"We now have 30 minority flag officers and 32 female flag officers, or admirals, for a 49% increase since 2006.
From: Loren B. Thompson's (PhD) article over at Lexington Institute
- 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).
"The Navy will use the borderless domains of the sea, space and cyberspace to make that vision a reality. And we will continue to educate and train our Sailors so they are capable and comfortable in those domains."
“Fundamental to the value of our Sailors is culture; it’s our culture that makes our Sailors different. Clearly the training and equipping does, but it’s the culture of the Navy and the culture of innovation that make our Sailors so very different: they simply get the job done, they identify a problem, they self-organize, they execute well, they’re collaborative and when the time comes for them to leave, they put their responsibilities into a package to turn over to a successor who can be more successful than they were. That is something that we as a Navy can never lose and that’s the culture that exists today.”
It's time to give the Navy back to such leaders. There can be no more important task over the next few years. Without officers who will defend the Navy's culture and take decisive action when it is needed, there will be nothing but continuing chaos. With them, as they have shown throughout the Navy's history, no challenge is too great; anything is possible.
Cartoon by Eric Smith for USNI Proceedings Magazine
The 2008 winners of the VADM James Bond Stockdale Leadership Awards, Commanders Robert E. Smith and Paul J. Lyons, gave credit to their families and their subordinates. Admiral Gary Roughead presented the awards in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes on Tuesday, 4 November 2008.
Cmdr. Robert Smith is the Atlantic Fleet winner and Commander Paul Lyons won for the Pacific Fleet.
Smith commanded SEAL Team 2 and is the first SEAL to receive the Stockdale Award.
Smith led his SEALs in CENTCOM, South America and Africa. Lyons was the Commanding Officer of the forward-deployed destroyer USS STETHEM in Japan. Both men are known as "GO TO" men.
To read about the history of the VADM James Bond Stockdale Award and prior winners click on
A League of Extraordinary Officers and Gentlemen - Article rejected by PROCEEDINGS magazine.
Effective communication is the result of a deliberate strategy, and training and education in the profession is a key to achieving success to its fullest extent. The risks can be high, but the rewards are also high. There is no satisfaction quite like that of seeing the positive results of your efforts in print or on the air, or watching your Sailors act on new Navy policy because they understand it. Some communications researchers claim that it takes "seven touches" for a concept to be successfully communicated. People must hear it, see it, feel it, pick it up, turn it upside down, shake it and hear it again before they’ll remember anything substantial about it. We need more than a deliberate strategy; we need persistent presence on the communication front.
"You cannot surge trust because trust will underpin everything that we do. Trust does not have a switch: you can't turn it on, you can't turn it off. It is something that takes time to build and must be worked cooperatively to maintain that trust. That trust is built on friendships, professional and personal, that expand over decades. It is being able to come together and work closely on a range of issues and operational environments."
"When I look at our best commands I see what has made our Navy great. These commands maintain a superior state of combat readiness and are known for their mission accomplishment. They have high retention and a strong safety record. This success always comes from the people working together in a command.
"If you care to do so, you can do something for me. That is take care of each other. Be honorable. Do what is right. Forgive when it makes sense, punish when you must, but always work to make the latter unnecessary by working to help people be all they really can and should be. My idea of one-on-one leadership really will work if you let it and honestly apply it. We have great leaders, and I know you'll succeed." 
