Full Measure

The full measure of a man is not to be found in the man himself, but in the colors and textures that come alive in others because of him.

- Albert Schweitzer

VADM James Bond Stockdale Inspirational Leadership Award Winner to be CNO

Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert

Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert is a native of Butler, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1975 and completed studies in nuclear power for service as a submarine officer.

His career as a submariner includes assignments aboard USS Flying Fish (SSN 673), USS Tautog (SSN 639), Submarine NR-1 and USS Michigan (SSBN 727 - Gold Crew), culminating in command of USS Honolulu (SSN 718) from March 1991 to July 1993.

Subsequent fleet command assignments include Commander, Submarine Squadron 11, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Marianas, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet (August 2004 to September 2006) and Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (September 2007 to July 2009).

Greenert most recently served as vice chief of naval operations. Greenert has served in various fleet support and financial management positions, including deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources (N8); deputy commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; chief of staff, U.S. 7th Fleet; head, Navy Programming Branch and director, Operations Division Navy Comptroller.

He is a recipient of various personal, and campaign awards including the Distinguished Service Medal (5 awards), Defense Superior Service Medal and Legion of Merit (4 awards). In 1992 he was awarded the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for inspirational leadership. He considers those awards earned throughout his career associated with unit performance to be most satisfying and representative of naval service.

IW - REMOVED as an approved Joint term in IO Doctrine --- How did I miss this?

SUMMARY OF CHANGES REVISION OF JOINT PUBLICATION 3-13
13 February 2006

A few key changes that you may have missed:

• Aligns joint information operations (IO) doctrine with the transformational planning guidance as specified by the 30 October 2003 Department of Defense Information Operations Roadmap.
• Discontinues use of the terms “offensive IO” and “defensive IO” but retains the recognition that IO is applied to achieve both offensive and defensive objectives.
• Removes information warfare as a term from joint IO doctrine.

The JP 3-13 glossary provides this definition of information warfare.
Term                                        Definition 
Information Warfare.     None. (Approved for removal from the next edition of JP 1-02.)

JP 1-02 also changes IWC from  Information Warfare Commander to Information Operations Commander.

Does this mean anything? What is the Joint message here?

People - Most Important Asset?

How often have we heard the mantra from our senior leadership that 'people are the Navy's most important asset'? Far too often is the answer. The fact is that many of our senior leaders who have made that statement, that either didn’t really believe it, or didn’t work hard enough to deliver on it.

That's about to change and the reasons are obvious.

The truth is, people not only make a difference, they are the difference between our Information Warfare/Cryptologic community and the others. How our community leaders plan to lead our community is what will make the difference between failure and success of 'this great N2/N6 Information Dominance experiment', as the CNO has described it.

Rear Admiral Rogers and the rest of the IW/Cryptologic leadership team know that effective community management is a shared responsibility.  It is about creating and engaging the right workforce to meet Navy objectives and achieve sustainable competitive advantage against our adversaries (internal and external). They are all actively involved in the IDC cross detailing and IWO slating process to ensure that we are getting the right people in the right place at the right time to get the right things done.  When people are engaged, and are given clear direction and the right kind of support—everything from effective leadership to valuable training to rewards that drive the right behaviors and results—there is not anything that they cannot achieve.

Rear Admiral Rogers and the rest of the IW/Cryptologic leadership team are prepared to engage the community, give clear direction and provide the right kind of support.  Cast off all lines and prepare to get underway.

The Disease Has Been Diagnosed

“Diversity Fatigue” has become an epidemic in organizations across the U.S. because focus on race and gender alone has not created a significant and measurable business outcome. Hiring and promoting women and people of color — which was once the “correct” thing to do — has only served to produce representation metrics and little accountability to business objectives.  This was clearly demonstrated by the elimination of several diversity-related jobs in corporations during the recent recession. When forward-looking business leaders increased the participation of the workforce in the business process, the value of a diversified workforce increased markedly internally and externally.

From SmartBlog on Leadership HERE.

Some suggestions for combating "Diversity Fatigue" are HERE.

Words of wisdom

If our bright young officers don't bring new ideas to us because we don’t ask for them, I think that that reveals a command structure that doesn’t accept failure and is not eager to learn from its mistakes, which I think is a huge shortcoming of our Navy system. Failure is not bad. Not learning from the failure is bad, but failure is not bad.

A bright young Flag officer
OPNAV Staff

Several of our IW Flags attended Leading Innovation Course at Babson College

As part of the Navy's Executive Development Program (NEDP), several of our IW Flag officers traveled to Babson College, Babson Park in Massachusetts for the Leading Innovation (LI) Course from 23-26 August 2011.   Here's what the course is for: 

The Leading Innovation Course is an intensive, four‐day course designed to provide senior Navy leaders with both the skill set and the mindset to understand the critical nature of innovation as it relates to organizational success in the Navy.  The program focuses on building and sustaining an innovative organization that produces measurable results in a business and organizational context. The LI Course delves into the practice of innovation through case studies, small‐team exercises, and interactive class discussions. Our IW Flags were challenged to broaden their thinking process through exposure to new ideas and thoughtful examination of their own roles as “leaders of innovation” in the Navy.

The Objective/Desired End State
A cadre of Navy flag officers with both the skill set and mindset to understand and apply the critical nature of innovation and entrepreneurial thinking to achieve organizational success. 

MULTIPLIERS - How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

Much of what constitutes good leadership can be summarized in two words: respect and selflessness.

How we relate to those two words will determine how we lead.

Consider two assumptions that lie at the opposite ends of the spectrum:

• Really intelligent people are a rare breed and I am one of the few really smart people. People will never be able to figure things out without me. I need to have all the answers.
• Smart people are everywhere and will figure things out and get even smarter in the process. My job is to ask the right questions. 

More HERE at LEADERSHIP NOW.
 
NOTE:  Liz Wiseman, best selling Wall Street Journal author of this book, has been kind enough to autograph nearly 30 copies of her book for leaders in the Information Warfare officer community.  Some of our CO's have received personal letters from Liz encouraging them to take the time to read the book and assess their place on the leadership spectrum (somewhere between Multiplier and Diminisher).  If you'd like a copy of Liz's book, please let me know and we'll do our best to get you a copy.  RADM Andy Singer is working with Liz to evaluate whether her book might become a part of the curriculum for the IDC's Senior Leadership Seminar at the Naval Postgraduate School

Navy Fires 17th Commanding Officer

Commander Laredo Bell, commanding officer of Naval Support Activity Saratoga Springs, N.Y., was fired Wednesday following an August 20 driving while intoxicated arrest.  Rear Admiral Mark Boensel, commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, fired Bell due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command.”

Commander Bell, a native of Birmingham, Alabama enlisted in the Navy in 1981 and was an initiated Chief Petty Officer before earning his commission as a limited duty officer in October 1992.

Commander Bell’s personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (10 Awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (4 Awards) along with numerous unit and service awards.

Commander Bell had been in command since December 2010.

Remarkable Strategy for Connecting With His Commanding Officers

How about this for finding out where your people stand?

Let them know where you stand.  And find out where they stand by exchanging 'commander's intent' messages.

I have not seen anything like this before.  Imagine: A senior leader sends his destroyer squadron his "Commodore's Intent" and asks each of his Commanding Officers to send him 'their' intent in the form of a handwritten essay of their command intentions for the next two years.  This is a novel way of finding out if your Skippers can write and a great way for them to connect their command intentions with those of the Commodore.

Commander's Intent - A way to deal with incomplete or changing requirements

Commander's Intent is a military concept. It seems to have been first articulated by the Prussians after their defeat by Napoleon's conscript army in 1806. Commander's Intent is "the commander's stated vision which defines the purpose of an operation, the end state with respect to the relationship among the force, the enemy and the terrain; it must enable subordinates to quickly grasp the successful end state and their part in achieving it".

by Sanjay Mishra

Overheard in the P-Way in Norfolk following Captain Honors' "SHOW CAUSE" hearing

"All successful Naval officers resemble

each other, but each failed

Naval officer is a failure in his

own unique way."

More about Captain Honors and the three Aviation Flags who voted to keep him in the Navy HERE.  I stand with Galrahn on this one.

Navy Baggage - can not let it go

Let me say that I am carrying a lot of Navy baggage. I remain connected to the Navy from my very first day at the MEPS in St Louis, Missouri. Carry that through bootcamp in San Diego, California and a succession of great assignments in the Navy (Monterey, CA; San Angelo, TX, Misawa, JA; Newport, RI, San Diego, CA; Atsugi, JA; Barbers Pt, HI; Monterey, CA; Washington DC; Yokosuka, JA; Corry Station, FL and then Washington DC with 100 destinations in between).

I can't let any of it go. I carry memories, lessons learned and friendships from each command with me to this very day. I can honestly say that I have maintained contact with a Shipmate from each and every place I have been. I can't let that baggage go.

Admiral Ferguson relieves Admiral Greenert as VCNO

8/22/2011 - Present

Admiral Mark E. Ferguson III

Following graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1978, Admiral Ferguson completed nuclear power training prior to entering the fleet as a surface warfare officer.

His afloat assignments include service on board USS South Carolina (CGN 37), USS Fife (DD 991) and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). He commanded the USS Benfold (DDG 65) and Destroyer Squadron 18. In addition to various staff assignments, he served as the assistant commander, Navy Personnel Command, chief of legislative affairs, and chief of naval personnel.

Ferguson holds a master's degree in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School and completed a National Security Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School. His awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and various unit and campaign awards.

More work for Fleet Cyber Command

http://www.networksolutions.com/blog/author/JLoong/

OPNAV INSTRUCTION 3432.1A
From: Chief of Naval Operations
Subj: OPERATIONS SECURITY

c. Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command (COMFLTCYBERCOM) shall:
(1) Coordinate and administer the Navy OPSEC program and provide oversight regarding the execution of Navy OPSEC policy, doctrine, instruction and organizational program implementation.  Maintain an OPSEC support capability for the Navy per reference (b) to include the NOST. The NOST is a subordinate element of Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Norfolk.
(2) Assist in the identification of CI, review program and facility OPSEC plans, and offer CI and OPSEC plan endorsement to cognizant OPSEC program managers and officers.
(3) Develop and coordinate a Navy OPSEC training program, to include:
    (a) OPSEC orientation training within 60 days of reporting for duty.
    (b) OPSEC awareness training at least annually to include review of the five step OPSEC process, CI list(s), current threats and vulnerabilities, site OPSEC plan, and results of OPSEC assessments and surveys.
    (c) OPSEC planner training for individuals with OPSEC planning responsibilities.
    (d) OPSEC training for naval reservists assigned to mobilization billets.
(4) Assist in the conduct of OPSEC self-assessments or formal OPSEC surveys as directed.
(5) Provide OPSEC planning assistance and guidance to fleet units.
(6) Identify and submit appropriate OPSEC lessons learned into the NAVWARDEVCOM lessons learned database. Solicit community best practices for consolidation and updating appropriate policy and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP).
(7) Consolidate annual status reports per table (1) of reference (f) from echelon 2 and 3 OPSEC program managers no later than 7 November of each year. Analyze and forward results to echelon 1 no later than 15 November of each year.
(8) Submit at least one suitable Navy candidate for the annual national OPSEC awards program to the national Interagency OPSEC Support Staff (IOSS) no later than 1 December of each year. Instructions for submitting the awards packages are located on the IOSS Web site: https://www.iad.gov/ioss/department/national-opsec-awards-10021.cfm.
(9) Act as the point of contact for Navy OPSEC program concerns, including primary monitoring of the electronic messaging account OPSEC@navy.mil.

And this:

h. COMFLTCYBERCOM, with its subordinate command, NIOC Norfolk, is the primary review authority for IO doctrine, and maintains the Warfare Center of Excellence for IO. COMFLTCYBERCOM, via NIOC Norfolk, shall coordinate with NAVWARDEVCOM to ensure Navy OPSEC TTP’s are effective, relevant, and responsive to fleet requirements.

Chief Petty Officer 24/7/365

"I expect you and every member of your Mess to exercise the leadership and professionalism that we are entrusted with each and every day; hence CPO 365.  We each know the difference between right and wrong and will be held accountable.  I have the utmost confidence in our ability as a Mess to continue to build upon the legacy of success forged by all that have worn anchors.  HOOYAH CHIEFS, ANCHOR UP!"

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Rick West
MCPON's 2011 CPO 365/Induction Guidance (ANCHOR UP!) 

**Anchor Up** introduced in September 2007 in my USNI PROCEEDINGS article.

Naval Officer

As the Officer Fact Book, NavPers 15898, states, the naval officer is above all a leader - responsible for directing the human effort of an organization and for property and lives.  The naval officer is a planner, responsible for large scale mobilization and world-wide logistic programs and operations.  He is an administrator concerned with thousands of people, millions of dollars worth of material, and extensive facilities.  He is an industrialist, a comptroller, a diplomat; a good manager of men and equipment, an exemplary ambassador of democracy in all parts of the world.  He is always a student.  His opportunities for experience are varied, and for education they are limitless.  As he improves in his job, he improves the naval service and contributes to the welfare of the nation and the world.

Common force packages needed to get to the next stage of cyber integration

By Daniel Wasserbly

IHS Janes

6/15/2011

 

The ability to provide common force packages to commanders for network operations is a needed precursor to enabling freedom of manoeuvre for joint forces in the cyber domain, according to US military officials.

Commander Scott Coughlin, Director of Current Operations for the US Navy's Fleet Cyber Command, said the military needs a common lexicon, common force structure and packages and a clearer understanding of available cyber capabilities as well as the limitations, restrictions and authorities involved.

Refining such constructs is "one of the most critical things that we need to have in order to get to that next stage in the integration of cyber", Cdr Coughlin told a cyber security summit in Arlington, Virginia, on 3 June.

Agenda and speakers for the Cyber Summit are HERE.

Military honors for CTR1(EXW) Michael Joseph Strange in Pennsylvania

RDML Leigher presents flags to Mike's family.

Rear Admiral Bill Leigher, OPNAV N2N6F and the Information Warfare/Cryptologic community leader, traveled to Philadelphia on 18 August to remember Cryptologic Technician Collection First Class (CTR1) Expeditionary Warfare Specialist (EXW) Michael Strange (who was killed on 6 August in Afghanistan) and pay his respects and those of a grateful Navy and Nation to Michael's family.  RDML Leigher described Mike's DEVGRU teammates as "rocks". Together with the Navy Information Operations Command Maryland color guard, his teammates presented a memorable military honors ceremony after the funeral mass.

Ideas - Testing them on the intellectual field of battle

Share your ideas in print – a scholarly journal, a military magazine, a literary journal, or even a blog post. Get out there with your ideas. Nail your whispers to the wall. Conclude the trilogy of read … think … and write. Is there "career risk” in publishing? I suppose. Hasn't hurt me too badly over the years, I'd say. But what matters is testing your ideas on the field of intellectual battle, so to speak.

We need to challenge our staffs, our friends, our shipmates, our allies—the dedicated professionals who work with us every day. And we need to constantly seek new relationships and forge new partnerships.

Admiral James R. Stavridis

Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Commander, US European Command

N2/N6F1 - Net-Centric Capabilities Division

Rear Adm. (lower half) Diane E. H. Webber will be assigned as director, Net-Centric Capabilities Division, N2/N6F1, OPNAV, Washington, D.C.  RDML Webber is currently serving as director for command control systems, J6, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command/director, architectures and integration, J6, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

Rear Admiral Diane E. H. Webber

Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command
Director, Command Control Systems

A native of Missouri, Rear Admiral Webber graduated summa cum laude, with honors, from William Jewell College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. She is currently the director, Command Control Systems, for the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Command and United States Northern Command USNORTHCOM), Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. She is responsible for synchronizing command-wide information superiority and architecture efforts to enable the commander, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, planning and executing military operations throughout the Area of Operation and providing military assistance to civil authorities including consequence management operations.

Webber’s operational tours include early assignments as an oceanographic watch officer at U.S. Naval Facility, Argentia, Newfoundland and commander, Oceanographic Systems, Pacific. She deployed as combat systems officer in USS George Washington (CVN 73) when the ship earned two Battle E’s, the Admiral Flatley Safety Award and the Battenberg Cup. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, she commanded U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Bahrain. Webber was assigned to Multi National Forces, Iraq as director, Communications and Information Systems (CIS) Coalition Force Plans/Joint Network Control Center (JNCC) and subsequently served as director, Communications Information Systems, 2nd Fleet.

Other tours include assignments as officer in charge at both Surface Ship Anti Submarine Warfare Analysis Center, San Diego and Communications Security Material Issuing Office, San Diego. Webber was then assigned as the Navy’s enlisted advancement planner for the Enlisted Plans and Community Management Branch in the Bureau of Naval Personnel and served as executive officer, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Washington. She has been the director of Operations and Readiness at commander, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Command as well as the operations officer and director, Global Network Operations and Space Center at Naval Network and Space Operations Command, Dahlgren. She was also executive assistant to the deputy chief of naval operations for Communication Networks (N6) at OPNAV.

Webber holds a Master of Arts in Management from the University of Redlands (California) and a Master of Military Science from the USMC Command and Staff College. She is a recipient of the Naval Historical Center’s Admiral Samuel E. Morison Supplemental Scholarship and has completed her doctoral coursework in International Relations at Catholic University. She holds certificates in Chief Information Officer and Information Assurance from Information Resource Management College at National Defense University and Information Operations from Naval Postgraduate School.

Webber’s personal awards include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and numerous unit and campaign awards.

A Naval Officer's Character - Failure To Live Up To Those High Expectations

It is abundantly clear and readily apparent to the most casual observer that other officers, Sailors, Chiefs and their families will quickly look past the veneer of your lineage and the silver oak leafs or eagles on your collar.  

Our officers, Sailors, Chiefs and their families have a unique ability to see past all that, and perceive the foundation you are building. They know when you are on rocky ground. They can sense the weakness in you. 

They will perceive your character and all its inherent defects. Some great man once said, “The true character of a Naval officer cannot be hidden from his/her Sailors.” There is no place to hide.  

The three words of my persistent drumbeat - Write...Write...Write

Okay, it's really Read...Think...Write

From my friend -
Admiral James Stavridis

"In the end, the quintessential skill of an officer is about bringing order out of chaos. To do that, you have to be calm, and smart, and willing to do the brain work. Because in the end, 21st Century security is about brain-on-brain warfare. We will succeed not because we have more resources, or because our values are the best, or because we have the best demographics or geographic advantages—all of those things matter, of course. But in today's turbulent 21st Century, we'll succeed and defeat our enemies by out-thinking them. To do that, and to be successful senior officers, you need to read … think … and write."

Authentic Leadership - Here it is

Authentic Leadership and emotional intelligence, when paired with professional and technical excellence, provide a powerful differentiator for organizational leaders in the 21st century. Emotionally intelligent leaders are self aware, can self manage through all kinds of situations, and have excellent relationship building skills.

Authentic Leaders have high levels of emotional intelligence and are able to live and lead consistent with their authentic self – who they are when at their best, and living more of the time consistent with their values and vision.

Our Information Warfare community Flag leaders (RADMs Rogers & Brown, RDMLs Leigher, Filipowski, Tighe and Metts) have all (each) expressed that "our people are our greatest resource and our true difference maker."  Our IW Flag leaders owe it to us now to show the authenticity of their leadership by demonstrating the truth of that statement through their deliberate actions and interactions. Our Sailors are watching, waiting, judging.

What are your goals regarding Navy transformation?

The Navy is on a good course and speed regarding transformation initiatives and we have a good navigation plan for the future. If confirmed, my goals will remain largely consistent with our current efforts. For example, Navy has taken the lead within DoD in reshaping itself to meet current and future cyber threats and opportunities, but we have more work to do to capitalize on our progress to date and realize the full potential of our growing cyber force. 

We must continue to mature Navy’s recently-formed Information Dominance Corps, which will help develop integrated solutions in unmanned ISR systems, Electronic Warfare, and C5I. We must continue to retain our advantage in the undersea domain in order to achieve joint assured access wherever it is needed. We will also focus on supporting the development of emerging technologies we think hold the greatest promise for future naval and joint warfighting (such as the railgun, Free Energy Laser, and Directed Energy).

Underpinning all these goals is a need to transform our demographics within the Navy to ensure our personnel reflect the society we defend. I intend to pursue diversity goals within established policy guidelines, so that we can recruit, retain, and promote the best talent the nation has to offer, regardless of color, creed, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender.

Admiral Greenert

Senate Confirmation Hearing to be the next Chief of Naval Operations

Cryptologic Technician Collection 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael Joseph Strange

Petty Officer 1st Class Strange, 25, was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the United States Navy in September, 2004.

After graduating from Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes, Illinois in November, 2004, he reported to the Center for Information Dominance at Pensacola, Florida. He completed his training at the Center for Information Dominance in April, 2005, and reported to Navy Information Operations Command, Kunia, Hawaii. In May 2009, he checked into his East Coast based SEAL Team.

Petty Officer Strange’s awards include Joint Service Commendation Medal (2) one with “V” device for valor, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Good Conduct Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2), Rifleman Marksmanship Medal, and Pistol Marksmanship Medal.

STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL KENDALL CARD

IDC Community,

The Department of Defense officially announced earlier today (Thursday, August 11, 2011) the names of the 30 U.S. Service members who died on August 6 while supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.  They died in Wardak province, Afghanistan when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down.

With the release of this announcement, we can officially recognize and acknowledge the sacrifices of the two IDC Sailors among the 30 American heroes we lost:

- Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah

- Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pa; and

Both were assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit.

Petty Officers Day and Strange represent the best of what we aspire to be: Warriors, fighting in service to our country.  Their dedication to the mission, our Navy, and the United States of America must not be forgotten as we join their families and Shipmates in mourning their loss.

Please join me in offering a salute to Petty Officers Strange and Day,  as well as the other 28 American heroes we lost - they made the ultimate sacrifice so that we all can enjoy the freedoms many take for granted.  We honor them for their dedicated service, and offer our heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, and Shipmates.

Bias for action - essential in today's Navy

No matter how full a reservoir of maxims one may possess, and no matter how good one's sentiments may be, if one has not taken advantage of every concrete opportunity to act, one's character may remain entirely unaffected for the better.  With mere good intentions, hell is proverbially paved.  A character is a completely fashioned will.

A tendency to act only becomes effectively  ingrained in us in proportion to the uninterrupted frequency with which the actions actually occur and the brain "grows" to their use.  When a resolve or a fine glow of feeling is allowed to evaporate without bearing fruit, it is worse than a chance lost; it works so as positively to hinder future resolutions and emotions from taking the normal path of discharge.

- JAMES
USNI Proceedings
Vol. 58 August, 1932 No. 354

Standing on tradition

The value of tradition to a military or naval service is recognized only by those who know something of the deeds contained in its "Golden Book."  The effect that customs had in the formulation of naval regulations is a particular example of the influence of sound usage.  Moreover, the worth of ceremony rests mainly in the fact that it binds us to the past while at the same time, it lends an air of dignity and respect in all official relations whether they occur at home or abroad.  Ceremony is to a marked degree the cement of discipline, and upon discipline the service rests.

Naval Customs, Traditions and Usage
Leland P. Lovette
Lieutenant Commander
United States Navy
1934

Diminished ? - I don't think so.

A great Shipmate of mine (Captain Bryan Lopez) and former Commanding Officer of Navy Information Operations Command San Diego was recently selected as a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) (formerly Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation (HENAAC)) Luminary for 2011.

When I saw that he won this award, I wanted to feel great pride for him and his family.  Instead, I feel like the award has diminished the nature of his service by allowing some to try to put him and this achievement in the "diversity box".  Do NOT put Bryan in a box.

Don't get me wrong, Bryan is a rockstar.  I'm sure that he's proud of his Hispanic heritage (I am VERY proud to be part of a great Hispanic family myself), but he and his accomplishments (and those of his Lopez family) long ago put to rest the idea of any limitation on the levels of achievement they might reach.  Captain Clyde Lopez was the most respected Inspector General and Captain the Naval Security Group during his time on active duty.  He continues to serve as a civilian today.  Bryan is in that mold.

My Shipmates and I are very proud of Bryan and his achievements over his long and distinguished career.  His family name, alone, is legendary in our community and he brings great honor to it along with the rest of his Lopez family - Clyde, Barbara, Phil, Bryan's sons and daughters, and others.  He is a STANDOUT performer in EVERY environment.  He is a qualified Naval Aviation Observer and Information Dominance Warfare officer, former commanding officer, current executive officer, acquisition expert, mentor, Shipmate, Sailor, and superb husband, father, grandfather and a hundred other things beyond a STEM Luminary for 2011.

Don't put Bryan or his achievements in the "diversity box" - He's in a class of his own - as good as any; better than most and often simply - THE BEST.  I salute you Bryan.  And, so do your Shipmates !!

RADM Michael S. Rogers nominated for Third Star - Fleet Cyber Command/TENTH Fleet

 Subject: Flag Officer Announcements

Flag Officer Announcements
Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:37:00 -0500

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 700-11 August 10, 2011

Flag Officer Announcements             Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta announced today that the President has made the following nominations:              Navy Rear Admiral Michael S. Rogers for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as commander, Fleet Cyber Command/commander, Tenth Fleet, Fort Meade, Md.  Rogers is currently serving as director for intelligence, J2, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) On the Web: http://www.defense.gov/releases/ Media Contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132

U.S. NIOC Menwith Hill Station Change of Command

Commander Albert Musselwhite

Air Force Colonel Michelle Clays, Commander Menwith Hill Station, will officiate at the U.S. Navy Information Operations Command MHS Change of Command today.  Commander Timothy M. May will be relieved by Commander Albert M. Musselwhite.

Commander May will be reporting to an assignment in the Ft. Meade, Maryland area.

Bravo Zulu and CONGRATULATIONS to these fine officers.  Thank you both for your service and leadership in our great Navy.

Expectations of a Commanding Officer

Second, my expectations for Commanding Officers:

As a fathom is to a foot, so must your standards of behavior be many times higher than the already high standards of an officer. As Commander, you are now not only an example for your crew; you are an example to your officers. A Commander who drinks too much, swears too much, doesn’t know his or her profession, who doesn’t place the welfare of his people far above his own—that Commander will create officers who behave that way, for lack of proper example.

A good Commander will, immediately upon taking command, publish in writing to his command his expectations, his desires, his standards.

A good Commander will write himself a private letter, describing the Commander he resolves to be. He will set standards for himself. He will re-read that letter at least monthly during his time in command.

A good Commander will sit with his senior officers and instruct them: “Help me to be better. Help me to avoid temptation. Help me to avoid breaking any rules, however slight, either through ignorance or neglect or lack of attention.”

A good Commander knows he is human, and seeks the counsel of his support team to keep him on the straight and true.

A good Commander will have read all the guidance provided by the service concerning the ethics and behavior required of commanders. He will keep those papers in a packet at his desk, for frequent reference. As even the godly among us go to church often, and re-read from the Bible often, so too must even the virtuous Commander frequently review, and re-read, the guidance on ethics and behavior. Actions form habits, which in turn form character, which leads to destiny.

Excerpts from RADM Wray's excellent piece - available in its entirety HERE.

Captain Janet Stewart is the new Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command - effective Friday, 5 August

Captain Janet Stewart relieved Rear Admiral Edward H. Deets III as Commander, NETWARCOM. 

Captain Stewart, a native of Mascoutah, Illinois, graduated from McKendree College, Lebanon, Illinois, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education in 1981. Following Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, she was commissioned an Ensign, General Unrestricted Line, on 1 October 1982, and reported to the Combat Systems Technical Schools Command, Mare Island, California. 

In October 1987, she reported to the Fleet Combat Direction Systems Support Activity, Dam Neck, Virginia, as a Systems Integration Test Officer, and was instrumental in the installation and at-sea testing of the Advanced Combat Direction System New Threat Upgrade in USS HARRY E. YARNELL (CG 17), USS BIDDLE (CG 34), and USS RICHMOND K. TURNER (CG 20). Follow-on tours included: Officer in Charge of the Personnel Support Detachment, Northwest, Chesapeake, Virginia; Naval Air Technical Training Center, Millington, Tennessee; Executive Officer for Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Pensacola, Florida; and Space, Information Warfare, Command and Control Directorate, (OPNAV N6). In November 2000, Captain Stewart took command of the U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Bahrain, providing communications to Warfighters throughout Southwest Asia in support of Commander, FIFTH Fleet, including Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. In December 2003, Captain Stewart reported to Commander, Carrier Strike Group SIX in Mayport, Florida, as the N6 for the USS JOHN F KENNEDY (CV 67) Strike Group for their 2004 Combat Deployment to Southwest Asia. From September 2005 to July 2007, she served as the Current Operations Division Chief and C4 Systems Support Division Chief for the J6 Directorate, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, DC. Prior to her current assignment, she was the Commanding Officer of Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Pacific, Wahiawa, Hawaii, from August 2007 to October 2009. She served as the Chief of Staff for Naval Network Warfare Command, Little Creek, Virginia from November 2009 until August 2011. 

Captain Stewart has been designated as a Joint Qualified Officer and Master Training Specialist, and has earned Masters Degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, in September 1987, and the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, in November 2003. 

Captain Stewart has earned subspecialties in Information Technology Management, Weapons Systems Management, Education and Training Management, and Manpower Management. She is authorized to wear the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (two awards), Meritorious Service Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), and other service and campaign awards. 

Captain Stewart most recently served as the Chief of Staff, NETWARCOM. 

At the Information Dominance Corps Industry Day held on 2 March 2011, VADM Jack Dorsett announced that the Chief of Naval Operations had approved the disestablishment of NETWARCOM.  No word on when disestablishment will occur.

Information Warfare and Cryptology Community Leadership - incoming Rear Admiral Leigher

As I assume the leadership of our Information Warfare and Cryptologic community let me start by thanking Rear Admiral Ned Deets for his stewardship and vision over the last several years.  His tenure as community leader saw more change than perhaps any other period in the history of Naval cryptology.  He led us to a time when our skills have never been in greater demand, in the midst of continued growth of our billet base and leaves to us the task of writing the next chapter of our history.  Our future will unfold around the nexus of our operational base at Fleet Cyber Command and the resource sponsorship of N2N6.

The work ahead will be difficult and will necessarily bring continued change.  The excellence in RF and cyberspace exploitation that we bring to the joint force will expand to include a range of emerging defensive and offensive capabilities.  The nature of the interconnected and digital based world will insure that the pace of change will continue to be fast and sometimes appear daunting.  Yet we are a daunting team and we will be ready and continue to excel.

Our community's signals work is foundational to Information Dominance and your Navy's ability to deliver effects on every battlefield and to every commander.  We need your intellectual capacity to think through challenges and opportunities that this integrated battlefield brings and we need your technical capacity to create solutions that span intelligence production and effects generation.

The creation of the Information Dominance Corps is the opportunity for new partnerships and to tackle obstacles to our collective capability.  It also means finding a comfort zone that has come with the additional responsibilities that our warfare device brings and blending seamlessly with the excellence that our Navy peers who operate platforms bring.  The IDC isn't just a group of people, it is the basis for using information as another capability to project power.  This change may be the hardest to face as it involves how we think about ourselves and what we do.  I believe this is worth that effort because there is one thing I am certain of, our Navy will be better with the that the IDC can bring to the fight.

Thank you for what you do every day and for the sacrifice that you and your families chose to make for our nation.  I am honored for the opportunity to lead this Navy community.  All the best to you and Godspeed.

Very respectfully,

Rear Admiral Bill Leigher

Information Warfare and Cryptology Community Turnover Message From outgoing RADM Deets

From: "Deets, Ned RADM NETWARCOM"
Date: August 6, 2011 7:10:18 AM CDT

Leaders: Request pass to all IWOs, CTs, and Community Civilians.

Shipmates, As I bring my 32 year career to a close, I want you all to know what an honor and privilege it has been to lead our great Information Warfare and Cryptology Community. As I go ashore, I will tell you again that there is no better time to be a member of this Community. Our growing ranks are filled with motivated, dedicated, innovative professionals delivering relevant war fighting capability.

At 1400 on 5 August 2011, I turned over leadership of this Community to RADM (select) Bill Leigher, our senior Community Flag Officer currently serving in a Navy position. I have known Bill for many years. He is a good friend; he is a very capable leader with great vision, and a gift for communicating.

We have been through great change throughout our 76 year history and the last several years have been no different. This must also be so in the future. Stasis is dangerous; it gives our adversaries the edge. Change and adaptation are vital; throughout our history, they have kept us relevant.

And we have never been stronger, more relevant, or in greater demand than we are today. In the past 5 years we have grown by 27%, an unprecedented rate which speaks to the need for your war fighting bona fides both in the Navy and in the Joint world. We have focused our skill sets on those 3 things that are truly foundational; they are unique to us; they are what we bring to the fight: Cryptology/Signals Intelligence, Computer Network Operations, and Electronic Warfare. We have honed our cyber capability to be the best in DoD. We have a warfare device which comes with this new warfare area. And we have an Information Dominance Corps to leverage the tremendous advantage that is our incredible Navy men and women.

We were relevant in the early days, in March 1935 when we first became a Community. We had 10,000 specialists in our business at the height of World War II; we have many more today--relevance. In 1945, we experienced tremendous change as we have since, and as a result we remained relevant through the Korean War, Vietnam, the Cold War, the Gulf War, OPERATION Iraqi Freedom, OPERATION Enduring Freedom. The message is clear: your Navy and this country appreciate what you bring to the fight.

Your patriotism and selfless service are sources of great pride and inspiration for all Americans. Write this important chapter. Go make history and thank you for the opportunity to help take you there. God speed and open water.

v/r, RADM E.H. Deets, III

Ancient Navy thinking? Or still true today?

“Every experienced naval officer should possess, as a necessary component of his technical knowledge, a thorough grounding in the principles and methods of naval strategy and tactics and of joint operations with other branches of the armed forces… Education for supplying such knowledge and for the development of doctrine and good military character is necessary throughout our naval service.” 

Bureau of Personnel Manual, 1948

“The system is based on the all around officer who can be shifted from post to post and is capable of doing each routine job well…” “The system is designed for the ‘operators’... the ‘idea’ men (technical experts) are left out in the cold, passed over and retired...”

Captain Hyman G. Rickover, USN, 1953

From:
COMMANDING MEN AND MACHINES: ADMIRALSHIP, TECHNOLOGY, AND IDEOLOGY IN THE 20th CENTURY U.S. NAVY

Captain Mark R. Hagerott, Ph.D., 2008

The Navy Fires its 16th Commanding Officer - Loss of Confidence in Ability to Command

Commander Robert M. Brown, Commanding Officer of Beachmaster Unit TWO was fired on Friday, 5 August 2011, amid an investigation into the misuse of government resources and the improper disposal of government equipment.

Rear Admiral David M. Thomas, the commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic, lost confidence in Brown's ability to command.

Brown has been reassigned to administrative duties at Naval Beach Group 2.

"The allegations of misuse of government resources and the improper disposal of government equipment were severe enough to warrant immediate relief due to loss of confidence in Brown's ability to command before completion of the investigation." 

Brown enlisted in the Navy in 1984 and took command of Beachmaster Unit 2 in May 2010. Beachmaster units provide teams of Sailors that deploy with expeditionary forces to help with beach landings and evacuations.

A Historical Letter of Note: Submarine Requisition for Toilet Paper

On June 11th of 1942 (not 1943, as the memo's opening typo states), the Commanding Officer of USS Skipjack, Lt. Commander James Wiggins Coe, sent the following sarcastic memo to the Navy's supply department at Mare Island. At this point it had been almost a year since crew aboard the submarine had placed a simple request for 150 rolls of toilet paper with the depot, and only very recently had said requisition been returned, frustratingly bearing the words "cancelled — cannot identify." This memo was Coe's response.

Amusingly, when the submarine next returned to land, Coe and crew were faced with a dock piled high with toilet roll pyramids, countless toilet roll streamers flying from every available post, and a brass band wearing toilet paper neckties.

Transcript follows. Image courtesy of The Navy Department Library.




Transcript

U.S.S. SKIPJACK

84/18/S36-1
11 June, 1943

From: The Commanding Officer.
To: Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, California.
Via: Commander Submarines, Southwest Pacific.

Subject: Toilet Paper.

Reference: (a) (6048) USS HOLLAND (5184) USS SKIPJACK Reqn. 70-42 of July 30, 1941; (b) SO NYMI cancelled invoice No. 272836.

Enclosure: (A) Copy of cancelled invoice; (B) Sample of material requested.

1. This vessel submitted a requisition for 150 rolls of toilet paper on July 30, 1941, to USS HOLLAND. The material was ordered by HOLLAND from Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, for delivery to USS SKIPJACK.

2. The Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, on November 26, 1941, cancelled Mare Island Invoice No. 272836 with the stamped notation "cancelled — cannot identify". This cancelled invoice was received by SKIPJACK on June 19, 1942.

3. During the 11-1/2 months elapsing from the time of ordering the toilet paper and the present date the SKIPJACK personnel, despite their best efforts to await delivery of subject material have been unable to wait on numerous occasions, and the situation is now quite acute, especially during depth charge attacks by the "back-stabbers".

4. Enclosure (B) is a sample of the desired material provided for the information of the Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island. The Commanding Officer, USS SKIPJACK cannot help but wonder what is being used by Mare Island in place of this unidentifiable material, one well known to this command.

5. SKIPJACK personnel during this period has become accustomed to the use of "Ersatz" the vast amount of incoming non-essential paper work, and in so doing felt that the wish of the Bureau of Ships for "reduction of paper work" is being complied with thus effectually "killing two birds with one stone".

6. It is believed by this Command that the stamped notation "cannot identify" was possibly an error, and this is simply a case of shortage of strategic war material, the SKIPJACK probably being low on the priority list.

7. In order to cooperate in war effort at small local sacrifice, the SKIPJACK desires no further action to be taken until the end of current war which has created a situation aptly described as "War is Hell".

J.W. COE

Found at LETTERS OF NOTE here.

RADM Edward H. Deets Retirement Ceremony Today

Rear Admiral Edward H. Deets III, Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command, was honored today at his retirement ceremony in the Little Creek, Virginia area.  More details to follow, when they become available. 

Deets began his Navy career following graduation from the U.S. Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Duke University. In May 1979 he was commissioned as an Ensign. He was initially in training to become a Naval Aviator (from 1979 to 1983) but was physically disqualified after a rapid decompression at altitude. From June 1979 to October 1979 he was assigned to Fighter Wing ONE for Duty Under Instruction (DUINS). From February 1980 to May 1981 he was assigned to Training Squadron TWO. From May 1981 to September 1982 he was assigned to Training Squadron TWO THREE. From October 1982 to January 1983, he was assigned to Commander, Air Training Wing TWO as the Special Projects Officer.

Following his lateral conversion from Unrestricted Line to Restricted Line - Special Duty Officer - Cryptology, he was assigned to Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Kunia, Hawaii. He deployed as a Cryptologic Direct Support Element (CDSE) officer aboard several ships while at NSGA Kunia (then under the command of Commander A.D. Neiman). Subsequent tours included assignment as the Executive Officer (XO) for Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Pyongtaek, South Korea. In 1989, he was designated a Joint Specialty Officer (JSO). In 1991, he was assigned to Commander, Carrier Group TWO (CCG-2) aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) as the staff cryptologist under Rear Admiral Jim Lair. He deployed to the Mediterranean Sea and also participated in several Caribbean Sea counter-narcotics operations aboard various ships.

In 1993, he became the Cryptologic Junior Officer Detailer at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, D.C. Next, he spent two years on the staff of the United States Sixth Fleet in Gaeta, Italy, as the Command and Control Warfare Officer (C2WO). He also attended the National Defense University at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. He served a follow-on joint assignment as the Executive Assistant to the National Security Agency Chief of Staff (Rear Admiral Joseph D. Burns) where he was selected for Captain.

Deets was the Commanding Officer of the Center for Cryptology at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida until 2004. Under his command, the Center for Naval Cryptology Corry Station was recognized with the Naval Education and Training Command's "Training Excellence Award."

Deets was the Commander of the Naval Network Warfare Command based in Norfolk, Virginia.

Deets was the senior member of the Information Warfare (1810) Special Duty Officer community in the Navy.

Biographical information from WIKIPEDIA.

What the Navy needs now more than ever

Men and women with drive, determination, courage and talent.

Men and women of honor.

Sailors who can withstand the toughest environments and who thrive in the arena with the toughest challenges.

Sailors who are devoted to the professional development and well-being of their Shipmates.

Sailors for whom it is the content of their character that matters, and not the color of their skin.


Admiral John Harvey
Commander, Fleet Forces Command

Let's hope we can bring the rest of Navy leadership on board with Admiral Harvey's thinking and concentrate on character and not color when we are recruiting men and women for Naval service.  It may be too much to hope for.

Efficiency without effectiveness is foolishness

As Covey notes “In attempts to be efficient, we often overlook effectiveness and destroy our capability for getting the results necessary to succeed”.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People - by Steven Covey has sold more than 15 million copies.

7 Habits of High Efficient People - has not even been written.

Efficiency without effectiveness is just foolishness.

Here's a thoughtful post over at Connecting The Dots by Commander Sean Heritage that is worth your time.  Seeking Inefficiencies.  Something we should all be looking for.  Don't let being efficient make you ineffective!

A Thought Piece on The Cyber Threat

Cybersecurity is an important policy issue, but the alarmist rhetoric coming out of Washington that focuses on worst-case scenarios is unhelpful and dangerous. Aspects of current cyber policy discourse parallel the run-up to the Iraq War and pose the same dangers. Pre-war threat inflation and conflation of threats led us into war on shaky evidence. By focusing on doomsday scenarios and conflating cyber threats, government officials threaten to legislate, regulate, or spend in the name of cybersecurity based largely on fear, misplaced rhetoric, conflated threats, and credulous reporting. The public should have access to classified evidence of cyber threats, and further examination of the risks posed by those threats, before sound policies can be proposed, let alone enacted.

Furthermore, we cannot ignore parallels between the military-industrial complex and the burgeoning cybersecurity industry. As President Eisenhower noted, we must have checks and balances on the close relationships between parties in government, defense, and industry.  Relationships between these parties and their potential conflicts of interest must be considered when weighing cybersecurity policy recommendations and proposals.

Before enacting policy in response to cyber threats, policymakers should consider a few things. First, they should end the cyber rhetoric. The alarmist rhetoric currently dominating the policy discourse is unhelpful and potentially dangerous. Next, they should declassify evidence relating to cyber threats. Overclassification is a widely acknowledged problem, and declassification would allow the public to verify before trusting blindly.

They must also disentangle the disparate cyber threats so that they can determine who is best suited to address which threats. In cases of cyber crime and cyber espionage, for instance, private network owners may be best suited and may have the best incentive to protect their own valuable data, information, and reputations. After disentangling threats, policymakers can then assess whether a market failure or systemic problem exists when it comes to addressing each threat. Finally, they can estimate the costs and benefits of regulation and its alternatives and determine the most effective and efficient way to address disparate cyber threats.

Read the entire piece - LOVING THE CYBER BOMB - HERE.