Tag: Sailors

Ethical Decisions

Your job is to make decisions. But your duty is to make the right decisions…the ethical decisions. In my first letter to all Flag and General Officers of the Navy and Marine Corps, sent the day I was confirmed as Secretary of the Navy, I stated this duty very frankly: “If we cannot do something ethically, if it is not in keeping with our values–then we just won’t do it.”

I want to restate that to each and everyone in the Naval Service…to make sure that every Sailor, Marine and civil servant knows that that is the standard. If we can’t do something ethically, I don’t want it done. We need to develop and maintain–within each of us individually, and collectively within the entire Naval Service–the character to make ethical decisions. 
Former Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton

Chiefs Should Take Responsibility

“The Chief Petty Officer can, and should, take the responsibility of keeping every Sailor under his leadership informed. If one of his Sailors has a problem, he has a problem. There should be no excuses. There is a solution to every problem, and it should be pursued until his Sailor is satisfied that every means has been exhausted in the effort to find a solution. I feel very strongly that we need to improve our leadership abilities to keep pace with the high level of technical skill. The rapidity of advancement has caused a need for establishment of more leadership classes at the command level. My feelings are that we must have a chain of command from top to bottom, but even more important, we must have a channel of communication and understanding.”
Former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, MCPON Del Black

A new comment on your post “Chiefs Should Take Responsibility”:

Captain,
Maybe it would be appropriate to point out that MCPON Delbert Black was the first MCPON. He was stationed at Dam Neck, VA in 1967 when he was selected for that job, and I was stationed there as well at Guided Missile School.
Very Respectfully,
Navyman834 (MCPO Hughes, USN, retired)

SORRY THIS IS A REPEAT POST FROM EARLIER IN THE YEAR. I GUESS IT MUST HAVE BEEN WORTH REPEATING. I DID IT BY ACCIDENT.

A willingness to be alone – Former SECNAV John Dalton

“Character is the ability to place the needs of our Nation, our Navy, and our subordinates above our own personal desires. In this, character is good leadership, both by direction and by example.


What causes our Sailors and Marine to follow us into the danger of potential combat? What motivates them to stand a tough watch and work long hours? What inspires them to give their very best?

It’s the trust and respect that our Sailors and Marines hold for those who lead them. It’s the knowledge that naval leaders are looking after the best interests of their Sailors and Marines.

A leader stands for something…and that something is character. People choose to follow because they believe that that individual, that leader has the personal principles to make the right choice, the ethical choice when it comes to making a tough decision.

It requires courage to have character. It requires courage to admit mistakes and then take action to correct them. It takes courage to say “no” when it seems like everyone else in the crowd pretends not to notice, or worse yet, appears tolerant of immoral behavior–or a bad decision.

That’s what it really takes to be a leader–a willingness to be alone while standing for something.”

– Former Secretary of the Navy John Dalton

Captain Edward H. Deets III, (then) Commanding Officer, Center for Naval Cryptology, Corry Station, reminded us of former Secretary of the Navy John Dalton’s important words about ‘character and leadership’ in his address to the Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association Spring Breakout – February 2003

I am a United States Sailor

I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me.
I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world.

I proudly serve my country’s Navy Combat Team with HONOR, COURAGE and COMMITMENT.

I am committed to excellence and fair treatment of all.


Happy 233rd Birthday to our great United States Navy !!

A Leadership Approach That Worked

Some years ago, this leadership approach worked for Rear Admiral James S. McFarland who was Commander, Naval Security Group Command.

Taken verbatim from his personal notes:

“Problem:
My goal was to increase the sensitivity of our leaders to the needs and concerns of our Sailors. We had very uneven application of our ‘people programs.’

Actions:
– Task the Inspector general to randomly select commands to visit. Do not ‘inspect’ but listen – not to the leadership but to the Sailors.
– Conduct personal interviews with at least 1/2 of the command. Visit the families ashore.
– Get the pulse and document concerns – what works and what doesn’t.
– Use imagination and creativity to bring our organization together as a family that shares , cares and gets the mission done right.

Results:
We addressed the problems immediately. Those endemic to the whole organization, we corrected with policy changes. Others uniques to commands, we assisted and advised. In two cases, I relieved the Commanding Officers for total insensitivity. The good people programs were adopted throughout the organization.”

Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine

May 19, 1994 the Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton decreed the word ‘Sailor’, when used in Naval correspondence and referring to Sailors of the U.S. Navy – ‘Sailor’ will be capitalized.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker in October 2003 and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper in May 2004 decreed the same for the words ‘Soldier’ and ‘Airman’ respectively.

‘Marine’ (when referring to a person in the Marine Corps) is a proper noun and has always been capitalized.

And we can add ‘Coast Guardsman’ to the mix.

From the website NavyCS.com

First Printing Sold Out !!

If you haven’t already purchased Admiral James Stavridis’ book, DESTROYER CAPTAIN, you missed your opportunity to own a First Edition copy. Not to worry, they are already printing the second edition. This is a great book. Required reading for those with any interest at all in leadership, the Navy, destroyers, command at sea, Sailors, Chief Petty Officers or serving one’s country. I am biased, but this is a great companion tome for Michael Abrashoff’s IT’S YOUR SHIP. Two completely different approaches to telling the story about the considerable challenges and rewards of ‘destroyer command’.

To my Sailors…

“If you care to do so, you can do something for me. That is take care of each other. Be honorable. Do what is right. Forgive when it makes sense, punish when you must, but always work to make the latter unnecessary by working to help people be all they really can and should be. My idea of one-on-one leadership really will work if you let it and honestly apply it. We have great leaders, and I know you’ll succeed.”

“Finally, for those who want to tear our Navy down, I guess I’ve given them plenty to write about for a while. But I will soon be forgotten. You, our great Navy people, will live on. I am proud of you. I am proud to have led you if only for a short time. I wish I had done it better.”

Admiral Mike Boorda, former Chief of Naval Operations

Admiral Boorda shot himself in the chest on 16 May 1996, my 40th birthday, while I was home on leave from COMSEVENTHFLT embarked in USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. When I got the news shortly after 2pm that day, I was overcome by grief. I will never forget him or the day it happened. More than a year before his suicide, he had visited the Blue Ridge and got the Chiefs and Sailors all fired up over the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) program. After his visit, the ship put on a full court press to get all the Sailors qualified ASAP. 1/2 of my First Class Petty Officers were assigned Extra Military Instruction (EMI) for being delinquent in their qualifications. In 1994-1995 I met Admiral Boorda many times while I was the Flag Aide to the Commander, Naval Security Group Command. Small in stature, the man was a GIANT among Sailors. I loved hearing him speak. I always thought he was talking to me personally. The Sailors loved him – every one of them. And with good reason, he was someone who loved them back. His suicide was a TRAGEDY for our Navy.

Chief Petty Officer Responsibility

“The chief petty officer can, and should, take the responsibility of keeping every Sailor under his leadership informed. If one of his Sailors has a problem, he has a problem. There should be no excuses. There is a solution to every problem, and it should be pursued until his Sailor is satisfied that every means has been exhausted in the effort to find a solution. I feel very strongly that we need to improve our leadership abilities to keep pace with the high level of technical skill. The rapidity of advancement has caused a need for establishment of more leadership classes at the command level. My feelings are that we must have a chain of command from top to bottom, but even more important, we must have a channel of communication and understanding.”

MCPON Del Black, United States Navy’s 1st Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy