Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Speaking of the Great Lakes CNO ....

Am I being a bit too picky here? I know, big war, little message, big job ... yadda, yadda, yadda.

Maybe, but it sticks out to me. It is as obvioius as a big, red, carbunkle.
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR FLAG OFFICERS, COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS,AND OFFICERS IN CHARGE FROM ADMIRAL ROUGHEAD //N00000//

NAVADMIN 010/10
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/JAN//
SUBJ/PERSONAL FOR - BICENTENNIAL OF THE WAR OF 1812 AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER//
RMKS/1. THE APPROACHING BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION OF THE WAR OF 1812 AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE AMERICAN SPIRIT AND UNITY THAT PROTECTED OUR YOUNG NATION AT A CRITICAL POINT IN HISTORY.
2. DURING WHAT SOME HAVE CALLED "AMERICA'S SECOND WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE," THE METTLE OF OUR FLEDGLING NAVY WAS TESTED IN COMBAT - ESTABLISHING A WARRIOR ETHOS THAT REMAINS SECOND TO NONE. FROM THE LEGENDARY USS CONSTITUTION - HMS GUERRIERE ENGAGEMENT WHERE CONSTITUTION EARNED HER NICKNAME "OLD IRONSIDES," TO THE BRILLIANT TACTICS OF CAPTAIN THOMAS MCDONOUGH THAT SECURED VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN, THE UNITED STATES NAVY FACED OFF WITH THE BRITISH EMPIRE, THE GREATEST NAVAL POWER IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME, AND PREVAILED.
3. THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND SEVERAL PARTNERS WILL HOST A SERIES OF BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION EVENTS IN KEY CITIES ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD, CANADA, AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION. ALSO, OUR MAJOR FLEET WEEKS, NAVY WEEKS, AND UNITED STATES NAVY MUSEUMS WILL PROVIDE A NATION-WIDE COMMEMORATION OF THE BICENTENNIAL IN 2012.
4. IN THAT SPIRIT, I DIRECT THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
A. NAVY HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND (NHHC): LEAD A CORE TEAM, SUPPORTED WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM USFF, CNIC, CNATRA, OCNR, CHINFO, CNRC, AND ADDITIONAL COMMANDS AS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP THE WAR OF 1812 PROGRAM, AND DEVELOP THE 1812 COMMEMORATION OPORDER.
B. CORE TEAM: DEVELOP A UNIFIED THEME AND MESSAGE FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE WAR OF 1812. ALL 2012 FLEET WEEKS, NAVY WEEKS, AND NAVY MUSEUMS SPECIAL EXHIBITS SHOULD PROMOTE THE UNIFIED THEME ACROSS THE NATION.
C. USFF: THE CORE TEAM WILL TURN OVER THE WAR OF 1812 OPORDER TO USFF FOR EXECUTION IN 2012.
5. AS THE PAST CONTINUES TO INFORM THE PRESENT AND GUIDES US TO THE FUTURE, THE WAR OF 1812 CELEBRATION WILL COMMEMORATE OUR RICH HISTORY AND HERITAGE, POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO COME TO SEE US, AND SHOWCASE AND DEMONSTRATE THE CAPABILITIES OF TODAY'S NAVY.
6. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//
Does this flag help?



I know it isn't as spiffy as our Ethos, and it sends the wrong message to our merchant marine in pirate-filled waters, but still. Its only at
Annapolis and all. You know - 1812, James Lawrence, Oliver Hazard Perry, Battle of Lake Erie - all that jazz?

Good googly moogly - once again, can we get one of our Navy-sponsored history PhDs on the CNO's Staff to clear these messages?

.... and while I am being grumpy - why don't we have at least a DDG named after Lawrence?

Hat tip AT1.