Category: Uncategorized

Another Navy CO fired

USS VANDEGRIFT change of command 7/27/2012

Commander, Destroyer Squadron FIFTEEN fired the CO of USS VANDEGRIFT  (FFG48) on Friday, November 2nd.  The CO had been in command only since July 2012.

Captain John L. Schultz relieved Commander Joseph F. Darlak due to loss of confidence in his ability to command after demonstrating poor leadership and failure to ensure the proper conduct of his wardroom officers during a September port visit in Vladivostok, Russia.

The executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Ivan A. Jimenez, the chief engineer and the operations officer were also fired for poor judgment and personal conduct involving use of alcohol and not adhering to established liberty policies.

Captain H. Thomas Workman, Deputy Commander, Destroyer Squadron TWENTY THREEE has assumed command of VANDEGRIFT and will serve as the commanding officer until the ship completes its current seven-month deployment. Vandegrift is expected to return to San Diego later this month.

Purpose of USS VANDEGRIFT’s visit to Russia:


While in port, Vandegrift Sailors will conduct professional exchanges with Russian Naval Officers and Sailors as well as participate in host city tours and community service events with Ostryakova Children’s Hospital and Pos’yetskaya Street de Motion Dance Center.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to visit Vladivostok and experience all the city has to offer,” said Commander Joseph R. Darlak, commanding officer of Vandegrift, “Our Sailors are especially looking forward to visiting a different land and making new friends.”

The Superstar Dilemma – Building a Winning Team

As a non-athlete myself, please excuse this sports analogy.

One of my Shipmates was lamenting about the lackluster performance of his wardroom team.  Seems he had a group of superstar players who couldn’t win a ballgame.  These are all seemingly gifted Naval officers who have all enjoyed some measure of success in previous commands (on other teams).  Many have advanced degrees.  
As a player-coach, the CO has moved these officers around in his own command from department to department looking for the best fit and best results.  His best operator is too junior to put in operations and his best engineer is stuck in admin.  Finding the best position for an officer in the command can be a challenge given our Navy’s rank structure and seniority.  
Having a bunch of officers senior to the XO milling around his various departments doesn’t make for a happy ball club.  Trying to force your catcher to play center field and having your right fielder at shortstop is going to limit your success and their love of the game.  And, keeping in mind that the guy (detailer) sending you players is also populating all the other teams, this wreaks havoc on your ability to play winning ball.  As the coach, you’re going to have to figure that all out and build your winning team anyway.  That, my friend, is what leadership is all about – so I’m told.

So, 3 years later, how are they doing?

Standup of OPNAV N2/N6 – Landmark

EFFECTIVE 02NOV09, N2/N6 ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION, INFORMATION WARFARE, CYBER, COMMUNICATIONS, NETWORKS, OCEANOGRAPHY, AND SPACE, AS WELL AS MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS AND NAVY UNMANNED SYSTEMS. OPNAV RESOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH INFORMATION-CENTRIC PROGRAMS ARE CONSOLIDATED UNDER N2/N6 SPONSORSHIP.

THE STAND UP OF N2/N6 REPRESENTS A LANDMARK TRANSITION IN THE EVOLUTION OF NAVAL WARFARE, DESIGNED TO ELEVATE INFORMATION AS A MAIN BATTERY OF OUR WARFIGHTING CAPABILITIES, AND FIRMLY ESTABLISH THE U.S. NAVY’S PROMINENCE IN INTELLIGENCE, CYBER WARFARE, AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT.


TOWARD THIS END, THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF N2/N6 ARE TO:

A. ELEVATE INFORMATION TO A CORE NAVY WARFIGHTING CAPABILITY.

B. FUNCTIONALLY INTEGRATE INTELLIGENCE, INFORMATION WARFARE, INFORMATION/NETWORK MANAGEMENT, OCEANOGRAPHY, AND GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION FOR INFORMATION AGE OPERATIONS.

C. DELIVER ASSURED COMMAND AND CONTROL AND INFORMATION ACCESS TO OPERATIONAL FORCES.

D. BOLDLY INTRODUCE GAME-CHANGING CONCEPTS, STRATEGIES, AND CAPABILITIES.

E. COORDINATE RESOURCE INVESTMENT TO DELIVER INFORMATION-CENTRIC CAPABILITIES AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES.

F. AGGRESSIVELY ACCELERATE EXPERIMENTATION AND INNOVATION WITH INFORMATION CAPABILITIES.

G. DELIVER DEEP MULTI-INTELLIGENCE PENETRATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF POTENTIAL ADVERSARIES, MELDED WITH DEEP MULTI-DOMAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT.

H. DELIVER REMOTELY PILOTED, UNATTENDED, AND AUTONOMOUS CAPABILITIES ADAPTIVELY NETWORKED TO EXTEND REACH, PENETRATION AND PERSISTENCE IN DENIED AREAS.

Ding

  “I want to put a ding in the universe.”

 Steve Jobs 

Do you think you could put a ‘ding’ in the Navy?  Are you trying to make your mark?  Can you make some small difference that will improve the way the Navy operates? Can you do something to improve the QOL for your Sailors? Implement some new IW tactic?

You don’t have to change the world but you must make a difference in it !

The Navy’s "A" and "C" schools – the Navy’s public schools must challenge our Sailors and make better use of their time

Vice Admiral Tom Copeman is commander of Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Forces US Pacific Fleet.  He is responsible for delivering readiness to the fleet.

The training Sailors require is a crucial part of Vice Admiral Copeman’s priorities.

“If we really want our crews to fight and win, we need to lay that foundation right there in the school house,” he said. “The schools – our basic, integrated and advanced training – must be focused on preparations for high-end combat operations. I think of it as improving the ‘Public School System’ (“A” and “C” schools) by increasing the hands-on training for our Sailors and taking a hard look if we are delivering the information in the best manner.”

To start with, Admiral Copeman said he intends to invest $170 million into schoolhouse upgrades for surface engineering, with plans to do the same for combat systems and its respective school houses.

Copeman said he wants to reverse the trend of many Sailors spending large amounts of time at school only to require in-depth supervision once reporting aboard ship to do basic maintenance or watchstanding.

“Our schools must challenge our Sailors and make better use of their time,” he said.

Fortunately, our schoolhouse at the Center for Information Dominance Corry Station, Pensacola Florida is doing this now.

Cherokee Indian Naval Aviator Number ONE

Admiral Clark was born in Pryor, Oklahoma, on 12 November 1893, son of Cherokee Indian William A. Clark and Lillie Berry Clark. He attended Willie Halsell College, Vinita, Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, at Stillwater; and graduated from the US Naval Academy with the class of 1918 in June 1917. He was the first Native American graduate of the naval Academy. He was the first Cherokee Indian to be designated a naval aviator.

More on the Admiral HERE.

This is one extraordinary individual.  In 1952 he was commander of U.S. SEVENTH Fleet.  Admiral Clark was an honorary chief by both the Sioux and Cherokee nations. He died 13 July 1971 at the Naval Hospital, St. Albans, New York, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. 
In addition to the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal with Gold Star, the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star Medal, the Commendation Ribbon, and the Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon with two stars, Rear Admiral Clark has the Victory Medal, Escort Clasp (USS North Carolina), and is entitled to the American Defense Service Medal with Bronze “A” (for service in the old USS Yorktown which operated in actual or potential belligerent contact with the Axis Forces in the Atlantic Ocean prior to December 7, 1941); the European-African-Middle Eastern Area Campaign Medal with one bronze star; the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal with twelve bronze stars; the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze star; and the World War II Victory Medal.

November is the Navy’s focus month for Native Americans.  Nice to learn more about our Native American heritage.

Skipper in the spotlight – Captain Tim White, CO, NAVIOCOM Maryland

Captain White was commissioned in 1987 with a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering.  He was then assigned to USS MISSOURI (BB-63), where he participated in Operation EARNEST WILL, RIMPAC 88/90, PACEX89, and Operations DESERT SHIELD/STORM.   He graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA, in 1993 (MS Systems Technology), and was assigned to NSA/CSS, Fort Meade, Md.

Captain White served in the Naval and Aerodynamic Weapons Systems Technical Analysis directorate, and the National Security Operations Center (NSOC) as a Senior Watch Officer/Group Coordinator, and completed two National Intelligence Support Team (NIST) deployments to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Commander, NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) and Commander, NATO Implementation Force (IFOR). 

After earning a diploma from the Naval War College and completing JMPE Phase 1, he was subsequently assigned to C5F/COMUSNAVCENT in Manama, Bahrain.  He established the Naval Security Group Activity Bahrain (now Naval Information Operations Command Bahrain) as the Plankowner Commanding Officer from 1999-2001.  Captain White then completed JPME Phase 2 and was awarded a diploma from the Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University in the Fall of 2001.  

From Fall 2001 to Fall 2004, he was assigned to the Pentagon OPNAV staff, in direct support of the Director for Naval Intelligence as the Navy Joint Military Intelligence Programs (JMIP) and Tactical Intelligence and Related Activities (TIARA) Policy, Programs, and Requirements Officer. 

He is a 2008 graduate of the National Defense University/Industrial College of the Armed Forces, (MS National Resources Mgmt).  Prior to his assignment to USCYBERCOM (Plankowner) as Director, Commander’s Action Group, he served at STRATCOM/JFCC-NW as D/J2 and Chief of Staff. 

Captain White’s most recent operational Fleet assignment was to Commander, United States SEVENTH Fleet as A/COS Information Operations (N39), embarked onboard USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19).  

Captain White assumed command of Navy Information Operations Command Maryland in September of  2011 where he oversees a command of 2000 of the Navy’s finest Sailors and civilians and serves as Commander, Task Force 1060 responsible for the execution of cyber and non-kinetic operations for Commander Tenth Fleet.

COMMANDER CSG THREE REASSIGNED PENDING NAVY IG INVESTIGATION

The Navy has approved the temporarily reassignment of the commander of the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group – CSG3.  Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette, Commander, Carrier Strike Group THREE has been relieved of command pending the results of an investigation by the Navy Inspector General.
The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed to the Middle East.
Rear Admiral Gaouette’s Chief of Staff, Captain William C. Minter, will lead the strike group until the arrival of Rear Admiral Troy M. Shoemaker, who will assume command until the matter is resolved.
Rear Admiral Shoemaker has served as Commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine and deployed with the Abraham Lincoln Strike Group.
It is highly unusual for the Navy to replace a carrier strike group commander during its deployment The Navy did not reveal details of the allegations, citing only an accusation of “inappropriate leadership judgment” that arose during the strike group’s deployment to the Middle East.

Navy Reading List

The CNO has updated the Navy reading list to include  the books below related to his THREE TENETS. The reading isn’t mandatory and it is no longer divided up by pay grade.  The Navy is paying to have this 18 book collection sent to over 1100 Navy commands.  I hope your command is on their list.  The Navy has invested some time and effort in putting this together and it even has a Program Director at the Naval War College.  The program director is calling for Sailors who do read the books to be praised in their evaluations.  However, I suspect that our high performing Sailors aren’t going to have room on their evals for mentioning – “She read all the books on the CNO reading list.”  In any case, there’s some good reading available.

Warfighting First
• 1812: The Navy’s War (George C. Daughan)
• Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It (Richard Clarke)
• The Gamble (Thomas Ricks)
• SEAL of Honor (Gary Williams)
• Shield and Sword (Edward Marolda)
• Wake of the Wahoo (Forest J. Sterling)

Operate Forward
• Crisis of Islam (Bernard Lewis)
• Execute Against Japan (Joel Holwitt)
• Monsoon (Robert Kaplan)
• Neptune’s Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal (James Hornfischer)
• Red Star Over the Pacific (Toshi Yoshihara and James Holmes)
• The Man From Pakistan (Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins)

Be Ready
• A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy (Thomas Cutler)
• Navigating the Seven Seas (Melvin Williams Jr. and Sr.)
• In the Shadow of Greatness (J. Welle, J. Ennis and Katherine Kranz)
• The Morality of War (Brian Orend)
• Time Management From the Inside Out (Julie Morgenstern)
• Wired for War (P.W. Singer)

The Pay-Off

The pay-off in battle is the result of hard work and hard thought, for hours, for days, for weeks, and for years of training and planning.  Great leadership is developed over a span of years.  It is the result of the daily collection of a lot of little experiences, little lessons, learned and absorbed and tested day after day, long before the battle begins.

Admiral Arleigh A. Burke
United States Navy