![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7123054.jpg.jpg\")
After the Navy assigned value to experience and training within the first six ratings \u2014 sonar technician, Aegis fire controlman, gas turbine systems technician (electrical and mechanical), quartermaster and engineman \u2014 it looked at how well Navy detailers in Millington, Tenn., were assigning sailors to jobs compared to how SURFMEX would assign them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid that detailer send them to the right place, based on their experience and proficiency? Did [the sailor] go to the right ship that was in need of that skill set with the right experience and proficiency? And we found that in most cases, no, they were not doing that. And we have some pretty good, definitive information that illustrates that,\u201d Kitchener said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe big next step is that we\u2019re actually going to use it in the detailing marketplace,\u201d he added. \u201cNow, when these rates come up and these jobs are advertised for these rates on these ships, we will be using the SURFMEX data that we\u2019ve collected to take that sailor and place them into the right job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The service will then \u201cmeasure that effectiveness\u201d while the ships are on deployment, Kitchener said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His spokesman, Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson, told Defense News \u201cbeta tests began with most recent arrivals for the Bush [Carrier Strike Group] ships and will have even more impact for upcoming deployments for Nimitz and Ford CSGs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAdditionally, both [Naval Surface Force Atlantic] and [Naval Surface Force Pacific] are now using SURFMEX tools to evaluate when, if and who needs to be added to cruiser\/destroyer deployers outside of normal [permanent change of station] detailing practices,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During an Aug. 18 keynote speech at a Surface Navy Association conference in San Diego, Kitchener acknowledged the SURFMEX program doesn\u2019t increase manning, an ongoing challenge the service is trying to address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In recent years, the Navy has pulled sailors from ships in maintenance to put onto ships about to deploy. This approach adds significant risk to the maintenance ships, while creating some benefit to the deploying ship but creating a last-minute team that doesn\u2019t necessarily work well together. Kitchener has said he wants to use SURFMEX to get away from this habit, though in the short-term that may mean deploying ships with open billets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to stop doing all these rip-to-fills. Will we stop it completely? No. I can tell you that that\u2019s not going to happen. But what we think we can do is we can reduce it,\u201d he told sailors at the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How SURFMEX will affect sailors<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
In the short-term, through the MyNavy Assignments system, SURFMEX is providing graded recommendations for where a sailor would have the greatest impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor instance, a sailor with previous equipment and platform experience returning to the same platform would be an \u2018A\u2019 match, or a \u2018B\u2019 match for a similar platform,\u201d Abrahamson said. \u201cThe greater the difference between the sailor\u2019s prior experience and the possible billet assignment, the lower their score becomes, with the worst grade being an \u2018F.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Naval Surface Force Pacific and Naval Surface Force Atlantic will also use SURFMEX to select sailors for temporary duties, ensuring the right experience set is being targeted and that the \u201cgaining\u201d and \u201cdonating\u201d units\u2019 readiness is factored into the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kitchener said the Navy will have to do some data analysis before reaching full implementation. Did this beta test actually lead to better operational availability of ships and their systems? Were there fewer casualties on ships? Can the Navy further refine the \u201cvalues\u201d associated with various kinds of training and experience to create even better-performing crews?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s still a little bit of a journey of learning through a couple of [detailing] cycles. So I think what we\u2019ll have by next year is, we\u2019ll have gone through a strike group that\u2019s gone through the process where we can truly measure some of the output and the results of putting those people in those places,\u201d the vice admiral said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said it will be an iterative process. The aviation community is several years ahead of the surface navy with its Aviation Maintenance Experience, which Kitchener said took about five years to refine. Several data experts behind AMEX have joined the SURFMEX effort, and Kitchener said he expects that to help speed the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next dozen ratings being evaluated include the remainder of the occupational specialties critical in putting a ship back together after a major maintenance availability \u2014 damage controlman, electrician\u2019s mate, machinist\u2019s mate, electronics technician and more \u2014 as well as some operational billets that are \u201cthe foundation of what a ship needs on deployment or to sustain itself in a fight,\u201d including operations specialist, fire controlman, gunner\u2019s mate and others within a watch section, according to the admiral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kitchener said it will take time before SURFMEX starts improving ship readiness rates, but it\u2019s an important step in moving away from the 92\/95 approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, he said, \u201cit\u2019s just pay band and rate, and it\u2019s just not working.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Though the SURFMEX data tool won’t address overall manning levels, it’s meant to ensure the right sailors are in the right jobs to boost ship readiness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":117019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":16,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-military"},"7":{"categories":["news","your-navy","left-column","home","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"news"},"9":{"categories":["it-networks","home"],"primary_category":"it-networks"}}},"categories":[160,16,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3354],"class_list":["post-62986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-naval","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"LIR5JBLSYBGT7BCCHOHHULUKPI","arc_canonical_url":"\/naval\/2022\/08\/24\/surface-navy-expanding-use-of-data-in-sailor-detailing-process\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/7109962.jpg.jpg\")