Duty to defend hallowed traditions

In recent years, many whose duty it was to defend the hallowed traditions and the unique culture of their profession declined to do so when their voices were most urgently needed. Some are guilty of the ultimate disloyalty: To save or advance their careers, they abandoned the very ideals of their profession in order to curry favor with politicians…. What admiral has had the courage to risk his own career by putting his stars on the table, and defending the integrity of the process and of his people?

If the Navy is to regain its soul and its respect, the answer lies in the right kind of leaders. Leaders who understand that the seemingly arcane concepts of tradition, loyalty, discipline, and moral courage have carried the Navy through cyclical turbulence in peace and war.... It is time to give the Navy back to such leaders.

Where are the senior officers who are supposed to step forward and defend their institution when it’s being torn apart? The number-one tradition in the military is loyalty from the top down: Take care of your people.

—From a James Webb speech to the Naval Institute, April 1996
Former Secretary of the Navy
Current Senator from Virginia

Read about James Webb, the revolutionary here.

Master Leadership Equation Has Not Yet Evolved

"For many decades, men have searched for the magic formula for leadership. Volumes have been written in an attempt to describe those personal qualities that kindle the spark of inspiration among others in great human undertakings. But a master equation has not yet evolved, because leadership is a product of many variables - among them human character, individual personality, and the times and circumstances in which men live."

Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey

Six Core Strategic Leadership Traits

In 1988, Donald H. Rumsfeld described six core traits he thought were necessary to be a successful strategic leader.

- Must be able to set priorities.
- Know the importance of selecting the right people for key jobs.
- Must lead by consent, not command (emphasizing his ability to persuade, not order).
- Have a moral compass.
- Have guts at important moments.
- Have a small gap between what he thinks of himself and what his subordinates think of him.

Photo is from November 2004 when I was the Secretary of Defense's Staff Director for the Detainee Task Force working issues related to the abuses at Abu Ghraib, Bagram and Guantanamo terrorist detention facilities.

Bedrock Tenets of Command - ADM Mullen

LEADERSHIP. WE ARE ALL -- AT EVERY LEVEL -- LEADERS. IT IS OUR NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY, AND MY EXPECTATION, THAT EACH OF US DEVELOP OUR OWN LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL AND THAT OF THOSE IN OUR CHARGE. OUR NAVY CORE VALUES PROVIDE THE BASIS OF THE ETHICAL LEADERSHIP I EXPECT YOU TO EXERCISE. MAINTAIN INTEGRITY IN ALL YOU DO AND ESTABLISH A COMMAND CLIMATE THAT FOSTERS THESE TIME-TESTED VALUES ALONG WITH SERVICE BEFORE SELF, LOYALTY, DEDICATION, AND UNITY OF EFFORT. LEAD TO INSPIRE, DEMONSTRATING PASSION FOR OUR MISSION AND COMPASSION FOR OUR PEOPLE. THIS WILL UNLEASH THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMAND TEAMS AND WILL RESULT IN EXTRAORDINARY LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE.


ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS AN INESCAPABLE PART OF THE TRINITY OF COMMAND. BECAUSE WE ARE GIVEN TREMENDOUS AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY, WE MUST ANSWER TO AN EQUALLY HIGH STANDARD OF ACCOUNTABILITY. THE EXAMPLE WE SET, THE STANDARDS TO WHICH WE HOLD OURSELVES AND OTHERS, ARE UNDER A MICROSCOPE ALWAYS AND MUST STAY BEYOND REPROACH. EMPHASIZE THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AS THE BEDROCK UPON WHICH EFFECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY RESTS -- IT IS TIME AND BATTLE-TESTED.


WARFIGHTING. WE ARE THE GUARDIANS OF A RICH MARITIME HERITAGE AND TRUSTED STEWARDS OF THE MARITIME DOMAIN. TODAY OPERATIONAL SUPREMACY IN A MYRIAD OF MISSIONS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT AS WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT A GLOBAL WAR AGAINST A DETERMINED ENEMY. REGARDLESS IF YOUR COMMAND IS A DIRECT COMBAT ASSET OR SERVES IN A VITAL SUPPORTING ROLE, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY IS THE BASIS OF OUR WARFIGHTING ABILITY AND FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS. DEVELOP THE WARRIOR ETHOS IN YOUR COMMAND WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY APPROPRIATE TO OUR CHALLENGES. BE FLEXIBLE, ADAPTIVE AND DYNAMIC.


VALUE PEOPLE. THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE NAVY -- ACTIVE, RESERVE AND CIVILIAN -- SAILORS ALL, AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE CENTRAL TO OUR READINESS. EVERY COMMAND SHOULD BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO WORK. STRONG MENTORSHIP PROVIDES A CLEAR SIGNAL OF LEADERSHIP AND FOSTERS THE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF OUR PEOPLE.

STRIVE FOR TEAMWORK. CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND TRUST. ESTABLISH PERFORMANCE AS THE ONLY LEGITIMATE MEASURE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND DO NOT TOLERATE ACTIONS NOT IN CONCERT WITH THAT PRINCIPLE. REMEMBER WE RECRUIT INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE RETAIN FAMILIES; ALL LEADERSHIP TEAMS SHOULD PLACE SPECIAL FOCUS ON FAMILIES. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM AND FAMILY READINESS.

COMMAND IS THE PINNACLE ASSIGNMENT IN OUR PROFESSION -- IT IS WHO WE ARE. WE ARE LEADERS AT A CRITICAL TIME IN OUR NATION'S AND OUR NAVY'S HISTORY. OUR SUCCESS IS A FUNCTION OF HOW WELL WE LIVE UP TO THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND OUR ABILITY TO BALANCE COMPETING PRIORITIES, TO TAKE PRUDENT RISKS AND OUR FOCUS ON MISSION EXECUTION. I INHERENTLY AND COMPLETELY TRUST YOU. SAVOR COMMAND AND TAKE GREAT SATISFACTION IN YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD’S FINEST NAVY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALL YOU DO EVERY DAY TO ENSURE OUR NAVY REMAINS DOMINANT AT SEA AND RELEVANT IN THIS UNCERTAIN AND HIGHLY DYNAMIC SECURITY ENVIRONMENT.

Gone Two Years Today - MCPO Schwartz

My Command Master Chief, CTMCM (SW) Ronald N. Schwartz passed away two years ago today (27 August 2007). I had the privilege of promoting him to Master Chief Petty Officer while I was Commanding Officer of U.S. Naval Security Group Activity Yokosuka, Japan and presiding over his retirement ceremony while I was Director of Training at the Center for Naval Cryptology - Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida. He was a remarkable Chief Petty Officer. He is remembered and greatly missed by the many Shipmates (including me) that he trained over the years.

2009 RADM James S. McFarland Scholarship Award

Just awarded the 2009 RADM James S. McFarland Scholarship a couple of months ago to a deserving cadet at Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama. The young woman who won was very deserving. I think the Admiral would be pleased with the selection committee's choice. The $1000 award will help with her tuition and keep her in school. She is the eighth cadet to have benefitted from the scholarhip thus far.

LCDR Frank Starr is doing a super job with the Marion Military Institute cadets in Alabama - having moved to Marion from the NJROTC program in Pamlico, North Carolina.

My tribute to RADM McFarland is located here.

More Thought Should Be Given To The Enlisted Man's Condition

We, in the Navy, shouldered with the responsibility of making the Navy efficient , are very apt to lose the proper perspective and fail to appreciate the Sailor's point of view. The officer at the Navy Department goes home when working hours are over and refreshes himself with other interests.

The officers at sea, on whose shoulders rests the most responsibility, are kept going and occupied all their waking moments, even with messages and "shop" throughout their meals and with scarcely a night passing without demands for their services. The enlisted man stands his watch or does his drill and cleans his station and then only thinks of his condition in general or sleeps.

More thought should be given to the enlisted man's condition. The officers of the Navy should arouse themselves to the vital needs of the thousands of men who are more necessary to make a Navy than the ships themselves.

From USNI PROCEEDINGS
January 1919 Volume 191

We are tired of leaders we fear, tired of leaders we love, and tired of leaders who let us take liberties with them.

"Leadership must be based on goodwill. Goodwill does not mean posturing and, least of all, pandering to the mob. It means obvious and wholehearted commitment to helping followers. We are tired of leaders we fear, tired of leaders we love, and tired of leaders who let us take liberties with them. What we need for leaders are men of the heart who are so helpful that they, in effect, do away with the need of their jobs. But leaders like that are never out of a job and never out of followers. Strange as it sounds, great leaders gain authority by giving it away."

Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale

Worth Reading

This desktop guide is a user-friendly first stop for officer candidates and midshipmen seeking information as they transition to naval officers. It offers practical advice in the basic tenets of leadership, naval policy, etiquette, and personal and professional management. In a conversational style, Commander Kacher demystifies the new roles and responsibilities of young officers as they grapple with concepts very different from their experiences as enlisted sailors or college students. Useful insights from officers who have recently made the transition and advice from successful commanding officers are included. This manual also provides a concise overview of the U.S. Navy's history, along with a recommended reading list, and serves as a gateway to the many online and print assets available to new officers.

CDR Fred Kacher knows what he is talking about. He won the 2005 Admiral Elmo Zumwalt Award for visionary leadership. You can order your copy of his great book here. CDR Kacher is the Commanding Officer of USS Stockdale (DDG-106). Awesome CO, awesome ship, awesome Sailors. You can visit them here.

Information Warfare Officer Community Evolving

The Information Warfare (IW) Officer community is rapidly evolving to meet new and expanded Navy and Joint Information Operations (IO) missions. In addition to our strictly cryptologic and SIGINT missions, there is a growing demand signal for IO leaders at sea and at Joint commands in most IW pay grades. These new IO billets represent key mission growth that is vital to global naval and Joint operations. Consequently, IW officer career planning must adapt to ensure a stable and maintainable workforce capable of fulfilling current and future requirements.

The fundamental building blocks for a successful naval career remain unchanged, and include, first and foremost, sustained superior performance across a variety of assignments including tactical and operational jobs, sea and air tours, leadership positions, interleaved with joint experience and built upon a strong foundation of SIGINT and IO skills and experience. Effective mission execution in wartime demands that we reward proven performance in challenging circumstances with advancement and expanded responsibilities.

The priority for assignment will always involve detailing the most talented officers to the most demanding positions.

CDR Jim Hagy
Senior IW Officer Detailer
NPC
Several Years Ago

The Peculiar Psychology of the Navy

"The Navy Department", wrote Henry L. Stimson, "frequently seemed to retire from the realm of logic into a dim religious world in which Neptune was God, Mahan was his prophet, and the United States Navy the only true Church."

A Failure to Communicate in the Navy 1941 - not to be repeated in 2010

Even in peacetime, naval communications involve the complex and cumbersome manipulation of difficult technical means and intricate human resources.

...the Navy persisted in its adherence to a communications policy in which 'security' was trump. They steadfastly refused to realize the truism that often it is more important to get information to one's own forces that to withhold it from the enemy. "During the first year of the war'" Morison noted, "the Navy Department laid such a stress on security of communications that they sometimes failed of their essential purpose to communicate."

From
The TENTH Fleet
Ladislas Farago

Information Warfare Community Overview

Community Overview:

Information Warfare (IW) is a Restricted Line community of approximately 1100 officers. IW officers are the Navy’s Information Warriors with expertise in all facets of Information Operations (IO), including traditional cryptology, Command and Control, Computer Network Operations and space systems.

Mission:

IW officers create warfighting options for Fleet Commanders to fight and win in the information age. They deliver and operate reliable, secure and battle-ready global networks, and lead in development and integration of IO capabilities in the Fleet.

Guiding Principles:

(1) Warfare Competency: IW officers lead Navy IW missions by employing a thorough knowledge of the tenets of IO, sensor/weapons, national systems' capabilities and limitations, and how to optimally use them for “effects-based” warfare. IW officers develop tactics, techniques and procedures to realize tactical, strategic and advantages at sea and ashore.
(2) Leadership: Leadership is a core competency for all Navy Officers. IW officers are engaged , seize the initiative, motivate people, effectively apply resources and execute IW missions.
(3)Professional Expertise: IW officers require knowledge of engineering and technology (i.e. knowing how the signal or protocol was designed to function) and the human elements of adversaries through language and cultural awareness. They build expertise through a combination of formal education and experience gained through successive career milestone tours.

Training Pipeline:

New IW officers attend the IW Basic course for five weeks in Pensacola, Florida, and complete the IW Officer Qualification Program (IWOQP) JQR within 24 months of reporting to initial IW assignments.

Optimally, new IW officers are detailed to one of five National Security Agency Cryptologic Centers in Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, and Texas.

Special pay/bonuses. None.

Academic/professional expertise.

(1) Required. Baccalaureate degree, preferably in a technical field, along with completion of a full college calculus series (Calculus I and II) and a college level calculus based physics series (Physics I and II) with a minimum C+ average.
(2) Desired. Baccalaureate degree in Electrical Engineering, Information Warfare, or Computer Science.

Basic eligibility requirements: All candidates must be qualified for sea duty and eligible for a Top Secret/Special Access security clearance.

Accession Options.

(1) Direct Accession: The IW community is allocated direct accession officers from USNA, ROTC, OCS and STA-21 programs.
(2) Lateral Transfer and Redesignation: IW Officers are also accessed into the community from other designators via a bi-annual lateral transfer/redesignation board.

Career Path:

(1) IW officers serve in challenging operational billets of ever increasing scope and responsibility both at sea and ashore. The IW officer career path is designed to develop IW and Signals Intelligence competencies by interleaving sea, shore and educational tours. IW officers should be prepared for assignments to sea billets on Surface combatants (DDG, CG, CVN, LHD and LHA) as members of Strike Group Staffs and Joint Task Forces at every grade. Shore tours include assignments at NSA Cryptologic Centers, Navy Information Operations Commands that deliver critical operational support to Combatant Commanders, Navy, and Joint IW missions. Additionally, IW officers serve on major Navy and Joint staffs as well as command leadership opportunities around the globe.

(2) Advanced education: Postgraduate education is important to the success of IW officers. Many IW officers attend the Naval Postgraduate School to complete Masters Degrees in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or Information Warfare curriculums.

(3) Qualification. IW officers are required to complete the IWOQP and encouraged to complete warfare qualifications during fleet tours.

(4) Overseas duty. The IW community is well represented throughout the world from Europe to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Asia and the Middle East.

(5) Promotion opportunities. Promotion to LTJG and LT occur at 2 and 4 years of commissioned service respectively. The IW community is competitive with the Unrestricted Line (URL) communities for promotion to LCDR and higher. IW officers promote to LCDR between 9 and 10 years of commissioned service; to CDR between 15 and 16 years of commissioned service; and to CAPT at approximately 22 years of service. The IW community has three Flag Officers.

Point of Contact: Commander James Hagy, PERS-4410, DSN 882-4080, commercial (901) 874-4080, mail to:James.Hagy@navy.mil

From the NPC IW Website 08 20 09.

Info is slightly dated but mostly correct. Phone # should get you to Captain Will Metts, the current detailer. CDR Hagy was promoted to Captain and moved to NIOC Hawaii about a year ago.

SECNAV APPROVED FY10 IW OFFICER COMMUNITY BRIEF IS HERE.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - John Maxwell - The Law of Process

Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day

Spend your life building your leadership worth. It can’t be built in a day. The secret is found in your daily agenda. Leadership is complicated. It has many facets: respect, experience, emotional strength, people skills, discipline, vision, momentum, and timing – the list goes on. Leaders are learners. The learning process is ongoing, a result of self-discipline, and perseverance. Build each day on the previous day’s progress.

The four phases of leadership growth:

Phase 1 – I don’t know what I don’t know
- Try to think of yourself as a leader and then work to become one.

Phase 2 – I know what I don’t know
- Recognize that you may not know what you need to know to lead effectively and start learning.

Phase 3 – I grow and know and it starts to show
- Recognize your lack of skill and begin the daily discipline of personal growth in leadership.

Phase 4 – I simply go because of what I know
- Your dedication to improving your leadership ability on a daily basis begins to pay off and your ability to lead becomes almost automatic.

No matter where you’re starting from in the leadership continuum, you can get better. It really is about daily preparation.

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Summary
John Maxwell

Long Awaited Information Warfare Officer Listing (IWOL) 2009

Here is the unclas website (Admin NEWS) link (CAC Required)...

For those with .mil access only.

https://www.portal.navy.mil/cyberfor/Admin/default.aspx

SECNAV APPROVED IW OFFICER COMMUNITY BRIEF IS HERE.