Ship Readiness and Personnel Attributes in (DD 963) Spruance Class Ships.

This analysis examines the relationship between ship readiness and the personnel attributes of the personnel assigned to seventeen Spruance Class destroyers. Equipment history as defined in the Consolidated Casualty Reporting System is used as a proxy of ship history. Older, more experienced, and higher quality personnel assigned in the correct numbers are hypothesized to effect higher ship readiness (lower equipment casualties and lower associated equipment down-time). Results from the analysis generally tend to support the hypothesis. However, as with previous analysis, the amount of variation attributable to personnel differences appears to be small when compared to the differences attributable to ship and command differences. Examining ship readiness with respect to the CASREP system does not produce strong enough personnel relationships in which to base future strategic planning, suggesting that other avenues should be examined.