Admiral Munns - Revisited

P 092106Z JUN 05 PSN 727541I26
FM COMNAVSUBFOR NORFOLK VA//N00//
TO ALSUBFOR
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UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR COMMANDING OFFICERS INFO ADM DONALD FROM VADM MUNNS
MSGID/GENADMIN/COMNAVSUBFOR/-/JUN//

SUBJ/OFFICER TACTICAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT//

RMKS/1. CAPTAINS, AS OUR HUMAN CAPITAL STRATEGY MOVES FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY DISCUSS WITH YOU IN THIS MESSAGE ONE OF YOUR FOREMOST OBLIGATIONS TO THE FORCE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR OFFICERS' TACTICAL SKILLS. AS THE SUBMARINE ENTERPRISE FOCUSES ON THE CO NODE, YOUR FOCUS MUST INCLUDE THE CRUCIAL DEPARTMENT HEAD NODE BECAUSE THIS IS THE FORMATIVE CAREER PHASE WHEN FUTURE COMMANDING OFFICERS MUST TRULY DEVELOP THEIR WARFIGHTING SKILLS. IN USING THE TERM SKILLS, I MEAN MUCH MORE THAN THE HIGH STANDARD OF KNOWLEDGE YOU EXPECT OF A NEWLY REPORTED DEPARTMENT HEAD, I ALSO MEAN RICH AND VARIED EXPERIENCES. WHILE THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT YOUR JUNIOR WATCH OFFICERS ARE READY TO TAKE THE DECK AND THE CONN, RECOGNIZE THAT A DEPARTMENT HEAD NEEDS HARD-EARNED EXPERIENCE AND GROOMING IN THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SUBMARINE WARFARE IF HE IS TO ONE DAY HAVE YOUR JOB. THE PATH TO GET THERE CANNOT BYPASS AMPLE TIME ON THE CONN.

2. WITH AN AVERAGE OF ELEVEN JUNIOR OFFICERS IN EVERY WARDROOM, THE BALANCING OF EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS YOUR TEAM CAN BE A DAUNTING LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE. FURTHER, YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS LABOR UNDER AN EVER-PRESENT ADMIN BURDEN THAT COULD, WITHOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ATTENTION, CAPTURE ALL OF THEIR ENERGY. WE MUST FIND THE BALANCE IN THIS TOUGH EQUATION TO MAKE YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS SEASONED WARFIGHTERS WHILE ALSO MAKING YOUR JUNIOR OFFICERS COMPETENT SHIP DRIVERS.

3. BE AWARE THAT THE OVER ACCESSION OF JUNIOR OFFICERS HAS SUBSIDED, AND WARDROOM SIZE SHOULD RETURN TO NORMAL AS THE CURRENT GROUP TRANSFERS TO SHORE DUTY. UNTIL THEN, USE THE EXPERIENCE LOG, SOLICIT YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS' PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, DISCUSS YOUR SITUATION WITH YOUR COMMODORE AND, AS ALWAYS, RELY HEAVILY ON YOUR OWN OBSERVATIONS AND INTUITION TO DEVELOP YOUR ACTION PLAN.

4. THE FUTURE OF THE SUBMARINE FORCE DEPENDS UPON YOUR PERSONAL ABILITY TO COACH, MENTOR, AND INSPIRE YOUR OFFICERS. YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AS WELL AS YOUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS NEED YOUR MENTORSHIP TO FURTHER DEVELOP AND HONE SUBMARINE WARFIGHTING SKILLS.

5. I WOULD ASK THAT YOU SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND METHODS WITH EACH OTHER, AND WHERE YOU THINK YOU HAVE A BEST PRACTICE, PASS IT UP THROUGH YOUR ISIC.

6. KEEP CHARGING, AND GOOD TEACHING, C. L. MUNNS.//