It has been an exciting couple of days for Milwaukee as over 50 sailors descended upon the city to participate in this year’s Navy Week (July 14-20). Through a combination of educational events, service projects and performances, the U.S. Navy is fostering connections with members of the community and taking opportunities to share naval experiences.
MMAC was pleased to host Rear Admiral Matthew T. Pottenburgh, Deputy Commander of the Naval Education and Training Command Force Development.
“This [week] isn’t just about ships and submarines…it’s about promoting peace through strength and coming out and sharing our stories with cities all over America, one of which is Milwaukee,” said Pottenburgh.
With three decades of military service and a skilled background in strategy, operations and business development, Pottenburgh gave MMAC members not only an overview of the Navy’s training, mission and capabilities, but also highlighted the importance of recruiting the next generation of service members.
Pottenburgh is stationed in Great Lakes, Ill., home to Navy Boot Camp. He witnesses approximately 10,000 recruits participate in some form of naval training on any given day. Each week, 1,000 recruits begin at this naval station and another 1,000 individuals graduate as sailors. Pottenburgh also helps oversee 78 ROTC units across 178 colleges and universities as well as the Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island.
Recruitment and training efforts have garnered strong results. Today, the Navy is composed of 340,000 active service members, 200,000 civilians and 58,000 Navy Reserve service members. Yet, according to Pottenburgh, only 1% of the nation’s population serves and, of that percentage, 82% have a direct relative who was in the military.
“The military tends to be a family business, and to be frank, it shouldn’t be,” he said. “We want the help of all of America.”
Many factors contribute to current Navy workforce fluctuations, including wages, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic a
nd the baby deficit resulting from the 2008 recession. Luckily, a resurgence in school outreach has positively impacted this year’s recruitment numbers. The Navy set a goal of 40,600 sailors. Pottenburgh was proud to share that 30,000 sailors have already completed Navy Boot Camp, and he expects the year to end just below 45,000.
“If you want to serve, I am going to do whatever I can to enable that to happen,” he said.
By hiring Navy veterans, the region’s businesses can play a vital role in strengthening the community and supporting those who have served.
“[Navy veterans] are trained and disciplined. They are great leaders,” said Pottenburgh.
Want to learn more about the U.S. Navy and this military organization’s community outreach initiatives? Click here.
