This html article is produced from an uncorrected text file through optical character recognition. Prior to 1940 articles all text has been corrected, but from 1940 to the present most still remain uncorrected. Artifacts of the scans are misspellings, out-of-context footnotes and sidebars, and other inconsistencies. Adjacent to each text file is a PDF of the article, which accurately and fully conveys the content as it appeared in the issue. The uncorrected text files have been included to enhance the searchability of our content, on our site and in search engines, for our membership, the research community and media organizations. We are working now to provide clean text files for the entire collection.
Simon & Schuster, 1985), p. 221.
4U. S. Air Force. Proposed Memorandum of Agreement, op cit, p. 4C.
5Jurg Dedial, “Is there a Future for the Aircraft Carrier?” Swiss Review of World Affairs, August 1983, p. 27.
6Scott C. Truver, “Anti-air Warfare: To Get the Drop on Soviet ‘Archers,’ US Navy Needs Bows, Arrows, and Bucks,” Armed Forces Journal International, April 1986, p. 50.
7Schemmer, p. 26.
8LCdr. Mark Benson, USN, A-7 carrier pilot and Strike Operations Officer for the Commander, Battle Force Sixth Fleet (CTF60), personal interviews, 17 February-9 April 1987.
9Gen. Charles A. Gabriel, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, letter to Adm. James D. Watkins, Chief of Naval Operations, U. S. Navy, 3 January 1986.
l0Maj. Gary Ambrose, USAF, “Report on the Air Force Study of Lapd-Based Tanker Support for the Navy,” HQAF/XOXFS, 8 November 1985, p. 2. “Ambrose, p. 3. nIbid, p. 2. l3Ibid, p. 3.
,4Maj. Skip Brownyard, USAF, Program Element
Manager for the KC-10, HQAF/XOOTS, personal interview, 3 April 1987; U. S. Department of Defense, report by J-5 to the Joint Chiefs of Staff: “Land-Based Tanker Support for Carrier Aviation,” 18 November 1986, p. 3.
15Adm. Gerald E. Miller, USN, “The Promises and Pitfalls of USAF Navy Cooperation,” Air Force Magazine, November 1982, p. 66. l6Ibid, p. 70.
17U. S. Department of Defense, Support Agreement #FB450083297001, Interservice Support Agreement Between the USAF and the Department of Navy and Memorandum of Understanding Between the Department of the Navy and the Department of the Air Force, 24 October 1983.
,8U. S. Congress, Senate Committee on Armed Services, Department of Defense Authorizations for Fiscal Year 1987, hearings (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1986), p. 1,575.
19Defense Resources Board, Memorandum for the Members of the DRB, subject: Decision on Conventional Force Issue Offsets and Modernization and Investment Issues, 1 August 1985.
20U. S. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations, Department of Defense Appropriations for 1987, hearings (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1986), p. 56.
21Barry Goldwater and Sam Nunn, Committee 0 Armed Services, U. S. Senate, letter to Caspar Wein berger, Secretary of Defense, 29 July 1986.
Major Fullenkamp has been interested in land-b# air-refueling support of naval air power since he the 8th Air Force contingent during the concept dc onstration exercise in the Indian Ocean in Noven] 1985. He is a senior pilot with more than 3,300 **'£ hours, the bulk of which are in aerial refueling tan ers (both KC-135 and KC-10). He has been ass*' ated with the KC-10 program since early 1982 aa held positions in 2nd Bomb Wing as instructor P1’0 flight examiner, and as Chief, KC-10 Mission De'e opment. Major Fullenkamp holds a B.S. in ^e. space Engineering from the University of Colors j Boulder, and an M.S. in Operations ManageIllt^ from the University of Arkansas and is a graduate Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Sta.. College, and the Armed Forces Staff College- now serving in Washington, D. C., as Air Force 1 son officer in the U. S. House of Representative
Seamanship—Command Training Under Sail
By Captain Robert D. McWethy, U. S. Navy (Retired)
The present generation of 44-foot Lu- ders yawls at the U. S. Naval Academy has seen more than 20 years of hard service in training thousands of midshipmen and junior officers. But with the dedication of the Audacious (NA-1) on 5 June 1987, a significant milestone in Navy sailing has arrived. The new McCurdy & Rhodes design “Navy-44” sail training craft is a cutter, its single mast being stepped slightly farther aft than in a sloop. The Audacious, the first Navy-44, was delivered by the builder, Tillotson- Pearson, in Rhode Island on 21 May 1987, to commence more than one thousand miles of offshore testing. Captain John B. Bonds, who had prepared the comprehensive test plan while Commanding Officer of Naval Station, Annapolis, and Commodore of the Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, was in charge of carrying out the underway portion of the plan. Captain Bonds’ extensive report included the comment:
“The test period confirmed our preliminary judgement that this is an exceptionally able sailing craft. From the lowest end of the wind spectrum up to the point at which she will normally heave to under authentic storm conditions, she remains tractable, predictable and controllable by relatively inexperienced sailors.”
Following dedication, the Annapolis Naval Station’s Small Craft Facility conducted a thorough maintenance evaluation. This included using the main boom
to remove the engine (a procedure the midshipmen may have to use some day), and even removing fuel and water tanks. After the craft was reassembled, she was sailed back to the building yard, where a number of minor modifications were made. These have been incorporated in follow-on craft. Eight sister ships are expected to be available by Spring 1988, but the venerable Luders yawls will be kept in service at the Academy through the end of this year.
The fiberglass Luders yawls replaced the original dozen wooden yawls of identical design in the 1960s. These craft had been delivered to the Naval Academy in 1940-41. Although the Navy-44 has the same overall length as the Luders yawl, she is somewhat larger with greater beam (12.3 versus 10.95 feet) and draft (7.25 versus 6 feet).
Specifically designed as a seamanship- command trainer, the Navy-44 is austere but incorporates the latest building techniques and a modem rig that will provide high-performance sailing during extended offshore cruising and racing with a normal crew of eight midshipmen and two instructors. These new trainers are the products of extensive planning. The Fales Committee, made up of prominent civilian yachtsmen appointed by the Naval Academy superintendent to advise him on the sailing program, took the initiative to prepare specifications. The Naval Academy Sailing Foundation then funded a design competition. The process from start to design selection and through
contracting took several years under iNj
sponsorship of the Deputy Chief of Nav
Operations (Surface Warfare) and the Co1”
mander Naval Sea Systems Comma11*
id.
.ally
The value of sail training was form- ^
recognized in 1979 when then-Chiet Naval Operations Admiral Thomas
Hayward validated the requirement 111 letter to the Chief of Naval Education an<
id
Training (CNET), who was respons^ for all Navy sail training except at 1 ^ Naval Academy. The billet, Director j1 Navy Sailing (DONS) on the staff 1 CNET, was created the following )ca _ CNET headquarters is located in PenSa
itab'
cola, but the DONS office was es
lished in Annapolis to facilitate l>alSt’_ with the Naval Academy sailing Pr gram. The DONS produces and dis[rl ^ utes sail training instructional materi:^ ranging from operation and maintenan of offshore sail training craft to windsn ing (or board sailing); oversees the 0Ptr.(1 tion, safety, and maintenance of 1 dozen offshore sail training craft. a quired from confiscations and donati°nj
N
assigned to NROTC units on the
West, and Gulf coasts and on the
East-
Great
Lakes; and advises the Commat11
tic<
Naval Military Personnel Command recreational sailing craft and water sp° centers (or marinas).
Both Naval Academy and NR^ midshipmen now have the regular oP*1s of making one of their summer cruj under sail. Their instructors, mostly tenants, also gain valuable expert6 through their own extensive pre
cr«ise
r.a'ning, certification, and the opportu- for “small ship” command. Cruise ^ edit sailing started on an experimental Usis at the Naval Academy in 1977 and • NROTC unit at Cornell University 1979. Professional notes in the De- c^rt'ber 1980 and February 1983 Pro- v fdfogs described the concept as it dee oped. This past summer, some 400 Academy and NROTC midship- n made summer sail training cruises. § Motive duty officers of the U. S. Naval Idling Association (USNSA) have in , |e measure been responsible for Navy l‘‘[1]ng development. Started in the mid- .os, the USNSA is an informal organi- l0n now with some 40 affiliated Navy
sailing clubs sponsored by Navy and Marine Corps commands around the world. More than a thousand individual members, active duty and retired from all the armed services, support the primary mission: to provide sailing opportunity for all active duty Navy personnel. With frequent volunteer help of USNSA branch and individual members, Morale Welfare-Recreation departments at some 75 worldwide locations have sailing craft available and offer instruction. By providing readily available berthing facilities and dry storage at reasonable prices, numerous commands have encouraged private boat ownership.
In spring 1987, Chief of Naval Oper-
Handling winds that gusted to 50 knots, the Audacious proved her mettle in a demonstration sail for the Fales committee in the Severn River last November.
ations Admiral Carlisle Trost told Navy admirals:
“Navy sailing is designed to enhance professionalism in seamanship and to provide wholesome recreation . . . assets are available . . . results are beneficial. . . you should encourage your commanding officers to support Navy sailing and to facilitate use of our sailing craft.”
Cruising in the Caribbean
By Midshipman First Class Jeffrey R. Williams, U. S. Navy
Croix, and St. Lucia with a crew of three officers, four first-class midshipmen, and nine third-class midshipmen. Our boat was the 62-foot sloop American Promise. It was donated to the Naval Academy in 1986 by Dodge Morgan, after he sailed it around the world single-handedly in record time.
On the day of departure, I was excited, but apprehensive. As a first class midshipman with seven months of training under my belt, I was supposed to act as a junior officer on the boat and serve as watch captain. I was supposed to be in charge, to have the answers to the third class’s questions, to know what to do when things
• Admittedly, excellent leadership opportunities or train- ■ ? experiences were not the factors that attracted me I lllally to the Offshore Sail Training Squadron. In fact,
‘don
Hly
107
"'US / February 1988
It looks like Navy sailing is here to stay, continuing to contribute to fleet readiness. The modest costs of the training program are paid many times over by potential accidents in the fleet that never happen.
A 1942 graduate of the Naval Academy, Captain McWethy has been Executive Director of the U. S. Naval Sailing Association since 1972. He serves as Vice Commodore, Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, is a volunteer sailing coach at the Naval Academy, and has also served as officer in charge on numerous offshore races and training cruises. His articles for the Proceedings on sail training indu^e “Navy Sailing Programs,” September 1969, ""Nu'> Sailing,” June 1973, “U. S. Navy Sail Training 1980,” December 1980, and “U. S. Navy Sail Training Update,” February 1983.
got tough, to be a leader. Was I ready for this responsibility? I wasn’t sure.
The crew’s performance on an overnight sail we had to get ready for the cruise didn’t help matters. At first, things went well. We had been under way for about two hours and although it was cold and rainy, everybody was in good spirits. Then it became choppy and seasickness overtook almost the entire crew. Unable to continue, we set anchor and let the crew recuperate. After some chow and a few hours of rest we prepared to sail to the Academy. However, in the process, the self-furling mainsail tangled in the mast, and we were forced to motor. We limped back to port cold, tired, and a little embarrassed.
I wondered how one man could sail this boat single- handedly around the world, when we couldn’t even sail successfully down the Chesapeake and back?
On the day we departed for the first leg of our trip to Bermuda, a band played “Anchors Aweigh,” and our parents waved goodbye. We rendered honors and then sailed off into a hazy horizon.
The sail to Bermuda went great. With each watch, I grew more confident. I found that I really was capable of running a watch section, and took a lot of satisfaction from doing it well. We still had a lot to learn about sailing, but by asking questions and through making more than a few mistakes, we were learning quickly.
Meanwhile the third classmen were progressing incredibly well: The first class were teaching them basic and celestial navigation; they spent hours on the helm and as lookouts; and at lunchtime they reported on various seamanship topics, such as Rules of the Road, sail trim, knot tying, heavy-weather situations, and pier landings as part of the daily “Youngster Lecture Series.” In addition, each third classman performed a specified job, serving as electrical, supply, or engineering officers. Amazingly, they were learning a lot and still having fun.
When we reached Bermuda spirits were high. The port was beautiful, the crew had become close, and the best times were had when we all went out together. While under way, we developed a sense of comradery that did not change when we got off the boat. It seemed special, and I wondered if it existed on ships in the fleet.
We left Bermuda on the day of the final game of the NBA Championship Series, but besides some disappointment over missing the coverage, nobody minded getting under way again. We had every reason to think the second leg to Antigua would be as enjoyable as the first.
But we thought wrong.
It started out ideally. A herd of porpoises followed us for a few miles as we left Bermuda, which everybody found very entertaining. I was running around the boat just as excited as a little kid on Christmas. Then all of a sudden they left. One superstitious third-class midshipman decided that the reason they left was because we had just entered the Bermuda Triangle. He reasoned that they followed us so long to warn us to turn back. We all laughed, but as things got uncomfortable in the next few days, 1 began wondering if he wasn’t so wrong.
The wind had failed us, and we moved along at a snail’s pace. It seemed as if we would never get to Ant1' gua. What was to be a five-day sail was now looking more like eight days. The cabin area became more intolerable with each creeping day. As we sailed south, the rising temperature was making it virtually impossible to exist, let alone sleep, below decks. It felt as though the crew had somehow grown from 15 to 150. There were people everywhere and in everyone’s way. To add to out woes, we started to run out of supplies (perhaps the extra people were eating them) and the only thing we had left to drink was hot soda and warm water, which tasted like diesel fuel.
The declining morale provided a challenging leadership problem. Somehow, 1 had to motivate some very tired and uncomfortable third-class midshipmen to do a job that most of the time they didn’t feel like doing, while at the same time feeling just as tired and uncomfortable. It was not an enjoyable position, but one fr0111 which I definitely benefited. It was a good learning eX' perience for most of the third-class midshipmen, as wel 1 You learn a lot about yourself when pushed past your normal limits. This is the kind of situation that the sail training program thrives on and is what makes it such t>n excellent experience.
When we finally reached Antigua, all each of us coulJ think about after days of hot soda and diesel-flavored water was having a giant glass of clear, cold ice water (not even beer!). We headed for a restaurant and ordered five pitchers of water. It was the best drink I ever had-
After Antigua, we sailed to St. Croix, St. Lucia, and then to our final destination, Roosevelt Roads. On the way, we ran through a couple of storms, navigated through treacherous channels, fell prey to some stagnant winds, had an engine failure, and were victimized by rigging problems. Nonetheless, we were able to meet these challenges and reach our destination. We had become quite proficient sailors. In fact, by the time we reached Roosevelt Roads, the job of the first class as watch captain had become easy. All-we had to do was sit back and supervise as the third class sailed the boat by themselves.
In looking back on my first class summer cruise, I certainly accomplished my initial goal of having a gteat time sailing around the Virgin Islands. The strawberry daiquiris, steel bands, beautiful girls, and beautiful sunsets were great. But, in the years ahead. I expect the sharpest memories will have more to do with making calm and quick decisions in stressful situations, niotivu1' ing tired and uncomfortable subordinates, taking respo11' sibility for my actions as well as the actions of the pe°' pie who were working for me, working with superior officers and peers—and doing it well enough to com® home to tell.
1 think they even crossed my mind. What caught n- e7e about the program was the thought of spending in, ^lrs* c'ass summer cruise in the Caribbean Sea, sail- tan ^°m island to island, listening to Jimmy Buffet th CS' basking in the southern latitude sun, enjoying toif6 svveet tropical drinks, and wearing a uniform of ‘j's'(Iers, khaki shorts, and a spiffy blue sailing shirt, n cruise consisted of sailing from Annapolis to sevelt Roads with stops in Bermuda, Antigua, St.
Midshipman Williams will graduate from the U. S. Naval Academy ,n June 1988 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He hopes to enter the nuclear-powered submarine training program.