VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Being a sailor is hard, with months at a time on a ship far from home. Then, when you add in COVID-19, things get really complicated.
Since last March, the Navy has issued more than 300 Naval administrative messages, many of them COVID-related, directly impacting sailors on how they work, travel and take care of their families.
That's where the "My Navy Career Center" can help by providing answers.
"The entire transition to this call center construct is an attempt to improve customer service, customer satisfaction for our sailors and families," said CMC Wesley Koshoffer, Senior Advisor to the Chief of Naval Personnel.
Since March 2020, using state-of-the-art software, MNCC personnel at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, have processed more than 390,000 cases by phone, e-mail or online chat, including nearly 27,000 Sailors affected by COVID changes.
"So we get those types of calls every day," said Marsellis Thomas, MNCC Operations Watch Officer. "It fluctuates anywhere from 300 calls to 500 calls in our on-call center."
Over the last 11 months, the MNCC has served as a lifeline for personnel with human resources questions about constantly changing policies.
"Most of the time, we're here to listen so we can be on their side so they can come out of the call feeling much better about their situation that they called us about in the first place," said Marcie Earley, MNCC Team Lead.
The Chief of Naval Personnel called the 52 people who work at MNCC solving problems, unsung heroes.
"Because these are the folks that take care of the most important asset that the U.S. Navy has, and that is our Sailors," Vice Admiral John Nowell, Jr. said. "It's all about warfighting readiness."