NAVAL LEADERSHIP

Many of my posts are cross-linked over at www.navaleadership.blogspot.com

It's worth a trip over there.

Command Failure - EXCELLENT EXAMPLE

A few action verbs here - failed, violated, not authorized, destroyed. One of those cases where being a "man of inaction" might not be a good thing.

CO failed to meet the pilot proficiency requirements — at least 10 flight hours per month — for five of the six months preceding the crash.

CO violated crew rest requirements.

CO failed to exercise sound and reasonable judgment and through his negligence he destroyed the aircraft and put the crew in unnecessary danger.

CO violated NATOPS rules by signing for an aircraft he was not authorized to fly. CO was not authorized to sign for the aircraft because his name was not in the maintenance database. But, he told the crew: “No question here. I am the CO and this is my aircraft.”

CO, as pilot in command failed to run through the landing checklist at 500 feet.

VPU-1 flies a specialized version of the recon plane, the P-3 “REEF POINT,” which includes additional long-range cameras and electro-optical sensors.

Extracts above from NAVY TIMES.

After he was relieved of command, the CO was assigned to Joint Special Operations Command, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, at Fort Bragg, N.C., Navy records show. Presumably he was assigned to the Tactics Evaluation Group to tell them how he would do it, so they could indicate in their tactics that 'his way is the wrong way.'

More here from CDR Salamander:

VPU-1 REEF POINT SKIPPER REDUCES P-3 INVENTORY

Rotting Morale

“there is nothing which rots morale more quickly and more completely than . . . the feeling that those in authority do not know their own minds.”

From -
TOWARDS A U.S. ARMY OFFICER CORPS STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS:
A PROPOSED HUMAN CAPITAL MODEL FOCUSED UPON TALENT

Where/Who Are Our Pentathletes??

Senior Navy leaders can no longer be expert warfighters in their specialty alone; they now need to be “pentathletes”—world-class warriors who are competent in statesmanship, enterprise management, and governance, as well as being strategic and creative thinkers. Warfighting always will remain the primary focus of Navy leaders, but the broadening requirements necessary for future success will necessitate broader perspectives and thinking.

Paraphrased from "Dr. Wong's Fashion Tips For the Field Grade"

His Heritage

His heritage to his Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines wasn't inflated awards or medals, but an unspoken treasure, the treasure of his example as an officer, an American, an ambassador, a gentleman, thinker, writer, friend, mentor and a leader.

Fair Winds and Following Seas Admiral Jim Stavridis - Do great things for our country in Europe. We are counting on you. As you said at your change of command - "Nunca sabemos los caminos de Dios – one never knows the way of God."

More Command Excellence - Not Rocket Science

• Lead by Example – Leaders have to change their own attitudes and behaviors before they can expect their Sailors to change.

• Listen Aggressively – Leaders don't simply listen, they hear what their Sailors say to them . They know that those on the deckplates are the ones most familiar with how operations can be more effective.

• Communicate Purpose and Meaning – Leaders help their Sailors understand (collectively and individually) how their work contributes to the success of the overall mission, as well as understand how that work supports the personal goals they have for themselves.

• Create a Climate of Trust – Leaders trust and cultivate trust from their Sailors. Without trust, the barriers that prevent excellent performance will never be lowered.

• Look for Results, Not Salutes – Leaders maximize performance by making their Sailors grow. Leaders experience success only when their Sailors experience success.hey success.

• Take Calculated Risks – Leaders know that taking prudent, calculated risks can help maximize performance.

• Go Beyond the Navy's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) – Leaders see standard operating procedure as a guideline, because SOP may not change as rapidly as the environment and competition. Leaders foster a climate that encourages their Sailors to come up with better and more innovative ways to accomplish the mission.

• Strengthen Others/Build Up Your People – Leaders focus on making their Sailors grow and create an environment where all Sailors win, thereby making the entire command stronger.

• Generate Unity of Purpose – Leaders work to not only change undesirable behaviors but to alter the underlying attitudes. By working toward a mutual respect for all Sailors, they level the playing field, permitting all Sailors to perform at the highest levels.

• Cultivate Quality of Life – Leaders actively integrate fun into the work experience. Leaders want their Sailors to have as much fun from 6 am to 6 pm as they do at home from 6 pm to 6 am.

From Navy Command Excellence Seminar - Navigating a New Course to Command Excellence as implemented by CDR D. Michael Abrashoff on USS BENFOLD and as he wrote in It's Your Ship. Also see Command Excellence and the Wardroom.

Flag Officer Competencies - For Those of You On the Rise

Leading Change

• Skill in creating, communicating, and executing a strategic vision that will impact the future of the Navy and the Nation.
• Skill in linking innovative and strategic thinking in my command or organization to Navy and National strategies.
• Skill in demonstrating external awareness of world and national affairs that impact the Navy’s strategic vision.
• Skill in exercising flexibility to stimulate process development,evaluate new ideas, and achieve Navy Vision.
• Skill in providing clear guidance on expectations, achieving results, risk management, and mission accomplishment.
• Ability to engage in continual learning opportunities to master new knowledge, pursue self-development, and grasp new information.

Leading People

• Skill in motivating, inspiring, and mentoring military personnel through a positive attitude, enthusiastic leadership, and ethical behavior.
• Skill in motivating, inspiring, and mentoring civilian personnel (DoD and contractors) through a positive attitude, enthusiastic leadership, and ethical behavior.
• Skill in leading by professional example to promote team building and personnel development.
• Skill in managing conflict in a crisis by identifying potential situations that could result in unpleasant confrontations.
• Skill in managing conflict in a combat or wartime situation to maximize force effectiveness and enhance mission accomplishment.
• Skill in leveraging an ethnically and culturally diverse workforce to improve working environment and capitalize on achievements of each individual.

Stewarding Resources

• Comprehensive knowledge of and effective use of the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS).
• Proficiency in leveraging technology to enhance business acumen and skills, developing assessment processes, and analyzing alternatives.
• Broad understanding of principals of financial management and marketing sufficient to ensure appropriate funding and prioritization.
• Ability to assess current and future human resources and staffing requirements based on organizational goals and budget realities.
• Technical skill necessary to understand and apply procedures, requirements, regulations and policies, and to make sound resource decisions.
• Analytical and research abilities to frame problems, synthesize issues, formulate solutions, and recommend courses of action.

Externally Networking

• Skill in influencing and negotiating with people at all levels including civic leaders, Joint Staff, OSD, Inter-Agency, Congress, and White House.
• Diplomacy, political awareness, international savvy, and negotiating skills necessary to partner with foreign navies and governments.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to communicate extemporaneously to build networks and coalitions, and to accomplish missions.
• Skill in preparing and delivering quality oral presentations and written communications to demonstrate expertise and persuade others to accomplish objectives.
• Capacity to build and sustain effective networks through use of information technology.
• Knowledge of how and who to ask for the capabilities of other Services and Agencies as part of joint operations and warfare.

Integrating Results

• Skill in employing force to achieve Joint, Coalition, and Interagency objectives and missions.
• Knowledge of command and control, roles, doctrines, missions, and capabilities of Joint and Coalition Forces to conduct operational planning and execution in a complex environment.
• Resilience and flexibility to deal effectively with change, to focus on objectives under pressure, and to recover quickly from setbacks.
• Ability to exercise good judgment, perception, adaptiveness, and common sense necessary to integrate priorities and eliminate irrelevant information.
• Skill in measuring readiness and operational effectiveness to achieve and sustain Joint Operational Excellence.
• Ability to effectively advocate the use of Naval Forces and sea power within and outside the Navy and Marine Corps.
• Understanding the structures and organizations of other Services so that you can grasp how or why joint decisions might be made.
• Ability to integrate practices and rules of each Service to overcome cultural and operational differences and achieve joint objectives.

Accomplishing Mission

• Ability to exercise responsibility, good judgment, authority, and accountability in all aspects of this billet.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective controls which ensure the integrity of the command/organization while holding yourself and others accountable for rules and regulations.
• Proficiency in problem solving and continuous improvement techniques and processes to achieve concise and powerful results.
• Ability to create operational and work environments where decisiveness and risk management will optimize outcomes and force effectiveness.
• Skill in fully integrating naval forces into the joint team to maximize our advantages with dominant, precise, and persistent power.
• Ability to provide combatant commanders with flexible, agile, and capable naval forces for today’s dynamic and uncertain strategic environment.

More Admiral Arleigh A. Burke

Leadership is understanding people and involving them to help you do a job. That takes all of the good characteristics, like integrity, dedication of purpose, selflessness, knowledge, skill, implacability, as well as determination not to accept failure.

Admiral Arleigh A. Burke
Naval Leadership: Voices of Experience (1987)

Hope is Not a Method

If you are the leader, your people expect you to create their future. They look into your eyes, and they expect to see strength and vision. To be successful, you must inspire and motivate those who are following you. When they look into your eyes, they must see that you are with them.

General Gordon R. Sullivan
Hope is Not a Method (1996)

Persistence

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not…. Genius will not …. Education will not …. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge
President of the United States (1923-1929)

Want to be a better Naval officer?

Study Army leadership. Lessons are available here.

Officers and Chiefs - a distinction

Serving as a commissioned officer differs from other forms of Navy leadership by the quality and breadth of expert knowledge required, in the measure of responsibility attached, and in the magnitude of the consequences of inaction or ineffectiveness.

A Navy Chief swears an oath of obedience to lawful orders, while the Naval officer promises to, “well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office.”

This distinction establishes a different expectation for discretionary initiative. Officers should be driven to maintain the momentum of operations, possess courage to deviate from standing orders within the commander’s intent when required, and be willing to accept the responsibility and accountability for doing so.

While Naval officers depend on the counsel, technical skill, maturity, and experience of the Chief to translate their orders into action, the ultimate responsibility for mission success or failure resides with the Naval officer.

An Ideal Leader

An ideal leader has strong intellect, physical presence, professional competence, high moral character, and serves as a role model. A leader is able and willing to act decisively, within the intent and purpose of his superior leaders, and in the best interest of the organization. Leaders recognize that organizations, built on mutual trust and confidence, successfully accomplish peacetime and wartime missions. Organizations have many leaders. Everyone in the Navy is part of a chain of command and functions in the role of leader and subordinate. Being a good subordinate is part of being a good leader.

All Sailors and Navy civilians, at one time or another, must act as leaders and followers. Leaders are not always designated by position, rank, or authority. In many situations, it is appropriate for an individual to step forward and assume the role of leader. It is important to understand that leaders do not just lead subordinates—they also lead other leaders.

Everyone in the Navy is part of a team, and all team members have responsibilities inherent in belonging to that team.

(Actually taken from Army FM 6-22 Army Leadership. They have it right)

Corrupt A Young Officer

The surest way to corrupt a young officer is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike - than those who think differently.

Lieutenant Commander Fred Nietzsche

New IW Commanders for FY10

SPECIAL DUTY OFFICER
(INFORMATION WARFARE - CRYPTOLOGY)

BABCOCK JASON B
CHACE ALAN J
COUDEYRAS JAMES CHRIST
COUNT PATRICK A
DAVIS JOEL DUDLEY
DUPRE JOSEPH E
ELLIOT MICHAEL CHARLTON
FRANKLIN CLARENCE JR
GIBSON ETHAN COLE
GLEESON DAVID A
HANSEN JOSHUA C
HAUSVIK JENNA K
HENDERSON-COFFEY JAMES
KEITH CYNTHIA MICHELLE
LINDY FRED L
MCGINNIS SHAWN W
MICHAUD KRISTOFER DALE
MOLE KURTIS ARTHUR
OUBRE DONOVAN I
RIOS CESAR GUILEBALDO
RODGERS WILLIAM L III
SANDER DANIEL JAMES
SNYDER TRISHA RAE
TODD MICHAEL J
WALKER ALLISA M

** SEVEN above the zone selections**
All strong Naval officers.

Officership - Self Development and Learning

Learning is a lifelong process. Institutional training and operational assignments alone do not ensure that Naval officers attain and sustain the degree of competency needed to perform their varied missions. Officership requires comprehensive self-study and training. Leaders must commit to a lifetime of professional and personal growth to stay at the cutting edge of their profession. They must keep pace with changing operational requirements, new technologies, common weapons platforms, and evolving doctrines. Every officer is responsible for his or her own self-development.

Self-assessment and taking appropriate remedial or reinforcing action is critical to a leader’s success. Self-development programs include activities that stretch the individual beyond the demands of on-the-job or institutional training. Self-development, consisting of individual study, research, professional reading, practice, and self-assessment, is accomplished via numerous means (that is, studying, observing, and experiencing) and is consistent with an officer’s personal self-development action plan and professional goals. Self-development is the key aspect of individual officer qualification that solidifies the leader development process.

I Hear You...But I Don't Know If I Can Believe You.

You are immediately placed in a position where you are given the chance to make a positive impact both on the Navy and on the global community, a chance to defend the country. Take advantage of that opportunity, and make sure the lives of the Sailors around you and in the boat are improved by your presence. —Lt. Nicholas E. Saflund, USS Cheyenne (SSN-773)

"Junior officers are the future of the military and the future of the nation's security. How they are grown in the service is the key to the military's success.

If you break their will, extinguish their passion, or squelch their dreams, you will be taking something that does not belong to you. They want responsibility. They want the chance to make good and to do good. They want you to care – not for them, but about them.

They may be tired, but they are wise beyond their years. It's up to us to keep as much of that wisdom as we can inside the institution, where we need it most. Their decision to stay or leave is a matter of national security."

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to National Defense University graduates on June 11, 2009

These words must be followed with actions that demonstrate the truth in those words. What actions will we see from the Chairman and senior leadership to give those words meaning? Words have meaning; actions have consequences.

40 Years Ago Today

A Naval Aviation Observer insignia was authorized to be worn by Naval Aviation Observers not designated as Flight Officers.

Chapter 8 - U.S. Navy Regulations

The Commanding Officer

Article 0802. Responsibility.

1. The responsibility of the commanding officer for his or her command is absolute, except when, and to the extent to which, he or she has been relieved therefrom by competent authority, or as provided otherwise in these regulations. The authority of the commanding officer is commensurate with his or her responsibility. While the commanding officer may, at his or her discretion, and when not contrary to law or regulations, delegate authority to subordinates for the execution of details, such delegation or authority shall in no way relieve the commanding officer of continued responsibility for the safety, well-being and efficiency of the entire command.

Bill Reichert Gets It!!

Certainly the Navy is not perfect. As in any organization, there are egos and frustrations and resentments. And people make mistakes, and bad things happen. Not everyone agrees with every decision made up the chain of command, or back in Washington, DC. The Navy understands that it is not well-served by squashing free thought, but everyone in the Navy appreciates that there is a time and a place for debate, and the deal is that you are signed up to do what the organization needs you to do once you are on the line.

Not every entrepreneur wants to model his or her organization and culture on the Navy. For many entrepreneurs, indeed, that is a very unappealing concept, but that’s because they don’t really understand what makes the Navy one of the most effective organizations on the planet. Like any other successful organization, it’s about the people, not about the technology. The key is harnessing the incredible potential of every individual through inspiration, training, and teamwork.

Honor. Courage. Commitment. Not bad principles for any company.
______________
Bill Reichert is a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures , a seed-stage venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, CA. His post in its entirety on USNI BLOG

Guy Kawasaki also gets it. You can read his blog about NIMITZ here.

Surviving and Thriving in the OPNAV Environment - Cubicle Leadership

Reports are that the CNO is preparing for some long-awaited changes in the OPNAV organization. It's always worthwhile to look at prior studies on reorganization in such cases.

The following is part of the executive summary of OPNAV Functional Reorganization Study: Final Report by Frederick D. Thompson and Christopher A. Trenholm (Center for Naval Analyses) - written nearly 20 years ago (1990).

The Approach to the study:

OPNAV makes decisions regarding (1) current and programmed forces; (2) the technical R&D opportunities to pursue; and (3) how Navy missions, functions, and policies should be articulated. The organizational structure of OPNAV is clearly only one component, perhaps even a minor one, in contributing to how these decisions are made. OPNAV decisions on forces and R&D undergo subsequent approvals by the Department of the Navy Secretariat, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the President, and Congress. Even if there were a direct link between organizational structure and decisions, no objective measure exists for determining whether OPNAV decisions are "right" or "wrong," because there are no definitive measures of force effectiveness or of the true military promise of emerging technologies. A confounding factor is the lack of explicit, concrete examples of perceived "wrong" decisions that could form the basis for case studies.

Warfare Centers of Excellence… Providing Naval Warfighting Improvements

The stand up of the Surface Warfare, Expeditionary Warfare, and Command and Control Warfare Centers of Excellence is currently in staffing.

• The Warfare Centers of Excellence will serve as operationally-focused honest brokers working across organizational lines to make us more proficient warfighters and more effective contributors to joint and coalition forces.
• Warfare Centers of Excellence will play a key role in winning the fight if it happens today, in improving the force of tomorrow, and in anticipating and outpacing future challenges.

Where will they put the Information Operations/Warfare Center of Excellence???

Read the CNO's RhumbLines here.

IW Flag Selection Announced

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
Flag Officer Announcements

Navy Captain Sean R. Filipowski (former Commanding Officer of NIOC Fort Gordon, Georgia; NSGA Yokosuka, Yokosuka; COMSEVENTH Fleet Cryptologist and Executive Officer NSGA Misawa, Japan) has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). Filipowski is currently serving as division director, Computer Network Operations, N33, Naval Network Warfare Command, Fort George G. Meade, Md.

11/17/09 Update: Captain Sean R. Filipowski, U.S. Navy is currently serving as Director, Cyber, Sensors, and Electronic Warfare, OPNAV N2N6F3 in the Pentagon.

NAVY IG Criticism of Computer Based Training

First, read the post from 7 June on Taking care of our Sailors.

"It is our fundamental responsibility to ensure our Sailors possess the right equipment, training, education and support to do their jobs effectively and safely."

The Navy IG suggests that we aren't getting the job done with regard to ensuring our Sailors are getting the right training. The Navy Times story is here.

Phil Ewing, the writer for Navy Times, told me that that full IG report would be available on the Navy Times website on Monday, 15 June. And, here it is.

POSITIVE WORDS MISSING FROM INITIAL REPORTING:

At all sites visited, we found a cadre of knowledgeable and dedicated professionals committed to providing the highest quality of service and support to our Sailors. Though they frequently work in a resource constrained environment, they are focused on continual process improvement throughout the training domain.

NO NONSENSE OFFICER - Better Than A Medal - A Letter From CNO

11 Years Ago Today. This letter provided sufficient motivation to carry me to retirement 8 years later. Do your Sailor a favor - write them a letter and tell them they are doing a good job. I guarantee you'll get EVEN more effort from them.

Personnel Policies

Sailors are the Navy's most important asset. When you are a leader, you realize that what you can accomplish is limited only by the small number of take charge Sailors you can personally tap and press into service. There are more problems than leaders. A competent Sailor who has been trained and inculcated is not a trivial organizational asset. An extraordinary Sailor who can truly lead is nearly invaluable.

At the same time, if the Navy's personnel policies start to turn Sailors off, remember that, despite the conventional wisdom, you never lose the deadwood first. At first blush it seems you will, because your good Sailors are motivated, involved and interested in the Navy, while the deadwood had been thinking about leaving anyway.

RADM Dave Oliver in LEAD ON - A Practical Approach to Leadership

Taking Care of Our 'Veteran' Sailors

Lewis Hopkins hobbled down the steps, his left arm in a sling and decades-old shrapnel embedded throughout his 87-year-old body.

“Do you need some help?’’ someone asked.

“I don’t need no help,’’ he barked as he descended the stairs of the Quarterdeck building at Corry Station on Friday. “We whupped them at Midway, so I don’t need any help going down stairs.’’

Hopkins and seven other Battle of Midway veterans were honored Friday at Corry Station during a ceremony marking the 67th anniversary of the historic Battle of Midway, a turning point in World War II.

Photo is Captain Connie Frizzell (the first female and youngest Commanding Officer of the Center for Information Dominance at Corry Station - Pensacola, Florida) at the 67th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of Midway with Lewis Hopkins. Captain Frizzell is currently serving on the Joint Staff.

Taking Care of Our Sailors

We must provide every Navy Sailor the ability to go anywhere, anytime to defend the nation's interests successfully, and to survive.

It is our fundamental responsibility to ensure our Sailors possess the right equipment, training education and support to do their jobs effectively and safely.

Accordingly, we must prioritize our resources to ensure our people are trained and equipment is maintained at the highest possible state of readiness.

From THE NAVY POLICY BOOK - 1979

The Will to Sea Power

"A Navy that does not possess the will to sea power is a stillborn child."

Nachlass Wegener

We must remember that the old navy graciously welcomed every suggestion that could serve naval development.

Is Cryptology Dead?

Interesting post over on the USNI Blog by a retired Senior Chief.

Imagine . . .

Creating a Navy leadership culture so vibrant that when Sailors woke up in the morning and thought about the imminent day ahead at sea (or ashore), they wouldn't be overcome with dread and would not doubt whether or not they would survive the day. Instead, they would be filled with excitement and anticipation of the day ahead - knowing they could put themselves headlong into their work and do something cool, something significant, something meaningful.

Well, it's happening every day - on ships like USS GONZALES, USS HARRY S. TRUMAN, USS THE SULLIVANS and so many others. And it's happening ashore in places like NIOC Yokosuka, Japan; NIOC Whidbey Island, WA and NIOC Texas.

Help make it happen at your command - read Steve Farber's books.

Digital Defense - We Use The Term "Probed"

A command at Little Creek shows that information technology is just as important as aircraft carriers. The Navy fights it thousands of times an hour. Someone, somewhere, pokes at the outer layer of its classified computer networks, attempting to find a way in. “We use the term ‘probed,’ “ Rear Adm. Edward H. Deets III said. “Someone is actually interested in exploiting a vulnerability.”

RADM Deets is the No. 2 person in charge of the Navy’s Network Warfare Command. The Sailors there work tirelessly to keep those digital armored doors shut tight. They have to. Having “secure information flowing in real time that our commanders can be confident in” is critical, RADM Deets said. "Many of those commanders, he pointed out, are in Iraq and Afghanistan and on battlefields where the role of RADM Deets’ Sailors is now considered as important as that of a tank driver, a fighter pilot or an infantry officer.

By Stephanie Heinatz, Newport News Daily Press, October 29, 2006

Leadership Lessons of a lifetime in the Navy

Lessons in life and leadership from one of the Navy's greats - Admiral Tim Keating.

• If you figure everybody is senior to you, and regard them that way and give them that respect - whether they are or not isn't so important - it will allow you to develop the capacity to listen, to pay attention and to learn.
• There isn't anybody who doesn't have a good idea and isn't eager to do their job. And, when given a certain amount of latitude and authority and responsibility, in an extraordinarily high percentage of the cases, they rise to the occasion.
• Drive the authority down to the appropriate level. Give some general guidance, and then kind of get out of the way and let people do their jobs at the level at which they are capable, capitalizing on the training and equipment they've received.
• When forced to make tough decisions, strive to ensure they're "firm, fair, consistent and honest.
• You won't always have the blessing of sufficient time to explain every decision you make. Sometimes they're hard, and have to be made in a split second.
• Whenever possible, seek advice and counsel from "an immensely dedicated, smart group of men and women" - the ones who are working for you.
• If you give people the time to make their recommendation, sort through the facts and decide to do what you think is best for our nation, your command and the men and women who are going to have to do the heavy lifting, most times it turns out to be a pretty good decision.
  

Admiral Keating said his United States Naval Academy experience reaffirmed many of the leadership lessons he learned from his Mother and Father at his childhood dinner table.

But he also pointed to several major figures he said influenced him and his leadership style during his career:

• Retired Navy Rear Adm. Thomas A. Mercer - his first fleet squadron commanding officer.
• Navy Adm. William J. Crowe, the former PACOM commander for whom Keating served as a military aide while a flag lieutenant, gave Keating wide exposure to the Asia-Pacific region and new approaches to addressing the challenges there.
  
• Another former PACOM commander, retired Adm. Joseph Prueher, became Keating's close friend and advisor.
• Retired Rear Adm. Jack Zerr, who assumed command of Keating's squadron after its commanding officer died in a tragic accident, provided a "spectacular" model of leadership as he looked out for the health and welfare of everyone in his charge, Keating said. "I try to live those lessons every day," he said.
• Retired Marine Gen. Peter Pace, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, left a deep impression, Keating said, citing his "towering integrity and abiding interest in the men and women in uniform."
• His wonderful wife Wanda. One of the most profound influences on Keating came early in his career, when he was serving with Attack Squadron 122 at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. "Wanda Lee is a perfect example of the strength you can draw from a partner who understands the importance of what you are doing and makes every sacrifice to help you achieve your command and personal goals," he said. "She is every bit as dedicated to faith, family and friends and country as anyone in uniform."

FROM NAVY NEWS...

National Intelligence Medal for Valor

CTT1(SW) Stephen Daugherty recently received (posthumously) one of the nation's top awards in the intelligence community for his bravery and contribution to cryptology.

"It was an honor for the Intelligence Community to bestow one of its highest awards on Stephen – the National Intelligence Medal for Valor – in deep appreciation for his example of courage," said Admiral Dennis C. Blair, Director of National Intelligence (DNI), about the dedication. "It is entirely fitting that the Department of the Navy has honored the memory of Cryptologic Technician Technical First Class (SW) Steven P. Daugherty by giving his name to its new Assessment Center at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division." Stephen was born on 16 May 1979 and was killed in Iraq on 6 July 2007.

The Medal for Valor recognizes heroism and courage in connection with an Intelligence Community contribution to national security. It is second only to the Intelligence Cross in IC awards for bravery. The DNI established the awards Oct. 1, 2008, to properly acknowledge the extraordinary and mostly unsung accomplishments of Intelligence Community members.

No Sailor is Ever Alone

“No Sailor in the Navy is ever alone, we're all in this together, so it's up to all of us to remember what we do makes a difference to our shipmates and our Navy. Reaching out and using available resources makes individual Sailors and the Navy a stronger force. Remember: “Ship, Shipmate, Self”...One team, one fight.”

- MCPON Rick West
MCPON'S NEW WEB SITE