Navy's 2016 Stockdale Award Recipients

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Navy announced the two 2016 Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Leadership Award recipients Aug. 30 in NAVADMIN 194/16. Commander Gary G. Montalvo, commanding officer of USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is the Pacific Fleet recipient and Commander Ken J. Kleinschnittger, former commanding officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 12 and currently working with Navy Expeditionary Combat Command forces, is the Fleet Forces recipient.

The two recipients were nominated by their peers, who were also eligible for the award, and chosen from among eight finalists to receive the award.

The Stockdale award was established in honor of Vice Admiral Stockdale whose distinguished naval career symbolized the highest standards of excellence in both personal conduct and leadership. It is presented annually to two commissioned officers on active duty in the grade of commander or below who are serving in command of a single ship, submarine, aviation squadron, Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) team, naval special warfare squadron, SEAL delivery vehicle team, special boat team, explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit, mobile diving and salvage unit, or Navy special clearance team and who serve as examples of excellence in leadership and conspicuous contribution to the improvement of leadership in the Navy.

Montalvo was nominated by the commanding officer of USS Buffalo (SSN 715), Commander Micah Maxwell, who wrote the nomination was "in recognition of his outstanding performance and unquestionable leadership acumen while in command of a heavily decorated, deployed submarine crew."

Three commanding officers nominated Kleinschnittger for the award. In his nomination letter, Commander Jeremy F. Thompson, commanding officer of EODMU 1, stated Kleinschnittger "is known throughout the EOD, SOF (Special Operation Forces) and joint communities for his strength of character, inspirational command presence, and humble approach to leading men and women."

Montalvo and Kleinschnittger are scheduled to receive their awards from Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson at a ceremony later this fall.

Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, for whom the Stockdale Award is named, articulated five roles for a leader -- moralist, jurist, teacher, steward and philosopher.

A Naval Academy graduate and pilot, Stockdale ejected from his A-4E Skyhawk over North Vietnam in September 1965 and was held prisoner and frequently tortured until February 1973. He received the Medal of Honor in 1976 and served as president of the Naval War College from October 1977 until August 1979.

He died in 2005 and is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He is survived by his three sons and eight grandchildren.

You can get my short KINDLE book about these amazing men and one woman HERE.   Rear Admiral Babette Bolivar's biography is HERE.

Tom Peters on Lord Horatio Nelson

The Full Nelson—Or: 13 Lessons on "Navigating" Excellence. 

Lord Horatio Nelson, an old Navy man and avid student of naval history, to me epitomizes Excellence. And, near the 200th anniversary of his singular victory at Trafalgar, I happened upon a new biography (I've probably ingested a dozen over the years), Andrew Lambert's Nelson: Britannia's God of War. From it, I extracted 13 lessons that I contend are mostly applicable to you and me:

1. Simple scheme. Nelson's orders of battle were paragons of simplicity and clarity—he was a damn good writer among other things. (Doable for you or me? Yes.)
2. Soaring/Bold/Noble Purpose! Nelson pursued total victory. Many of his peers were willing, essentially, to rate surviving as victory enough. (Doable for you or me? Yes.)
3. Engage others. Nelson made his captains full partners in the process as he devised plans— unheard of in those days. (Doable for you or me? Yes.)
4. Find great talent, at any age, let it soar! Nelson gave his best captains, young or old, far more leeway than his counterpart admirals—and he eschewed seniority as primary measure of assigned responsibility. (Doable for you or me? Yes.)
5. Lead by Love! The sailors, every biographer agrees, loved Nelson, and he them. (Last clause in the sentence is crucial.) His concern for their well-being, regardless of the rough nature of the sailor's life in those days, was legendary. (Doable for you or me? Yes.)
6. Seize the Moment! Nelson's sixth sense about enemy weakness was remarkable. He would skip to "Plan B" in a flash if merited by changing circumstances. (Doable for you or me? Yes. More or less—"good instincts" are the indirect product of insanely hard work.)
7. Vigor! His energy was palpable! (Doable for you or me? Yes. Mostly. Low energy folks aren't picks for leadership positions—or any other positions, for that matter.)
8. Master your craft. Nelson was the best damn sailor in the Navy—sailors and officers appreciated that beyond measure. (Doable for you or me? Yes. Damn it. We are not all created equal—but often "the best" is not the one who tops the charts on raw talent.)
9. Work harder-harder-harder than the next person. No explanation needed. (Doable for you or me? Yes.)
10. Show the way, walk the talk, exude confidence! Start a Passion Epidemic! Nelson led from the front—visible, in full dress uniform as the cannons roared. (Doable for you or me? Yes.)
11. Change the rules: Create your own game! Nelson always took the initiative—thus forcing rivals, from the beginning and throughout maneuvering at battle, to be in a full-time reactive mode. (Doable for you or me? Yes.)
12. Luck! Believe it! Always necessary! Not "desirable"—but necessary. (Doable for you or me? Anybody can get lucky—and preparedness ups the odds of getting lucky. But, truthfully, lucky is lucky.)
13. Be determined to come out on top, come hell or/and high water! Lambert:
"Other Admirals were more frightened of losing than anxious to win." This last is a big deal—it belongs as either #1 or #13. (Doable for you or me? Yes.) 

Courtesy

"Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart."

—Henry Clay, American Statesman (1777-1852)

With a new crop of CPOs ready to don their anchors - this note from the past. Officers train CPOs.

CNC's Wardroom Teaches 

Covenant Leadership to 

Newly Appointed CPOs

---

Story Number: NNS021209-02Release Date: 12/9/2002

By Chief Petty Officer Gregory T. Samuels, Center for Naval Cryptology

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Vern Clark's
emphasis on "Covenant Leadership" led the officers of the Center for Naval
Cryptology (CNC) at Corry Station, Pensacola, Fla., to dedicate three-and-a-half
days recently to an off-site with their 22 new chief petty officers (CPOs).

The officers taught a course which they developed at the CNC called "CPO
Continuing Education - Charting The Professional Development Vector."

Created in July 2002 by Commanding Officer Capt. Edward H. Deets, Executive
Officer Capt. Lloyd B. Callis, Director of Training Cmdr. Mike Lambert, and members
of the CNC wardroom (many former CPOs themselves), the course covered 16
diverse topics including a summary of the CNO's required reading (books such as
"Leading Change," "Powerful Conversations," "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,
and The Power of Alignment," the CNO's 5 priorities, 14 Minutes with the Master
Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, administration, Operational Risk Management,
evaluations, personal career development, the Revolution in Navy Training, and
command excellence.

According to CDR Lambert, one of the purposes of the course was to put the CNO's
thoughts about positive self-talk and message alignment into the hearts and minds
of the new CPOs. "The Navy is in the midst of transforming and this course is intended
to put these new Chiefs at the forefront of the transformation, well-equipped to 'lead
the change,'" said Lambert.

"Our senior enlisted Sailors do an outstanding job of helping our first class petty
officers make the transition to "khaki" during the six-week CPO initiation period,"
said Deets, speaking to the new chiefs at the seminar. "What our officers are 
going to do is provide another significant piece in your continuing leadership 
education and discuss our expectations of you as Chiefs. As the CNO said - 
you've made promises to serve and you are all living up to your promises. 
This course is part of an effort to fulfill our covenant to develop and mentor 
you, as well as to better equip you to share these important messages with
our Sailors," concluded Deets.

Feedback from the new CPOs was unanimously positive. "I have a better understanding
of what the wardroom expects of us as new leaders," said Chief Petty Officer Demetria
Barksdale, a participant in the training. "This has given me a great foundation for my
new leadership role with the Navy."

Lambert said that CNC officials were so pleased with the results of the pilot project that
they plan to refine it for possible use in CPO indoctrination training throughout the Navy.

For related news, visit the Chief of Naval Education and Training Navy NewsStand page
at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnet.

I can't argue with Jason Fried in REWORK -- Writing is today's currency

Leaders are readers - and writers

Dan Shanower - 9-11-01 - Gone, Not Forgotten

CDR Dan F. Shanower was born on February 7, 1961 in Naperville, Illinois. He was a member of Naperville Central High School’s varsity soccer team and graduated in 1979. He attended Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. While a student at Carroll, he participated in the Washington Semester at American University, interning in the office of Illinois Senator Charles Percy, then Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. 

CDR Shanower attended Aviation Officer School in Pensacola, Florida and received his commission as an Ensign, U.S. Navy in June 1985. After attending the Armed Forces Air Intelligence Training Course at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, he reported to VAQ-136 onboard U.S.S. Midway in March 1986 as Squadron Intelligence Officer. In September 1988, he was assigned as Officer-in-Charge of the Pacific Fleet Area Support Team Detachment, Subic Bay, Philippines. Following this tour, he transitioned to the Naval Reserve, serving from August 1990 to October 1994 as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department in the Philippines. 

CDR Shanower was recalled to active duty in November 1994 and reported to the Navy & Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center as a student. He was assigned to the Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific Detachment Japan in December 1994 as Operations Support Department Head. He served aboard USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) which was the Flagship for the Commander, SEVENTH Fleet. In May 1997, he received orders to the staff of the Commander, U.S. Third Fleet in San Diego, California aboard the USS CORONADO as the Assistant Intelligence Officer. 

In June 1999, CDR Shanower reported to the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington, DC as Fleet Support Department Head. He began graduate work in the Naval War College. In August 2000, he was selected as the Officer-in-Charge of the Chief of Naval Operations Intelligence Plot. There he was responsible for the provision of current intelligence support to the Navy Secretariat, Chief of Naval Operations staff, and the Director of Naval Intelligence. In December 2000, he was promoted to his final rank of Commander. 

CDR Shanower’s personal and professional commendations include the Defense Meritorious Service Award, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Purple Heart, and numerous campaign and service awards. Carroll College awarded him its first Distinguished Alumni Award for Service to Country in February 2002. Naperville Central High School recognized his contributions to his country by presenting him an Outstanding Alumni Award in May 2002. 

Dan was known for his ready smile, terrific sense of humor, love of conversation, ability to tell a story, love of politics, and his intellectual and cultural curiosity about the world. He loved the sea, sailing, scuba diving, water skiing, and above all else, his family, friends and the Navy. He enjoyed writing both fiction and non-fiction, and many of his opinion essays and articles were published in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings, including the poignant May 1997 one entitled, “Freedom Isn’t Free.” His article reflected on the loss of his shipmates in 1987, and he wrote: 

“Those of us in the military are expected to make the ultimate sacrifice when called. The military loses scores of personnel each year. Each one risked and lost his or her life in something they believed in, leaving behind family and shipmates to bear the burden and celebrate their devotion to our country… They knew the risks they were taking and gave their lives for something bigger than themselves.” 

CDR Shanower’s survivors include his parents, Dr. Donald, WWII veteran and college professor, and Patricia, retired public school teacher; brothers, Thomas and Jonathan; sisters, Victoria and Paula; and eight nephews and nieces. 

He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on October 1, 2001.

CWO4 Wallace Louis Exum - Missing You

Tell your story...write it down..