The outstanding younger generation of men and women in our Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard not only want to receive content from the Naval Institute, they want to participate in its development. Following a series of discussions with cross-sections of junior officers and enlisted personnel, we have acted on your recommendation and have created the USNI Naval Wiki. That Wiki now exists at www.usni.org. It allows you to participate in the construction and continuing expansion of critical information that junior professionals need—and need to access digitally—to keep up with the increased demands of their jobs.
The Wiki has been developed and initially populated with content from the specialized professional books published by the Naval Institute Press in its Blue and Gold series, such as The Bluejacket’s Manual, The Chief Petty Officer’s Guide, Handbook for Marine NCOs, Newly Commissioned Naval Officer’s Guide, Watch Officer’s Guide, Naval Officer’s Guide, and Command at Sea. For the Wiki to be the valuable professional tool it can be, we need your participation. We want your reactions to this initiative, and invite all members, young and old, to engage!
As we continue to increase our digital products and services, I encourage you to visit news.usni.org, the Naval Institute’s newest online site for news and analysis. It is a bridge between the classic monthly content of Proceedings and the opinions expressed daily in the USNI Blog. Online Editor Sam LaGrone is building an “info-rhythm” that complements the publishing cycle of Proceedings and produces a wide range of exclusive new content each day. The site also presents top news stories selected by Proceedings editors, as well as documents addressing key issues of this new era. An initiative flowing from the 2012-2014 Strategic Plan, news.usni.org brings an important new dimension to our independent forum. It will grow and evolve based in no small part on its reception by our membership. I encourage everyone to take a close look. Based on your feedback, we will continue to develop and shape this regular news content.
We are seeking active-duty volunteers from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to serve on an Enlisted Advisory Group for the Institute. I envision this group advising us on content, themes, and ideas to broaden enlisted participation in the Naval Institute. If you are interested, please drop me a line at [email protected].
Tracy Johnson, a USNI member, recently brought to my attention the graves of the 58 USS Essex sailors who died in combat on 28 March 1814 and are buried in Valparaiso, Chile. When I mentioned this site to Rear Admiral Kurt Tidd, Commander 4th Fleet, he seized the day and added it to the plan for the USS Underwood’s (FFG-36) impending port visit. On 11 June, led by the ship’s commanding officer, Commander Peter Mirisola, Underwood sailors and a band from the Chilean Navy honored the deceased U.S. sailors. Commander Michael Brasseur, the executive officer, read a brief historical account of the naval battle in which they perished, and Commander Mirisola then spoke about the War of 1812 and the U.S. Navy’s ongoing bicentennial commemoration of the conflict. Thanks, Tracy, for helping us make this connection, thank you to Rear Admiral Tidd, and well done to the crew of the USS Underwood!
With sadness, I report the death of Martha Jean Richards “Beno” Bowler, who was the wife of the late Commander Roland T. E. “Bud” Bowler and at his side during his 22 years as the Naval Institute’s leader. She was a dear friend and important member of the Institute family.