In the last few days, news broke that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized (in intensive care) without notifying the White House (or seemingly, much of his own staff) and that his Deputy (Kath Hicks) had assumed his duties from vacation in Puerto Rico. Quite a bit to unpack here, so let’s dive in.
Finally, a reasoned, correctly critical article about a shameful, entirely avoidable incident with SECDEF. Austin made his personal medical situation all about himself instead of the country, which is exactly the wrong thing to do. We all thought he, a former 4 star, knew better. We were wrong.
Very glad to have read your endorsement of CNO/VCNO. Being a bit senior (wr. older) I knew neither. Good to know the Navy is in good hands, assuming they will be allowed to do good things.
I appreciate the details you’ve provided regarding Secretary Austin’s absence from duty. In thinking about it, it struck me that the current administration doesn’t demand excellence of its people. I once read that a first rate person will hire first rate people, but a second rate person will hire third rate people. In this case, were any of the operational staff (comm gear and codes) aware of the Secretary’s impending and actual absence? I was never CO of a ship, but did have two shore commands (EDO that I was). My team knew where I was and my reporting senior knew where I was when we were in the middle of dealing with a hurricane. Because I knew what was expected from me.
Too many empty spaces where there should be no empty spaces. If everything were on the up and up, it would be "Bang. Bang. Bang. Do you have any further questions, m'am or sir?"
The SecDef thing is relatively extra-ordinary. That’s national command authority and civilian control of military. Only two. President and SecDef. Your notes about the C2 and Comms package are just a few of the required mechanics. Mind boggling to me is the casual and non-caring approach with Americans and our national interests in harms way as we speak (as they are every day, every second). We don’t control what our enemies do, they do. Weapons are in the air in the Mid-east and Ukraine, and these guys decide to take a break without ensuring someone can make a good decision in an instant when lives are at stake? Bengazhi-Afghanistan continued. Unbelievable negligence and Loss of confidence. Fire them.
Now I remember. Jim sat in the back row, over by the coffee maker. I was in the opposite side back row, with Rhinda (?) Ranch on my left and my boy - whose name is on the tip of my tongue - on my right. Getting old I guess. I caught up with him via email back in 2012 time while I was supporting MSCLANT in Norfolk and he was a civilian staffer at MSC HQ in DC.
FWIW - when I was a CDO (on a FFG) - we didn't need the CO or XO to get underway (in theory, at least). Heck, if you believed the enlisted folks - they didn't need any officers to run the ship!
When CDR Lippold and the U.S.S. Cole got underway from Norfolk, every single officer including himself was manning the rail. The crew was fully qualified and proficient to the point that the special sea & anchor detail was enitrely enlisted. That is an achievement to strive for.
That's in the best traditions of the Navy! See December 7th, the Nevada left Battleship Row under the command of (I believe) a very JO. It would be my express command if CO to let anyone qual'd as OOD pierside that they could become Acting CO in my absence. SAVE THE SHIP!!
Well, I was wondering about that. So I did some research and while www.history.navy.mil seems to be down...if you look up ENS Taussing on the Naval Institute's pages and read his story about Pearl Harbor...
He was OOD, arriving on the quarterdeck at 0745 and relieving his predecessor at 0800. After the first torpedo hit NEVADA he went to his AAA director and was wounded there ultimately loosing a leg. So it wasn't him. He did receive the Navy Cross for his actions.
Where did you find that? I've been searching for over an hour! And, yes a LTCR would be relatively junior on a BB in 1941. Division officers were full CDR at least.
I was a CWO2 CDO on an FFG homeported in Long Beach. Captain Ruff was insistent that in the one in a million chance that a severe earthquake let loose a flaming river of petroleum from the tank farms to the North that the CDO wasn't to wait for anyone to get the ship underway. I was of two minds about that..."Yi-ha!" and "Please, Lord, never let that happen."
One Pelham East. That brings back a few memories from my various times in Newport, starting in late 1990...
That and The Brick Alley Pub. I was on per diem for SWOS.
Finally, a reasoned, correctly critical article about a shameful, entirely avoidable incident with SECDEF. Austin made his personal medical situation all about himself instead of the country, which is exactly the wrong thing to do. We all thought he, a former 4 star, knew better. We were wrong.
"...in a just world, someone’s head would be rolling around in a basket."
I couldn't, and didn't, say it better.
Very glad to have read your endorsement of CNO/VCNO. Being a bit senior (wr. older) I knew neither. Good to know the Navy is in good hands, assuming they will be allowed to do good things.
I am glad of the endorsement too. Sure puts my mind at ease.
I appreciate the details you’ve provided regarding Secretary Austin’s absence from duty. In thinking about it, it struck me that the current administration doesn’t demand excellence of its people. I once read that a first rate person will hire first rate people, but a second rate person will hire third rate people. In this case, were any of the operational staff (comm gear and codes) aware of the Secretary’s impending and actual absence? I was never CO of a ship, but did have two shore commands (EDO that I was). My team knew where I was and my reporting senior knew where I was when we were in the middle of dealing with a hurricane. Because I knew what was expected from me.
There are a lot of empty spaces in this that keep me from having a full picture. But what I see is does not reflect top notch performance.
Too many empty spaces where there should be no empty spaces. If everything were on the up and up, it would be "Bang. Bang. Bang. Do you have any further questions, m'am or sir?"
The SecDef thing is relatively extra-ordinary. That’s national command authority and civilian control of military. Only two. President and SecDef. Your notes about the C2 and Comms package are just a few of the required mechanics. Mind boggling to me is the casual and non-caring approach with Americans and our national interests in harms way as we speak (as they are every day, every second). We don’t control what our enemies do, they do. Weapons are in the air in the Mid-east and Ukraine, and these guys decide to take a break without ensuring someone can make a good decision in an instant when lives are at stake? Bengazhi-Afghanistan continued. Unbelievable negligence and Loss of confidence. Fire them.
Well put, my friend. Well put.
Bryan, was Jim Kilby in our classroom section at DH school?
He sure was.
Now I remember. Jim sat in the back row, over by the coffee maker. I was in the opposite side back row, with Rhinda (?) Ranch on my left and my boy - whose name is on the tip of my tongue - on my right. Getting old I guess. I caught up with him via email back in 2012 time while I was supporting MSCLANT in Norfolk and he was a civilian staffer at MSC HQ in DC.
FWIW - when I was a CDO (on a FFG) - we didn't need the CO or XO to get underway (in theory, at least). Heck, if you believed the enlisted folks - they didn't need any officers to run the ship!
When CDR Lippold and the U.S.S. Cole got underway from Norfolk, every single officer including himself was manning the rail. The crew was fully qualified and proficient to the point that the special sea & anchor detail was enitrely enlisted. That is an achievement to strive for.
That's in the best traditions of the Navy! See December 7th, the Nevada left Battleship Row under the command of (I believe) a very JO. It would be my express command if CO to let anyone qual'd as OOD pierside that they could become Acting CO in my absence. SAVE THE SHIP!!
That JO was Ensign Joe Taussig.
Well, I was wondering about that. So I did some research and while www.history.navy.mil seems to be down...if you look up ENS Taussing on the Naval Institute's pages and read his story about Pearl Harbor...
He was OOD, arriving on the quarterdeck at 0745 and relieving his predecessor at 0800. After the first torpedo hit NEVADA he went to his AAA director and was wounded there ultimately loosing a leg. So it wasn't him. He did receive the Navy Cross for his actions.
I stand corrected. It appears that Lt. Cmdr. Francis J. Thomas was in command - so not a JO, but relatively junior on a battlewagon, I expect.
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/uss-nevadas-run-to-the-sea/ It's even more complicated than that. Another officer had the deck.
Where did you find that? I've been searching for over an hour! And, yes a LTCR would be relatively junior on a BB in 1941. Division officers were full CDR at least.
I was a CWO2 CDO on an FFG homeported in Long Beach. Captain Ruff was insistent that in the one in a million chance that a severe earthquake let loose a flaming river of petroleum from the tank farms to the North that the CDO wasn't to wait for anyone to get the ship underway. I was of two minds about that..."Yi-ha!" and "Please, Lord, never let that happen."
See my reply to Tom Murin!