Absolute right to expect ...

"A commander's responsibility remains absolute, and that commander must, and will, be held accountable for the safety, well-being, and efficiency of his command. This accountability may be exacted in various ways. In some cases, commanders may be called to account in a court of law . . . in all cases, they will be judged by their professional peers - those who have been subjected to, and exalted by, the same stringent requirements of command.

Our country, and every Navy man and woman serving at sea or ashore, has the absolute right to expect that our commanding officers will be the finest, and the most responsible, we can provide. I intend to make it so."

Admiral James D. Watkins, U.S. Navy

Happy Birthday United States Army

"Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, the United States Army was established to defend our Nation. From the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror, our Soldiers remain 'Army Strong' with a deep commitment to our core values and beliefs. This 233rd birthday commemorates America’s Army – Soldiers, Families and Civilians – who are achieving a level of excellence that is truly Army Strong both here and abroad. Their willingness to sacrifice to build a better future for others and to preserve our way of life is without a doubt, the Strength of our Nation."

Army Secretary - Pete Geren

Strong Maritime Forces

"It has become fashionable for certain “armchair admirals” to question the need for strong maritime forces. They say our sea services are looking backward, that the days of fleet engagements on the high seas are over. Sadly, these pundits completely miss the point. There’s no doubt much has changed. But even more important is what has remained the same."

J. Michael "Mike" McGrath
Navy League National President

It is not the critic that counts

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again.

Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt, The Man in the Arena

It's Our Ship

Here is a book worthy of adding to your library. Retired Navy Captain Mike Abrashoff has written another great book. You remember his book IT'S YOUR SHIP. This fine addition is IT'S OUR SHIP.

Some may remember CDR Abrashoff from his command tour aboard USS Benfold. IT'S YOUR SHIP, his book about his very successful command tour, is a great companion tome to Admiral James Stavridis' book DESTROYER CAPTAIN which recently sold out its 'first edition' printing.

Question your seniors; listen to your juniors

“Two weeks ago, I stood before the graduating class of the Naval Academy, and I told them to question you, their seniors, about the way we do things. Today, I urge you, in turn, to listen to them, your juniors. Learn what’s on their minds; come to know their concerns. … We need your help in bringing these issues to the forefront of a system that is mired in peacetime and must fundamentally change, one that puts our people at the center of the universe.”

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Emulate John Paul Jones

"Every officer of our Navy should feel in each fiber of his being an eager desire to emulate the energy, the professional capacity, the indomitable determination and dauntless scorn of death which marked John Paul Jones above all his fellows."

President Theodore Roosevelt

Military service

"A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living."

John F. Kennedy

People

"We are only as good as our people. "

Admiral Gary Roughead
Chief of Naval Operations

The Naval profession

"Most of the elements of this essentially practical profession are open and plain for all to see. It has aspects, however, like all professions worthy of the name, that go deeper; there is an indefinable dimension, a sort of mystique that does not yield its secrets to the casual inquirer or, indeed, to many who wear the Navy's blue and gold for many years. Its deepest characteristics are as inscrutable as that combination of the sea and service to country that gives the profession its distinctive flavor.

Is it worth it? Every man must speak for himself. As for me, the answer is yes. It has been worth it, over and over again."

Rear Admiral James Calvert

First Printing Sold Out !!

If you haven't already purchased Admiral James Stavridis' book, DESTROYER CAPTAIN, you missed your opportunity to own a First Edition copy. Not to worry, they are already printing the second edition. This is a great book. Required reading for those with any interest at all in leadership, the Navy, destroyers, command at sea, Sailors, Chief Petty Officers or serving one's country. I am biased, but this is a great companion tome for Michael Abrashoff's IT'S YOUR SHIP. Two completely different approaches to telling the story about the considerable challenges and rewards of 'destroyer command'.

Premier IW/cryptologic force

"The Naval Security Group is the premier military IW and cryptologic force in the world. Maritime Information Dominance For America is our value statement. An ambitious transformation is underway throughout our Service. We are developing a Human Capital Strategy predicated on “Right skill, Right time, Right place (R3)” principles that will deliver a combat-ready, mission-centric IW force."

"Our relevance lies in our ability to participate in, and add value to, time-sensitive targeting. Our success is measured by the degree to which we shorten the “kill chain” and control or destroy the enemy’s information environment. At the heart of our vision is the unambiguous acknowledgment that cryptology is a critical component of IO. We will achieve information dominance by taking advantage of our command of the sea with a network of highly automated, scalable sensors across all domains – air, sea, undersea and cyber. We will produce time critical information within the vulnerability windows of potential adversaries and deliver offensive, non-kinetic striking power."

Rear Admiral Andrew M. Singer - the final Commander, Naval Security Group Command

You are a leader

“Regardless of how long you wear the uniform, one thing will never change. You are a leader and the well-being of soldiers will be in your hands. You’ll be judged by how you discharge that duty. For if you strip away everything else about the Army, at its core, that’s what the Army is all about: Soldiers taking care of Soldiers.”

"The all-volunteer force is a national treasure, but it can’t be squandered. To sustain our Army, we must provide Army families with a quality of life equal to their service. As Army leaders, you must take care of Army families.”

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren to the USMA Class of 2008

Never rest on your laurels

"Carrying out the multitude of administrative tasks that fall to the leader is a chore that never ends. A problem solved, a decision made, leads one only to the next problem to be dealt with, the next decision to be made. It is a never ending series of tasks, each of which must be completed, each of which must be done well. The leader can never rest on his laurels for the next challenge is just hours, sometimes moments away."

Admiral Mike Boorda

Sailors

"The wonder is always new that any sane man can be a Sailor."

Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803-1882, American Poet, Essayist