Today's technology allows a Naval message to be transmitted completely around the world in .2 seconds, yet it may take an eternity for the message to make it from the outside of our heads to the inside. And...some folks just never get the message. You know what I am talking about.A good officer knows he should take a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit. That's just how it is done. Sailors see right through us. We're not fooling anyone except, perhaps, ourselves.
2 comments:
Heh heh...a message form, how quaint. These days it's "just e-mail it to me, and follow up with a message".
Glad to see you're in the blogosphere and I'll be keeping up with you for sure and linking this page on my blog. Thanks for all the support you've given me during my trials.
v/r
*chuckle* Put rather well.
I remember a frustrated AWC calling me out of SSES one day, while transiting the Suez. I'd provided him all pertinent data on a target of interest through the NTDS console, gave a 'sanitized' answer to questions over a non-secure line, and finally been directed to report to CIC.
When I arrived at his console, he took a few moments to finish what he was doing before half-turning to me. After sizing me up for a good five seconds, he dropped the stoic mask and looked more than a little exasperated. "Okay. Now, in English."
"No hostile intent" I replied (which is about as good as I could do, considering the space isn't a SCIF). Then he asked, "How do you know?" (which is among the most inane questions I've been asked by an officer. The most inane was from DESRON22, but that's another story...) I just shook my head and said, "We know. Its just an overflight."
He muttered something I couldn't hear and turned back to his console, which I took as a dismissal. As I was heading out of the space I heard him say, a little more loudly, "You had better be right!"
Strong leaders need to trust in the training of their subordinates, rely upon their professionalism, and act as their role dictates. Without second-guesses or hesitation.
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