Robert O. Work

An unabashed supporter of sea power, the former Marine artillery colonel is well-known for enthusiastically championing the controversial littoral combat ship and the fleet size and power of the Navy. Work has taken on all comers in his bid to bolster Navy resources, as a public speaker, incessant poster on Internet sites and avid pounder of the pavement in the halls of Congress. While his boss, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, focuses on promoting the Navy’s “Green Fleet” initiative and fleetwide travel, Work is the hands-on Navy civilian at the Pentagon, the chief operating officer for the department that manages the Navy and Marine Corps. It is he who handles the lion’s share of executive duties, from overseeing budgets and programs to force-shaping and strategy. Work has implemented forward-thinking concepts, including unmanned carrier-launched aircraft, the conversion of an amphibious ship into an innovative afloat staging base to support mine ships and patrol efforts in the Arabian Gulf, and the Air-Sea Battle concept that is fostering closer Air Force-Navy strategic cooperation.