Thursday, December 31, 2009

Navy's 2009 Foreign Language Awards - RADM George Patrick March Award - his legacy in love of languages lives on

The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC), Monterey, CA, sponsors an annual competition to recognize excellence in two categories:
(1) individual achievement by a Foreign Language Professional, and
(2) exceptional performance by a Command Language Program.
Making this year's selection was a particular challenge. I was pleased to note that the 2009 nominations were most impressive, and selection of only one Navy nominee in each category for the larger cross-service competitions proved difficult. With that in mind, I am pleased to announce Navy's Foreign Language Excellence winners as:

-- Language Professional of the Year: CTI2 Douglas Dixon of Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Texas

-- Command Language Program of the Year: NIOC Maryland

Navy's winners will be nominated for the larger cross-Service award competition which will be decided prior to the Command Language Program Manager (CLPM) conference in Monterey, CA scheduled for May 2010.

Our selections represent the superior levels of linguistic proficiencies represented throughout the Navy, and our expectations are high for the cross-Service competition. Please join me in congratulating Petty Officer Dixon and Captain Steven Ashworth, CO, NIOC Maryland on their achievements. Also, I ask that you join me in extending a hearty "well done" to all who participated in this highly competitive program.

Widest dissemination within the Navy Information Warfare, Special Warfare, and Intelligence communities is requested.

RADM D.P. Holloway, USN
Navy Senior Language Authority

A Naval officer, above all . . .

recognizes his responsibilities and therefore does not accept them lightly. A Naval officer understands that his word is his bond, exercised by everyday actions and daily decisions. A Naval officer will not waft through life selfish or disconnected, like someone who carries a fickle mind. A Naval officer, the genuine article, will not make promises he cannot keep, and chooses his words as carefully as he does his commitments. And because a Naval officer honors his words, he is in turn honored in his actions.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

We have a duty to remember their sacrifice - Cryptologic Technicians Earn Purple Hearts

Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) 1st Class Aaron Windle, from Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) San Diego, was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in Iraq January 29, 2005.

The medal was presented by Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, in a ceremony held at NSGA San Diego on March 1, 2005.

While on patrol, Windle’s unit surveyed a gap in a wall before passing, but as Windle passed through, he was shot just above the clavicle, knocking him down instantly. The unit’s corpsman responded immediately, using gauze to help stop the bleeding.

“When it happened, I did not know what was going on. I didn’t know where I was shot, or if it was serious," CTI1 Windle said. "It was an act of God, and I feel grateful to come through it as well as I did."

Since the Revolutionary War, the Purple Heart, the world's oldest military decoration in use, has been awarded to service members who have been wounded or killed during any action against an enemy of the United States.

NOTE: I have filed three separate requests (two under the Freedom of Information Act) with the Navy for a list of Cryptologic Technicians who have earned the Purple Heart in the Global War On Terror (Overseas Contingency Operations). The Navy (NNWC/OPNAV/Navy PAO) has yet to respond. If you are aware of a CT who has earned the Purple Heart, please leave me a comment.

NOTE 2: I received a note from Navy Safe Harbor - they don't maintain information on those wounded in combat. On 10 January 2010, I received a note from OPNAV stating that they are routing my request to another office for consideration.  (Update: on 20 October 2010 - 10 months after my initial request - still no answer from the Navy on the number of CTs awarded the Purple Heart in Iraq and Afghanistan).

I have 5 on my list so far.

CTT1 Steven P. Daugherty (deceased)
CTM3 Matt O'Bryant (deceased)
CTI1 Aaron Windle (shot)
CT2 Chad Kueser (mortar round) lost both legs
CTRCS (SW/FMF) David B. McLendon (deceased)

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Criticism as praise

My old boss, SECDEF Rumsfeld was fond of saying, "If you're not being criticized, you may not be doing much." If you are a man of action (MOA), you are bound to upset some folks. Providing constructive criticism is an art form in and of itself. How do you practice the art?

Monday, December 28, 2009

Ensuring the Future Viability of Our Information Warfare Community Within the Information Dominance Corps

We lost our ability, over time, to sufficiently differentiate the CTA and CTO ratings from their Navy counterpart ratings (YN/IT). We need to ensure that our other cryptologic technician ratings: CTI, CTT, CTR , CTM and CTN remain sufficiently differentiated from their Navy counterpart ratings. Similarly, differentiation of our Information Warfare officers from their Navy counterparts will be critical to our IW community's future viability.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Admiral Bobby Ray Inman - Intel Chair

Our colleague, Rear Admiral Andrew M. Singer is leaving Booz Allen Hamilton on 15 January 2010 to accept the Admiral Bobby Ray Inman Chair for Intelligence at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Congratulations on this new opportunity and for accepting the responsibility it carries.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas

I am very happy to be blessed with a wonderful family.
Life does not get much better than this.
Here's wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Practical advice for Commanding Officers

When I assumed command of U.S. Naval Security Group Activity in January 1997, I received the most practical advice from a fellow Commanding Officer and mentor, Captain Jerome Rapin, the CO of NSGA Kunia, Hawaii. His advice - "COMMAND!" I still have his letter and will post it as soon as I can scan it.

Most ironically, I made it to command without 'command screening'. The following year, the command screening board met and I 'FAILED' to screen for command. I was notified by a Lieutenant from BUPERS. Subsequently, the senior cryptologic detailer contacted me to advise that I would be allowed to remain in my current job (where I was ranked the #1 CO) and "not to worry because I would have another opportunity to screen for command the next year." I did get a letter from the Chief of Naval Personnel the following year congratulating me on my selection for command but cautioned that 'successful screening for command does not guarantee assignment as a commanding officer.' I wanted to write a letter back cautioning that 'failure to screen for command does not preclude assignment as a commanding officer.'

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Certain Aspects of Our Profession Are Fundamental - They Should Never Change

Rear Admiral James S. McFarland and I carried on a regular correspondence for almost 20 years. He was a great mentor and a conscientious note/letter writer. This last response was just before his death in February 2003. We had been exchanging ideas about the future of cryptology in our Naval profession. He was committed to the idea that some aspects of our profession were fundamental and should never change.

He was deeply proud of the 10,000 or so Sailors that comprised the Cryptologic Community. He, more than most, understood the value of those Sailors to the Navy and its mission. He believed in taking care of those Sailors and the Sailors knew it.

Monday, December 21, 2009

"Anchor up, Chiefs !!"


MCPON West’s message

Pass to all command master chiefs, chiefs of the boat, command senior chiefs and senior enlisted leaders and conduct training on CPO standards and Navy core values within the CPO mess.

Senior enlisted leaders, during the past several weeks we’ve had several incidents of CPO misconduct. Also during the past year, CPOs have been involved in several incidents regarding DUIs, sexual assaults, domestic violence, fraternization and general misconduct. This is unacceptable within our mess and must stop immediately.

Additionally, during the past year we’ve detached for cause ten CMCs and COBs for some of the same practices mentioned above, as well as poor performance in leading a mess.

CPO DUIs are a mess failure, and a leadership issue that must be addressed. As a mess, we have averaged 54 per year since 2005. This represents a trend and average we must reverse now. This number indicates that some within our mess are not looking after themselves or one another. There is no doubt in my mind that this type of conduct has a negative effect on the Sailors we lead.

As chiefs, we are the leaders and bearers of standards for our sailors twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The way we live our core values and Navy ethos are emulated by the Sailors we are privileged to lead.

I’ve asked each fleet and force master chief to brief me on any CPO involved in a DUI, sexual assault, domestic violence, fraternization or general misconduct. This brief will explain how the CMC and the mess involved expect to provide a course correction so this doesn’t reoccur. This process will be implemented in a manner that does not interfere with ongoing investigations and respects the authority of the chain of command to take administrative or disciplinary action as appropriate.

Shipmates, overall our mess remains strong. You are leading this Navy and doing it well, but even one miscue from a chief petty officer resonates and reflects poorly on the entire chief’s mess and our great Navy.

We as leaders have the responsibility to uphold the credibility this mess has earned over the course of a century. Leadership is counting on you, your Sailors are counting on you and I am counting on you.

Keep an eye on one another, take swift and appropriate action if you see someone steering the wrong course, don’t be afraid to ask questions if you see something that your instincts tell you may be unusual, and always set the standards for the Sailors you serve.

Chiefs, anchor up.

MCPON West

MCPON and I are on the same page. I take credit for coining this phrase ("ANCHOR UP") several years ago and it was published in my September 2007 USNI PROCEEDINGS article "Anchor Up, Chiefs. Reset Your Mess" - just in time for the promotion of the FY08 Chief Petty Officers. You can read it HERE at the Chief's own GOATLOCKER website. I am honored that the Chiefs thought enough of the article to post it for their Mess to read.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Communications


"Whenever I talk to people who are going into command, I tell them about the importance of communications, communications, and communications. Communication with your people inside the lifelines is the most important thing you can do as a leader."

Admiral Mike Boorda, Former Chief of Naval Operations

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Will the honest among you serve our Navy?

Stealing and paraphrasing simultaneously from the SECDEF Dr. Robert Gates and President John Adams:
"Being a Naval officer, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or [an]other. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not."
And so I ask you, will the wise and honest among you come help us serve our Navy in the best way we can?

Friday, December 18, 2009

Change of Command - Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) - Colorado

Captain Carl Barksdale presided over a traditional Navy change of command ceremony (today, 18 December 2009) for Navy Information Operations Command - Colorado in Denver as Commander Nicholas Homan relieved Commander Steve Weldon as Commanding Officer. Commander Weldon's next assignment is on the staff of Commander, SEVENTH Fleet embarked aboard USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) to relieve Commander Cliff Bean in the spring.

A Little Bit of 'Thank You' Help - For those of you who are "thank you" impaired.

Sailors always remember a thank-you note, long after they forget what exactly they did to deserve it. Of course, there are the usual occasions to write thank you notes, but what are often more interesting are the unexpected ones.

A thank-you note is a gift in and of itself. Thank those Sailors for the great job they did on the Quarterdeck during the Commodore's visit, for the great job they did at Colors this morning, Thank them for the super job they did on the engineering inspection. Thank them for keeping the Command's 5 year safety record intact.

There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to writing thank-you notes. Most would prefer that you follow this rough guideline.
1. Write the thank-you note.
2. Affix stamp.
3. Mail it. I have been using this formula for 25 years or so and have yet to have one note returned.
If you are the succinct type, a correspondence card works perfectly, as does a small foldover note. Punctuality counts – and it certainly appears more sincere. Generally speaking, the message is brief and usually consists of four parts.

1. The greeting. Dear Petty Officer Smith/Lieutenant Jones.

2. An appreciation of the item or favor.

"Thank you for the the great job on the IG inspection last week."

3. Mention how important it was.

"We couldn't have passed without your great work."

4. Sign off with an appreciation of their service.

"Thank you for your service in our great Navy." That’s it. That is all there is to it.

Good intentions don’t get the job done, and while everyone intends to express a thank you, not everyone does. If your thank-you note is tardy, don’t apologize for being late. You know you are late, and the person you are writing knows it. Just get on with it.

Adapted from Crane's Guidance on Correspondence

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Deputy, Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet Speaks to Sailors at DLIFC - Monterey, California

MONTEREY, Calif. (NNS) -- The selected deputy commander of the soon-to-be reconstituted U.S. 10th Fleet/Fleet Cyber Command, addressed more than 70 prospective Navy linguists studying at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) on Dec. 2 at the Presidio of Monterey.

Rear Adm. William E. Leigher spoke to Sailors attending DLIFLC as an "A" school for the cryptologic technician (interpretive) rating, about the role of the Navy's newest numbered fleet and the effects it will have on future fleet operations and the Navy's cryptologic community.

"I have watched cryptology evolve over the last 20 years from a very tight and small field to a community that will lead what the Navy does in the Information Age. We are going to be much more involved in defining the operations that we take part in."

RDML Bill Leigher
Deputy Commander, Fleet Cyber Command/TENTH Fleet


FULL STORY FROM NAVY NEWS SERVICE

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Problems in the Chief Petty Officer Mess

As the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick West works to resolve problems in the Chiefs' Mess, I was reminded of this.
"Unless and until officers conduct themselves at all times as officers, it is useless to demand and hopeless to expect any improvement in the enlisted ranks.
Matters of correct attitude, personal conduct, and awareness of moral obligations do not lend themselves to control by a set of rules or to scientific analysis...Many methods of instruction and different approaches to teaching them will present themselves. Each naval officer must consider himself an instructor in these matters and the future tone of the naval service will depend on the sincerity which he brings to this task."
Admiral T. C. Kinkaid
United States Navy
1947

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Information Dominance Corps Flag Panel

Latest IDC Flag Panel was held Monday, 14 December 2009. Look for a summary report from VADM Dorsett soon. Continued topics from last IDC Flag Panel, including more on cross-detailing within the IDC. More to follow...

Genuine Command Excellence Revisited - Navy Information Operations Command, Pensacola Florida

The Commanding Officer, (Commander Frank Shaul) Navy Information Operations Command Pensacola, Florida inspects his Sailors during a command inspection and awards ceremony at Corry Station.

This is an important element of the "Maintaining Standards" aspect of the Navy's Command Excellence program. In superior commands, Sailors believe in doing things in the best possible way. They want to do the job right. Maintaining and improving standards is a way of life. They do not wait until just before an inspection to enforce standards.

Department Heads and division officers in superior wardrooms are key to setting and maintaining standards. Standards are clear and consistent. People know what is important and what is not. Enforcement of standards is done with an eye for fairness and justice. Goals are continuously improved upon. They are realistic, but always maintained at a high level. Once a challenge is met, Sailors are given positive feedback and another appropriately challenging goal is set.

Feedback, both positive and negative, on goals is a hallmark of top commands. Activities are monitored on a regular basis. Performance problems do not get out of hand because they are remedied at the first sign of difficulty. Everyone is encouraged to take responsibility for enforcing standards and seeing that things are done right in the command.


NIOC Pensacola, Florida - leading the way in Command Excellence.

Monday, December 14, 2009

The Importance Of Letter Writing - Captain Laurance Safford: Father of Naval Cryptology

Navy Captain Laurance Safford is often referred to as the “father of U.S. naval cryptology”. His contributions during WW II were numerous and significant.

Much of what we know about Captain Safford's contributions to naval cryptology come from his own writing.

A number of his personal letters provide insight into events surrounding the congressional investigation into the attack on Pearl Harbor. One letter refers specifically to the “Winds Message” reportedly intercepted by the U.S. days before the 7 December surprise attack. This infamous message reportedly gave clear indications of the planned Japanese surprise attack.

Unfortunately the actual intercept mysteriously disappeared shortly after the surprise attack and the "Winds Message's" very existence is only supported by the testimony of Safford and perhaps one or two others who reportedly also were aware of the intercept.

His personal papers also included a four page letter to Vice Admiral C.E. Rosendahl responding to two pages of questions from Rosendahl about the number, distribution, disposition and construction of PURPLE machines prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Other documents included a petition to the Congress and supporting testimony to award Capt. Safford remuneration for his many secret cryptologic inventions, some of which were cited as among the most important and secure communication systems used by the U.S. during WW II.

As Admiral Stavridis is so fond of saying: "Think, read, write and publish." If you don't tell your story - who will know it?

Friday, December 11, 2009

Information Warfare Leadership


Some have expressed confusion about the leadership and seniority of Flag officers and Senior Executive Service (SES)/Defense Intelligence Senior Level (DISL) in the Information Warfare community.

Here is the line-up as I see it. As always, your comments are welcome.

1. VADM Jack Dorsett - 1630
Overarching Leader of the Information Dominance Corps - OPNAV N2/N6

2. RADM Ned Deets - 1610
Information Warfare Officer community leader - Vice Commander, NNWC

3. RADM Michael A. Brown - 1610
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security and Communications - Department of Homeland Security

4. RDML Mike S. Rogers - 1610
Joint Staff, J2 Director of Intelligence

5. RDML William Leigher -1610
Deputy Fleet Cyber Commander/Deputy Commander 10th Fleet

6. RDML (Sel) Sean Filipowski -1610
Director, Cyber, Sensors and Electronic Warfare OPNAV N2N6F3

7. Mr. Mark Neighbors - Former 1610
Chief of Staff (N2/N6S)

8. Mr. Jerome Rapin - Former 1610
Deputy Director - Cyber, Sensors and Electronic Warfare - OPNAV N2N6F3B

9. 50 or so 1610 Captains.

10. 100 or so 1610 Commanders.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Information Capable Warrior

"Information dominance in the 21st century Navy will require specific focus, deep expertise developed over an entire career, new mindsets, and new processes. If we accept the assumption that "information effects" are both supporting kinetic operations and supported by kinetic effects, the Navy must take immediate steps to build and sustain Information Domain warfighting expertise in order to develop future Maritime or Joint Information Warfare Component Commanders. After reviewing all options for long-term effectiveness and near-term feasibility, the Information Capable Warrior study recommended establishing a new Information Officer (URL) warfighting community as a comprehensive solution with the best opportunity to realize the Navy’s goals for the future Information Capable Warrior."

Information Capable Warrior Whitepaper
Captain Mark A. Wilson, USNR, Retired
President/CEO - Strategy Bridge International

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Command Failure = Commanding Officer Failure


"When things go wrong in your command, start searching for the reason in increasingly larger concentric circles around your own desk."

General Bruce C. Clark
Commander in Chief of the US Army in Europe, 1960–62

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Seven Leadership Principles for the Information Dominance Corps

"The most important criteria for succeeding in the Navy, as in most places, is to attain professional competence. Seniors, peers, and juniors all judge us based on our basic knowledge of our business. Generally, the greater breadth and depth of professional competence, the more opportunities you will have to be successful. I hope this revelation doesn’t shock anyone, but it is important to emphasize. I believe individuals will be more successful if they spend time and energy on improving their professional skills, rather than wasting time trying to get face time or maneuver to find the right assignment. Depth and breadth in our field is immediately recognized. For officers and enlisted members, the best way in our business to expand professional competence (and professional reputation) is to go to sea and other operational assignments and do well there.

I believe there are a handful of fundamental principles that, when followed, can lead to success. These principles, I believe, apply to all members of our business, regardless of Service, specialty, personal or professional background and skills, paygrade, position or seniority. What are the fundamentals?

They are:
(1) professional competence,
(2) relevance,
(3) dedication,
(4) sense of urgency,
(5) attention to detail,
(6) leadership and
(7) maintaining the highest ethical standards.
There are other attributes of the successful Information Dominance Corps professional, and I will discuss them as well." (in later blog posts).

Vice Admiral Jack Dorsett
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance
"The Art of Success in Naval Intelligence"

Monday, December 7, 2009

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
On the Web:
http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=13170
Media contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public contact:
http://www.defense.gov/landing/comment.aspx
or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 951-09
December 07, 2009

Flag Officer Assignment

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced today the following assignment:
Capt. Sean R. Filipowski, who has been selected for rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, information operations, N3IO / deputy director of naval intelligence for cryptology, N2C, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.





RDML FILIPOWSKI'S OFFICIAL NAVY BIOGRAPHY

RADM G. Patrick March - Fair Winds And Following Seas

A truly great human being left this earth on 18 October and your Shipmates bade him farewell on Friday, 5 December.

RADM George Patrick March, COMNAVSECGRU 1974-1978; USNA 1947 – We wish you fair winds and following seas.

With the final chorus of "Oh Danny Boy", sung in a beautiful acapella voice (with stirring emotion) by a U.S. Naval Academy Chaplain (LCDR John Weigelt), RADM George Patrick March’s earthly remains joined those of his loving wife, Saumie March at the USNA Columbarium on Friday, 5 December 2009, with over 100 family, friends and Shipmates in attendance.
"But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying
If I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.
And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be
For ye shall bend and tell me that you love me
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me."
Born to descendants who braved the Oregon Trail, George Patrick March was an individual filled with fortitude and perseverance. He became a young man made for the United States Naval Academy. On 5 December 2009, his family, friends and Shipmates bid him a welcome home and farewell in the same Navy Chapel (St. Andrews) where he sought comfort and grace as a solitary Midshipman who lost both his parents as an 18 year old plebe. A lifelong learner, he buried himself in his studies and applied his athletic talents to the Navy’s Crew Team. Today his earthly remains joined his beloved wife, Saumie’s, in the USNA Columbarium overlooking the waters and grounds surrounding the Naval Academy. Molly March mentioned to me at the reception that if she had thought of it earlier, she would have had her dear Father's remains carried to the Columbarium by a Navy Crew Team scull in which her Father had spent so much of his time.

In a tribute fitting the former Commander of the Naval Security Group Command from 1974 to 1978, Rear Admiral (RADM) Edward H. Deets (Vice Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command) headed the group of active duty cryptologists, cryptologic technicians and other Sailors who came to honor RADM March’s Navy service. RADM Deets was joined by Captain Sean Filipowski, Mr. Jerome Rapin, Captain Steven Ashworth (Commanding Officer – Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Maryland), Commander John M. Myers (XO) , Command Master Chief CMDCM(AW/SW) Scott Drenning and 20-30 Navy Information Operations Command Maryland Sailors of all paygrades. Retired officers whom I recognized included former Commanders of the Naval Security Group Command - RADM Eugene Ince, RADM Ike Cole (and wife Gisela), RADM Tom Stevens, RADM H. Winsor Whiton (and wife Judy) and RADM Andy Singer. RDML Alex Miller, Captain George Hammer, Captain Jerry Stump, Commanders Mike Makfinsky and Dave Jessen and LCDR Shiela Kapitulik were also in attendance, as were many friends and Shipmates of RADM March’s generation including a few from his USNA Class of 1947.

The assembled group sang a number of hymns including Eagle’s Wings:
"And he will raise you up on eagle’s wings
Bear you on the breadth of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of his hand."
The three March daughters, Molly, Terry and Peggy each bid their father a fond farewell in the way that only truly loving daughters can. Each spoke of the special meaning their father held for them and the love he had for their Mother, their family, the Navy, the Naval Security Group and her Sailors.

RADM March’s friend and Shipmate, Dave Mail, delivered a powerful eulogy about the senseless glorification of athletes and movie stars who contribute so little to the fabric of our Nation when compared men such as Pat March. He also mentioned that, in addition to having had several shore commands, RADM March commanded three capital ships during his Naval career – Leadership, Fellowship and Friendship.

We all recited "The Lord's Prayer".

Following the memorial service, St. Andrews Chapel emptied onto the street in front of the Navy Chapel behind a Navy processional band. Nearly all walked in solemn yet joyful unison from the Chapel, along the USNA streets to the Columbarium behind the band playing songs appropriate to the memorial. My heart was warmed deeply by the respect displayed by all the USNA Midshipmen “on the yard” who were on their way to classes or the noon mean. As the procession made its way along the USNA streets, all the Midshipmen within earshot of the music came to rigid attention and remained that way until we made our way past them. Hundreds of Midshipmen paid due respect to one of their own – a man who set the bar high for personal and professional performance.

At the Columbarium, there was another brief ceremony with the band playing tribute to RADM G. P. March which was followed by a gun salute, and presentation of the Flag of the United States of America, on behalf of a grateful nation, to the three March girls – Molly, Terry and Peggy. Shortly thereafter we proceeded to the niche where RADM March’s earthly remains will rest, along with his loving wife Saumie.

Molly March said one final Irish blessing –
“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”
The Chaplain then sang “Oh Danny Boy”…and some of us wept.

A special note of thanks to RADM Ned Deets for presenting the family with a replica of the RADM G.P. March Award for Language Excellence. And, to the absolutely class act of Captain Steven Ashworth for bringing his XO, CMC and Sailors of every paygrade to pay tribute to such a fine man. RADM March – we bid you farewell and make a promise that we will remember the character of your service and will endeavor to live up to the high standards you set for all of us.

The NCVA will devote a large portion of their next edition of CRYPTOLOG to RADM March and his service to our country and our great Navy.

Arleigh A. Burke: Teach our young people

"America's most important role in the world, almost from the day our country was born, has been the role of moral leadership...Teach our young people to believe in the responsibility of one to another; their responsibility to God; to the people of the world. Teach them to believe in themselves; to believe in their worth as human beings; to believe in their place in leading the world out of the darkness of oppression. Teach them to believe that no one owes us a living, but that we owe so much to others. Teach them to believe in their priceless heritage of freedom, and that it must be won anew by every generation. And teach them to believe in the United States of America. The hope of the world lies here, in our physical power, our moral strength, our integrity, and our will to assume the responsibilities that history plainly intends us to bear."

Admiral Arleigh A. Burke
United States Navy

From NAVPERS 15890
Moral Leadership: The Protection of Moral Standards and Character Education Program

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Admiral Hyman Rickover on Responsibility

"Responsibility is a unique concept. It can only reside and inhere in a single individual. You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you. You may disclaim it, but you cannot divest yourself of it. Even if you do not recognize it or admit its presence, you cannot escape it. If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion or ignorance or passing the blame can pass the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible."

Saturday, December 5, 2009

RADM G. Pat March - Crossing the bar

RADM G. Patrick March - Today we bid your earthly remains farewell.

Crossing the bar.

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For through from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

–Alfred Tennyson

Friday, December 4, 2009

RADM G. Pat March - Leadership Philosphy

Very simply, application of the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you”). Basically I tried to be “hard but fair.” And most basic of all, praise in public and criticize in private.

Be clear about what is expected from subordinates but give vent to and encourage their initiative.

Know your people. I’m not talking mollycoddling or improper fraternization, but observe and listen to your officers and Chief Petty Officers.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

RADM G. Pat March - Traits


RADM G. Pat March presenting the RADM March Award for Foreign Language Excellence to Lt Mike Zanski, Officer In Charge, Naval Security Group Detachment Barbers Point, Hawaii in 1985. (Front row: RADM James S. McFarland, RADM March, Mike Zanski, CAPT Charles F. Authement, CDR T. K. Quigley. Back row: Jim Riley, Dean Horvath, Danny Browning, Taylor Smith, Ron Grenier, and Curt Gomer)

“Traits to make me a successful officer”
Belief in the importance of the mission of the Navy and the Cryptologic Community and the ability to articulate and pass that belief on to subordinates (and seniors).

Readiness to undertake any mission and to accept the job assigned. I never campaigned for any certain position but rather tried to do the best I could at what the Navy decided I should be doing. This is why, when I was the Assignment Officer in BuPers, I sometimes wasn’t too sympathetic with young officers’ whining when they came into my office.

From the very beginning I understood the importance of the Chief Petty Officers (CPO). I have a facility for getting along with people, but, at the same time, I think I had an inherent sense of what was important and what was fair – both to the Navy and to the individual.

“Traits to make me a successful cryptologist”

I suppose a basic fascination with puzzles and the ability to write a coherent story from fragmentary data.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

RADM Pat March - Legacy - In his words

“Legacy”
a. I think I moved us closer to the operating Navy while still preserving our unique organization which was such a rich source of expertise to meet Navy and national needs.

b. A well-oiled command structure with immense pride and excellent leadership.

RADM G. Pat March
In a letter to Mike Lambert
July 2008

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Notes from Rear Admiral G. Patrick March

“Greatest satisfaction” and “disappointment”

Greatest Satisfaction – that when I retired, I left the NSG Command in outstanding shape. It was a smooth functioning organization, both headquarters and field stations. I had confidence in the personnel at all levels of command. I experienced the warm feeling that the professionalism of our people was unmatched elsewhere in the cryptologic community.

Greatest Disappointment – That we didn’t have another flag officer to wear my other hat (Op-944). I think both jobs suffered by my having to split my time between Nebraska Ave. and the Pentagon. The Communications people had the luxury of two flags: one for NAVTELCOM and one for Op-941.

From RADM G. Pat March's letter to me in July 2008 discussing the highs and lows he experienced while Commander, Naval Security Group Command from 1974-1978 (during the period I underwent language training and was assigned as a CTI2 at U.S. Naval Security Group Misawa, Japan in 55 Division (Direct Support).

The photo is of Admiral March at the NCVA reunion in September 2009.

NOTE THAT HE HAS NOT GIVEN UP HIS ALOHA SHIRTS FROM HIS DAYS IN HAWAII. Mahalo.

Monday, November 30, 2009

2009 Annual Commanding Officer Firings On Pace With Historical Trends

On average, the Navy publicly fires 12 (about 1.2%) of its Commanding Officers annually (accurate statistics are not available on XO firings). In Accordance With (IAW) Navy Regulations, the Navy gives broad authority and responsibility to its commanding officers - afloat and ashore - who number more than 1,000 (commands as listed in the Navy's Standard Distribution List (SNDL)). A single mistake can usually end a career. Some criticize this as a "zero defects mentality". But, let's be honest - these are usually huge mistakes. Grounding and collisions are costing the Navy 100s of millions of dollars. In these cases, the Navy has no alternative but to fire the responsible Commanding Officer (and usually several other responsible officers, Chief Petty Officers and Sailors).

Nor is the Navy shy about firing its Commanding Officers for personal misconduct, ranging from extramarital affairs, false travel claims, illegal or improper use of government property to alcohol abuse (typically resulting in a DUI/DWI which comes to the attention of Navy authorities). Several Navy Captains who were certain Flag selectees have seen "their Flag" flushed down the toilet over DUIs.

The Navy Inspector General's reports in 2005 and 2008 found that Commanding Officers were more likely to be fired for improper behavior than for poor job performance (groundings, collisions, failed inspections, creating a poor/hostile command climate, etc). One of the reasons for this is that in this age of information sharing, more improper behavior is being reported by command members than in years past. More than half of the Commanding Officers were fired because of misbehavior.

Navy IG reports note that a "CO's failure to follow established regulations, laws, moral or ethical principles, occasionally after being counseled, was the primary cause of most" of the actions. The report also found that most dismissals for misbehavior involved adultery (often with the wives of subordinates) or alcohol abuse.

For my part, more open discussion of the reasons for firing Commanding Officers would serve to better educate others on appropriate behavior demanded of Navy officers selected for command. Navy Regulations set the standard (Article 1131 below) - the Commanding Officer need only live up to it.


1131. Requirement of Exemplary Conduct.
All commanding officers and others in authority in the naval service are required to show in themselves a good example of virtue, honor, patriotism and subordination; to be vigilant in inspecting the conduct of all persons who are placed under their command; to guard against and suppress all dissolute and immoral practices, and to correct, according to the laws, and regulations of the Navy, all persons who are guilty of them; and to take all necessary and proper measures, under the laws, regulations and customs of the naval service, to promote and safeguard the morale, the physical well-being and the general welfare of the officers and enlisted persons under their command or charge.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Command Climate

As CO, I consider my most important job to be creating the right command climate. To me, the right climate is one where each individual has maximum opportunity for initiative and achievement. All focused on getting the job done. The tools for creating the right climate are called good leadership techniques. Anybody who has risen to command should be able to preach leadership. But as CO, more than any other time in my life, I realized that actions do speak louder than words. If the CO doesn't practice what he preaches, he can't expect anyone else to. I believe fair, consistent leadership is the most essential element of command. Without it there is no hope of creating the climate necessary for mission accomplishment.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Competitive Category: Information Warfare


1. Joint Experience
2. Cyber Operations and Planning
3. Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture Experience
4. Expeditionary Warfare
5. Naval Special Warfare Experience
6. Acquisition Corps
7. Space Cadre

The selection board convened on 02 NOV 09 for - INFORMATION WARFARE REAR ADMIRAL (LOWER HALF). The board's work is complete. The waiting and guessing - and second guessing begins. The officers considered were those with lineal numbers between (and including) these two gentlemen listed below. If the Chairman of the JCS and CNO's diversity goals hold, the selections will receive plenty of scrutiny - whichever way it goes.

REAR ADMIRAL LOWER HALF
-----INFORMATION WARFARE (161X)------
SR INITIAL ELIGIBLE - HAWS, G. J. 018363-00 01 DEC 06
JR INITIAL ELIGIBLE - DOLLAN, J. A. 018596-00 01 OCT 07

Friday, November 27, 2009

Command Excellence - Admiral Nimitz

Fleet Admiral (FADM) Chester Nimitz created command excellence in every command he was a part of. He did not broadcast his expectations, but conveyed them subtly to his officers. He demanded excellence not for his sake, but for the sake of the men themselves and their own prides and self-fulfillment.

Nimitz believed that sound strategy is based on knowledge, information and technical experience. He gave an order and relied on his men to do what they thought best under a given situation. He once said "horses pull harder when the reins lie loose." Nimitz kept his door open to his men. He believed the best ideas did not come from the top, but often from the men.

From: AN ASSESSMENT OF STRATEGIC NAVAL LEADER COMPETENCIES
Commander Michael A. Strano
USN

"I'm still learning every day. I still try to do my best and refuse to worry about things over which I have no control." - Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Commander, TENTH Fleet - the man



Some of the reasons why VADM McCullough was chosen by the Chief of Naval Operations to command TENTH Fleet and Fleet Cyber Command:


  • He is an intense, nuclear-trained engineer.
  • He understands the technological intricacies of cyberspace far better than his contemporaries.
  • He advised the CNO on countering the emerging ballistic-missile threat to surface ships.
  • He absolutely understands the intersection of strategy and technology.
  • He brings profound technical depth to bear on a number of crucial military questions (cyber included).
From: Loren B. Thompson's (PhD) article over at Lexington Institute

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Motivating the Crew - Flag Correspondence

This is a letter from former Commander, Naval Security Group Command - RDML (at the time) James S. McFarland while I was Officer in Charge of Naval Security Group Barbers Point, Hawaii. I received this note almost a year into my tour (to the day). He sent a note of thanks to all the places he visited and to many of the hot running young Sailors he met along the way.

RDML McFarland had just visited our small detachment on a worldwide tour that took him to over a dozen Naval Security Group sites in the Far East and through SouthWestAsia. His hand was blistered and calloused from all the hands he shook of the Sailors he met. When he visited my detachment, he already knew all my Sailors by name. I'm not sure if it was good staff work or simply a great memory.

He corresponded regularly with his Commanding Officers and Officers in Charge. He sent a quarterly letter to the entire Naval Security Group claimancy once a quarter to keep everyone on the same page.

On these trips he usually brought a couple of the reps from the CNSG HQ to listen to issues and provide 'on the spot' assistance where they could. On this trip, he brought a recent lateral transfer to the cryptologic community by the name of Andrew M. Singer. You could tell instantaneously that this guy had it all in one seabag. The NSG team had a great visit with my crew. The crew went on to win two Meritorious Unit Citations, one Navy Unit Citation, the National Security Agency's TOP TEN Signals Award and honorable mention for our Sailor retention program. Not to mention - the three RADM G. Patrick March Awards for language proficiency - all presented by RADM March himself.

RDML McFarland's letters served as great motivation for me and my crew. I had nominated one of my linguists (Tim Kalvoda) for a Flag Letter of Commendation for achieving the SILVER level in the Samuel F.B. Morse Award program. RDML McFarland had his awards secretary (Mary Jo Crisp) call me to say, "If you don't mind,RDML McFarland would like to upgrade his award to a Navy Achievement Medal." RDML McFarland was just that kind of man. All of our linguists were dual-qualified (and mostly self-taught) as Manual Morse operators and Tim Kalvoda had achieved a level of expertise that some Cryptologic Technician Collection (CTRs) were not even capable of reaching.

What a great crew ! What a great Admiral ! What a great man ! And, I heard that Andrew M. Singer guy turned out to be a pretty good cryptologist - even if he had been a SWO first.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The New Main Battery - N2/N6

“Unless you make bold changes to your information capabilities and … take some risk by developing more comprehensive approaches as to how you manage the electromagnetic spectrum … and the flow of information, there is a potential that the United States and the U.S. Navy would begin to lose that competitive advantage."

VADM Jack Dorsett
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance


“The Navy has made a commitment to bring together ISR, cyber, C4 [command, control, communications and computers], EW [electronic warfare], space and other information capabilities into a single organization, the Information Dominance Corps. Information has become the main battery of the Navy’s arsenal.”

Rear Admiral (select) Sean R. Filipowski
Director, Cyber, Sensors, and Electronic Warfare
(OPNAV N2N6F3)

From:
The New Main Battery
The Navy realigns its organization toward information dominance

By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor

Leader Responsibility - Building Resilience & Mental Hardiness In Subordinates

In work groups such as the military, where individuals are regularly exposed to a range of stressors and hazards, leaders are in a unique position to shape how stressful experiences are processed, interpreted, and understood by members of the group. The leader who by example, discussion, and established policies communicates a positive construction of shared stressful experiences exerts a positive influence on the entire group in the direction of his or her interpretation of experience—toward more resilient and hardy sensemaking. Leaders can increase mental hardiness and resilient responding in several ways:
  • Set a clear example, providing subordinates with a role model of the hardy approach to life, work, and reactions to stressful experiences. Through actions and words, demonstrate a strong sense of commitment, control, and challenge, responding to stressful circumstances with an attitude that says stress can be valuable, and that stressful events always at least provide the opportunity to learn and grow.
  • Facilitate positive group sensemaking of experience, in how tasks and missions are planned, discussed, and executed, and also as to how mistakes, failures, and casualties are spoken about and interpreted. For example, do we accept responsibility for mistakes and seek to learn from them, or do we blame others and avoid responsibility (and learning)? Leaders build resilience by setting high standards, while addressing shortfalls and failures as opportunities to learn and improve. While most of this “sensemaking” influence occurs through normal day-to-day interactions and communications, it can also happen in the context of more formal after-action reviews, or debriefings that focus attention on events as learning opportunities, and create shared positive constructions of events and responses around events.
  • Seek out (and create if necessary) meaningful and challenging group tasks, and then capitalize on group accomplishments by providing recognition, awards, and opportunities to reflect on and magnify positive results (such as photographs, news accounts, and other tangible mementos).
  • Through example and policies, communicate a high level of respect and commitment for unit members. This fosters a strong sense of commitment to the surrounding social world, or Mitwelt.
  • Anticipate high-stress events such as deployments and combat, taking opportunities beforehand to build mental hardiness among subordinates, especially subordinate leaders, by sharing experiences, imparting sensemaking skills, and focusing on organizational cohesion.
From: To Build Resilience - Leader Influence on Mental Hardiness

Defense Horizons - A National Defense University Publication

Monday, November 23, 2009

7 Years Ago - How Are We Doing Today?

These six guys are still with us. All have been promoted. All are leaders in the Information Warfare community.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Iconic Cryptologic Technician Maintenance Master Chief - CTMCM George Theis Says 50 Years of Service Is Enough - Retires 01/10

CTMCM (ret) George Theis is concluding his 50 year Navy career in January 2010.

His note to the cryptologic community he served for a half century:

"I wanted to retire in 2010 because I first enlisted in the Navy in Oct 1960 and wanted to say I served, in one capacity or another, for 50 years (even if not day-for-day). After graduation from EM"A" school at Great Lakes, en route to my first duty station, the USS CONWAY DD-507 home ported in Norfolk, I married Marie my high school sweetheart. Diane, our first daughter, was born while in Norfolk. She is now an ARLING and just retired from active duty last year after 22 years in the Navy. Like me, upon retiring she has taken a civil service position and is currently working at Ft Gordon. That's why we're retiring and moving to Augusta, GA to be near the rest of the family.

Chief Wyatt (first name Chief) was my first supervisor on the ship. He taught me what it meant to be a sailor, which established the foundation for the rest of my career. I have many great memories from the ship, including the three med cruises and many visits to the Caribbean with lots of interesting liberty. The French Rivera in the summer, Naples with a visit to Pompeii, Athens with a visit to the Acropolis, Aqaba, Jordon with a visit to Petra, even a port visit to Bandar Abbas, Iran (not many people today can say they have been to Bandar Abbas), Djibouti, Bermuda, Montego Bay and even GITMO. The most memorable experience during the four years on the ship was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. CONWAY was part of the BG that surfaced a Russian submarine. We had been tracking the sub for the better part of a week and would periodically tossed grenades over the side to get their attention. The sub finally surfaced at 2230 and when we went to GQ they announced "this is not a drill." Apparently the sub ran out of fuel and the batteries went dead and they had to come up. In the morning when we secured from GQ, the sub was dead in the water, with a helo hovering over it and five tin cans circling her, like Indians around a wagon train. After a couple of hours, we left one ship with the sub and rejoined the carrier to continue to enforce the blockade.

At the end of my first enlistment as an EM2, I reenlisted to convert to the CTM rating. While waiting for orders to ET"A" school at Great Lakes (there was no CTM"A" school at the time) I spent several months at the Receiving Station in Anacostia, Md. Met some VERY interesting people there and even did some brig chasing, not quite as exciting as the Last Detail (they had the wisdom not to give me a sidearm), but memorable none the less.

After ET"A" school, next duty station was NAVCOMMSTA Cheltenham, MD. First job was with Technical Research-Ship Special Communications System (TRSSCOM), the Navy's first SATCOM system. We used the natural satellite (the moon). The system was used to link with our AGRs and I was on watch when the LIBERTY was hit. Took a while to figure out why she failed to come up on schedule, but I'm sure you know the rest of the story, so I'll skip the details. Another milestone while there, I PM'ed R-390 serial number one. Found out first ten R-390s were sent to Cheltenham in 1949 for field test and serial number one was still there in mid-60s. We continued to use the R-390 into the 90s, so I'd say the Navy go their money's worth out of those receivers. Another notable event, I first met Grady Gamble while there. He was the driving force in G-40 at CNSG for decades. I considered Grady a good friend and mentor and was saddened by his passing.

After Cheltenham, it was back to Great Lakes for another year to attend ET"B" school. While there, our second daughter Debby was born. Following "B" school it was on the Adak, via Pensacola for my only "C" school. While a Pensacola, I was initiated as a Chief Petty Officer in Oct 1970. As a new Chief, I was fortunate to work for Master Chief Bill Maurer, who taught me how to be a Chief. I was honored when Bill requested I follow him to Homestead, FL after leaving Adak. While at Homestead, I was selected for the ADCOP program and transferred after about 18 months to attend Florida Junior College in Jacksonville, FL. I graduated with an Associate Degree in Management with a 4.0 GPA.

It was then off to Edzell, Scotland where I had the good fortune to work for Master Chief George Thompson. He showed me that to become a Master Chief, you had to learn to manage as well as lead and I attribute his mentorship for my later advancement to both Senior and Master Chief. While in Scotland, in addition to a visit to Lock Ness to look for the monster, several trips to London, touring many castles, and placing second two years in a row in the Navy's European Chess Tournament, I was advanced to Senior Chief Petty Officer.

My next duty station was at NAVCOMMSTA Rota, Spain. My first job was to run the Fleet Electronic Support (FES) shop where I was able to reconnect with my Navy roots and again work with the fleet. I consider Rota my best tour. In addition to the many great people at the command, the food was incomparable, wine was cheap, and the family and I were able to fit in many, extensive site seeing excursions including Italy, Morocco, Portugal, and all over Spain. I also completed my Bachelors Degree and as a crowning achievement, I was advanced to Master Chief Petty Officer before I transferred in 1982.

After 30 days leave in the states to allow the children to get reacquainted with their grand parents and other family members, we reported to NSGD Yokosuka, Japan for our third consecutive overseas tour. I again ran the FES and served with many great people. We lived in Yokohama and I had the "pleasure" of navigating Route 16 twice a day for three years. Traffic in Japan, makes the H1-H2 merge look like a drive in the park. We also did a lot of site seeing and partook of many culinary delegacies, like sea urchin, jelly fish, natto (fermented beans) and fugo (blowfish, which can be deadly if not prepared properly). It was in Japan when I first meet LT Jim Newman who was the Div Off on the USS JOUETT. Jim already had orders to the PACFLT staff and when the ship pulled into Yokosuka for repairs, he stopped by the FES and we had lengthy discussions on DIRSUP operations in the Pacific and readiness of the carry-on systems. After reporting to the staff, he and I coordinated frequently during the next year. It was through Jim's persuasive efforts that RADM McFarland, then Captain, decided it would be beneficial to have a senior CTM on the PACFLT staff to help manage the FES' and afloat cryptologic equipment resources and that I would be the ideal candidate to fill the position. RADM McFarland initiated the action to get me orders to the staff, and as they say, the rest is history. After reporting to the staff in 1985, Jim was my first boss and he took me under his wing, showing me how a staff functioned and he took me back to DC, showing me around the Pentagon and introducing to key players at OPNAV, SECGRU and NSA. Then I know it took all of Jim's considerable powers of persuasion to convince CDR Ivan Dunn that I knew the issues well enough and was capable of effectively representing the staff at various conferences and that I should go instead of Jim. Hopefully my actions since, have justified Jim's confidence in me and have validate his mentorship. After six years on the staff, as I approached 30 years service and was getting ready to retire, RADM Stevens, then Captain, called me into his office and asked, "If he created a civilian position on the staff, would I be willing to take the job after I retired?" Flattered that he judged my service good enough to retain after retirement, I told him I would be honored to continue to serve him, the staff, CNSG, the Navy and the country. So with the Admiral's good blessing, I retired from active duty, shifted from khakis to an aloha-shirt and again as they say, the rest is history. Of note, at the time I retired, I was not only the senior CTM, by time in rate, I was also the senior CT in the Navy.

As I have announced my pending retirement, many have said, "What are we going to do when you're gone?" As flattering as it is, that my efforts over the years are appreciated by so many, I know full well that no one is indispensable, least of all me. I then usually respond by asking, "Who was Grady Gamble, Roy Hill, Howie Ehret, or other icons from our community's past who set policy and influenced actions world wide, on a much greater scope and for longer than I have. With rare exception, they usually say, "Never heard of them." I consider it a great honor to even be mentioned in the same context as the above gentlemen, and like them, as the years past there will be fewer and fewer people who will remember my name or what I did. Some one will take the job after me and make it theirs, doing things their way and the fleet, the staff, and the Navy will continue to go forward and as it should be, what ever legacy I may have left, will pass into history.

Before I transmit this missive, (which is already much longer than I initially planned) and sign off for the last time, I can't resist making one last appeal to our senior leadership to take the necessary action and allocated sufficient resources to properly reconstitute the CTM rating. I would like nothing better than have one of my grand children join the Navy and become a CTM, but in good conscience I couldn't recommend they choose the rating as it is now and that saddens me very much. It's unquestioned that the actions over the past four or five years have broken the rating and set our young sailors up for failure. I feel strongly that as leaders we should find this unacceptable. As leaders we have an obligation to take care of our sailors and it's my opinion, with regards to our young CTMs, we are failing them. Plus, in my opinion, our community has a very strong requirement for a technically competent, highly skilled, maintenance work force, similar to what the CTM rating use to be, to support the IW community in the future as it tries to quickly adapt to the technically agile adversaries we will no doubt face. I know we are in a VERY austere funding environment, but as ADM (Archie) Clemins used to say, "While there isn't enough money to do everything, there is always enough money to do the right thing." Clearly properly training our young sailors and improving the readiness of our IW systems is the right thing to do. If, as we rebuild the rating, we limit its focus primarily to afloat systems, we will be missing an opportunity to structure our future work force to meet the technical challenges we will encounter in the future. I feel strongly it will require the focused attention and dedicated action by our senior leadership in order to make the decisions necessary to properly restructure the rating and I pray that they will make that commitment. As many could attest, I could write many, many more pages on this topic alone, but I've made my point so I'll step off soapbox and leave to our leaders heed this call to action and do the right thing.

I have been blessed with a great career and a wonderful life. Even in retrospect, there is little I would change. I can't think of a better career than the Navy and would still want to begin as a snipe on a tincan. In addition to seeing much of the world, I feel it gave me a much broader prospective then if I had been a CTM for my entire career. And the memories that stands out the most in my life is the many wonderful people (far too many to mention) I have known and worked with over the years. It's become clear as I've grown older that the relationship with people you know is more important then the things you do during your life. So to each of you, if you ever find yourself in Augusta, please give us a call and we'll get together to swap sea stories, catch up with old times and create new memories together.

Before I close, I have to give a special tribute to my family, with out whose support my career would not have been possible. To may daughters, Diane and Debby, I couldn't be prouder of the women you have grown to be and the three beautiful grand children you have given us and who will give us untold joy over the coming years as we work very hard to spoil them rotten. And to my wife, Marie, my high school sweetheart and life long companion, it is you who always may every house we lived in a home and we will walk hand-in-hand for the remaining years of your life, no doubt discovering new joys as we done in the past.

As I request permission to go ashore for the last time and I close this chapter on my Naval career and Marie and I begin the next phase of our life together, I would like to bid you all a fond aloha and the wish that each of you enjoy fair winds and following seas for the rest of your days."

NOTE:

Master Chief Theis,

Thank you for acting as mentor to countless PACFLT and Naval Security Group Matmen and for training so many of our Sailors (officers, Chiefs and Petty Officers. Sincerely appreciate all you did personally and professionally for me and my Sailors at U.S. Naval Security Group Activity Yokosuka, Japan. Your expert guidance and mentorship helped us earn the Commander, Naval Security Group Command Maintenance Award in 1997 and then again in 1998. Your work on Fleet Electronic Support for the future and maintaining the CTM rating are certainly important parts of your legacy. I know many men and women who are proud to say they were "THEIS TRAINED", the hallmark of cryptologic maintenance excellence. I count myself among them.

Vr/Captain Mike Lambert

Saturday, November 21, 2009

A Sailor's Sacrifice For Our Freedom

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Chad Kueser doesn't remember much about the day in Iraq that he lost both legs to an enemy mortar round.

"I'm not sorry I went in to the Navy at all, and would do it again," said the Naaman Forest High School graduate, who said he wasn't able to discuss his activities in Iraq.

Cryptologic Technician 2nd Class Chad Kueser is recovering at the Center for the Intrepid at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, after losing both his legs in a mortar attack in Iraq. Kueser is participating in the Navy Safe Harbor Program, which helps him handle retirement paperwork, complete his personnel records, and other issues.

You can write to our heroes there at:

Center for the Intrepid
3851 Roger Brooke Drive
Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234

Friday, November 20, 2009

Disruptive Leadership Explained - A Bit

Success in today's defense establishment requires a very different leadership approach. Disruptive leaders are applying techniques that change the game and overturn the status quo. Successful disruptive leaders are employing leadership models that ultimately lead to unprecedented growth and progress for their communities.

VADM Dorsett seems to have an almost uncanny ability see connections in the larger systems of which he is a part, has embraced shared assets and opportunities, and is cutting through the chaos to make a better future for our Navy.

I use VADM Jack Dorsett as the most recent example of disruptive leadership in the Navy because he has aggressively moved the naval intelligence community forward in a very short period of time by (among many initiatives) helping establish four intelligence centers of excellence. He accomplished this in February 2009 to provide a concentrated focus and increased levels of expertise. In doing this, he demonstrated his capacity for additional responsibility.
  • Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center is responsible for Maritime Domain Awareness, intelligence products for Maritime Operations Centers and the Fleet, and Global Maritime Intelligence Integration.
  • Farragut Technical Analysis Center produces integrated assessments and intelligence on current and future adversary weapons, platforms, combat systems, ISR and cyber capabilities to prevent technological surprise to the Fleet.
  • Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center delivers tailored reach-back and forward-deployed services to Navy Special Warfare and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command forces engaged globally.
  • Hopper Information Services Center improves interoperability and enables enhanced access to ONI products and expertise via a service-oriented architecture.
Recognizing his disruptive leadership skills, the Chief of Naval Operations gave VADM Dorsett a mandate to mature the Information Dominance Corps (IP, Intel, METOC, IW) to meet ever-expanding requirements of their fleet, joint, and national customers.

Earlier this week, VADM Dorsett hosted the inaugural IDC Flag Panel. This panel establishes synergy among the IDC at the Flag/SES level. Attendees at the panel were: JCS VJ6, Vice Commander NNWC, Oceanographer of the Navy, Director-National Maritime Intelligence Center, OPNAV N2/N6C, Director Total Force Management, PEO Space Systems, NCIS, COS-OPNAV N2/N6S, FORCM NNWC, and OPNAV N2/N6 SEA.

Note: VADM Dorsett's approach to change was described to me by a senior Information Warfare Officer in this way: "While all the other guys were approaching change as 'eating the elephant one bite at a time', Jack Dorsett swallowed the transformation elephant (IW, IP, INTEL, METOC) whole and asked for dessert." She added, "The Navy of 2010 and beyond requires bold, decisive leaders with integrity, vision and purpose. The IDC ship has left the pier with VADM Dorsett at the helm. If you're not onboard and need/want to be, you'd better get in line for the COD. Seating may be limited."

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Vice Admiral David J. "Jack" Dorsett - Superb Example Of A Disruptive Leader

Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance (N2/N6) and Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI)

Vice Admiral David J.  "Jack" Dorsett

Vice Admiral David Dorsett was born in North Carolina, raised in Virginia, and graduated from Jacksonville University (Florida) in 1978. His early career included duty on HMS Gavinton (M1140), USS Elliott (DD 967), USS Oldendorf (DD 972), and as executive officer in USS Dominant (MSO 431).

Dorsett’s subsequent operational assignments included duty as: deputy assistant chief of staff for intelligence for commander, 6th Fleet; intelligence officer on USS Ranger (CV 61) deployed for Operations Southern Watch and Restore Hope; assistant chief of staff for intelligence for commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command during Operations Desert Fox, Southern Watch and Resolute Response; and command of the Joint Intelligence Center, U.S. Central Command.

During his initial shore duty, Dorsett served as an analyst and then operations officer at FOSIC U.S. Naval Forces Europe, providing intelligence support during Operations El Dorado Canyon, Attain Document and Prairie Fire. He subsequently served: at the U.S. Naval War College on the Chief of Naval Operations' (CNO) Strategic Studies Group; at the Joint Intelligence Center Pacific; at OPNAV, and the Office of Naval Intelligence.

As a flag officer, Dorsett has served as: special assistant to the director of Naval Intelligence; director of Intelligence (J2), U.S. Pacific Command; director for Intelligence (J2), U.S. Joint Staff; and, director of Naval Intelligence (N2), CNO. In November 2009, Dorsett assumed office as the first deputy chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance (N2/N6).

Dorsett possesses significant experience in national security affairs (Europe, the Middle East) and in strategic planning. He graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval War College and Armed Forces Staff College, and was awarded a master’s degree from the Defense Intelligence College.


From the Navy's website.