Navy Downsizing

* Your article (“Budget Cut Blues Hit the Ranks,” March 22) about the drawdown in the armed services requires some factual updating and perspective. Your readers need to know that while we face an enormous challenge, undertaking the largest reduction in the history of the all-volunteer force, the Navy is keeping faith with its officers and sailors.

From my perspective, as chief of naval personnel, we have worked to make human reductions in a humane way, without negatively affecting the Navy’s combat readiness capabilities. People have always been at the forefront of every decision.

A few points your readers should know about the Navy’s drawdown strategy:

* In November, 1993, we were halfway to our 1999 goal of less than 400,000 officers and sailors. In fact, since 1989, when the drawdown began, we have reduced the active-duty force by more than 100,000 people.

* But even with these large reductions, we have not forced one career force, non-retirement-eligible person out of the Navy. Incentive programs have been used to reduce our mid-career force personnel while ensuring we kept people with the right talents to man the current Navy and that of the future.

* Your article discusses ships being decommissioned. That’s correct: 115 ships, submarines and aircraft squadrons will be decommissioned or disestablished this year alone, directly affecting lives of about 36,000 officers and sailors. But thanks to advance planning by the Navy, all of these men and women are being individually assisted in the selection of their next assignment.

* Last year was our slowest year for promotions and advancements during the drawdown, but even then over 80,000 people were promoted or advanced (almost one out of every six in the Navy) and all advancement rates for sailors will go up this year.

* In addition, during this period of decreasing budgets, the Navy has spent more money on quality-of-life issues for our sailors, such as better housing and child-care facilities. There have been real increases in spending in this critical area during each of the past three fiscal years.

* Finally, and most importantly, the Navy continues to offer career opportunities, with more than 56,000 new job openings this year alone, and we will bring over a quarter-million new people into our force before the turn of the century. We are hiring!

R. J. ZLATOPER, Vice Admiral

U.S. Navy, Washington