NAVSEA is in its “survey era,” writes a senior civilian in an email full of Taylor Swift lyrics

NEW YORK – OCTOBER 27: Musician Taylor Swift (center) performs during JetBlue’s Live From T5 concert series at Terminal 5 of JFK airport in the Queens borough of New York City on October 27, 2010. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage)

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s love affair with Taylor Swift continued this week when the highest-ranking civilian at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) asked employees to fill out a survey in an email peppered with lyrics from the “Anti-Hero” singer.

The message from Chris Miller, who became NAVSEA’s acting director in March, is that staff should not simply ignore the survey of federal employee perspectives because the feedback can be used to improve practices at the command’s shipyards, regional maintenance centers and warfighting centers.

“Of nearly 87,000 NAVSEA team members I have an empty field and write your name – Your participation in the survey will change everything,” Miller wrote in the June 26 email obtained by Breaking Defense. “This survey will take less time than listening to the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” (Taylor’s Version) – Thanks for my daughter, I know.”

The annual FEVS survey, conducted by the Office of Personnel Management, assesses working conditions and culture across the federal government by asking employees about policies, procedures, and leadership in their workplace. In short, it surveys government employees to make sure working at the Department of Defense doesn’t feel like working at the Department of Tortured Poets.

Miller’s mastermind tactics may have resulted in a gold rush of engagement, as Miller wrote that NAVSEA’s participation in the poll rose from 12 percent to 27 percent in the past two weeks.

“Your feedback will never go out of fashion. … My Wildest dreams based on your participation in the survey,” he wrote.

Miller’s email is not the first time that Department of Defense employees have disclosed their Swiftie login information.

Earlier this year, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh responded to a conspiracy theory that the U.S. Department of Defense’s psychological operations division had considered turning the pop star into an asset. Singh refuted the theory, citing popular Swift lyrics.

Justin Katz in Washington contributed to this story.