Surface warfare is unique in the Navy in that it offers command billets for junior officers. These opportunities are invaluable in leadership development and allow surface warfare officers to have professionally rewarding experiences as young officers. Even though there is risk in commanding early, the rewards are enormous and well worth your time and effort.
Command of a coastal patrol craft (PC) or mine countermeasures (MCM) ship is no less satisfying than vessels of any other command, despite their smaller size. As Admiral James Stavridis wrote in Command at Sea, “Though the size of a ship may be important as a measure of her capability or durability, the smallest minesweeper is equal to the largest aircraft carrier in terms of responsibility or reward.” On a smaller ship, you are “alone and unafraid” for the majority of your underway time. PCs and MCMs frequently operate independently, which will allow you great autonomy in running your ship’s daily operations. These are advantages that more senior commanding officers may not always have onboard a larger vessel.
Despite your relatively junior rank, you will have huge responsibilities as CO of a PC or MCM—they are employed extensively in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility and are in high demand by the combatant commander. Your ship will perform a serious and vital mission while deployed. Not only do you and your crew matter in the big picture, but you will also develop skills that will prepare you for later command tours.
It would be a mistake to think your ship’s smaller size means that you and your crew are overlooked by the Navy. During my first command tour, we sailed our MCM from San Diego to Victoria, British Columbia, for Exercise Trident Fury and participated in San Francisco Fleet Week 2011. Recently, MCMs have taken part in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, the world’s largest international maritime warfare event, and numerous exercises throughout the Persian Gulf and Western Pacific.
One of the greatest facets of command is the chance to directly have an effect on your command’s culture and the welfare of your sailors. As CO of your ship, you are the leader, the ultimate decision maker for your crew. Early command is your chance to test your leadership methods and philosophy. With a relatively small, tight-knit crew, your leadership can have a tangible impact with fewer layers of bureaucracy. This is your opportunity to have real influence.
I have found this to be a truly rewarding aspect of command. Last year, I had the good fortune of being called back to sea for a second MCM command tour. During both tours, I had smaller crews with esprit de corps and underdog mentalities. Sailors join the Navy to practice their profession, so I endeavored to let them achieve their goals. I planned as many fun and professionally valuable training events as possible: gun-shoots, man-overboard drills, damage-control drills, and swim calls. This variety of events created an atmosphere of personal and professional enjoyment. Through excellent teamwork with my executive officers and senior-enlisted advisers, my crews’ attitudes became incredibly positive.
There are risks to commanding early, just as there are risks to commanding at any level. Like your commander and captain colleagues across the pier, you will have more requirements than time and resources. An added challenge is having a junior team, which means you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and do things a more senior CO could probably delegate to a department head or senior enlisted. Your crew will be asked to carry a heavy burden. You, along with your leadership team, will have to figure out how to complete the mission with a smaller, more junior crew; however, your sailors will likely be motivated and dedicated, eager to prove their capabilities to the waterfront.
Command at any level is a heavy responsibility and humbling experience. You won’t have all of the answers and will make mistakes. However, I’d argue that it’s better to make these mistakes early and learn from them than to experience them later in your career. Your learning curve in subsequent command tours will be significantly shorter, ultimately making you a more effective CO.
It’s your ship, captain. Spend your time wisely!