Inclusion? Probably not! – IW Female Officer Symposium (IWFOS) and Officer Women Leadership Symposium (OWLS)

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From the Navy’s public affairs guidance on INCLUSION.

What is Inclusion?

  • Inclusion is valuing and integrating each individual’s perspectives, ideas and contributions into the way the organization functions and makes decisions. Being inclusive is what we do – deliberately engaging our diverse resources: the skills, capabilities and talents of our people.
  • Good leaders will create a culture where everyone is expected to provide their thoughts and opinions intentionally drawing out the unique perspectives of our Navy Sailors.
  • Inclusion is an important element of high-performing teams. Each member effectively contributes their unique skills to help solve the problem at hand.
  • Inclusive leaders actively encourage formation of diverse teams and engage all team members, because different ideas and experiences enable growth.
  • Inclusive leaders seek to understand all perspectives of an issue.

You cannot have inclusion when the navy officer community separates their leadership symposia by gender.

These two symposia identified below seem to run counter to the Navy’s stated goals of inclusion.  These symposia suggest to me that there are not enough successful female officers in senior Navy leadership to ensure full integration of their views.  We SHOULD be working TOGETHER, not separately.

IW Female Officer Symposium (IWFOS)

THE SYMPOSIUM’S GOAL IS TO BRING TOGETHER A DIVERSE MIX OF SUCCESSFUL FEMALE OFFICER IW COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ALIGN AND DISCUSS THE ROLE OF IW IN THE GREAT POWERS COMPETITION, CHALLENGES WITHIN THE IW COMMUNITY, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.  SYMPOSIUM IS BEING HELD 17 AND 18 JULY

 

And,

The 2019 Officer Women Leadership Symposium (OWLS) hosted by AcademyWomen is scheduled to be conducted at the Arlington Women’s Memorial in Arlington, Virginia on April 24-25, 2019.

AcademyWomen’s mission is a “leadership and professional development organization that empowers aspiring, current and past women military leaders through mentoring, training, and growth opportunities to impact positive change locally, nationally, and globally.”

This year’s symposium theme is “Leading Innovation and Change in a New Era.” Symposium approval has been authorized for Navy Total Force participation.

As an aside, I was excluded from participating as a mentor for the AcademyWomen’s mentor program some years ago because I am a male.

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 2:41 PM, Shannon Yenchesky <yenchesky@ementorprogram.org> wrote:

Hello Mike
Thank you for your past participation in the NavyWomen eMentor program.  Since that program sunsetted, and our AcademyWomen eMentor is restricted to women only, I’m sorry to inform you we had to delete your profile from the program.  However, we are currently talking with several organizations regarding launching new eMentor programs that might apply to you, so please periodically check back to our site (http://academywomen.org/e-mentorprogram.php) for announcements of new programs.
Warm regards,
Shannon
—
Shannon Yenchesky
Manager, eMentor Leadership Program
yenchesky@ementorprogram.org

RADM James S. McFarland – gone but not forgotten – 16 years ago

LCDR Jim McFarland

A native of Portland, Oregon, Rear Admiral McFarland graduated from Lewis and Clark College. His Naval career began in 1953 when he enlisted in the Naval Reserve. As a Third Class Petty Officer (YN), he was commissioned in 1957. After Communications School in Newport, Rhode Island, he spent four years in Hawaii working in Signals Security and making training and communications readiness visits to over 200 U.S. Navy ships. Staff duty in Washington, D.C. with Commander Naval Security Group followed from 1961-1963. This was followed by operational assignments at Karamursel, Turkey, and on USS Belmont (AGTR-4) as the Special Operations Officer. 

In 1967, he left the Staff, U.S. Atlantic Fleet for Vietnam, where he served primarily in support of U.S. Marine Corp Forces in  tactical ground operations. The Armed Forces Staff College was next, followed by a tour as Middle East Operations Officer. In 1971, he became the first Office-In-Charge of the Navy’s Current Support Group (CSG) in Rota, Spain where the unit earned the Navy Unit Citation for its support of the U.S. SIXTH Fleet during the Yom Kippur War and the 1974 Cyprus crisis. He returned to the Staff, U.S. Atlantic Fleet from 1975 to 1979. His next assignment was as the Commanding Officer of the Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Misawa, Japan where he assumed command on 5 March 1979. 

In 1981, Rear Admiral McFarland assumed duty as Chief, Naval Forces Division, at the National Security Agency (NSA); and in 1983, was assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Cryptology, Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet; Director, Naval Security Group Pacific (DIRNSGPAC). Early in 1985, he was selected for Flag Rank. His last assignment was as Commander, Naval Security Group Command (CNSG) from August 1986 to July 1990. Rear Admiral McFarland was also assigned as the Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) for the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). 

Some of his personal decorations include the Bronze Star with Combat distinguishing device (for his time in Vietnam), Meritorious Service Medals and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.

RADM James S. McFarland passed away on Saturday, 1 February 2003, at 8:00 p.m. At the Admiral’s request, there was no funeral service. His ashes were scattered on the beach, near his Annapolis home.

RADM McFarland was married to the former Paula Ann Wiise of Macon, Georgia for twenty-five years. He has six children, Scott, Brett, Suzanne, Jeffrey, Matthew, and Kelly.

The timeless wisdom of Joe Byerly


Many professionals do not want to write because they feel by doing so they are telling people how to think or that no one will even care what the author, regardless of rank, thinks about a subject. What I have learned over the years is that published ideas, both good and bad, serve as a fuel for workplace conversations. And these conversations, which are a form of professional development, can have positive second and third order effects that the author never intended. 

For example, an article about improving performance counseling could lead to leaders reassessing and eventually changing their counseling programs in a unit on the other side of the globe. The changes may not be exactly in line with the article, but it was the article that got that commander or first sergeant thinking and talking about counseling in the first place.

Much more is available HERE.

Letter writing etiquette

For some of my naval officer contemporaries.  I don’t know why you didn’t learn this at the USNA, in your NROTC program or at officer candidate school.


As a rule, every letter, unless insulting in its character, requires an answer. To neglect to answer a letter, when written to, is as uncivil as to neglect to reply when spoken to. In the reply, acknowledge first the receipt of the letter, mentioning its date, and afterwards consider all the points requiring attention. From @artofmanliness

Remembering my friend, mentor and lunch partner

http://www.robcannonphoto.com
Back in 1981, the Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Admiral Lando W. Zech Jr. made a very wise detailing decision.  He sent CWO3 Wallace Louis Exum to teach celestial navigation at Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.  I was one of hundreds of his students at OCS.  Both men influenced my Navy career greatly.  VADM Zech signed off on my first set of orders in June of 1982, sending me to Atsugi, Japan to fly with Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron ONE (VQ-1).  Thirty years later, both men were still in touch with me and we developed into great friends.

Sadly, Vice Admiral Zech passed away eight years ago this month and is no longer with us, except in spirit.  The last time I saw him, he was in good spirits. He was ill and weakened from his lengthy hospital stay – but his spirits were high. We talked a little bit about the USNA honoring him and a few of the other guys recently for being Captains of their varsity baseball teams over the years.  He was very proud of his years at the United States Naval Academy.

Besides being an athlete, he was very much an old school nuclear submariner and later a surface warfare officer. My goodness, how he loved the Navy and his family.  After his retirement from the Navy, he was Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  He left behind a wonderful widow – Jo, 5 beautiful daughters and many grand children.  And a very sad Shipmate who still grieves deeply and tries to keep his memory alive in all ways that he can.  Farewell Admiral Zech.  Those who knew you – loved and respected you greatly.  Those who didn’t – missed out on a great experience.  I said my good-byes at Arlington National Cemetery but they were in no way – final good-byes.  You will remain fresh in my memory.
His obituary:
ZECH LANDO W. ZECH. JR Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.) Former NRC Chairman Lando W. Zech, Jr., age 87, a retired Navy Vice Admiral who later served as Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission died on Sunday, January 9, 2011. Admiral Zech, a resident of Falls Church, VA was born in Astoria, Oregon and spent his youth in Seattle, Washington, where he attended Roosevelt and Lakeside high schools. He was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1941. At Annapolis, he played varsity baseball and basketball. In his senior year, he captained the baseball team. Admiral Zech served 39 years in the Navy after his graduation from the Naval Academy in 1944 with the World War II Class of 1945. His first assignment was to the destroyer USS JOHN D. HENLEY (DD 553) in the western Pacific where he participated in the second battle for the Philippines, the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns and on picket station duty off the coast of Japan during the last days of the war. After the war and a second destroyer tour on the USS HENRY W. TUCKER (DD 875), Admiral Zech volunteered for submarine duty and subsequently commanded four submarines, USS SEA ROBIN (SS 407), USS ALBACORE (AGSS 569), and after nuclear power training, USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571) and USS JOHN ADAMS (SSBN 620). He later commanded the guided missile cruiser USS SPRINGFIELD (CLG 7). Upon his selection to flag rank, he served as Commandant of the Thirteenth Naval District in Seattle, WA, the Chief of Naval Technical Training in Memphis, TN and as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan in Yokosuka. After his selection to Vice Admiral he served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Manpower, Personnel and Training and Chief of Naval Personnel in Washington, D.C. He retired from the Navy in 1983. Admiral Zech graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College, the National War College and received a Masters Degree in International Affairs from George Washington University. In addition to campaign and foreign service medals he was awarded two Distinguished Service Medals, two Legions of Merit and the Navy Commendation Medal. On retiring from the Navy he was appointed a Commissioner and later Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by President Ronald Reagan. During this 5 year appointment he visited all 110 nuclear powered plants in the United States and many plants overseas including Chernobyl after the accident in the then Soviet Union. After retiring from the NRC, he served on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Edison Company (now Exelon) for another 5 years and later as a Nuclear Safety consultant. Admiral Zech had been a resident of Falls Church since 1983. He was a parishioner of the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington, VA, a supporter of the U.S. Naval Academy, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, U.S.A., the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and a member of the Army Navy Country Club. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Josephine K. Zech; five daughters: Janet Z. Cocke (James) of Richmond, VA, Joanne Z. Lyons (Coleman) of Atlanta, GA, Nancy Z. Cunnane (Robert) of Coto de Caza, CA, Carol M. Zech of Arlington, VA and Patricia Z. Nelson (Kirk) of Sammamish, WA.; his 12 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Also surviving are his brothers, Dr. Robert J. Zech and Dr. Jerome M. Zech, both of Seattle. He was preceded in death by his brother John R. Zech. 

Annual award rant

In my mind, having your boss ask you to write your own personal award and FITNESS Report is akin to her telling you to write yourself your own ‘thank you’ note for your good deed or after your two/three year assignment.  It makes no sense at all to me; don’t do it.  If you are a leader and you can’t write your immediate subordinate’s award/fitness report, shame on you.

 This is something that is getting some attention in Congressional sub-committees of the Senate/House Armed Services Committees (SASC/HASC).  With the attention given to the Stolen Valor Act and similar issues – the Congress is paying much more attention to military awards – who gets them, how they get them, why they get them and how many get them.