If you were to ask surface warfare junior officers to describe their profession and responsibilities in five words or less, what would their answers be? Depending on the temperament, mood, and wit of the respondent, answers could range from administrators, paper pushers, babysitters, and jacks-of-all-trades to weapon systems integrators, team builders, leaders, and surface warriors. Rarely, if ever, would you hear the word mariner. It is at the core of who we are, where we come from, and what we always will be. Ships are the lifeblood of any navy and operating them effectively is our bread and butter.
Command of a ship is an unparalleled privilege and opportunity. Why then is this truly compelling element of our profession so often undervalued? How do we describe our fundamental character, and what should we be doing now to develop the next generation? We stand to lose grasp of our foundation as mariners if we do not preserve the proper balance in the things we do on board our ships. By maintaining the proper balance we remain true to our fundamental purpose, and in so doing, restore the allure of going to sea.
The significance of progressive wind shifts, a 22° halo around the moon at night, or high-altitude ice crystal clouds by day heralding an approaching front is easy to lose among the details of operating the consoles and equipment on board our high-technology warships. The importance of such things remains undiminished nonetheless. Too often these basic elements have taken second seat at the expense of punching tickets and moving rapidly to the next evolution, exercise, or inspection. The benefit of regaining this balance is realized not only in steadying the strain, but also in returning the fascination and joy to serving as mariner and naval officer on board a man-of-war. So, too, our confidence and competence will benefit in handling our ships in all conditions and across all watch sections. We are reminded continuously of what is at stake when we get it wrong. The stark imagery of groundings, mishaps, and collisions hit home every bit as much today as they did when the first naval vessels set sail. These incidents always will resonate in our profession because preventing them is the bedrock of what we do. For all that is at stake, however, how much time is given to training on board ship with Bowditch, Knight's Modern Seamanship, or Dutton's Navigation and Piloting?
When all is said and done, we should be searching for the balance that puts Longfellow's admonition on an equal footing with the next administrative evaluation. This does not mean we should look to poets for guidance in seamanship (except when they are right). But we can learn from the first single-handed circumnavigator, Captain Joshua Slocum. In the matter of over-confident sailing masters he noted in his Sailing Alone around the World, written at the beginning of last century, "The officers who are over-sure, and 'know it all like a book,' are the ones, I have observed, who wreck the most ships and lose the most lives." What he was alluding to was a healthy respect for the sea. The right balance on board ship includes these values.
While the Navy is making strides in reducing administrative burdens on seagoing professionals, a commanding officer does not have to wait for an institutional fix. Preserving the necessary balance always will be a unit-specific responsibility, and that takes place inside the lifelines.
Commander Girrier is captain of the USS Roosevelt (DDG-80).