The 66th anniversary of the Battle of Midway has come . . . and passed, with little apparent fanfare. Apart from some obligatory message traffic discussing a few of our most significant past naval engagements, there is no firmly established process or program that unit commanders can use to commemorate our naval heritage. The Navy needs to bolster efforts to inculcate a more profound and universal sense of this heritage. One venue that may be worth exploring is the U.S. Army's staff ride program.
The Army commits considerable resources to honor its legacy. Major Army commands are required to provide for full-time command historian positions. Important historic events are celebrated with appropriate ceremonies. Similar efforts on our part would help reinforce a sense of professionalism, camaraderie, and pride in one's unit. . . and in being a Sailor, in general.
Emphasizing a sense of heritage not only yields such dividends as increased pride and esprit de corps, but can profoundly influence the professional development of Sailors. The Army's resolve to cultivate a sense of heritage manifests itself most clearly through the staff ride program. Primarily aimed at officers and senior noncommissioned officers, the staff ride seeks to use historical events to convey specific lessons relevant to warfighters.
Case studies involving topics such as doctrine, strategy, tactics, and leadership contribute to professional development as well as the overall operational readiness of a unit. Once a location is selected (for the Army, this is typically a battlefield like Gettysburg), participants are led through a preliminary study phase. After appropriate (and carefully guided) research is completed, the field study phase transitions Soldiers from the pages of historical texts to the actual terrain where the conflict occurred. Finally, the integration phase provides opportunities for analysis and reflection.
The Navy could tailor the Army's staff ride program to meet its own needs. Warships routinely steam near historically important areas: Midway Atoll, Anzio, the Coral Sea, and Inchon are just a few examples. While a Navy iteration of the staff ride would ideally involve U.S. Navy events, there would certainly be merit in exploring historic engagements of other navies such as the World War I Battle of Jutland, widely regarded as one of the largest naval clashes in history, and the Battle of Tsushima, in which the Russian fleet was virtually destroyed by the Japanese navy.
The Navy's version of the staff ride could be as simple or complex as the commanding officer desires based on operational commitments and perceived needs of the command. For example, efforts might include simple maps or graphic displays depicting the action (with accompanying descriptions and explanations), photographs, films, large dioramas or tabletop representations, and organized discussion groups. Moderated discussions in wardrooms or ready rooms may focus on lessons regarding tactics and strategies, technological challenges or innovations, or logistical advantages and shortcomings. Optimally, these discussions would be used to augment training gained during warfare qualifications and watchstanding.
For enlisted Sailors, similar discussions may be more generic in nature and simply provide a historical review; a more comprehensive effort could seek to provide some historical context and compare or contrast past actions with current events. Clearly, an examination of leadership styles, traits, or decisions—both effective and ineffective—would be valuable for any CPO Mess. Regardless of the intended audience, the focus would depend on whatever lessons or salient points the CO determines to be most valuable. Whatever form a Navy staff ride takes, the intent of such a program should not be to simply levy another burdensome administrative requirement, but to establish a mechanism for promoting and celebrating our maritime legacy, as well as enhancing our professional military education.
Though there is no such program currently in place, there appears to be some support—in principle—toward this end. One need only review the CPO Guiding Principles and the recently published Expectations of the First Class Petty Officer. Both cite a sense of heritage as one of the fundamental concerns or competencies to be met for those groups of leaders. By emphasizing and celebrating our history, we will be able to better develop and maintain a sense of pride in belonging to a specific command, as well as foster a more profound pride in our collective heritage.