The problem with NAVSEA

Much of it has to do with priorities, perspective and an inability to be honest with yourself.

NAVSEA spy is trying very hard to make that vein in my forehead pop out.

I want you to think about all the problems we have had with out shipbuilding over the last decade. I want you to think about our performance as, to use their terms, an enterprise. I want you to think about priorities. I want you to think about a lack of irony.

Just a few couple of paragraphs from a SES's email at NAVSEA.

Around the world, the Navy is executing the six core capabilities of the Maritime Strategy - forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security and humanitarian assistance/disaster response. This strategy is not about navies, but about maritime domain
awareness. It is about partnership, it is about cooperation, it is about countries pooling their resources, sharing information. This is exactly what NAVSEA did this past week in attending the Quadrilateral
Shipbuilding Forum (QSBF) in Ottawa, Canada. The purpose of QSBF is to facilitate the exchange of information between the member nations, including Canada, Australia and the UK, that are focused on reducing the cost of naval shipbuilding. It was a very productive agenda and included open discussion about contracting strategies, long-term shipbuilding plans and benchmarking the size and competency of project teams. There is a lot of potential for growth and opportunity by building relationships and partnering with other countries in areas of common interest with respect to shipbuilding!

...

Some great news on the diversity front! The Navy was voted as the 2008 Best Diversity Company by Readers of Diversity/Careers in Engineering and Information Technology Magazine. The Navy was one of nine government agencies in a group of 100 honorees selected from a field of more than 600 companies, government agencies and other organizations that employ technical professionals. I am excited the Navy as a whole is being recognized, and I look forward to NAVSEA continuing to be a big part of this accomplishment through our emphasis on diversity and outreach!

Really? I know that I am aware of WRT the condition of the Fleet and shipbuilding; how about you?

Glad that at least we got that Diversity Diktat out there. That is doing wonders for the Fleet - if you measure wonder by constantly driving a wedge between Sailors instead of bringing them together. Wonderful.

Priorities, perspective, honest self-appraisal. That is the NAVSEA we need - not the "everyone gets a trophy, aren't we all just dandy" paternalistic happy-talk that has put us where we are.