Called the Optimal Manning Experiment, the ship's crew will see how it can get along with about 2,900 sailors, down from the traditional size of 3,400. Carrier Air Wing 11 will drop to 1,300, down from 1,460.

That would bring the total ship's force aboard the Nimitz to approximately 4,200. When built, it was designed to have a peacetime complement of about 4,800.

"If it works out and we can document they can run the ship, then we are probably not going to allow ships to put those numbers of people back on again," Fallon said.

Fallon is responsible for manning, equipping and training both Atlantic and Pacific fleet units. His command began experimenting with manning reductions about three years ago and has found that some jobs can better be done by sailors ashore, or can be combined with existing skills on ship.

Postal clerks, for example, are coming off. Normally there is just one aboard each ship. From now on, their duties will be handled by storekeepers or disbursing clerks.

Sailors in administrative departments, responsible for maintaining medical and personnel records, also are coming off ships. Those jobs can better be performed ashore, Fallon said. Pertinent information can be sent to deployed sailors electronically, when needed.

"Several manning experiments going on now have demonstrated we can, in fact, man the ships with less people and not just get the work done, but actually more efficiently," Fallon said.

Those experiments have been limited mainly to cruisers, destroyers and amphibious ships.

"Now we will actually look at a carrier and target a lower manning level," he said. "We are pretty convinced it will work and we can operate this ship very efficiently."

Experiments during the past three years in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets have led to significant reductions in crew sizes for a variety of surface ships, said Capt. Charles E. Nimitz, assistant chief of staff for manpower and personnel with the Atlantic Fleet Naval Surface Force in Norfolk. Nimitz is a relative of the World War II fleet admiral for whom the carrier is named.

Results have been so good that the surface ship commands have dropped the word "experiment" from their programs and have decided to proceed with permanent reductions, he said.

Guided missile cruisers, which typically have crews of 380, are reducing their crew sizes by 28 billets. Early models of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, built for 316 crew members, are cutting their crews by 21, Nimitz said.

The Navy also is in the process of taking 98 sailors off its Wasp class of amphibious assault ships, or LHDs, which traditionally sailed with 1,146.

"That's a big change and lots of money," Nimitz said. "On the LHDs in the Atlantic Fleet alone we are looking at an annual personnel cost savings of almost $22 million."

It is estimated that eliminating one enlisted job results in a cost savings of $57,000 per year. Eliminating an officer's position saves $115,000. The figures take into account salaries, retirement investment, Social Security and medical care.

Adm. Vern Clark, chief of naval operations, has directed his fleets to find what the true manning level should be as the Navy restructures itself. It faces a proposed reduction in force of 40,000 officers and enlisted sailors over the next six years.

There are 372,719 sailors on active duty.

Nine Norfolk-based ships already have moved many of their pay and personnel management functions ashore, Nimitz said. They are working out of a building at the Norfolk Naval Station.

While not directly related to force reduction, Fallon said, the Navy's weather forecasters will be coming off ships while in port.

Large deck carriers and amphibious ships carried a department of about 20 forecasters and support personnel, he said. With a total of 24 such ships, that would free up about 480 sailors in port for training and possible other duties.