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By Captain C. Flack Logan, U.S. Navy (Retired)
A New Best Seller
I have an idea for a book that needs to be written. Since it’s on a topic of great interest to members of the Naval Institute, I decided to use the Proceedings forum to solicit their opinions (and possibly recruit an author). To make the job easier, I even have come up with a working title: “The Rise and Fall of Naval Aviation: A Slide from Its Triumph to Its Tragic End.
Writing about the rise of naval aviation would be relatively easy, because its triumphant development into the first pillar of our national defense is well-documented. The decline of naval aviation began with the Vietnam War. Since then, it has gone into a free fall—and the bottom still may not be in sight. Clearly, the submariners have done to naval aviators what naval aviators did to the battleship admirals in the 1940s. (“Emasculation” is not too strong a description.) The Navy’s current budget woes portend a continuing fall that could soon end in the death throes of naval aviation.
Any author would have to include at least one chapter describing how the present leaders of naval aviation are not up to the job and have been unable—or unwilling—to groom a new generation that can compete for key Navy leadership positions in the 21st century. The writer would have the painful task of describing how naval aviation’s leaders have been outmaneuvered—or just plain ignored—by the submarine and surface communities—whose key criterion in selecting and placing aviation admirals is that they be too old ever to be considered for the post of Chief of Naval Operations.
Is there a modern-day Shakespeare out there, ready to write this real-life tragedy?
A 1963 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a career naval aviator, Captain Logan commanded two fighter squadrons and the USS Lexington (AVT-16).
Nobody asked me, either but...
By Intelligence Specialist Third Class Patrick D. Smith, U.S. Navy
Respect: The Key to a Superior Navy
In some ways, shipboard life in today’s Navy is much the same as it has been since the American Revolution.
For instance, keeping the ship clean remains a constant concern. And, as in the past, when the swabs and buckets are stowed, the day’s work is just beginning. Sailors straighten their uniforms, Wash their hands, and set to work.
But, here the similarities with their counterparts in the days of sail end. Instead of practicing boarding or drilling with muzzle-loading cannon, contemporary bluejackets man computer consoles, type reports, repair electronic systems, and launch airplanes. They are a new breed of sailor: extremely talented young enlisted naval professionals of whom much is demanded.
heading the New Breed
A general familiarity with all systems is standard for officers, but they have too much to do to be aware of all the minute details of all the operations that go on around them. With the increased complexity of today’s equip- fent, it is not uncommon for the only expert on a new piece of equipment to he a junior petty officer—or even a
Proceedings / October 1992 seaman fresh from technical training. Consequently, sailors are taking on great responsibility sooner, and in the future, these responsibilities will only become greater.
As the responsibilities and abilities of sailors are recognized, there also must be a recognition that they can neither be judged by old standards nor be led by old methods. First and foremost, they must be respected. Lack of respect is morally offensive, and eventually will harm the quality of the Navy. Shown a good, self-improving system, intelligent bluejackets will stay in and reach new levels of accomplishment but opportunities outside the Navy will draw them from an unfair system that seems unwilling to change.
Many young officers see themselves as parental figures, and talk about “developing maturity” in their men. In fact, many of the people they command are not only older, but have experienced far more of life’s travails and triumphs and served significant stretches of time doing the tasks that these junior officers supervise. To many enlisted men, this attitude ignores their many accomplishments and, thus, is a form of disrespect. Not surprisingly, this can bring on bitterness that will affect
sailors’ attitudes and foster resentment of their khaki-clad counterparts. “What makes them so special?” they often ask their shipmates.
There is an answer, of a sort. Officers are selected for their high character and appointed by the President of the United States. They are supposed to possess qualities that reflect our nation’s best. Any organization requires management, and the newly arrived ensign is stepping in at the entry level. There plainly is much merit in this process of on-the-job training for tomorrow’s senior leaders. Nevertheless, there is no reason for officers to be patronizing or condescending toward anyone they command.
The Quality of Life
Warships are not just weapons-deliv- ery and support platforms; they also are home to many sailors. Therefore, the comfort of berthing spaces must be a prime concern in the design and development of ships. Today, shipboard life is abysmal for enlisted grades below chief petty officer. Even a convict in the most overcrowded prison on the beach has more living space than a first-class petty officer with many years’ faithful service at sea. A sea-
duty assignment can mean three years of substandard food and inadequate living space with access to ventilation, hot water, and sanitary facilities frequently suspended—often without warning.
The Navy can—and indeed must— do better. There are a number of options in shipboard accommodations that would demonstrate to enlisted people that their welfare is a matter of real concern. Curtains could be replaced by sound- and light-dampening “walls” of plastic. A simple headphone jack near each rack with a multiposition dial yielding a selection of entertainment options—like the type available on airliners—would provide a welcome sense of control. An override feature for the ship’s announcing system would eliminate the obvious safety concern. Better yet, the Navy should borrow from the new-style Japanese business-traveler accommodations and replace berthings with individual living cubicles. These are basically oversized racks—large enough to sit up and turn about in— with personal television and lighting and climate control.
There is, of course, more at issue than square footage and privacy. The policy of denying basic allowance for quarters and variable housing allowance to single sailors below E-6 is another problem. While in port, sailors should be given the choice of accepting partial subsidy for off-ship rations.
Most sailors eat off ship while in port and simply take a loss on the money that is supposedly used for their sustenance. Since mess decks can predict quite accurately the use of their facilities, the Navy is saving millions of dollars—from the pockets of its sailors.
A Matter of Trust
In the small day-to-day matters that dominate the concerns of most people, the need for mutual respect cannot be disregarded, especially in times of stress. There is an alarming propensity during crisis situations for officers— merely for the sake of appearance—to take the seats of qualified enlisted systems operators. Often, the first statement from these new operators’ lips is “OK, now, show me how this thing works.” Of course, any enlisted man who performs his task poorly should be replaced, but often the reality is that the upper tier of leadership simply does not believe that anyone below E-7 is worthy of trust. Besides being insulting and embarrassing, such generalized beliefs needlessly disrupt routine tasks.
Along these same lines, the Navy’s awards system needs work. Allowances for awards are heavily biased in favor of senior members, and many awards— usually the end-of-tour awards—are granted solely on the basis of rank. Without denigrating the accomplishments of senior members, to say that a chief petty officer deserves a higher award than a seaman simply as a matter of policy is to impose an official standard of inequality that corrupts the purpose of all awards—to show respect for a job well-done.
The Navy has come a long way since Herman Melville wrote White Jacket, a scathing indictment of the treatment of sailors in the mid-19th century. But of the many issues Melville raised, that of the respect shown by officers and senior enlisted personnel toward the common sailor remains pertinent. -
Ensuring respect for all hands and at all levels of the chain of command is a requirement that won’t go away; therefore, it must be constantly addressed. Otherwise, the system will discourage many of our nation’s finest, and the Navy will continue to lose valuable members of its war-fighting team for all the wrong reasons.
Petty Officer Smith is currently serving on board the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
The US. Naval Institute and Kodak Present nil
the 31st Annual Naval & Maritime lilw IV
I he U.S. Naval Institute and Eastman Kodak Company are proud to cosponsor the 31st Annual Naval & Maritime Photo Contest.
The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers. The winning photographs will be published in a 199A issue of Proceedings, the monthly magazine of the Naval Institute. Cash prizes will be awarded as follows: 1st Prize $500
2nd Prize $350
3rd Prize $250
Honorable Mention (15) $100 each
ENTRY RULES:
- Each photograph must pertain to a naval or maritime subject. (The photo is not limited to the calendar year of the contest.)
- Limit: 5 entries per person.
3- Entries must be either black-and-white prints, color prints, or color transparencies.
- Minimum print size is 5" x 7".
- Minimum transparency size is 35 mm.(No glass- mounted transparencies, please.)
- Full captions and the photographer's name, address, and social security number must be
printed or ty ped on a separate sheet of paper and attached to the back of each print or printed on the transparency mount. (Do not write directly on the back of a print. No staples, please.)
- Entries may not have been previously published, and w inners may not be published prior to publication in Proceedings. Prior publication could result in the relinquishment of the prize aw arded.
- Entries must be postmarked by 31 December 1992.
Only photographs accompanied by self- addressed. stamped envelopes will be returned. Photographs not aw arded prizes may possibly be purchased by the Naval Institute.
DEADLINE: 31 DECEMBER 1992
Write for details or mail entries to:
NAVAL & MARITIME PHOTO CONTEST U.S. Naval Institute, 118 Mary land Are. Annapolis, Ml) 21402-5035 (410) 268-6110
CONTEST
Kodak...
America's Storyteller
Proceedings/ October 1992