WASHINGTON — Senior Navy leaders announced that sailors would no longer be forced to work 100 hours per week, and instead would work at least 168 per week, sources confirmed today.

The change came in the wake of an admonition from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) who warned that the practice was unsustainable.

"We took a comprehensive look at the impact that 100 hours per week is having on our sailors," said Adm. John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations. "And what we learned is that we need to progress towards a more realistic 168-hour work week."

The support for the change came from a working group comprised of career staff officers and high-ranking civilians. The group was chaired by Jeff Hudson, a civilian (GS36) who dropped out of the Naval Academy after his sophomore year to pursue a degree in philosophy.

"The big thing we're seeing with all these boating accidents is too much downtime," said Hudson, referring to the collisions involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain. "We nee…