managers, the public diplomacy office, and the political-economic section may be necessary to find efficiencies in health care, work permissions for spouses, and education for family members.
ICOs can shape local civic engagement for operational and strategic ends. ICOs and their leadership teams also gain valuable appreciation of the business sides of the Navy Exchange and the Defense Commissary Agency and how these can enhance military quality of life and, if necessary, support humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR). In August and September 2021, more than 15,000 evacuees from Kabul, Afghanistan, were processed through Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central bases in Bahrain, Sigonella, and Rota en route to the United States during Operation Allies Refuge. On their own initiative, ICOs in Bahrain, Sigonella, and Rota, supported by Fifth and Sixth Fleet task forces, Naval Hospitals Rota and Sigonella, and Fleet Logistical Centers Bahrain and Sigonella, mobilized for HADR support. ICOs organized the U.S. government interagency representatives on deck to process evacuees toward resettlement in the United States or for further screening in Albania and Kosovo. ICOs in Rota and Sigonella organized shuras led by Afghan elders to help ensure order and sanitation among the displaced.
Installations are where life meets the Navy. They are the locations that project power forward. Installation Command is a worthwhile venue where an operator can make a big difference and give back to the Navy and the joint force.
