OPNAV N2/N6 Priorities for the Year Ahead - From VADM Dorsett on 4 May 2011

Our priorities for the year ahead include:


1) Delivering Game-Changing Information Capabilities. We will be bold in identifying and resourcing programmatic solutions that advance our unmanned, electronic warfare, ISR, command and control, network, and space capabilities to deliver maximum warfighting effects.

2) Operationalizing Information Dominance. We will coordinate with the fleet and other stakeholders to ensure the development of concepts, strategies, doctrine, TTPs, experimentation, wargames, and training that advance our operational proficiency in the use of cyber, command and control, EW, ISR, space and other information capabilities.

3) Solidifying Information Dominance as a Main Battery. We will continue to build momentum by advancing Information Dominance concepts and reinforcing their strategic value throughout our Navy, the Armed Forces, the Congress, our industrial partners, and the U.S. population at large.

4) Promulgating the Information Dominance Strategy. We will leverage the existing Information Dominance Vision and publish a global Navy strategic network which assures command and control for our commanders and delivers information superiority for our warfighters in the future.

Vice Admiral Jack Dorsett
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance

VADM Dorsett's entire interview with the National Security Cyberspace Institute (NSCI) is HERE.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day originated in 1868, when Union General John A. Logan designated a day in which the graves of Civil War soldiers would be decorated. Known as Decoration Day, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day by 1888, becoming a holiday dedicated to the memory of all war dead. It became a federal holiday in 1971, and is now observed on the last Monday in May.

May God Bless our war dead and keep our warriors safe.

USS John F. Kennedy - on what would have been his 94th birthday

For the second time, the Navy will name an aircraft carrier after president and World War II U.S. Navy veteran Lieutenant John F. Kennedy.

USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CVN-79) will be the second in the Gerald R. Ford class of carriers.

John F. Kennedy entered the Navy in October 1941. Serving in the Pacific on a ship known as PT 109, he was in command on Aug. 2,1943, when the ship was struck by an enemy vessel and split in half.  JFK led the crew to to safety over the next six days and later received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Purple Heart.

"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly."

Jack Kennedy

Force Master Chief David C. Lynch on Mentoring Sailors

 

The first and foremost trait of a leader is treating people with dignity and respect. I believe people will never reach their full potential if they are treated in a negative way. People often confuse this aspect of leadership with being too soft, when in reality the preserving of someone’s dignity can be one of the most powerful motivators that I have ever seen.

Taking the time to hold individuals accountable appropriately not only preserves the dignity of the offending Sailor but also the Sailor who never gets in trouble. Caring about a person and their well-being is being able to be upfront and honest about their behavior and demanding change when it is appropriate. This approach is direct and blunt but produces behavior change in a positive direction.

The cost to the leader is personal time. In order to be effective, a leader has to spend a lot of time monitoring, researching and finding different ways to motivate the individual. There is no substitute for this work. No assumptions that people may have about the current generation of Sailors can substitute for getting down and getting first-hand knowledge of each person. A lot can be gained from this process of discovery.

Individuals can be disciplined and held accountable without being treated with an abusive or dismissive attitude. Successful submarine crews with good morale and retention employ the seven principles daily, with improved quality of life for the entire command.

The seven principles of good leadership are:

1: Treat people with dignity and respect.

2: Affirm the value of every person.

3: Take a personal interest in their Sailors.

4: Lead with a calm mental attitude.

5: Find creative ways to motivate.

6: Accomplish the mission in spite of poor performers.

7: Improve the process.

Just because things are the way they have always been does not make it right. Knowing the standard and enforcing the standard is the key to maintaining and improving human performance.

Time is the essential resource that makes all seven elements of effective leadership work. It is the most valuable thing we can invest in another human being. There is no way to get around it. Leaders need to spend as much time as they can mentoring their subordinates, and spend it wisely. Time invested in subordinates pays dividends.

This is not babysitting, or softness, or “kinder and gentler.” It is simply caring about your people and ensuring that they have every chance for success. It is the spirit of the Submarine Force that never quits.

The entire article from UNDERSEA WARFARE is HERE.

LATE AGAIN - Just got my FITREP

Just got my 5th Retirement FITREP from my boss (wife). IT WAS LATE AGAIN and I NEVER got my promised mid-term counseling.  As in the past, this year's FITREP was brutally honest.  We reviewed my professional development plan and I'm no longer on a vector toward improvement in all 'graded' areas. Thankfully, it is a "1 of 1" in my current assignment.  Last year the narrative said that I was "1 of the best" she's known.  This year, I was downgraded to "among the best" she's known.  I think that makes this a 'declining' report.  Where was my counseling??

I am really burned up again this year as the reporting period ended on 13 May - our 31st anniversary and I am just getting my annual report now - nearly 2 weeks late. I am being denied the opportunity to rebut this report either verbally or in writing. I am appealing - through channels.

As I said, I never did get the written mid-term counseling I was promised.  The boss said that I should have acted on all the verbal counseling that I've been getting throughout the reporting period. Unfortunately, I was also denied 360 degree feedback.  I am certain that my children would have given me favorable marks. I am somewhat disappointed by all the white space on this year's report - but the grades themselves are disconcerting. "Needs improvement in all areas" seemed harsh to me. And, I don't think failing to take the Physical Readiness Test or exceeding Body Fat % should be held against me.  Step on the scales five years after you retire and tell me how well you do.

More of naval humorist and cartoonist Jeff Bacon's work can be found HERE.

Moving and shaking over in the SENATE - RADM K.L. Card confirmed as VADM

 

KENDALL L. CARD nomination to Vice Admiral and appointment as

Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance

Thanking Our Navy For Their Selfless Service

Every day I am inspired by the Sailors who are the world’s greatest Navy. I think about their sacrifice, their dedication and their service to the United States. American Sailors do their job day in and day out. They do so without asking for anything in return. Their commitment is so constant as to be rarely remarked upon, yet it is remarkable.

Routinely, Sailors spend months deployed in places far from their loved ones. They miss birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. They miss first words and first steps. Their service on behalf of their nation is patriotism in action. It is only fitting, then, that as we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day, we take a moment to consider how fortunate we are to live in a nation where dedicated citizens willingly sacrifice to uphold our interests from the sea, as Americans have done since the Revolutionary War.

Today, almost 14,000 Sailors make extraordinary contributions on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Navy aircraft provide about 30 percent of the support for U.S. and NATO forces on the ground in our current campaigns. But American interests extend far beyond our current campaigns, and so do our Navy’s unceasing global operations. On any given day, about 40 percent of our fleet and 65,000 Sailors are deployed afloat and ashore, providing the visible demonstration of American leadership in a world undergoing sweeping change.

The benefits of our flexible, forward Navy have never been better exemplified than in mid-March when our sailors proved ready to respond to simultaneous developments in Libya and Japan. In the Mediterranean, ships deployed as part of our global Navy were already on hand to project credible combat power and create the conditions where a no-fly zone could be put in place. At the same time, in the waters off northeast Japan, a deployed carrier strike group and amphibious ships rapidly provided the humanitarian assistance, transportation, nuclear and medical expertise to assist our Japanese allies in the aftermath of an extraordinary natural disaster. Navy divers subsequently cleared key harbors to permit the free flow of international aid to the Japanese people in their time of need. American Sailors conducted these missions in stride, and soon rejoined their shipmates deployed elsewhere to carry out maritime security operations and continuous engagement with international partners.

While our Sailors continue to make extraordinary contributions across the globe, it falls to us to ensure their personal sacrifices are not overlooked. This is why our Navy remains committed to support for those who have been wounded and the families of those who have given their lives, with the very best care our Nation can provide. This is why we prioritize family readiness and quality of life through housing, child and youth services, and education. And this is why we must not waiver in our commitment to provide sailors with the tools they need to perform the many missions we will ask of them.

It is my greatest privilege to lead the finest Sailors in the history of our Navy – these distinguished Americans, these “fortunate few” answer the call to serve. In tribute today I ask you to join me in remembering, thanking and taking action on behalf of those who sail the oceans, serve on land and patrol the skies in the greatest traditions of the U.S. Navy and in the best interests of America’s future security and prosperity.

Admiral Gary Roughead

Chief of Naval Operations

Captain Edward L. Beach Jr.

In his book beneath the waves - The Life and Navy of CAPT. EDWARD L. BEACH JR., Edward F. Finch provides an excellent biography of one of the Navy's best submarine officers.  He also examines some of the probable explanations for the Captain's failure to be selected for promotion to Rear Admiral, despite an amazing career of remarkable achievement.  Captain Beach himself suggested that an individual he named "Joe Blunt" as the primary obstacle to his promotion.

Edward F. Finch offers the following:

There are those who do offer other rationales for why Ned was denied flag rank, and those possibilities cannot be totally discounted.


Five, in fact, can readily be discerned.  Not necessarily in order of probability, the reasons include: too much time in Washington during tours of duty not at sea; lack of desire to work the "good old boys" system; Ned's harsh criticism of his superiors over the Trigger II problems; inherent prejudice in the Navy against officers who theorize and write; and the very nature of the "silent service.

It is astounding to me that a man of his character and with Captain Beach's record achievement could not attain flag rank.  He harbored some bitterness over that failure.  But, he never lost faith in the Navy or the people who wear its uniform.

As Edward F. Finch says of Captain Beach's view, "The words 'Honor, Courage and Commitment' from the Sailor's Creed were not abstract ideals to be merely mouthed, they were to be lived, achieved - practiced in everyday life."

On 14 January 2003, Captain Beach's ashes were interred just below the crest of the hill on which Beach Hall stands, his final resting place among those honored in the U.S. Naval Academy's cemetery.

Temporary Reassignment - Navy Relieves ELEVENTH Commanding Officer in 2011

In an unusual move, the Navy has temporarily reassigned Rear Admiral (Select) Gregory R. Thomas, Commanding Officer, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNS).  Captain Thomas has been temporarily reassigned to  Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC while the Naval Inspector General looks into "command environment" issues.  ((It appears the Navy is giving him the benefit of the doubt at this point as his biography remains on the official Navy website of Navy Flag and civilian leadership.))

Captain Thomas assumed command of NNS in September 2010.

The investigation is scheduled to begin in June and is expected to take four to six weeks to complete.

Captain Thomas is the second commanding officer to be removed from the Portsmouth shipyard within the last year.  In June 2010, the Navy relieved Captain William C. Kiestler of command after a year on the job due to "loss of confidence" in his ability to command.  Captain Kiestler's firing stemmed from a series of events that affected the management and execution of work at the shipyard.

Rear Admiral Joseph Campbell, a former shipyard commander who had been working as head of the NAVSEA directorate for logistics, maintenance and industrial operations, reported to NNS on 23 May 2011  as the acting shipyard commander until the Navy Inspector General investigation is complete.

Rear Admiral (Select) Gregory R. Thomas

Commander, Norfolk Naval Shipyard

A native of Portsmouth, Va., Rear Adm. (Select) Thomas was commissioned an ensign upon earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at the United States Naval Academy. He later went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, the Naval Engineer’s Degree and a Ph.D. in Hydrodynamics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Thomas served aboard USS San Juan (SSN 751), where he qualified in submarines and supported the delivery of the first improved Los Angeles-class submarine. He later served as repair officer aboard USS Frank Cable (AS 40) and as the first Virginia-class program manager’s representative at Northrop Grumman Newport News, while also serving as submarine project officer for Supervisor of Shipbuilding Newport News.

Ashore, Thomas served at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) as the design manager for the LSV-2 Cutthroat; as maintenance officer at Commander, Submarine Force, where he coordinated acceptance of the lead ships of two submarine classes, (USS Virginia (SSN 774) and USS Jimmy Carter (SSN 23)), and as co-chair Submarine Team One; and, later served as operations officer at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Thomas served as commander of the historic Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard from June 2007 to September 2010; during his tour the shipyard was awarded the Robert T. Mason Award for being the top Department of Defense depot maintenance activity in 2010, the first NAVSEA activity to win this award.

His personal awards include the NAVSEA Association of Scientists and Engineers Professional Achievement Award, Legion of Merit (2 awards), Meritorious Service Medal (4 awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4 awards) and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Electronic Warfare - The Changing Face of Combat

Despite the high profile of Electronic Warfare (EW), the Navy leadership of the specialty is fragmented. Today, there is no single-point-of-contact within the Navy for EW and that trend is likely to continue as the community shrinks. One recent, positive development is the establishment of an EW office within Naval Network Warfare Command that has the responsibility to look at full-spectrum Naval EW. Unfortunately, this office is inadequately staffed for its mission. It remains to be seen if this office provides the mechanism to consolidate Navy EW, but it is a step in the right direction. 

 

Regardless, due to the importance of EW in the service, the Navy needs to identify a flag officer with authority over EW programs and open a career path for Navy EW officers to ascend to senior leader status. It would serve the Navy well to ensure this community stays together and remains the standard for EW expertise in the services.

The full report is HERE.

((Note:  Scuttlebutt is that RDML Jan E. Tighe will assume responsibility for EW on the OPNAV N2/N6F3 staff.  Also, VADM Dorsett announced on 2 March 2011 that NNWC would be disestablished (presumably with the retirement of RADM Edward H. Deets III on 5 August 2011.))

Indifference - creates no wake

Note:  This post is more difficult than most to make here.  I've posted it and removed it three different times.  I share it with you with my Shipmate's permission.  He said to remember - "this is a four beer reflection" of a Navy career.

And the narrative has been removed a fourth time.  All that remains are these quotes:

"Indifference may not wreck a man's life at any one turn, but it will destroy him with a kind of dry-rot in the long run."

“There is only one way in the world to be distinguished: Follow your instinct! Be yourself, and you'll be somebody. Be one more blind follower of the blind; and you will have the oblivion you desire.”

William Bliss Carmen

ELECTRONIC WARFARE CHALLENGES

"We need to ask unpopular but important questions.  For example, what isn't EW widely included in regular training exercises?  Why aren't there more flag rank EW billets in our defense organizations?  What are so many staff IWO positions vacant (or nonexistent) throughout our military organizations?  Why do the armed services scatter their EW activities so far and wide, when they probably would be more effective if they were integrated into larger, more coherent organizations?


EW professionals have often lamented how "EW is a friend in war and a victim in peace."  But perhaps too many of us in the EW profession have come to believe that this must always be true.  This type of stale thinking is simply not good enough for today's conflicts.  EW does not have to perpetually lag behind the threats, and we don't have to live with "just in time" EW management.  EW is changing and we need to recognize and drive that change."

John Knowles
in the May issue of JED available HERE.

Congratulations to these new IWO CDRs

Jim ADKISSON
Matt BARTEL
Ben BLAZADO
Mike BRONS
Chris BRYANT
Ann CASEY
Leonard CAVER
Rob DAMSKY
Gregg DEWAELE
Ted JOHNSON
Marc RATKUS
Kevin ROBERTS
Norman WOODCOCK
Sherri ZIMMERMAN  

And LDO

Ronald Charles BAKER !!

Chasing Collar Devices

Thoughtful post HERE about what some are chasing.

His post comes at a time when MANY
are AFRAID to say what they think and MOST
are absolutely PETRIFIED to put it in writing!
 __________________________

Sometimes it just boils down to this.

Cryptologic Icon Retires Today

Captain Jon Dollan retires today at 1130 a.m. in

Alexander Hall at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

Fair winds and following seas !!

May you enjoy a virus free and a 100% network availability future.

One Year Ago - CYBERFORCOM - RADM Tom Meek

Commanders, Commanding Officers and Directors,

As I take the helm of Navy Cyber Forces today, I am profoundly honored and humbled at the privilege of leading this exceptional team of dedicated and capable professionals.  Together, you and I have the opportunity and the challenge of shaping the United States Navy through the provision of Information Dominance Readiness.

As we continue the great work that you have established under Vice Admiral Starling's able leadership, I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm the core purposes that define Navy Cyber Forces:

.       Warfighting readiness

Effective management of the manning, training, and equipping responsibilities for Navy's information-related disciplines ensures the delivery of capabilities and readiness for commanders and warfighters.

.       Information-centric capabilities:  A main battery in our Navy's warfighting arsenal

Excellence in our efforts as the Information Domain Type Commander enables the operational chain of command to perform its duties with excellence.  Navy Cyber Forces is the vanguard for ready forces and equipment.  Navy Cyber Forces provides our operational commanders a decisive decision advantage.

As we shape our future capabilities and communities, we must value agility, resilience, leading-edge technology and the ability to rapidly adapt to changing conditions in the Information domain.

In my view, there are a few key factors that lead to success:

.       People achieve mission success.  Our top priority must always be our people.

.       Embrace technology or be left behind.  This is more true than ever in the 21st century.

.       Training and education set us apart and provide the competitive advantage.

.       Absolute adherence to ethics and legality.

The following leadership tenets have served me well in my career, and I offer them as focus points for leadership in our domain.  They are universal and provide a firm foundation for our work at Navy Cyber Forces:

.       Be a person of integrity who lives by our Department of the Navy Core Values of Honor, Courage and Commitment.

.       The ends do not always justify the means.  Both have consequences. How we perform an action can be even more important than the action itself.  Behavior counts and people remember.

.       Respect for others in the workplace leads to a high performance team. The standard is utmost professionalism and personal loyalty to your team and teammates.

.       People perform better when they know what is expected of them.  The organization thrives when we hold ourselves and each other accountable. Expectations and accountability are healthy traits of a successful organization.

.       Enjoy work and have some fun in the process.  This is no way conflicts with the preceding points.

Inherent in our service is a solemn obligation to our Navy and our nation.  I know you share my personal dedication to this obligation, and I thank you for your leadership as we carry out our mission.

Please share these thoughts freely with your respective leadership teams.  I look forward to meeting with many of you in the days and weeks to come.

Respectfully,

Tom Meek
Rear Admiral, USN
Commander, Navy Cyber Forces

Navy to name a ship after Cesar Chavez

LTjg Mabus

S1C Chavez

Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, will be naming a Navy cargo ship after U.S. Medal of Freedom winner, Cesar Chavez. Cesario Estrada "Cesar" Chavez was a Navy veteran who served in the Navy for two years.  It is reported that Cesar said those were the worst two years of his life.  Many an ordinary seaman would not argue with him.  The Navy Log lists his duty stations as NTC San Diego, NOB Saipan and NOB Guam.  He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal.

The Lewis and Clark class of cargo ships are being built in the facilities of General Dynamic NASSCO near the Hispanic neighborhood - Barrio Logan in San Diego, California.  General Dynamics has said that more than 60% of their employees at that facility are of Hispanic descent.

 

NASSCO's other 13 Navy cargo ships - which shuttle provisions to combat ships supporting military or humanitarian missions - have been named after such notable Americans as explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and famed aviator Amelia Earhart. Chavez would be the first Mexican-American in that group.  Located in San Diego, California, NASSCO employs about 3,600 people and is the only major ship construction yard on the West Coast of the United States.

U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. TENTH Fleet Strategic Plan

Vice Admiral Barry J. McCullough, Commander U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. TENTH Fleet signed off on his command's Strategic Plan for Calendar Year 2011.  It has been widely distributed to his subordinate commands.  He's clearly defined the missions of the two commands, outlined the vision and provided his guiding principles.

The three Goals and Objectives that VADM McCullough enumerated are:

• Goal 1 - OPERATIONS - Conduct full spectrum cyberspace operations in support of Navy, Joint and National missions.
• Goal 2 - FORCE SHAPING - Shape the Navy's cyber workforce that supports and satisfies Navy, Joint and National missions.
• Goal 3 - CAPABILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS - Provide Navy cyberspace capabilities to support Navy, Joint and National missions.

If you are a member of the IW community and you don't understand these missions, vision, guiding principles or goals, you owe it to your chain of command to ask questions and gain a broader understanding of this Strategic Plan.

As VADM McCullough says - "Take ownership of this Strategic Plan and contribute to its execution."

CTRCM(SW/SS/AW) CEDRIC RAWLINSON

Cedric Rawlinson is the Chief on the right

One of my NSGA Yokosuka Sailors was recently selected for promotion to Master Chief Petty Officer.  This is a remarkable achievement.  Some years ago he was selected for the Limited Duty Officer/Chief Warrant Officer Procurement program and he chose to remain a Chief Petty Officer.  His decision was an excellent one.  While the wardroom is always ready to accept a highly qualified and motivated Chief Petty Officer into its ranks, the CPO Mess is not always happy to let a great CPO depart.  They got to keep this guy and it will pay dividends for the Mess and for our Sailors.

If all goes according to plan, CTRCM(SW/SS/AW) Rawlinson will head back to NIOC Yokosuka as the Command Master Chief.  Our former CMC, CTMCM(SW) Ron Schwartz would be proud to know that one of our former PO2s was promoted to Master Chief and went on to take his place as the Command Master Chief.  Bravo Zulu Master Chief Rawlinson, your Shipmates are proud of you.  So is your Skipper.  CONGRATULATIONS !!!

Navy Will Keep Surface Warfare and Submarine Directorates Separate From N2/N6

The Chief of Naval Operations will not integrate its surface warfare and submarine organizations into its information dominance directorate.

CNO's staff had been reviewing the potential reorganization that would have taken elements from the surface warfare (N86), expeditionary warfare (N85) and submarine warfare (N87) and put them under the information dominance (N2/N6) organization.

From CHINFO NEWS.

FY12 Information Warfare Officer (IWO) Captain Selectees

Congratulations to these FY12 IWO Captain selectees:

Commander Mike Conner
Commander Cliff Bean
Commander Heidi Berg
Commander Bill Diehl
Commander Jeff Scheidt
Commander Andrew Stewart

Captain Paul J. Jaeger - going ashore

Captain Jaeger "Troops the line"

Captain Paul J. Jaeger concludes his 30 year naval career at a retirement ceremony today at the United States Naval Academy.  His last job in the Navy was as head of the Navy Cryptologic Office (NCO) at the National Security Agency.  I first met Paul as a Lieutenant NFO at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii.  Back in the mid-1980s we shared HANGAR 282.  He was the 21st and final commanding officer of Naval Security Group Activity Ft Meade, Maryland.  The command was renamed Navy Information Operations Command Ft Meade, Maryland.

Fairwinds Shipmate and thank you and Cathy for your unselfish service to our great Navy!

Food for thought

 "There are three deaths. The first is when the body ceases to function. The second is when the body is consigned to the grave. The third is that moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time."

All things will pass: wealth, beauty, possessions, career success; the thing that remains is the memory of you, as evidenced by your past actions.

Will the evidence of your existence on this world cease almost immediately with your death, or will you be significant and linger on the lips of many?

(slightly modified)

Peter Ryan

From TODAY'S GENTLEMAN here.

A MUST READ POST BY A COLLEAGUE

"Multipliers" are...

• Talent Magnets: Get access to the best talent because people flock to work for them knowing they will be fully utilized and developed to be ready for the next stage.
• Liberators: Create an environment that requires people's best thinking and work, resulting in bold thinking and best effort.
• Challengers: Define opportunities that challenge people to go beyond what they know how to do.
• Debate Makers: Engage people in debating the issues up front, leading to sound decisions that people understand and can execute efficiently.
• Investors: Give other people the investment and ownership they need to produce results independent of the leader.

You can read the entire post HERE.  Be among the first to send him a note in e-mail and you could get a free copy of the book - signed by the author.

Cryptologic Officer Makes ... Great

North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) President and CEO Gerry Cauley is pleased to announce the addition of Mark Weatherford as Vice President and Chief Security Officer to the NERC executive team. Weatherford recently was named CSO of the Year by SC Magazine.

“Mark’s achievements and his collaborative leadership style make him the right person at this critical time for NERC” Cauley said. “Cybersecurity issues continue to be one of NERC’s top priorities and Mark’s knowledge and expertise will be vital as we continue to address critical infrastructure standards.”

Weatherford served as the director and chief information security officer in the State of California’s Office of Information Security, a position he was appointed to by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. In this role, he had authority over California’s cyber security activities and established the state’s first official IT security plan and strategy. Previously, Weatherford served as the chief information security officer for the State of Colorado, where he worked with the State Legislature to pass laws establishing the state’s first security program.

Weatherford began his career as a Naval Cryptologic Officer, where he led the Navy’s Computer Network Defense (CND) operations and the Naval Computer Incident Response Team (NAVCIRT). Weatherford has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School. He holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certifications and was awarded Information Security magazine’s prestigious “Security 7 Award” for 2008.

Losing an amazing connection with our past - more on the importance of writing

We’ve lost an amazing connection with our past. Unlike the buggy whip or the clay tablet, written letters are more than just words whose medium has passed. They’re pricelessly annotated: flourishes of the script, cramped little words clearly written in the dark, in haste, stained with tears, grease, or blood. Reducing them to electronic bits, trite acronyms and fractured English sucks the marrow from the bones of their message, leaving a harrowed skeleton without the beauty of a full bodied letter.

Those of us who write in journals, who consecrate our thoughts, ideas and feelings to the printed page are carrying on a sacred tradition, one that blogs, twitter feeds and Facebook “walls” can never replace. Nor should they, as the power of our words is diluted, somehow, when they’re cast to the ether’s wind instead of being nestled into an envelope, or blotted into place on a single side of a single page of a singular book.

Shlomi Harif's full post is HERE.

2011 RADM James S. McFarland NJROTC Scholarship Winner !! Cadet Blakley !!

Cadet Brandi Blakley of the Bloomfield Indiana NJROTC unit has been selected by a group of active duty and retired cryptologists as the 2011 winner of the RADM James S. McFarland NJROTC Scholarship. Her achievements in academics, her record of volunteer service and her handwritten essay led to her selection as this year's winner. 

This scholarship, in RADM James S. McFarland's name, was established in 2005 by Captain Mike Lambert while he was serving as Staff Director for the Detainee Task Force for the Secretary of Defense, Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld. 

This scholarship is supported through the generosity of many of 

RADM J.S. McFarland's friends, Shipmates, colleagues and followers.

The scholarship was originally intended for Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) students at Butler County High School in Morgantown, Kentucky. The scholarship came about from a visit to the school by Captain Mike Lambert at the invitation of retired cryptologist LCDR William Frank Starr. Captain Lambert was so inspired by the good works of LCDR Starr and his Chief that he worked to establish the scholarship.

Bloomfield Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp

Bloomfield Jr.-Sr. High School is one of six schools in the state of Indiana to offer a Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp program.  Bloomfield NJROTC was established in 1994.  In 2011 the Cadet Corps was comprised of approximately 21 % - one fifth of the Bloomfield student body, freshmen thru seniors.  The NJROTC unit is a four year elective program.  Students who participate are not obligated to any military service upon graduation.  If Cadets are interested in the Armed Forces upon graduation from high school then by participating in this program for two years qualify for accelerated advancement and pay upon completion of basic training as well as additional consideration for college scholarship opportunities if seeking a commission to serve as an officer in the military. 

LCDR Frank Starr is the Senior Naval Science Instructor (SNSI) at Bloomfield High School in Indiana. This scholarship followed him from Kentucky to Alabama and now to Indiana.

 

Thank you Frank for your unselfish service to our Nation's youth!

For more about RADM J.S. McFarland go HERE.