is my navy assignment down

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Navy warship production in worst state in 25 years. What’s behind it?

The Navy’s ability to build lower-cost warships that can shoot down Houthi rebel missiles in the Red Sea depends in part on a 25-year-old laborer who previously made parts for garbage trucks.

Lucas Andreini, a welder at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, in Marinette, Wisconsin, is among thousands of young workers who’ve received employer-sponsored training nationwide as shipyards struggle to hire and retain employees.

The labor shortage is one of myriad challenges that have led to backlogs in ship production and maintenance at a time when the Navy faces expanding global threats. Combined with shifting defense priorities, last-minute design changes and cost overruns, it has put the U.S. behind China in the number of ships at its disposal — and the gap is widening.

Navy shipbuilding is currently in “a terrible state” — the worst in a quarter century, says Eric Labs, a longtime naval analyst at the Congressional Budget Office.

“I feel alarmed,” he said. “I don’t see a fast, easy way to get out of this problem. It’s taken us a long time to get into it.”

Marinette Marine is under contract to build six guided-missile frigates — the Navy’s newest surface warships — with options to build four more. But it only has enough workers to produce one frigate a year, according to Labs.

Where have all the workers gone?

One of the industry’s chief problems is the struggle to hire and retain laborers for the challenging work of building new ships as graying veterans retire, taking decades of experience with them.

Shipyards across the country have created training academies and partnered with technical colleges to provide workers with the skills they need to construct high-tech warships. Submarine builders and the Navy formed an alliance to promote manufacturing careers, and shipyards are offering perks to retain workers once they’re hired.

Andreini trained for his job at Marinette through a program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Prior to that, he spent several years as a production line welder, making components for garbage trucks. He said some of his buddies are held back by the stigma that shipbuilding is a “crappy work environment, and it’s unsafe.”

But that’s not the reality, he said. His health benefits are better than at his previous job, he’ll be getting a pension for the first time, and there’s an opportunity to acquire skills even more advanced than what he received during his initial training.

Plus, Andreini says, he feels like he’s serving his country.

“It makes me happy to be able to do my part, and possibly make sure sailors and some of my friends in the service come home safely,” said Andreini, whose father was in the Navy in Vietnam.

Ships under construction docked at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, July 12, 2024, Marinette, Wisconsin. (Mike Roemer/AP)

Alonie Lake, also a welder, fellow graduate of the technical college’s program and a single mom, is happy for a job with long-term stability — something Marinette’s backlog of Navy contracts virtually guarantees.

Lake, 32, said she thinks a lot of younger people are interested in jobs in the trades “and the satisfaction of working with their hands to create tangible results.”

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro recently underscored the importance of training programs during commencement ceremonies at a community college in Maine. The college has partnered with nearby Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to teach workers the skills needed to repair nuclear submarines.

“It is incumbent upon all of us to consider how we can best lend our talents and, in the case of the graduates, their newly developed skills, to build up our great nation for all Americans, and defend against the threats and challenges of today,” he said.

Once workers are hired, will they stay?

The Navy is trying to help shipyards ensure that once new workers are trained and hired, they stick around in a tight labor market.

In Wisconsin, part of $100 million in Navy funding that’s being provided to Marinette Marine is being used for retention bonuses at the shipyard, whose past employee retention was described by Del Toro as “atrocious.”

The shipyard, which employs more than 2,000 workers, is providing bonuses of up to $10,000 to keep workers, said spokesperson Eric Dent. “The workforce shortage is definitely a problem and it’s a problem across the board for all shipyards,” he said.

Retention is a concern even for shipyards that have met their goals, including Huntington Ingalls Industries, which makes destroyers and amphibious warships in Mississippi and aircraft carriers and submarines in Virginia.

The company is creating training partnerships with colleges and public schools at all grade levels. Enhancements in Mississippi include more than a million square feet (92,900 square meters) of covered work area, cooldown and hydration stations, and a second dining area with a Chick-fil-A. Huntington Ingalls also collaborated with the Navy and the city of Newport News, Virginia, to build a new parking garage for workers and sailors.

Workers leave Fincantieri Marinette Marine after their shift. (Mike Roemer/AP)

A problem decades in the making

Much of the blame for U.S. shipbuilding’s current woes lies with the Navy, which frequently changes requirements, requests upgrades and tweaks designs after shipbuilders have begun construction.

That’s seen in cost overruns, technological challenges and delays in the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Ford; the spiking of a gun system for a stealth destroyer program after its rocket-assisted projectiles became too costly; and the early retirement of some of the Navy’s lightly armored littoral combat ships, which were prone to breaking down.

The Navy vowed to learn from those past lessons with the new frigates they are building at Marinette Marine. The frigates are prized because they’re less costly to produce than larger destroyers but have similar weapon systems.

The Navy chose a ship design already in use by navies in France and Italy instead of starting from scratch. The idea was that 15% of the vessel would be updated to meet U.S. Navy specifications, while 85% would remain unchanged, reducing costs and speeding construction.

Instead, the opposite happened: The Navy redesigned 85% of the ship, resulting in cost increases and construction delays, said Bryan Clark, an analyst at the Washington-based think tank Hudson Institute. Construction of the first-in-class Constellation warship, which began in August 2022, is now three years behind schedule, with delivery pushed back to 2029.

The final design still isn’t completed.

Shifting threats and changing plans

Complicating matters further is something out of the Navy’s control: the changing nature of global threats.

Throughout its history, the Navy has had to adapt to varying perils, whether it be the Cold War of past decades or current threats including war in the Middle East, growing competition from Chinese and Russian navies, piracy off the coast of Somalia and persistent attacks on commercial ships by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

And that’s not all. The consolidation of shipyards and funding uncertainties have disrupted the cadence of ship construction and stymied long-term investments and planning, says Matthew Paxton of the Shipbuilders Council of America, a national trade association.

“We’ve been dealing with inconsistent shipbuilding plans for years,” Paxton said. “When we finally start ramping up, the Navy is shocked that we lost members of our workforce.”

The Navy insists it’s taking the shipbuilding problems seriously.

“The Navy’s role in defending our nation and promoting peace has never been more expansive or mattered more,” said Lt. Kyle Hanton, a spokesperson for Del Toro’s office. “We continue to work with our industry partners to identify creative solutions to solving our common challenges.”

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After trying on shirts at Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Gap, I found the most expensive items weren't worth the splurge

• I tried on similar polos at Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Gap .
• The Banana Republic shirt felt great, but I didn't love how it looked on me.
• The value and fit of the Old Navy polo made it the most compelling option.

I'm a very simple dresser and try to keep my textile waste to a minimum . However, raising two kids means staining a lot of clothes, and I'm not trying to break the bank on something that will invariably be covered in sunscreen and ketchup in two weeks' time.

I usually stick to clothes with no logos, bold patterns, or eye-catching details — pieces I look and feel good in but nothing too loud.

I frequently find what I'm looking for at three of the men's apparel options from Gap Inc. — Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy. Founded in 1969, Gap Inc. is the largest specialty retailer in the United States and operates more than 2,500 stores worldwide.

That's why I decided to take a trip to all three stores in search of a new polo. I find that a polo-style shirt is often a good option for summer occasions that call for a little more formality than a T-shirt. It shows that I've made an effort to look nice, but it's a bit less stuffy than a button-down. Here's how it went.

I began my journey at Old Navy.

I started my trip at Old Navy, which has over 1,200 locations around the world.

Old Navy stores are typically larger than their Gap and Banana Republic counterparts, but I had no trouble finding a few different polo-style shirt options on the shelves.

I liked the fit of the Old Navy polo.

I tried on Old Navy's $23 uniform pique polo in black. This shirt was exactly what I'd expect from a polo — a pique-knit fabric with two buttons and a ribbed collar.

The blend of 60% cotton and 40% polyester felt sturdy, though maybe a bit beefier than ideal for outdoor events in the summer.

When I tried it on, it had the feel — appropriately enough, given the name — of the team-branded shirts I once wore to coach high-school football. It wasn't especially luxurious, but I liked the way it fit.

The shirt hugged my shoulders and arms in a flattering way, and it had some extra room in the belly — valuable in case the shirt shrinks or the belly expands.

Next, I took a trip to Banana Republic.

My next stop was at Banana Republic, which has over 400 stores worldwide and feels like the most upscale of Gap Inc.'s brands.

I visited a location in Midtown Manhattan — a two-level store where plump, low-slung couches, elegant finishes, and well-tended displays gave the feel of a higher-end retail experience.

Looking for something that might appear a bit more refined than Old Navy's polo, I found the luxury-touch pique polo in black, which, at $40, was almost double the price of the Old Navy option.

However, the difference in quality was evident by touch alone. The 100% cotton fabric was more silky than the coarser cloth from Old Navy , a difference the store attributes to mercerization, a way of treating cotton for a more lustrous look and feel.

The Banana Republic polo felt great, but I didn't love how it looked on me.

Banana Republic's polo featured a four-button collar that plunged nearly to the midpoint of the shirt. This gave the models on its website a cool, vintage style, but it made me look and feel a little bit silly — it was more of a statement than I like to make with my clothes.

The fabric felt great, but the fit was just OK. It seemed like it flared out a little toward the bottom, but it might have just looked that way because the buttons threw off my sense of the balance of the shirt.

My last stop was at Gap.

Last, I visited Gap, which has over 700 locations across North America and Asia. When I walked into the Manhattan store, I found this Gap location was smaller than the ones I'd shopped at before.

I typically find Gap's products fit me pretty well, and the brand offers a good mix of quality and affordability.

Despite the store's small footprint, it was bright and efficiently organized, and I had no trouble finding polo shirts on display. When I noticed that none of the pique polo shirts on the floor were available in my size, a sales associate happily went to the basement to find one for me.

The store I visited didn't have any black polos in my size, so I tried one in navy blue.

However, I wasn't a fan of how the Gap polo fit me.

I liked the feel of the 100% cotton shirt from Gap. It wasn't quite as silky as the Banana Republic option, but it was softer than the one from Old Navy and not nearly as thick.

To my surprise, though, I didn't like how the Gap shirt fit. It was fine in the shoulders and chest, but the midsection was a bit slimmer-fitting than the others, which was accentuated by the fact that the shirt was just way too long for me.

At $30, I might buy one for a specific occasion in which I knew I'd be tucking my shirt in, but ultimately, I prefer something more versatile.

Overall, I thought the shirt from Old Navy offered the best value and fit.

I didn't buy any of the shirts I tried on, but to me, the combination of value and fit made the Old Navy option by far the most compelling.

However, I'd recommend the soft feel and higher quality of the Banana Republic shirt to those more fashionable than me.

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Sports | Navy football position report: Tight ends to…

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Sports | Navy football position report: Tight ends to play a more prominent role in new offense

In Cronic’s unique attack, the tight end is on the field for almost every down and plays a pivotal role in both the running and passing game. Needless to say, the tight end needs to be talented, versatile and impactful.

“Because you’re asking them to do so many different things,” Cronic said of why the tight end is so crucial. “They have to be an offensive lineman and a receiver. We move them around a lot. It’s a complex position just because they play in so many different places.”

Tight end has been a developmental position for the Midshipmen, who added the position to the triple-option offense in 2022. For the past two seasons, the position has been used in strictly a blocking role and has never been so much as targeted much less caught a pass.

For the Wing-T to operate as designed, the tight end must become a legitimate receiving threat.

“We want to target them, but we’ve got to see them worthy of being targeted,” he said. “Right now, they’re further along in the blocking game than in the passing game, but they’ve made a lot of strides since the start of spring. I’ve seen some moments of making plays. It’s a work in progress.”

For the past two seasons, Navy’s tight end depth chart consisted entirely of converted defenders. Senior Thomas Scully, currently listed as the starter, was recruited to Navy as a linebacker.

That junior Cody Howard and sophomore Jake Norris are second and third on the depth chart is testament to the evolving nature of the position. Howard was switched from wide receiver prior to spring camp, while Norris was recruited as a tight end.

Jon Williams, in his second year as the tight ends coach, is proud of the progress that’s been made. However, Williams acknowledges there is still a long way to go.

“Last year around this time I told you we were in the infant stages. I think now we’re in the toddler stages or maybe a little bit further along than that,” Williams said. “We’re still a young group in terms of playing the position. We have a couple veterans that are seniors and juniors, but in terms of knowing and understanding the position we’re still young and still learning.”

Spring practice was critical for the tight ends, especially the returning ones, who had to relearn the position as it fits into the Wing-T after playing in the triple-option system.

“Last year, I thought the most important thing was building a culture within the room that could be the foundation. This year, we are building brick by brick in terms of learning the fundamentals of the position,” Williams said. “The tight end in Drew’s system is much more active.”

By far the biggest emphasis during preseason camp has been route-running. Williams has stressed the importance of getting a clean release and not allowing defenders to disrupt the route. He has harped on the importance of breaking violently at the top of the route to gain separation.

“We’re going to be able to run the full complement of routes. We know how to run those routes, but we have to be able to do so in games,” said Williams, reiterating the necessity of the tight ends being versatile. “They’ve got to be really physical blockers in the running game while at the same time being athletic enough to not only run routes, but to get separation and get open to be a legitimate target in the passing game.”

Williams said Scully, Howard and Norris have separated themselves from the rest of the tight ends with each having their own dominant traits. However, he admitted it would be nice to have one tight end that possessed the complete package.

“Unfortunately, that’s not where we’re at right now,” he said.

For now, Scully is the best combination of blocker and receiver and is tenacious no matter the assignment.

“Thomas Scully is a big effort guy and I think that is the thing that separates him from the others,” Williams said. “He comes to work every day with an unbelievable attitude and is a really tough dude.”

Scully, who did not play on offense in high school, said he is finally comfortable operating as a tight end. He praised Williams for “taking me under his wing” and teaching the position from the ground up.

Scully, who said “I finally feel like a tight end now,” recognizes that much more will be asked of the unit and believes they are prepared to deliver.

“I think Coach Williams has done a great job of getting us ready. I think he has coached us up to be ready for this moment. We’ve stayed ready because we have been expecting this to happen,” Scully said. “We’re now a crucial part of the offense. Some of the routes we’re running on first or second reads for the quarterback, so we have to get open and make catches.”

After spending two years working as a wide receiver, Howard immediately become Navy’s most accomplished tight end in terms of running route and catching passes. The Northern-Calvert graduate totaled three receptions for 50 yards last season.

Howard missed spring practice after undergoing offseason surgery and has been playing catch-up since being cleared by team doctors. Howard worked hard in the weight room this summer and has bulked up to 231 pounds in order to become a more effective blocker.

“I’ve been really pleased with Cody in terms of how he’s adapted to the position. I think he has the potential to be the total package,” Williams said. “Cody has been running routes and catches pasess his whole career, so conceptually he understands the big picture of the passing game. The improvements we have to make with Cody are heavier toward the run game.”

Norris played both tight end and quarterback at Madison Central High in Mississippi. Williams has been impressed by the overall athleticism Norris has brought to the tight end position and said his potential is through the roof.

“Jake has done a good job. He’s just a really good athlete who runs well and can do a lot of different things,” Williams said. “He’s also fearless and very tough.”

Norris is one of eight sophomores or freshmen tight ends on the roster, most of which played that position in high school.

“The goal here is to have a tight end that does it all and I think we’re moving toward that in terms of recruiting,” Williams said. “I feel unbelievably good about what’s coming in terms of the young tight ends.”

Navy tight ends

Position coach : Jon Williams, second year

Returning starter: Thomas Scully (Senior, 6-2, 236)

Top backups: Cody Howard (Junior, 6-2, 231) and Jake Norris (Sophomore, 6-3, 230)

Letterman lost: Akalea Kapono

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Trying to Access my navy assignment at home. And it keeps giving me this screen? Any help or suggestions? I have all of the DoD certs. Every other site works.

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