Commander Albert Angel - Can the Navy's TENTH Fleet Effectively Combat the Cyber Threat?

Abstract: During World War II, the U.S. faced a burgeoning technological threat to its security with the advent of Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare. The U.S. Navy faced this danger head on and stood up Tenth Fleet to protect allied shipping and convoys through the expanded use of intelligence and information to significantly diminish the U-boat threat. In 2009, the U.S. Navy reconstituted its Tenth Fleet to again confront a dangerous and growing threat, this time in cyberspace. Although cyberspace has greatly enhanced the way people communicate, conduct business and relate to each other, it has also allowed for some severe unintended consequences, namely the ability for state and non-state actors to use this domain to cause us harm. This modern cyber threat is growing rapidly and poses a serious risk to our nation’s economic and national security interests. This paper explores the historical roots of Tenth Fleet and the innovation and lessons learned during WWII to better enable the reconstituted Tenth Fleet to protect, deter and defend against the growing cyber threat.

Commander Albert Angel is the Executive Officer of Navy Information Operations Command Texas in San Antonio, Texas.

You can read his complete U.S. Army War College thesis Strategy Research Project HERE.

Writing

"The pen is the tongue of the mind."

Cervantes

Commander Joe Nadeau and USS SHOUP (DDG86) return to homeport

Commander Joe Nadeau and USS SHOUP (DDG86) returned home from a six month deployment with the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN strike group. While supporting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, USS SHOUP also foiled an attack by Somali pirates in November on a merchant ship off Africa. USS SHOUP dispatched a helicopter, and the pirates fled by the time a team from USS  SHOUP boarded the ship and found the crew unharmed.

Some may recall that USS SHOUP and a civilian vessel collided in the late hours of 1 August 2010.  The Navy conducted a thorough investigation. USS SHOUP and her crew were cleared of responsibility in that collision.

Effective leaders...

Michael Fullen

I identified five action-and-mind sets that effective leaders combine:

• a strong sense of moral purpose,
• an understanding of the dynamics of change,
• an emotional intelligence as they build relationships,
• a commitment to developing and sharing new knowledge, and
• a capacity for coherence making (enough coherence on the edge of chaos to still be creative).

Leadership Attributes

The Army Leader Development Strategy identifies three critical leadership attributes for all Army leaders: character, presence and intellect. In addition to those three foundational attributes, we assert that strategic leaders must be inquisitive and open-minded. They must be able to think critically and be capable of developing creative solutions to complex problems. They must be historically minded; that is, they must be able to see and articulate issues in historical context. Possessed of a strong personal and professional ethic, strategic leaders must be able to navigate successfully in ethical “gray zones,” where absolutes may be elusive. Similarly, they must be comfortable with ambiguity and able to provide advice and make decisions with less, not more, information. While all leaders need these qualities, the complexity of problems will increase over the course of an officer’s career and require strategic leaders to develop greater sophistication of thought. 

General Martin Dempsey
His article, Building Critical Thinkers, is HERE.

CNO Notes Fusion of Intelligence, Operations

By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The fusion of intelligence and operations is an important advance that has taken shape during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the chief of naval operations (CNO) told the Defense Writers Group March 23.

CNO Adm. Gary Roughead said the ability for intelligence to be in the hands of operators and decision-makers in almost real time has been extraordinary.

He said advances during the wars have brought together the intelligence, and command and control organizations at all levels.

"I really do think that we have the potential ... to change how we fuse intelligence and operations," Roughead said.

CNO pointed to communications as an example of this melding, noting to the audience of defense journalists that their access to information, and the ways they disseminate it have changed markedly.

"We're seeing the same thing," he said. "How do you fold that into structures and processes is the next step."

Roughead said the fusion is more than simply putting intelligence people and operations specialists in the same room. The fusion allows intelligence professionals to see what types of information are most helpful to operations personnel, while operations personnel have a closer knowledge of what is possible and what questions to ask their intelligence brethren.

He said it goes beyond combat information centers or brigade operations offices. Roughead said he merged his service's intelligence and command and control career fields. He also created the 10th Fleet – a global fleet that has cyberspace at its battleground.

From www.navy.mil

CYBERCOM Commander's Strategic Initiatives

We will pursue resolution of the capacity, resources, and information technology efficiencies issues we face through the five strategic initiatives of the department’s strategy. We intend to:

• Treat cyberspace as a domain for the purposes of organizing, training, and equipping, so that DoD can take full advantage of cyberspace’s potential in military, intelligence, and business operations
• Employ new defense operating concepts, including active cyber defenses, such as screening traffic, to protect DoD networks and systems
• Partner closely with other U.S. government departments and agencies and the private sector to enable a whole-of-government strategy and an integrated national approach to cyber security
• Build robust relationships with U.S. allies and international partners to enable information sharing and strengthen collective cyber security.
• Leverage the Nation’s ingenuity by recruiting and retaining an exceptional cyber workforce and to enable rapid technological innovation.  

From General Alexander's testimony to the HASC HERE.

Maine Native Helps Navy Chart New Frontier--Cyber Security

The strength of the U.S. Navy, historically, has been measured by the might of its ships on seas around the world. But, Rear Admiral Bill Leigher's command is truly uncharted territory.

Rear Admiral William E. Leigher , a graduate of Camden Rockport High School and University of Southern Maine, is deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/ U.S. 10th Fleet. He will be the guest speaker at USM's monthly Corporate Partners Breakfast, discussing cyber threats and national security.


Click on the link in the column to the left to listen to Admiral Leigher.

THIRD STAR - Some are saying...N2/N6 replacement for VADM Dorsett

Commander, Navy Cyber Forces 

Rear Admiral Thomas P. Meek assumed command of Navy Cyber Forces in May 2010.

A native of Michigan, RADM Meek graduated from the University of Michigan in 1979, completed graduate school at Michigan State University in 1981, and was commissioned through Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1982.  He is a 1995 graduate of both the Naval War College and the Joint Forces Staff College.

RADM Meek’s sea duty assignments include Attack Squadron 165; Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet staff and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75).  

Shore duty assignments include Fleet Ocean Surveillance Information Facility, WESTPAC in Japan; CTG 168.0, an overt human intelligence collection organization in Washington DC; intelligence detailer and placement officer at the Bureau of Naval Personnel; Attaché assignments in Germany and Albania; Deputy Director of Intelligence at U.S Atlantic Fleet/Fleet Forces Command; Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet; Executive Assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence; and Deputy Chief of Staff/Director for Intelligence at U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Previous flag assignments include Deputy Director for Customer Relationships at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Md.; Senior Intelligence Officer at U.S. Southern Command in Miami, Fla.; and Director of the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Washington DC.

RADM Meek is the recipient of various individual, campaign and unit awards, including three Defense Superior Service Medals, two awards of the Legion of Merit, and the National Intelligence Reform Medal.

Resistance to change - FUTILE !

Change breeds resistance. As with any head to toe transformation, organizations face institutional barriers they must overcome in order to achieve success. “It brings to mind a quote from Niccolo Machiavelli,” ponders VADM Dorsett.“Machiavelli said, ‘There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.’” Dorsett acknowledges that the creation of Information Dominance focus is truly a revolutionary idea, and that it took Admiral Roughead’s leadership to bring it all to bear and to move boldly into this arena. “The institutional barriers,” admits Dorsett, “are nothing unique to the Navy; they are barriers you will see anywhere when you are trying to transform an institution. We can overcome them with progress, with momentum, and with success. Success builds on success.” 

IBM - The Business of Government Fall-Winter Issue is HERE.

A Public Service Note for GOVSEC

Thanks again for your support and help spreading the word to your readers about GovSec 2011! We're gearing up for an exciting event next week and I want you to be one of the first to know about a special GovSec meet-up we're organizing on the afternoon of Thursday, March 31st.
The meet-up will take place in the back of Hall B immediately following the keynote presentation from Nicholas Stein, series producer of National Geographic Channel's hit show "Border Wars," which is from 1pm to 2pm (http://bit.ly/SteinKeynote). It will be an excellent opportunity for attendees to network with each other and continue the conversation about border protection and other security topics covered throughout the event.

Will you let your readers know about this meet-up and spread the word to your networks?  Since the Expo is free, the meet-up will be as well! We'd appreciate your help. I've included sample copy about the meet-up below, which you can use for blog posts, newsletters and/or tweets. We also have a page on twtvite with details on the meet-up, where attendees can RSVP via Twitter if they choose (although an RSVP is not required):  http://twtup.com/GovSec2011Meetup

Thanks, Mike! Please let me know if you are planning to attend GovSec next week and how we can help your efforts sharing this with your readers.
Best,

Tanya Stanfield
GovSec 2011 Team/Tuvel Communications
GovSec is a client of Tuvel Communications

Good writing

"The secret of good writing is to say an old thing in a new way or to say a new thing in an old way."

Richard Harding Davis

Photo is by Little Booby.
               

Thought Leadership

Rear Admiral Bill Leigher has provided some much needed and highly visible cryptologic community "thought leadership" in his USNI Proceedings article Learning to Operate in Cyberspace.  This same type of "thought leadership" is being provided behind a firewall for members of the cryptologic community with the wherewithal and security clearance credentials to seek it.  Those with a genuine "need to know" can check out the Admiral's blog post on SIPRNET at http://www.fleetforces.navy.smil.mil/registration/default.aspx.  I expect we'll hear more and more from the Admiral as the re-emergence of naval cryptology suggested by the Chief of Naval Operations in his congressional testimony, speeches, POM submission and CNO guidance becomes more evident.

When I am talking about a thought leader, I am using Jean Van Rennselar's four key descriptors:

• A thought leader is a verifiable expert, not a rogue commentator.
• A thought leader is a creative pragmatist, not necessarily a visionary.
• A thought leader is, not just willing, but eager to give information away.
• A thought leader is motivated by generosity, not self-interest.

You have to give Rear Admiral Leigher an upcheck on all four criteria.

Authority, Responsibility, and Accountability

Any questions?  Go HERE.  And thank you Admiral John Harvey, Commander, Fleet Forces Command for answering the question.

Hat tip to LCDR Andy Newsome, the Information Warfare Officer Community Manager.

Not a happy day in the Information Dominance Corps

Information Dominance Leadership Notes

March 6, 2011

By Dan Lawrence  

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONALS WEBSITE

VADM Dorsett made the following announcement as part of an e-mail to his senior staff on Thursday March 3 and we thought it would be of interest to the NIP membership:

---

Separately, and speaking of time, let me take this opportunity to inform you all of my intent to retire from the Navy. It’s time. I plan to depart in early June 2011 after 33 years in the Navy … and three very exciting years on the OPNAV staff. 

Please allow me to acknowledge my deep appreciation for all your contributions towards the Navy’s mission. It’s been a thrill to work with you…and I look forward to continuing our work together over the next three months. You can all be very proud that you’ve been at the fore of a very impressive transformation of the U.S. Navy. I thank you for your steadfast devotion and most impressive achievements. Keep the press on in the months and years ahead…your work is inspirational.

For those who might be interested, I expect my relief to be named in the weeks ahead.

And for those who think I’m gonna relax…I still have my running shoes on…there’s much left to be done in my time remaining!

VR Jack Dorsett, VADM, USN

Retain our prestige

"If we are to retain our prestige; if we are to keep our place as one of the great custodians of civilization; if we are to preserve the heritage of our freedom and our institutions and transmit that heritage unsullied to our descendants; if we are to guard our families and our firesides; let us keep in our hands the power that God has given us, and renounce once and forever the sophistries of the Delilahs of pacifism, that would shear the Navy of its strength."

Captain Luke McNamee
Director of Naval Intelligence, 1923

Saying "No" - Maybe you meant to say "Yes"

As an officer, you are a person in authority.  Many questions will come to you for decision.  The choice you make in the mere saying of "Yes" or "No" may constitute the measure of your success.  A weak man will say "Yes" when it takes courage to say "No", thus sometimes destroying policies which may have been wisely conceived.  Or an unwise man may say "No" when he should say "Yes", and by obstruction destroy the morale of an entire group of men.  It takes a happy combination of courage and wisdom to say "No" at the right time and in the right place.  Small as the word may be, it will have a profound effect upon the success of any person who is placed in authority.

The manner of expression, also, is important.  Some officers have the happy faculty of refusing a request without causing resentment or unhappiness.  For others, the opposite is true.  Some cannot help being disagreeable about a refusal and thus cause resentment.  Many years ago a staff officer observed that, while the Admiral disapproved many requests which reached him, nearly all officers who left his cabin were in good humor.  The staff officer asked the Admiral what method he used.  The Admiral replied,

"I have mediated long and hard on the importance of saying 'no'.  There are different ways of saying it.  I can think of it as one word, or 25 words or 500 words.  The one-word 'No' is for the multitude of small decisions , impersonal in nature, which you continually bring to my desk.  The 25-word 'No' is for disapproving a request or recommendation made by a valued subordinate who needs to know something of my reasons, so that he will not be deterred from making further suggestions.  I save the 500-word 'No' for disapproval of those occasional embarrassing demands which reach me from Big-and-Little Potentates and Grand Pooh-bahs, whose fleeting positions of importance make it inadvisable for me to antagonize them by denying requests which my conscience tells me not to grant.  In this way, I try to solve the wounds of those who depart without achieving their ends.  But there is the interesting dividend which, surprisingly, accrues from this method-by forcing myself to present sound and acceptable reasons for each refusal, I often discover that, after all, the correct answer is 'Yes'."

The Naval Officer's Manual

July 1951

Rear Admiral Harley Cope, USN - retired

"NO" - maybe it's another way to say "Yes".

 

Honor

An officer must observe honor in all things, as a matter of everlasting practice.  Officers will be respected, individually and as a group, only as long as citizens have complete confidence in their unfailing honor.

An officer's word may be accepted without question; his spoken and written statements are free from guile or deceit.  He pays his bills.  He is above the petty chicaneries to which some people succumb.  His actions are for the good of his country.  As he guards his own reputation, he is also mindful of the reputations of officers as a group.  That reputation is something he must always jealously guard.  He is expected to live and conduct his activities so that he can hold up his head and look all men in the eye, knowing that he is an honorable man associating himself with other honorable men.

From:
The Naval Officer's Manual
July 1951
Rear Admiral Harley Cope
USN - retired

Seth Godin's Seven Questions For Leaders

1. Do you let the facts get in the way of a good story?
2. What do you do with people who disagree with you... do you call them names in order to shut them down?
3. Are you open to multiple points of view or you demand compliance and uniformity? [Bonus: Are you willing to walk away from a project or customer or employee who has values that don't match yours?]
4. Is it okay if someone else gets the credit?
5. How often are you able to change your position?
6. Do you have a goal that can be reached in multiple ways?
7. If someone else can get us there faster, are you willing to let them?

No textbook answers... It's easy to get tripped up by these. In fact, most leaders I know do.

 

More from Seth Godin HERE.

Number ONE Habit of Successful Information Warfare Officer Leaders

1. They lead.

Not a good writer

"I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter."

— James Michener

For Our Many Friends in Japan

You can donate to the Japanese Red Cross HERE.  It is far more efficient than donating to the American Red Cross and hoping your donation finds its way to Japan.

Writing

"Writing is an act of hope. It means carving order out of chaos, of challenging one’s own beliefs and assumptions, of facing the world with eyes and heart wide open. Through writing we declare a personal identity amid faceless anonymity. We find purpose and beauty and meaning even when the rational mind argues that none of these exist.  

Writing therefore, is also an act of courage. How much easier is it to lead an unexamined life than to confront yourself on the page?"

— Jack Heffron (from “The Writer’s Idea Book”)

Navy Lessons Learned

We in the Navy have one of the most comprehesive "lessons learned" databases in the Department of Defense.  And, in reviewing those lessons learned, I believe there are few lessons that we have actually learned.  Our knowledge management processes are woefully inadequate to actually putting our lessons learned to good use.  We relearn lessons every day.  Sometimes at great expense.

Captain
Navy Warfare Development Command

Learn more HERE.

The American's Creed

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity, for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my Country to love it, to support its constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its Flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

William Tyler Page
(From the Boy Scout handbook)

Iconic Navy cryptologic officer loses valiant battle with cancer

Captain Fred R. Demech, Jr., U.S. Navy (Retired), a resident of Moosic, died peacefully on March 11, 2011 after a battle with cancer.  Ironically, Interestingly, he passed away on what could have been the 76th Anniversary of the former Naval Security Group.

He was born on June 1, 1940 in Taylor, son of the late Fred and Minnie Uritz Demech. He graduated from Pittston High School, Wilkes College, the Naval War College, and the National War College. Commissioned as Ensign in 1962, he served in the Navy for over 27 years, retiring in 1989. He was a career cryptologist and a qualified Surface Warfare Officer.

As a Navy Captain and Presidential Appointee, he twice served as the Executive Director for the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board  (PFIAB) in the White House. For his service, he was awarded the nation’s highest peacetime military decoration, The Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

For two years, he was Commanding Officer of the Navy’s largest cryptologic base in Edzell, Scotland, a 1000 person overseas facility. This command won the coveted Travis Trophy (awarded by the Director of the National Security Agency) that identified it as the top communications site in the Department of Defense. For his service he was awarded the Legion of Merit. He also served as Executive Assistant to three senior flag offices, Research and Technical Officer aboard two ships, and Operations and Executive Officer at several shore stations.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Janet; a daughter Lesley D’Andrea, and husband Robert of Doylestown; two grandsons, Kevin and Brian D’Andrea; and a sister Carolyn Salvaggio of Forty Fort.

I believe

The Lost Art of Writing - Colonel Littleton

Somewhere along the way, good manners, etiquette and civility seem to have gotten lost. Yet, many people today still yearn for the genteel social graces that have served this nation well.     The tipping of a hat, helping a woman with her chair, placing your hand over your heart during the national anthem and a handwritten thank you note or letter on fine stationery.     We can't do much to influence all things proper, but we can produce products to aid the cause.     In today's fast-paced world of tweeting, texting and email, nothing says you care more about the recipient than taking time to write something in your own hand.     That's why we offer a full line of hand-engraved personalized stationery on 100% cotton, heavy stock paper.     Nothing cute, cheap, too colorful, scented, trendy or slick. Just traditional elegant stationery in ecru or white, with black or blue ink - hand engraved from copper plates.     It's our hope that this stationery will serve to call to your mind the great merits of traditional form, style and civility.   Regards, P.S.  Soldiers have always cherished letters from home and protected them like treasure. I keep every handwritten letter I have ever received in a box in my office.   Occasionally, I pull out the ones from my Grandmother or Dad and let the memories flood my mind. Emails are deleted and gone forever. Handwritten notes are timeless and touch the soul.

76th Anniversary of IW/CT Community

 “From the groundbreaking work of the ‘On-the-Roof Gang’ and Capt. Joseph Rochefort’s cracking of the Japanese navy code, to the Global War on Terrorism, the Navy’s information warfare / cryptology community has been in the fight. This year we celebrate our 76th anniversary, honoring our past and embracing our future.”

Rear Adm. Edward H. Deets III
Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command

The RHUMB LINES is HERE.

More information on Captain Joseph Rochefort is HERE.

Navy Leaders

Trust me, it's not all "blah, blah, blah."

Navy leaders are not popular entertainers, but professionals vested with extraordinary military authority who must be held to a higher standard and maintain their credibility in the eyes of their subordinates under the most difficult, even possibly life-threatening, circumstances.

Poor judgment and behavior that undermines that credibility threatens good order and discipline and, over time, jeopardizes the crew’s faith in its leadership. That means we cannot simply ignore actions  that clearly call into question a Navy leader’s judgment, character, and fitness to command.

To be true to our Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment, our leaders are required to ensure the well-being of our people, show respect toward all, and treat each individual with dignity.

Admiral John Harvey
Commander, Fleet Forces Command

Theorists versus leaders

As a corps, the Information Dominance Corps must have its theorists, so must it have its practical leaders - men and women of vision like the theorists, but leaders who concentrate more on action than on agreed principles.

Such leaders are emerging from the shadows.  These are the men and women who realize that the IDC will require an altogether different kind of functional organization and a very different approach to training and education if the IDC is to realize its full potential.

A brief note from the past...such a leader from earlier in the Navy's history saw his place in it and wrote the President of the United States and expressed his ideas with clarity and sincerity.  At the time, his letter was a serious breach of propriety, as it would be today.  But then as now, the Lieutenant, having understood the gravity of his ideas - he took action and changed the Navy's course.  Where are such leaders today? That we must all answer for ourselves.  They exist, I am sure of it.  We must do as VADM Jack Dorsett has instructed, "Let's stop spending time admiring the problems and use our time to solve them." 

What Commanders Have A Right to Expect from Higher Commanders

1. That their honest errors be pointed out but can be underwritten at least once in the interests of developing initiative and leadership.
2. To be responsible for and to be allowed to develop their own units with only the essential guidance from above.
3. A helpful attitude toward their problems.
4. Loyalty.
5. That they not be subject to the needling of unproductive "statistics" competitions between like units.
6. The best in commandership.
7. That the needs of their units be anticipated and provided for.
8. To be kept oriented as to the missions and situation in the unit above.
9. A well-thought out program of training, work and recreation.
10. To receive timely, clear-cut, and positive orders and decisions which are not constantly changed.
11. That the integrity of their tactical units be maintained in assigning essential tasks.
12. That their success be measured by the overall ability of a unit to perform its whole mission and not by the performance of one or two factors.
13. That good works by their units be recognized and regarded in such a way as to motivate the greatest number to do well and to see further improvement.

General Bruce C. Clarke

Thoughts on Leadership

Absolute integrity of an officer

I want to make it clear beyond any question that absolute integrity of an officer's word, deed and signature is a matter that permits no compromise.  Inevitably, in the turmoil of the times, every officer will be confronted by situations which test his character.  On these occasions he must stand on his principles, for those are the crucial episodes tat determine the worth of a man.

On a practical level, there are two vitals steps to ethical behavior:  

• knowing what is right 

and 

• doing it.

Michael Josephson
Ethicist

Do Good

Do all the good you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

John Wesley
Rules of Conduct, circa 1770

Captain O. P. Honors - Going Low Early

“Any leader … you reach for the best in your people,” Admiral John Harvey (Commander, Fleet Forces Command) said. “Not for the lowest common denominator of what’s acceptable. That’s the essential issue here, the approach that Captain Honors took. He went low early, when he needed to stay high, all the time. It is what we are about. Setting the standard. Not seeing how low you can go before you cross the line of acceptability. That was a fundamentally flawed approach for reaching our Sailors, and one that has never … worked over the long haul in the past.

“A leader simply diminishes himself or herself when she goes in a race to the bottom, and not focusing our Sailors on where we should be, and helping them to stay there, so they can be the leaders in turn.”

A Responsibility of Leadership

A well-disciplined organization is one in which all members of the organization are taught to work willingly, enthusiastically and skillfully as individuals and as a group, to fulfill the mission of the organization with an expectation of success.

The ultimate test of discipline is combat.  The only discipline which will surely meet the test of combat is one that is based on the fact that all hands have pride in a great service, a belief in its purposes, a belief in essential justice, and complete confidence in the superior character, skill, education and knowledge of its leaders.

All leaders must have continuous concern for their subordinates.  This concern must be evident at all times, not just when the subordinates get into trouble or when the leader want a special effort.  Leaders must know their people as individuals, and their men must realize and appreciate that their leaders do know them.  Foremost in each man's heart is the desire to be known, to be appreciated and understood, to be an individual in the eyes of his leader and not a nameless cog in the machine.

Admiral Forrest P. Sherman
Chief of Naval Operations
1949-1951

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) was established on 3 March 1915 by Congress.

Admiral William S. Benson was our first CNO.

Third Navy Commanding Officer Fired in 2011

Having completed just two months in command, Commander Nathan Borchers, USS STOUT, was fired by Vice Admiral Harry Harris, Commander SIXTH Fleet for loss of confidence. Eight other members of his crew were also removed from USS STOUT, including the Command Master Chief. 

He is the third Navy CO fired in 2011.  Captain Opie Honors (USS ENTERPRISE) was the first and Captain Rex Guinn (NRLO Japan) was the second.

Commander Nathan Borchers is a native of Sidney, Nebraska and graduated in 1993 with a Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Nebraska. Upon graduation and commissioning as an Ensign, he completed the Naval Nuclear Power training program.

Commander Borchers’ first sea duty was aboard USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) where he served as the Reactor Mechanical Division Officer and Chemistry and Radiological Controls Assistant. His next tour was in USS MITSCHER (DDG 57) where he served as Assistant Operations Officer and Training Officer.  These tours included two deployments to the Adriatic Sea in support of NATO operations.

Following his Division Officer tours, Commander Borchers served as the Plant Evaluation Officer at the Nuclear Power Training Unit on Charleston, South Carolina. During this tour he received a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Charleston.

After successful completion of Department Head School, Commander Borchers served as the Combat Systems Officer in USS KAUFFMAN (FFG 59). This tour included a deployment to the Arabian Gulf conducting Maritime Interception Operations in support of United Nations resolutions.  Next, he served aboard USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) as the Main Propulsion Assistant during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.  Commander Borchers also served as Executive Officer onboard USS STETHEM (DDG 63) as part of the Navy’s Forward Deployed Naval Forces in Japan.

Commander Borchers’ second shore tour was on the Joint Staff, J-8, where he served as an Action Officer in the Force Application Division.

Commander Borchers has been awarded The Admiral Ben Moreell award for Logistics Excellence by the Navy League of America and the Admiral James L. Holloway III leadership award by the Stennis Center. Personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4) and the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal (5).

Words worth noting

TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF NAVY CYBER WARFARE DEVELOPMENT GROUP, WE ARE TRULY FORTUNATE TO SHARE THIS MOMENT, AND TOGETHER, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE WILL EARN A REPUTATION FOR ACTION AND ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT WILL CAUSE ALL HERE TO REMEMBER THAT THEY WERE PRESENT WHEN WE PLANKOWNERS TOOK OUR CHARGE.  I ORDER YOU TO TAKE UP THE TONGS AND HAMMER OF YOUR INITIATIVE, AND UPON THE ANVIL OF YOUR INTELLECT, FORGE YOUR IDEAS INTO BRILLIANT WEAPONS THAT WILL SAFEGUARD OUR NAVY AND OUR NATION IN A SHADOW REALM OF FURTIVE ENEMIES, FALSE FRIENDS AND UNSURE ALLIES – AN EVERCHANGING DOMAIN WHERE VICTORY IS NOT MEASURED IN TERRITORY GAINED AND DEFEAT WILL COST OUR CITIZENS NOT ONLY BLOOD BUT OTHER PRECIOUS TREASURES:  THEIR URGENT CREATIVITY, UNLIMITED INGENUITY AND FEARLESS OPTIMISM.

I CANNOT KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I AM WEARY OF THE PUNDITS’ WARNINGS; TIRED OF THE VAGUE THREATS; UNWILLING TO BE A SLAVE TO FEAR; AND READY NOW TO TAKE FIRM ACTION TO PROTECT OUR NATION’S PREROGATIVES.  WE MUST NOT FAIL, AND IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR SKILLS, FIGHTING SPIRIT AND OATH OF SERVICE, WE WILL NOT FAIL.

Captain Steve Parode
Commanding Officer
on assumption of command of Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group
on Friday, 18 February 2011

Rear Admiral David Simpson - Corporate Director for Information Dominance (OPNAV N2/N6)

“The technology curve is asymptotic.  Our investments in information technology used to be right on that technology curve. The DoD was really pushing that technology curve. We were defining it. But the adversary can pick and choose where he wants to be on that technology curve to achieve the desired affect. We are not going to be able to defend everywhere on that technology curve at all times, so we have to be more agile in our ability to respond to the adversaries movements in cyberspace.”

“We initially had difficulty cross-communicating and defining the cyber battle space,” said Simpson. “When you get to the details of describing the boundaries of cyberspace, and who has responsibilities for cyberspace, that’s not easy. Bringing the IDC together for the Navy has really allowed us to get past a lot of that. But now we need to ensure that our officers see that battle space, understand it, and are able to communicate it in terms that the larger command structure understands.”