Iconic Navy cryptologic officer loses valiant battle with cancer

Captain Fred R. Demech, Jr., U.S. Navy (Retired), a resident of Moosic, died peacefully on March 11, 2011 after a battle with cancer.  Ironically, Interestingly, he passed away on what could have been the 76th Anniversary of the former Naval Security Group.

He was born on June 1, 1940 in Taylor, son of the late Fred and Minnie Uritz Demech. He graduated from Pittston High School, Wilkes College, the Naval War College, and the National War College. Commissioned as Ensign in 1962, he served in the Navy for over 27 years, retiring in 1989. He was a career cryptologist and a qualified Surface Warfare Officer.

As a Navy Captain and Presidential Appointee, he twice served as the Executive Director for the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board  (PFIAB) in the White House. For his service, he was awarded the nation’s highest peacetime military decoration, The Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

For two years, he was Commanding Officer of the Navy’s largest cryptologic base in Edzell, Scotland, a 1000 person overseas facility. This command won the coveted Travis Trophy (awarded by the Director of the National Security Agency) that identified it as the top communications site in the Department of Defense. For his service he was awarded the Legion of Merit. He also served as Executive Assistant to three senior flag offices, Research and Technical Officer aboard two ships, and Operations and Executive Officer at several shore stations.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Janet; a daughter Lesley D’Andrea, and husband Robert of Doylestown; two grandsons, Kevin and Brian D’Andrea; and a sister Carolyn Salvaggio of Forty Fort.

I believe

The Lost Art of Writing - Colonel Littleton

Somewhere along the way, good manners, etiquette and civility seem to have gotten lost. Yet, many people today still yearn for the genteel social graces that have served this nation well.     The tipping of a hat, helping a woman with her chair, placing your hand over your heart during the national anthem and a handwritten thank you note or letter on fine stationery.     We can't do much to influence all things proper, but we can produce products to aid the cause.     In today's fast-paced world of tweeting, texting and email, nothing says you care more about the recipient than taking time to write something in your own hand.     That's why we offer a full line of hand-engraved personalized stationery on 100% cotton, heavy stock paper.     Nothing cute, cheap, too colorful, scented, trendy or slick. Just traditional elegant stationery in ecru or white, with black or blue ink - hand engraved from copper plates.     It's our hope that this stationery will serve to call to your mind the great merits of traditional form, style and civility.   Regards, P.S.  Soldiers have always cherished letters from home and protected them like treasure. I keep every handwritten letter I have ever received in a box in my office.   Occasionally, I pull out the ones from my Grandmother or Dad and let the memories flood my mind. Emails are deleted and gone forever. Handwritten notes are timeless and touch the soul.

76th Anniversary of IW/CT Community

 “From the groundbreaking work of the ‘On-the-Roof Gang’ and Capt. Joseph Rochefort’s cracking of the Japanese navy code, to the Global War on Terrorism, the Navy’s information warfare / cryptology community has been in the fight. This year we celebrate our 76th anniversary, honoring our past and embracing our future.”

Rear Adm. Edward H. Deets III
Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command

The RHUMB LINES is HERE.

More information on Captain Joseph Rochefort is HERE.

Navy Leaders

Trust me, it's not all "blah, blah, blah."

Navy leaders are not popular entertainers, but professionals vested with extraordinary military authority who must be held to a higher standard and maintain their credibility in the eyes of their subordinates under the most difficult, even possibly life-threatening, circumstances.

Poor judgment and behavior that undermines that credibility threatens good order and discipline and, over time, jeopardizes the crew’s faith in its leadership. That means we cannot simply ignore actions  that clearly call into question a Navy leader’s judgment, character, and fitness to command.

To be true to our Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment, our leaders are required to ensure the well-being of our people, show respect toward all, and treat each individual with dignity.

Admiral John Harvey
Commander, Fleet Forces Command

Theorists versus leaders

As a corps, the Information Dominance Corps must have its theorists, so must it have its practical leaders - men and women of vision like the theorists, but leaders who concentrate more on action than on agreed principles.

Such leaders are emerging from the shadows.  These are the men and women who realize that the IDC will require an altogether different kind of functional organization and a very different approach to training and education if the IDC is to realize its full potential.

A brief note from the past...such a leader from earlier in the Navy's history saw his place in it and wrote the President of the United States and expressed his ideas with clarity and sincerity.  At the time, his letter was a serious breach of propriety, as it would be today.  But then as now, the Lieutenant, having understood the gravity of his ideas - he took action and changed the Navy's course.  Where are such leaders today? That we must all answer for ourselves.  They exist, I am sure of it.  We must do as VADM Jack Dorsett has instructed, "Let's stop spending time admiring the problems and use our time to solve them." 

What Commanders Have A Right to Expect from Higher Commanders

1. That their honest errors be pointed out but can be underwritten at least once in the interests of developing initiative and leadership.
2. To be responsible for and to be allowed to develop their own units with only the essential guidance from above.
3. A helpful attitude toward their problems.
4. Loyalty.
5. That they not be subject to the needling of unproductive "statistics" competitions between like units.
6. The best in commandership.
7. That the needs of their units be anticipated and provided for.
8. To be kept oriented as to the missions and situation in the unit above.
9. A well-thought out program of training, work and recreation.
10. To receive timely, clear-cut, and positive orders and decisions which are not constantly changed.
11. That the integrity of their tactical units be maintained in assigning essential tasks.
12. That their success be measured by the overall ability of a unit to perform its whole mission and not by the performance of one or two factors.
13. That good works by their units be recognized and regarded in such a way as to motivate the greatest number to do well and to see further improvement.

General Bruce C. Clarke

Thoughts on Leadership

Absolute integrity of an officer

I want to make it clear beyond any question that absolute integrity of an officer's word, deed and signature is a matter that permits no compromise.  Inevitably, in the turmoil of the times, every officer will be confronted by situations which test his character.  On these occasions he must stand on his principles, for those are the crucial episodes tat determine the worth of a man.

On a practical level, there are two vitals steps to ethical behavior:  

• knowing what is right 

and 

• doing it.

Michael Josephson
Ethicist

Do Good

Do all the good you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

John Wesley
Rules of Conduct, circa 1770

Captain O. P. Honors - Going Low Early

“Any leader … you reach for the best in your people,” Admiral John Harvey (Commander, Fleet Forces Command) said. “Not for the lowest common denominator of what’s acceptable. That’s the essential issue here, the approach that Captain Honors took. He went low early, when he needed to stay high, all the time. It is what we are about. Setting the standard. Not seeing how low you can go before you cross the line of acceptability. That was a fundamentally flawed approach for reaching our Sailors, and one that has never … worked over the long haul in the past.

“A leader simply diminishes himself or herself when she goes in a race to the bottom, and not focusing our Sailors on where we should be, and helping them to stay there, so they can be the leaders in turn.”

A Responsibility of Leadership

A well-disciplined organization is one in which all members of the organization are taught to work willingly, enthusiastically and skillfully as individuals and as a group, to fulfill the mission of the organization with an expectation of success.

The ultimate test of discipline is combat.  The only discipline which will surely meet the test of combat is one that is based on the fact that all hands have pride in a great service, a belief in its purposes, a belief in essential justice, and complete confidence in the superior character, skill, education and knowledge of its leaders.

All leaders must have continuous concern for their subordinates.  This concern must be evident at all times, not just when the subordinates get into trouble or when the leader want a special effort.  Leaders must know their people as individuals, and their men must realize and appreciate that their leaders do know them.  Foremost in each man's heart is the desire to be known, to be appreciated and understood, to be an individual in the eyes of his leader and not a nameless cog in the machine.

Admiral Forrest P. Sherman
Chief of Naval Operations
1949-1951

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) was established on 3 March 1915 by Congress.

Admiral William S. Benson was our first CNO.

Third Navy Commanding Officer Fired in 2011

Having completed just two months in command, Commander Nathan Borchers, USS STOUT, was fired by Vice Admiral Harry Harris, Commander SIXTH Fleet for loss of confidence. Eight other members of his crew were also removed from USS STOUT, including the Command Master Chief. 

He is the third Navy CO fired in 2011.  Captain Opie Honors (USS ENTERPRISE) was the first and Captain Rex Guinn (NRLO Japan) was the second.

Commander Nathan Borchers is a native of Sidney, Nebraska and graduated in 1993 with a Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Nebraska. Upon graduation and commissioning as an Ensign, he completed the Naval Nuclear Power training program.

Commander Borchers’ first sea duty was aboard USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69) where he served as the Reactor Mechanical Division Officer and Chemistry and Radiological Controls Assistant. His next tour was in USS MITSCHER (DDG 57) where he served as Assistant Operations Officer and Training Officer.  These tours included two deployments to the Adriatic Sea in support of NATO operations.

Following his Division Officer tours, Commander Borchers served as the Plant Evaluation Officer at the Nuclear Power Training Unit on Charleston, South Carolina. During this tour he received a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Charleston.

After successful completion of Department Head School, Commander Borchers served as the Combat Systems Officer in USS KAUFFMAN (FFG 59). This tour included a deployment to the Arabian Gulf conducting Maritime Interception Operations in support of United Nations resolutions.  Next, he served aboard USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) as the Main Propulsion Assistant during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.  Commander Borchers also served as Executive Officer onboard USS STETHEM (DDG 63) as part of the Navy’s Forward Deployed Naval Forces in Japan.

Commander Borchers’ second shore tour was on the Joint Staff, J-8, where he served as an Action Officer in the Force Application Division.

Commander Borchers has been awarded The Admiral Ben Moreell award for Logistics Excellence by the Navy League of America and the Admiral James L. Holloway III leadership award by the Stennis Center. Personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4) and the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal (5).

Words worth noting

TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF NAVY CYBER WARFARE DEVELOPMENT GROUP, WE ARE TRULY FORTUNATE TO SHARE THIS MOMENT, AND TOGETHER, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE WILL EARN A REPUTATION FOR ACTION AND ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT WILL CAUSE ALL HERE TO REMEMBER THAT THEY WERE PRESENT WHEN WE PLANKOWNERS TOOK OUR CHARGE.  I ORDER YOU TO TAKE UP THE TONGS AND HAMMER OF YOUR INITIATIVE, AND UPON THE ANVIL OF YOUR INTELLECT, FORGE YOUR IDEAS INTO BRILLIANT WEAPONS THAT WILL SAFEGUARD OUR NAVY AND OUR NATION IN A SHADOW REALM OF FURTIVE ENEMIES, FALSE FRIENDS AND UNSURE ALLIES – AN EVERCHANGING DOMAIN WHERE VICTORY IS NOT MEASURED IN TERRITORY GAINED AND DEFEAT WILL COST OUR CITIZENS NOT ONLY BLOOD BUT OTHER PRECIOUS TREASURES:  THEIR URGENT CREATIVITY, UNLIMITED INGENUITY AND FEARLESS OPTIMISM.

I CANNOT KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I AM WEARY OF THE PUNDITS’ WARNINGS; TIRED OF THE VAGUE THREATS; UNWILLING TO BE A SLAVE TO FEAR; AND READY NOW TO TAKE FIRM ACTION TO PROTECT OUR NATION’S PREROGATIVES.  WE MUST NOT FAIL, AND IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR SKILLS, FIGHTING SPIRIT AND OATH OF SERVICE, WE WILL NOT FAIL.

Captain Steve Parode
Commanding Officer
on assumption of command of Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group
on Friday, 18 February 2011

Rear Admiral David Simpson - Corporate Director for Information Dominance (OPNAV N2/N6)

“The technology curve is asymptotic.  Our investments in information technology used to be right on that technology curve. The DoD was really pushing that technology curve. We were defining it. But the adversary can pick and choose where he wants to be on that technology curve to achieve the desired affect. We are not going to be able to defend everywhere on that technology curve at all times, so we have to be more agile in our ability to respond to the adversaries movements in cyberspace.”

“We initially had difficulty cross-communicating and defining the cyber battle space,” said Simpson. “When you get to the details of describing the boundaries of cyberspace, and who has responsibilities for cyberspace, that’s not easy. Bringing the IDC together for the Navy has really allowed us to get past a lot of that. But now we need to ensure that our officers see that battle space, understand it, and are able to communicate it in terms that the larger command structure understands.”