Flag Officer Announcements
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nominations:
Navy Rear Adm. Kendall L. Card, selected for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as deputy chief of naval operations for information dominance, N2/N6, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations/director of naval intelligence, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Card is currently serving as director of concepts, strategies, and integration for information dominance, N2/N6F, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
Rear Admiral Kendall L. Card
Director of Concepts, Strategies and Integration for Information Dominance (OPNAV N2/N6)
Rear Adm. Card is a native of Fort Stockton, Texas. He earned a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in December 1977 and holds a Master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from U.S. Naval War College.
From 1979 to 2006, Card served in various operational tours at sea, flying from the decks of USS Forrestal (CV 59), USS America (CV 66), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS Saratoga (CV 60), and USS Enterprise (CVN 65). He commanded Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 15, USS Ranier (AOE 7) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Under his command, Abraham Lincoln participated in Operations Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch, and Iraqi Freedom as part of a record setting 9.5 month deployment as well as Operation Unified Assistance in support of the Tsunami relief efforts in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Card was selected for flag officer in 2006. As a flag officer he has served as director, Command Control Systems, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command J6; commander, task forces 51/58/59/151/158, Manama, Bahrain; commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Three, San Diego, Calif. He is currently serving as director of Concepts, Strategies, and Integration (N2/N6F) for Information Dominance (OPNAV N2/N6).
Card has accumulated over 3,900 flight hours in the SH-3H Sea King, SH-60F Seahawk, and the S-3A Viking aircraft. His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (three awards), Bronze Star and various personal, service and campaign awards.
So of all the talent in the IDC, the Navy picks an outsider to take the lead?
ReplyDeleteSigh. So, the CNO talks at length about the importance and complexity of the communities that make up his own fabrication: the Information Dominance Corps. And yet to run this collection of highly technical niche communities he does not promote one of the flag officers from one of the communities, he picks an SH-3 pilot. And I thought the Army was screwed up, at least the Army G-2 is an intell officer.
ReplyDeleteIt's happened. We've officially gone the way of the Air Force in that our Service intelligence chief is not one of us intel types, but an operator. So if a URL can serve in what had been a RL leadership billet, is the opposite true? Could a RL officer serve as Fleet Commander for example? Well of course not. Let's not get crazy! A RL officer wouldn't be prepared for that. That would require significant operational experience, understanding and judgment. And would not those same qualities be required in the realm of "intelligence" to most effectively lead an intelligence enterprise? Well of course, but a URL can do that; they can do their own URL thing plus this "intel thing" line it's a game of pickup- it's only intel - I mean anyone can do that stuff.
ReplyDeleteHmmm . . . Boy I feel valued by my Navy now.
In speaking with VADM Jacoby in his DIA Director office in the Pentagon about whether he could ever imagine the DNI job going to a URL just as Air Force's XOI had gone away from a career intel officer to a fighter pilot who had never served as an intel officer and he commented (and I paraphrase), "If that ever happens, it will mean that we will have lost the confidence in our Navy's leadership so thoroughly that they do not understand what it is that we do, what we provide, the importance of accumulated experience earned over decades specializing in the field."
We have now met such a day. And I feel this was begat, in part, by the ambition of a couple of different flag officers at the expense to the intel (and by that I mean Cryptologic too) community. A RADM in an attempt to be the first to break the 1610 RADM-ceiling into the VADM ranks jockeyed and positioned himself to take over NETWARCOM. If anyone could do it, he could. In an attempt to secure such a deal, he trades the NAVSECGRU down the river. Worse yet, we lose our Echelon 2 command and he never even achieves the dream of becoming a VADM or taking command of NNWC. Silly. The URLs were never going to give up a 3-star command billet to some RL officer. Those silly RLs!
And SECGRU was really just to become this autonomous section within NNWC that would just keep up the NSG role unbothered by all this. Not to worry. But a few short months later the new CNNWC said, what is this strange autonomous org doing down over there? What? You were promised that if absorbed you'd be left to do your own thing over there quietly - sort of an Echelon II-lite? Yeah, sorry. That deal was made with the prior detailer and I have no record of that so inside of 90 days or so I'm going to need to you to break that thing up and integrate into the larger NETWARCOM enterprise. Thanks. Silly URLs.
And now VADM Dorsett has created and built this really great 3-star gig heading these related info dominance communities, a great 3-star opportunity for himself and allegedly for the good of said communities, only to have some URLs come in and say, "Silly RLs, this is too big, complex, and nuanced a job for you to possibly run; this isn't JV any longer, so we're going to need to put a varsity guy (read "URL") in charge. Only their wisdom, knowledge and experience can possibly run with this. Silly RLs. Now go sit down while leadership of your communities is passed to URLs."
Boy do I feel like my experience earned in years as a CT matter in the eyes of the Navy. I've never been so proud of my heritage as I am at this moment. What a disappointing day.
Back to sleep for my mid-shift tonight knowing that the Navy at best will pay patronizing lip service to the importance of my chosen career fields and provide what will be framed as "unfortunately too nuanced an explanation for me to fully comprehend" when explaining why leadership was ripped from the IDC RL communities and passed to a URL for the IDC's own good.
Good night Naval Intel/Cryptology/IW/etc.!
I'm completely onboard with this move. I would like to see one of our 1810s put on three stars, though.
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the IDC, I am going to withhold my judgement for a bit for two reasons.
ReplyDelete1. Honestly, I don't know enough about RADM Card, having never worked for him.
2. I'm wondering whether the CNO will use the "best person for the job" philosophy and appoint an IDC member to a "traditional" URL job. If that doesn't happen in a reasonable amount of time - well, I guess the writing is then on the wall for career IDC folks.
I am anxious to see where the other 18XX Flag officers land in the next round of job changes. I believe we may see an 1810 3 star soon. VADM Dorsett explained the rationale for RADM Card's nomination very well in a 3 page note to the IDC leadership on the same day the SECDEF announced the nomination.
ReplyDeleteSo, do the unwashed get to read VADM Dorsett's letter, or are we not mature enough to understand the deep inter-workings of the OPNAV staff?
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly without seeing the letter, I would opin that any decision of this sort that requires three pages to explain to those effected is either the wrong decision or should be issued by gray-haired old folks in black robes.
Oh, and Action Officer: This is not about RADM Card being a good guy or about an 1810 getting a third star this about getting quality informed representation for those who do the work (enlisted CTs, ISs etc) so informed decisions can be made.This talk about how many flags there are, or somebody getting a third star is repugnent. Where is the leadership? That kind of talk is pure 100% careerism. The Navy learned a hard lesson 70 years ago having a URL function as the N2. Perhaps the OPNAV staff witll have to learn it again. This is also about having high quality Navy representaion at NSA and other national agencies.
The response to this move is what concerns me (not to mention the perceived need to post in anonymity). Once again, we are more concerned about WHO does it than we are about getting IT done. Our energy would be much better focused on collectively leading at the control grade and across the CPO Mess (Chiefs do it far better than the wardroom). Let's get beyond WHO and focus on IT.
ReplyDeleteI worked with RADM Card while on the LINCOLN cruise. Smart guy. Extremely well respected. Got things done & played well with others including the IW types in the BG & 5F. I'm glad he'll get a third star - it's about time that talent and leadership are recognized. Maybe he'll even change that silly name for the community.
ReplyDelete(a former VQ/VPU 1320 & BG IWC)
Trust me, I am as concerned about getting IT done as the WHO gets IT done. We have had plenty of WHOs who can't get IT done. We all know what the IT is, we need to concern ourselves with finding WHO can do IT - without doing IT to us. As for anonymity, I use it to protect my boss. He's the one they'd go after.
ReplyDeleteI recall some excellent training videos on LINCOLN while he was CO. I hope the JAG takes a look at them. Maybe Admiral Harvey will retroactively fire him.
ReplyDeleteANCHOR UP OFFICERS!!! You Os will bitch about it...the CPOs will carry on and make it happen!
ReplyDeleteIts Flag Officer rock, paper, scissors. URL covers RL.
ReplyDeleteThe way it has always been.
I am stunned by this - stunned that it didn't happen sooner. Single up all lines! The IDC is getting underway with or without you.
ReplyDelete"I got my commission the hard way - I earned it." LCDRLDO/6440
Wow. A lot of whining. This is bigger than a community having a 3-star. I would rather have the right person at the right time in the right job. I have faith in my leadership in picking the right person. These decisions are not made lightly. If you are in the military for rank and prestege only then its time for you to go. A decision has been made. now lets go out and support it.
ReplyDeleteHow many active duty Admirals do we have in the IDC presently? At last count I believe IW had 9, not to mention what the Intel side had. If we had to go outside this highly technical RL group to find the leadership we needed, why do we need all these RL flag billets? Just asking ---
ReplyDeleteAt the Flag level, the presumption is that the individual has gained sufficient experience to lead at that level. Lifelong learning continues throughout one's career. Cross detailing is important. Remember this 'AVIATOR' commanded TWO significant ships and an aviation squadron. To think VADM Card can't lead the IDC is just plain foolish. You may want someone else to do it but the reality is that the CNO picked him and SECDEF nominated him. Few make it to this level by mistake. VADM Card is the right guy. Carry on.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to the memo on this selection by VADM Dorsett.
ReplyDeletemakes sense, most qualified officer selected for the job.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/notes/information-dominance-corps-self-synchronization/background-on-dcnodni-nomination-from-vadm-dorsett/10150181100452719
"At the Flag level, the presumption is that the individual has gained sufficient experience to lead at that level. Lifelong learning continues throughout one's career. Cross detailing is important."
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement but also would like to caveat this with then why have communities?
Cross detailing is important to the development of an officer’s career but ideally you would want some one has been "raised" within the community to lead it.
I have no doubt that Admiral Card is capable of doing this job but it strikes me as some what strange that not one IDC Admiral was qualified to take this position.
If cross detailing is important then why not put a SWO in charge of NAVAIR or an Airedale in charge of a Destroyer Squadron.
I am all for cross detailing but this seems to me more of a matter of find a job for the 320 Admirals we have on active duty.
To those that say we are whining I thought the purpose of this board was to encourage an open discussion of current events and perhaps a learning place for some of us.
I will execute and support who ever the boss is, but sometimes I would like a deeper understanding of the big Navy thought process to explain decisions to the troops.
Ultimately this decision has no bearing on me as I am an OPS TECH LDO so I gain or lose nothing, but the thought process does interest me.
A 6120 OPS LDO
To the VERY concerned member of the IDC: It appears that you have plenty of confusion about the meaning of the terms restricted and unrestricted. If one is restricted they can't do everything that one who is unrestricted can. This is what the terms restricted and unrestricted mean!
ReplyDeleteIf this upsets you so much, my advice is to get up off your blessed assurance, start working hard, and try to transfer to an UNrestricted designator (if any will have you).
I hope and pray that you understand unclassified and classified better than you understand unrestricted and restricted!