Dawn Halfaker: An example of grace, courage, humility and honor for our time

I was inspired by her story six years ago when I first heard about her. I was on the Secretary of Defense's Staff looking into the abuses at Abu Ghraib Prison in June of 2004. Dawn Halfaker was an Army 1st Lieutenant Military Police Officer in Iraq on patrol in her vehicle when an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) took off her right arm. Three years earlier, she had been a star guard on the basketball team at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. I found it amazing that she had such a positive attitude having just lost her arm in combat in Iraq. I thought about how much she had lost...how much she had given up - for us.

She didn't give much thought to what she had lost. She became a different person in the process. Fast forward six years later and she is a retired Army Captain and is CEO of her own well-respected and fast growing firm - Halfaker Associates LLC. And, first among her advisors is Les Brownlee (former Acting Secretary of the Army during my days as Staff Director of the Detainee Task Force). This is one remarkable officer, Soldier, person, warrior, patriot, basketball player, CEO, example, and woman. The most remarkable quote from her was that she was not going to be weighed down by the burden of the hypocrisy of self pity when so many of her fellow "comrades in arms" were worse off than she was.

Google Dawn Halfaker and find inspiration.
Google Dawn Halfaker and find motivation.
Google Dawn Halfaker and find an American Hero.

You can find her busy at work here http://www.halfakerandassociates.com/index.htm

The sea has a language all its own

The sea has a language all its own, and the air has largely taken it over, with a few necessary modifications and additions. Everyone who writes naval or maritime history should endeavor to use strong, short words and plain, terse phrases that are consecrated by decades of sea usage and not try to translate them into current journalese or other jargon.


Samuel Eliot Morison

National Treasures

"And the SERGEANTS MAJOR -- they were a national treasure.

They mold and maintain the force and leaders like me. They have been my comrade, confidante, constructive critic, mentor and best friend."

General Stan McChrystal at his retirement

Admiral Harvey's Testimony to the House Armed Services Committee 28 July 2010

Providing forces ready for tasking is not only a commitment to the Combatant Commanders, but also a promise to our Sailors who see their entry into deployment marking the best material condition their unit will ever achieve, their overcoming the challenges of deployment to achieve mission success as the likely highlight of their careers, and the sustainment of high readiness on deployment as a significant contributor to our culture and ethos. So I strongly believe that matching the reality our Sailors will face to their expectations for deployed readiness is critical to retaining high-quality people and remaining a truly global and relevant force, regardless of the fiscal environment.

With the completion of the Fleet Review Panel Report and SAN ANTONIO Investigation, we now have a clear sight picture of the root causes behind the negative readiness trends observed in our Surface Force. These trends were twenty years in the making and will take constant pressure over time to resolve. I recognize we still have much work to do, but we have a clear path ahead to reverse negative readiness trends, assure the future readiness of the Surface Force, and uphold our commitment to the nation and our Sailors.

You can read his opening statement HERE.

Admiral John Harvey
Commander, Fleet Forces Command

Each of the Navy witnesses conceded that the surface Navy’s experiments in “running like a business” hadn’t panned out as officials had initially hoped, but said the fleet already has plans in place to get back on track in each of its troubled areas.

Sailing in a cyber sea

I am keenly interested in exploring and investigating solutions to balance the tension between the desire for collaborative openness against sustaining the necessary protection of the underlying networks and systems. Since my speech in San Diego, I’ve thought a lot more about the subject and I keep coming back to the idea that there are two possible outcomes to the current complex and largely ungoverned “Cyber Sea” environment:

The first and vastly preferred outcome is that we work together as an international community to create a comprehensive set of rules and behavioral norms that would govern behavior within the cyber domain. Think of an effort along the lines of the Law of the Sea Treaty negotiation, a very big project indeed.

Yet a second possible albeit highly undesirable outcome is that we find ourselves in a deterrence posture similar to the Cold War but with different tools. A stalemate, if you will, wherein actors – individuals? organizations? nation states? – are deterred from “doing harm” by the threat that harm will in turn will be done to them.

Admiral James Stavridis

Courage and sacrifice of a Cryptologic Technician - an example for all

Those who serve in the United States Intelligence Community honor the courage and sacrifice of Petty Officer First Class Daugherty, only the second person to be awarded the National Intelligence Medal for Valor. Petty Officer Daugherty earned it. He represents all that is worthy of those in the Navy and the Intelligence Community, and this center (Daugherty Memorial Assessment Center) will stand as an enduring testament to his selfless service.

Admiral Dennis Blair
Director of National Intelligence

Spending a lifetime using leadership tools

"As the youth progresses onward to mature manhood, he reaps a harvest from experience, he gleans much knowledge from his studies, he learns concisely what the laws of the seaman require, and the rules of the art of war demand.... But who is there to tell him that toward the end of your career you cannot pick up new tools and use them with the dexterity of the expert unless you have spent a lifetime with them, tested the temper of their steel, and made them a part of your life's equipment."

REAR ADMIRAL WILLIAM PRATT, LEADERSHIP
USNI Proceeding Magazine 1934
CNO 1930-1933

"We have burned the boats." Apparently there is no going back on DIVERSITY or INFORMATION DOMINANCE

DIVERSITY

"Burn the boats," Vice Admiral Ferguson said (in an interview with DIVERSITY INC.), recounting Hernando Cortez's (or Hernán Cortés) order. In other words, "We're not going back," he said. Ferguson said commitment is the foundation of success, and it was a similar statement of commitment that guided the Navy's diversity and inclusion efforts several years ago.

INFORMATION DOMINANCE

The reorganization is moving quickly, as it should, and will be complete by the end of this year and N2/6, or the Director of Information Dominance, will be the one making the major investment decisions as we compare our 2012 budgets. Someone asked me (Admiral Roughead) this morning, ‘where are you along this timeline?’ and I think the quote from Hernando Cortez applies, “we burn boats, there’s no going back.” "So Jack Dorsett, you’re the helmsman."

As I think about the analogy here, it can be a bit worrisome. Are VADM Ferguson and ADM Roughead telling us "they have burned the boats" for the same reasons Cortez did?

Cortez supposedly burned the boats because:

• he feared his men lacked the courage to follow him,
  
• he feared they would all desert him, and
• his men were afraid to go any farther

Fear is a powerful motivator. Not the one I would use in this case, however.

Best Sailors in the Navy 2009

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ingrid Cortez, U.S. Fleet Forces Sea Sailor of the Year; Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Shalanda Brewer, Navy Reserve Sailor of the Year; Operations Specialist 1st Class Samira McBride, U.S. Pacific Fleet Sea Sailor of the Year and Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 1st Class Cassandra Foote, Chief of Naval Operations Shore Sailor of the Year were each presented their Chief Petty Officer appointment letter from the CNO prior to having their anchors pinned to their collars and combination covers placed on their heads.

The Sailor of the Year program was established in 1972 by the Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittet to recognize an individual Sailor who best represented the ever-growing group of dedicated professional Sailors at each command and ultimately the Navy. Admiral Zumwalt's son, retired USMC Lt Col James Zumwalt, is working with the U.S. Postal Service to have his father recognized on a postage stamp for his long career of service to our Sailors. You can read about his efforts HERE.

NAVIOCOM Georgia Change of Command

In a change of command ceremony held July 23 in Alexander Hall, Navy Captain Michael R. Fisher relinquished command of Navy Information Operations Command (NAVIOCOM) Georgia to Captain John C. Post. VADM Barry McCullough, Commander TENTH Fleet/Fleet Cyber Command was the presiding officer.

Captain Post, a native of Dallas, Texas, and University of Texas alumnus, became the 8th commanding officer of NAVIOCOM Georgia. He assumes command of NAVIOCOM Georgia whose mission is to provide Information Warfare and Cryptologic expertise and personnel to Fleet Air, Surface, Submarine and National Security Agency/Central Security Service Georgia. It also provides reachback staff support to Chief, Joint Force Maritime Component Commander of Central and Europe operations.

Captain Michael R. Fisher retired after a 26 year USAF/Navy career.

Navy Information Operations Command - Hawaii sets junior officers up for success

Lt. j.g. Michael Lavoie - Navy Information Operations Command, Hawaii

Few communities in the Navy have seen as much change in recent years as the information warfare (IW) community In the last decade, naval cryptology took on many related disciplines, including electronic warfare, operations security, military deception and computer network operations, while striving to retain core competencies.

Such tremendous change created a need for sweeping reform of new accession training, and Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Hawaii responded with an innovative pipeline for junior officers (JOs) arriving at the command.

Following the Information Warfare Officer Basic Course (IWBC) in Pensacola, Florida., Ensign Miguel Cueva reported to the analysis and production (A&P) cell at Fleet Information Operations Center (FIOC) Hawaii. "IWBC was a whirlwind experience, exposing me to a broad range of topics," he noted. "Arriving at a major cryptologic center gave me the chance to go deeper into area-specific knowledge and see most aspects of IW in practice."

Junior officers typically spend five weeks in A&P, completing target and watch floor qualification requirements. The new arrivals then move on to five weeks under instruction as FIOC watch officer. "This is the phase where a lot of loose strings start to come together," explained Lt. j.g. William Brinkmeyer, FIOC division officer. "Armed with strong target knowledge and the resources available to the watch, junior officers learn to leverage this and pass it on to the fleet," he said.

"It's amazing to see the progress of our junior officers. They show up completely green to the community and by the time they move on to a second tour, they have performed at the level of department heads at sea and shore-side," noted Lieutenant Mike Curtis, NIOC deputy operations officer.

NIOC Hawaii plays an extensive role in surface and submarine direct support and after several months as FIOC watch officers, JOs make the transition from provider to consumer as direct support officers. "Getting underway as a direct support officer is an intimidating prospect for an ensign or lieutenant (j.g.), but I definitely took the knowledge I learned from FIOC and A&P to sea. Knowing what resources are available to tactical units is a huge advantage," Lt. j.g. Marcus Long explained.

With FIOC watch officer, direct support officer and the new community standard Information Warfare Personnel Qualification Standard (PQS) complete, JOs board for the 1810 designator. The 1810 board assesses individuals' knowledge of myriad topics related to IW and the wider Navy.

"The 1810 board emphasizes the 'big picture'... how everything JOs have learned as watch officers and DSOs fit into the construct of the 21st century Navy," said Curtis. "We are confident that this breadth of exposure sets our JOs up for tremendous success in their careers as information warfare officers."

Captain Jeffrey S. Cole assumed command of NIOC Hawaii on 9 July 2010.

Story from HAWAII NAVY NEWS.

Vision - worth repeating

Think about the future—frequently.

Constant change is a characteristic of the modern era, and constant change requires people of vision who can look beyond the current paradigm in order to chart our future. Develop ideas that guide your career, the Naval Intelligence community, and the Navy. Seniors are looking for bold officers with good ideas. Although not all people possess equal capabilities to look to the future, all of us have the capability to try.

Look for opportunities to contribute your ideas. If opportunities don’t present themselves, look for ways to create the right opportunity.

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

MCPO on my "Anchor Up" bandwagon - LNCM Browning

You must always do the things that Chiefs must do. It’s not enough to do things without being told – now you have to think up those things to do. You alone must realize, analyze, prioritize, improvise, exercise and supervise everything your Sailors will accomplish. You cannot be concerned with popularity. If you are, you will not succeed as “The Chief.” Someone has to make the difficult decisions. By virtue of being difficult, those decisions are rarely popular with your Sailors.

I challenge every officer, legalman and civilian employee to strive to make a positive difference every single day. Take the hard jobs, get out of your comfort zone, stay involved, and communicate up and down the chain of command.

Please accept my sincere thanks and gratitude for all you do!
Good luck, Chiefs - it’s time to Anchor Up!

CHRISTOPHER J. BROWNING
LNCM (SW/AW), U.S. Navy

Surprised to find this in the Navy's Diversity Director's Official presentation on Diversity

I was surprised to see the Navy's Diversity Director CAPT Ken Barrett from the Chief of Naval Personnel's N134 office use this in his brief from 26 May 2010.

Captain Michael D. Abrashoff has earned several 100 thousand dollars from his great series of books (It's Your Ship, It's Our Ship and Get Your Ship Together) based largely on his turnaround of USS BENFOLD. You'll understand my surprise when you research who he relieved on BENFOLD, the previous Commanding Officer who was supposed to have run the ship and her Sailors into the ground. As with many stories, some of it is cultural mythology. I have all three books and refer to them often.

Not Very Flattering - Among the government's 12 worst

Coming in at number 10, the Navy Personnel Command's website www.npc.navy.mil is among the 12 worst government websites, as selected by INFORMATION WEEK. As a member of the Information Dominance Corps, I find this both appalling and somewhat embarrassing. In an organization that says "People are our number 1 priority" and "we are the most dominant information force in the U.S. military", this site does not reflect either of those statements.

We owe our Sailors more. I hope this is not a contractor-maintained website.

From over at the SCOOPDECK, this post is described as a cyber-attack.