Thursday, November 25, 2010

Diversity Thursday

Via email and comments you said you wanted me to cover it - so let's cover it.
“I stand before you today, the person you talk about in writing,” Rear Adm. Julius Caesar told Fleming before a few dozen alumni during the question-and-answer period that followed Fleming’s remarks. “I’m so glad that you didn’t sit on my admissions board.”

In a civil tone, Caesar, who is black, took issue with Fleming’s sole focus on admissions metrics — what Fleming called “predictors” — and criticized him for not examining whether the academy was producing better officers.

“Some of those kids, who didn’t have predictors, did make it,” Caesar said. By his own account, he had been one of them.

Caesar, a ’77 grad, grew up in what he called the “inner city” of Cleveland and lacked stellar test scores and grades. He attended the year-long Naval Academy Preparatory School and played football for Navy. Caesar is a vice director at Joint Forces Command.

“When you talk, I want you to look around at some of those folks who have made it,” he told Fleming. “There are people out there — and there are a lot of them — that have gone on to command ships, that went on and [have] done things in business and everything as well, and I’ll just caution you to think about those.”
He made a point, but not the one he thinks.

First of all - let's go back to Leadership 101; sir, it isn't about you.

Our friend Professor Bruce Fleming responded as he did - but as I have the time to research and ponder, from this seat I would have handled the issue differently. I would have turned the discussion back at RADM Caesar, USNR. He wants to be the subject - then OK; he's the subject.

When it comes to race, he is a perfect example of Generational Dissonance. He can't shift his racial mindset out of the 1970s.

The incoming MIDN this year more often than not were born nine years after Caesar left active duty. Nine years. 15 years after he was a Plebe.

What does his experience a decade and a half before they were born have to do with any of these young men and women? Does he really think our nation has remained static in his thinking - or has he remained static?

As a secondary and more personal point - let's go back to this comment Caesar made.
“Some of those kids, who didn’t have predictors, did make it,” Caesar said. By his own account, he had been one of them.
If his concern is predictors - then where is his support for bringing in the Scot-Irish from Appalachia? Why the urban-only focus?

But again - let's focus on what the Navy got for its sacrifice (in a zero-sum game, they turned down a better objectively qualified person) to bring Caesar on board.

First of all - we should thank him Caesar his service; one way or another - he served his nation in the manner that was asked of him more than most of his countrymen. However, before he places himself up as the best example to follow; let us review his bio in full.
Rear Admiral Julius S. Caesar is a 1977 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a Masters of Business Administration from the Executive MBA Program at the College of William & Mary. He is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellow in Foreign Politics, International Relations, and the National Interest.

During his period of initial active service, his sea duty assignments included USS Dale (CG 19) where he qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). He served in the engineering, weapons, and operations departments during these assignments.

Caesar transitioned to the Reserve Component in 1983. He has held a variety of assignments including Battle Watch director in Commander, 2nd Fleet, Area Air Defense commander, Atlantic and deputy commander, Navy Reserve Readiness Command, Mid-Atlantic. He has commanded four reserve units including: Personnel Mobilization Team 3106, Surface Warfare Development Group, OPNAV Surface Warfare N86, and Naval Inspector General Detachment 106.

Active duty assignments include: Commander, Navy Installations Command, Commander, 2nd Fleet, Joint Task Force Exercises, Battle Group In-Port Exercises; Naval War College, OPNAV N86, Fleet ASW Training Center, Atlantic and NATO exercises in Europe and the Pacific.

Caesar has been assigned as vice director, Joint Concept Development and Experimentation, J9, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, Va.

Caesar previously served as Reserve deputy commander, Navy Installations Command, Washington DC.

His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), and Navy Achievement Medal. Caesar was awarded the Blacks in Government Meritorious Service Award. He is a member of the Secretary of Defense Reserve Forces Policy Board.
6 years on Active Duty, the rest in the Reserves. I'm assuming that he is still USNR - again hard to tell - but his bio says he transitioned to the reserve component in 1983 ... and the active duty assignments may have been short recalls - or just his Reserve Billet assignment. Hard to tell - again. All service is good .... but ...

We have been a Navy at war for over nine years. I see no record of any combat experience or service. Read his bio, look at his salad bar - no wartime service at all
since 1977. None. I think of all the USNR types I served with since 2001. It boggles the mind.

A Navy at war promoted him to O-8. Rear Admiral - the 2-star version. Noted.

Quod erat demonstrandum.

Moving on.

If still USNR, he is a civilian - really. A good and honorable, yet lower-tier for a Navy at war Reservist. His full-time gig now days is at SAIC from what I can find out online. When you do a google search for "
Julius Caesar SAIC" to see what his greatest or most well known civilian achievement while there is .... ungh .... you get this.
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced today that Julius “JC” Caesar, senior vice president for product development in the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Group has been given the prestigious Blacks in Government (BIG) Meritorious Service Award for personal achievement.

The BIG Meritorious Service Award recognizes outstanding military service members and civilians who have distinguished themselves through significant contribution to their service in the global war on terrorism, the advancement of African-Americans, and the promotion of diversity and equal employment opportunity in the Department of Defense.
I tried to find more about him over at SAIC's site - but he's not there on the highly diverse leadership team, and on their site-search 2 out of 3 articles are about his BIG award with the third being when he was hired. As a matter of fact - his trail at SAIC seems to go cold at about 2006. Is his gig at JFCOM a full time job now, as in pulled back on active duty for a stint? Bnet says he is still at SAIC. Hard to tell one way or another ... and doesn't really matter.

Oh, the the BIG award ... ummm? Was it in his status as Vice Director of J9 at a command deemed by SECDEF as the low-hanging-fruit of redundancy what got him that award? Really? No.

Oh, wait; my bad - he got that in
2006, - when he was working for a civilian company doing business with DOD.....OK.
Reserve Deputy Commander for Commander, Navy Installations Command, Rear Adm. Julius Caesar was awarded the 2006 Blacks in Government (BIG) Meritorious Service Award Aug. 25 in New York.

The BIG Meritorious Service Award is presented to a military member who has significantly contributed to the global war on terrorism while creating opportunities that support and contribute to the mentorship or development, and advancement or retention of African Americans in government service consistent with merit principles.

Nominated by Chief of Navy Reserve/Commander, Navy Reserve Force, Vice Adm. John G. Cotton, Caesar was recognized for his dedication to the superlative values of honor, courage and commitment. A board of his peers endorsed Caesar’s nomination because of his extensive mentoring of minority Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and Naval Academy Midshipmen. His personal mentoring of minority and underprivileged youths has promoted diversity in the naval service and enriched lives in the surrounding communities.

Caesar was also chosen for his outstanding support of the Individual Augmentation of personnel mobilized in support of the global war on terrorism.

“His leadership and unwavering support of African Americans in the Navy resulted in a better understanding of the cultural differences,” said Cotton.
If you say so. I always thought that in the history of nations, having Flag Officers and General Officers who promoted sectarianism never led to any good. Oops.

Caesar is a smart guy with an exceptional professional record. Before going to SAIC, he was a sector vice president of professional and engineering services at EDO Corporation, an engineer for TRW, Inc., and at Booz Allen Hamilton he worked primarily in strategic integrated underwater surveillance systems.

It is a shame that in the end of everything, when you try to do a simple search for the man's accomplishments, it seems that he is someone who wishes more than anything else to be defined by the color of his skin, and not the content of his character. After 33 years Active and Reserve Duty - that is it above the fold. If he looks at himself like that - how does he view others?

I do think though, that before he starts pointing a race focused finger at Fleming, he may want to do a little more self reflection. This isn't about him or his generation - this is about young men and women born in the Clinton Administration. Two Presidential Administrations after he left active duty and three after he graduated from Annapolis.

He should know that he cannot apply his individual experience in the 1970s towards the general experience of others in the second decade of the 21st Century; but there you go - he is.

On this Thanksgiving, what am I thankful for? After the many blessings of God's grace, my family, and the sacrifices of others that allowed my children to grow up in this nation - that and other important things - on another level I am thankful that I do not have to convince non-African-American Sailors competing with African-American Sailors who RADM Caesar in any way controls their rankings, that they are being evaluated on merit alone.

Even with the assumption that Caesar is the most fair and color-blind person in uniform - that is a tough sell.

Don't blame me; he wanted to be the focus.

70 comments:

SCOTTtheBADGER said...

Happy Thanksgiving to all, from the Badger's Burrow!

visitor said...

JC was hired at SAIC as the Navy account manager soon after he made flag.  Didn't really accomplish much, so he took the recall to the Installations gig when it became apparent he delivered no value for money -- and has stayed on AD since.  The problem was, as it was with his USNR flag successor -- he didn't have the thirty years of relationships that a USN flag delivers -- relationships with influential people built over a lifetime of service, that lead to access and credibility.  He was a quota hire and didn't pan out.  He has spent a lifetime being a quota hire and confusing that with real accomplishment.

Retired Now said...

I'm Thankful for this great country of ours providing so many opportunities to work hard and achieve much.  For my family and friends also working and advancing over the years.  21 years in the Navy and then 17 in Civil Service,  I am thankful I was able to work around so many excellent, dedicated, experienced Naval employees.    I have noticed, BTW, that during the past 17 years of Navy Civil Service,  there was an awful lot of "churning" (as the stock brokers call it) among the lesser qualified fellow workers.   In order to advance, most often, those will the least to offer our various Navy projects, tended to "jump ship" and change to entirely different projects, located far away.    Beginning around 2001, with the advent of Defense Acquisition University (DAU) courses,  the slackards in our large Navsea organization immediately concentrated almost all their work efforts on "graduating" from many prolonged DAU courses, while contributing little if any to our on-going projects.   The "new" Navsea advancement policy was based more on worthless, irrelevant DAU certifications than whatall an individual contributed and did he/she pull their weight on the team.   Whenever a project lead finally cornered these slackards, they simply jumped ship, and took a new Civil Service job a couple of thousand miles away.    A symptom ?  Job hopping ?   In my experience, professional job jumpers are not the best and brightest. 

James said...

Good post Sal, and lots of good points.

CDR Salamander said...

Thanks for providing some insight into he transition to active duty billets and the knowledge gap WRT his "complicated" work history.

CDR Salamander said...

<span>Thanks for providing some insight into he transition to active duty billets and the knowledge gap WRT his "complicated" work history.</span>

The Usual Suspect said...

Sal, you are more than correct about the generational difference on race relations that exists in Ceasar's response to Professor Fleming. The current Mids understand that NAPS is all about Diversity Quotas and Div I athletes...even those who attended NAPS recognize that it is all a big game.  NAPS was supposed to be for prior service from the Fleet to brush up on academics before entering USNA. I reflect on growing up in the 60's and 70's and recall referring to my friends as "so and so, my Hawaiian friend or Mexican friend or etc."  I don't hear that from Mids or kids today.  They mock it if anything and think it is a bunch of garbage.  The thing is, those who have a stake in the race game will never let go.  When we get our hats handed to us because we don't have a Navy that can fight, but is representative of all the different groups as far as everything but competence goes, it most likely will be way too late to recover.  What is the effect on those who were better qualified, but denied the opportunity that they had earned?  What is that cost? How is that "equality"?  Equal opportunity does not mean equal outcomes.  It implies that one is being judge on objective measures and merit - not melanin.  Good post and Happy Thanksgiving.

Southern Air Pirate said...

From here on the deck plates a big ol'Meh! Does any of this argument get me out of "how to spot the next klansman/brownshirt/neo-nazi, he might just be your cubemate cause he listens to loud music and likes guns!" training with the local diversity bully? What about "how to hate all those with the XY chromosomes" training with the local sexual diversity bully? Finally, what about the "hate all those who believe in god, especially those Christan terrorists like the Pope and Tim McVeigh!" from the regional creed diversity bully? Let alone all the death by PPT about how diversity makes us a better "Global Force for Good"? Sorry this isn't a win for us. Rather, it would be a bigger win to see a mess or even a whole command walk out of mando-hate training, I mean mando-diversity training to prove the point about the diversity bullies here in the fleet.

Old Salt said...

Sal, I think you're wrong when you state "<span>He should know that he cannot apply his individual experience in the 1970s towards the general experience of others in the second decade of the 21st Century..."</span>
<span></span>
<span>I agree with your major premise that our Navy's leadership needs to move on from the ossified racial perspectives of the late 1970's.   </span>
<span></span>
<span>I take your point about this officer's being >stuck< in the 1970's. </span>
<span></span>
<span>That said, all of us apply our generational knowledge. Were you a father, my point would be immediately apparent. The young Sailors serving today are the same yet different from their predecessors. We adhere to the same admirable qualities we saw in the greatest Generation. But, as just one example, we have consciously distanced ourselves from the institutional racism prevalant in the Navy of the time. </span>
<span></span>
<span>Of course one can apply their individual experience in the 1970's to what is happening today. The difference is that someone so doing has to be able to use the experience and knowlege gained over the intervening decades to adjust that perspective to meet today's challenges. We gain if the Admiral can do that - experience matters. We lose should he be unable to adjust his viewpoint from that gained in the late 70's (insert OODA-loop simile here). </span>

<span>I am uncomfortable, as well, with your addressing this officer by name online. I understand your rationale. It is worth pointing out that you don't know what he's done at SAIC and elsewhere since departing active duty in 1983. Anonymous comments by people who are commenting to what is essentially a hostile story cannot persuade me that they are contributing to a neutrally-reported story. </span>

<span>I am not defending the ridiculous largely self-imposed quandary in which our Navy now find itself. Race-based quotas are institutional racism. Full stop. They benefit no one, least of all the nation we serve. Full stop. We are on the wrong track, and it is leading inexorably to the reefs - defeat in combat.  </span>

Old Salt said...

<span>One final point - denigrating those who do not have "combat-experience fruit salad" since 2001 doesn't advance your argument. There are plenty who have served in theater who haven't been anywhere near combat. The airmen who keep the B-1's in the air don't always need to be in theater to contribute.  Honor those who serve - honor those who serve in combat. Don't split the force.  </span>

Anonymous said...

especially if one defines "combat" as simply launching tomahawks from a stand off distance with nothing at all on the threat board.

Anonymous said...

Good to see a CDR taking this holiday as an opportunity to belittle an Admiral.  I guess it fits the pattern, an Admiral and USNA, it's a twofer. He's black, so maybe it's a trifecta, but I don't want to judge.  Might want to refresh your understanding of the second law of the Navy.

A very special Happy Thanksgiving to all those watching the parade on Armed Forces Network.

LT B said...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone on or visiting the porch. 

As for diversity.  I want to work w/ someone that says, "You will respect me because of my capabilities."  I don't want anybody, ANYBODY, that thinks their skin color or posture when peeing should matter.  If we are focusing on your race or gender, then you probably are not as good as you'd hope.  If you are a $h!t hot mo fo, then it becomes evident.  Full stop.

LT B said...

That is not how I read it.  I suspect Fleming can take care of himself.  He's been battling 3-stars and has a suit against the USNA right now (if it hasn't been settled already).  Caesar chose to make it about him.  Phib was more than willing to oblige.  The problem is that the older generation wants to focus on race.  Sal has been stating for years now that this is no longer the 60's.  Reading John McWhorter's books, he says the same thing.  Great strides have been made.  "The Man," is less of the enemy than Blacks are to themselves.  The meme of victimhood has become an industry.  Setting standards, holding standards and pointing out that Blacks are smart and strong enough to compete is the least racist thing that can be done.  If you treat anybody like a lower echelon citizen, many will meet your expectations.  Race baiting, victimhood, diversity have all become a collective business.  As a result it holds people back rather than collectively pushing them forward.  We needed it in the 60's and 70's.  Forty years later, it is not about being held back, but rather holding oneself back.  Go to school in the inner city or in rough urban suburbia like I did and listen to the "Oreo" or "Wanna-be" calls to those that try to educate themselves.  Watch the young Black kids from middle to upper middle class families choose to act like thugs because THAT is the Black thing to do.  That is my reality and that is what I grew up with.  Disappointing, but true. 

At this point, the Blacks that made it w/ the help of affirmative action should give a nod to that, but also push for equality of standards, push for success through equality, not through special programs.  Once again, focus on education at the grade school level.  Pound into all that success is not denied any one race.  Whitey just doesn't care.  Whitey is just trying to get through their lives too.  Help thyself, learn, strive and compete!

Jay said...

Pathetic Mike - is slamming anyone for their name...

DeltaBravo said...

So he got an award for being a Black in Government.  And for bringing more in?  Not enough for me.  What did he do while he was there?  Did the people he brought in distinguish themselves by their actions more than their skin color?  MLK, call your office.

If he made submarines more silent or something, give him an award for that.  I'm sick of the skin color garbage.  The one thing about us that we have the least control over shouldn't determine our destiny. 

John said...

RADM Caesar is undoubtdly a fine officer who has done well, and done well for himself and his race.  I am not so sure he has been equally successful doing well for the Navy.

I really wonder if, despite his perspective that his race was a factor held against him, there was not in fact exactly the opposite taking place, and that in our recent decades where race is seldom a negative factor, he was not receiving preferential treatment.  That old "white guilt" thing has compensated far beyond fairness into the level of preference if not outright discrimination.

The RADM is to be respected for calling things as he sees them, but in my opinion, Professor Fleming has a much more accurate read on the current situation, especially regarding the admissions and other policies at USNA, and their actual outcomes.

What I find much more troubling about RADM Csesar is the appearance of being hired for "access" to help contractors.  Surely he is not alone in that disreputable business, but I don't like him doing it any more (or less) than any other active or reserve flag officer.

As for the "BIG" award- it seems to be typical worthless "diversity" pandering.

Salty Gator FOB NORTH said...

Happy Thanksgiving from Philadelphia, where, contrary to popular belief, it isn't always sunny and by chance it snowed today.  As I am preparing to ingest large volumes of turkey from the  Gator Family's FOB NORTH, I eaglery read the good CDR's post.  Right on.  I'm not ready to call him a fine officer, or a bad officer.  I do think it is worth noting that he has not gone forward.  You cannot be an officer in the Navy in the reserves and NOT go forward these days, unless you limit yourself to coffee and donuts outfits like OPNAV.  Take it from a Pentagon guy:  OPNAV is overstaffed, no need for reservists.  However, countless coastal warfare units and other reserve NECC guys are constantly in workups / deploying...almost as much as active duty guys if not more.  It is sad that this Admiral holds himself up as a prime example of excellence.  His record resembles a self licking ice cream cone.  He has been rewarded in the military for being a black civilian engineer who in turn gets rewarded by his civilian bosses (with promotions and big gigs) for being a rewarded military officer, and in turn he is promoted in both.  His career is like LCS:  a ship that can't fight, and an overhyped program whose principal achievement has been undeserved praise and that is too big to fail.
There are so many more folks of all races who work their asses off just for the honor of fighting their asses off.  They are quiet professionals whose humble excellence is both obvious and in no need of meaningless awards and inflated praise.  Such things would only cheapen their excellence.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, thoughts and prayers with our brothers and sisters not home with loved ones all over the world.

Salty Gator FOB NORTH said...

John,
What is this, Nazi Germany?  How do you "do well for your race?"  How about doing well for your country?  Where in award citations does it state "and brings great credit upon himself, his race?"

Salty Gator FOB NORTH said...

yeah, mike.  Julius Caesar conquered almost all of Europe.  Way to slander his good name.

Salty Gator FOB NORTH said...

Joe, really?  Really?  Well, thank you for distilling a complex issue and post into 1.5 lines.  You are quite impressive.  Next time try to get it right, but I and my girlfriend appreciate your attempt to reduce the amount of time I spend reading CDR SALAMANDER by giving a bad CLIFF NOTES version!

SCOTTtheBADGER said...

I have seen the photo of Sal somewhere here on this site, and he looked yellow, with orange transverse bands to me.

Outlaw Mike said...

Jay, Salty. Read closely. First off, I called that idiot 'BIG' award pathetic.

Second, I do not slam the rear admiral for his name. I slammed his parents. Like I would call my son Flavius Aetius.

Oh well. Maybe I am a bit grumpy these days.

Anonymous said...

The meme of victimhood has become an industry. 

More like a quite lucrative scam...

sid said...

that was me

sid said...

<span>I am uncomfortable, as well, with your addressing this officer by name online.</span>
<span></span>
<span>You need to take that up with the Navy Times who first posted the story...</span>

LT B said...

Heck,
I have not really gone forward either. I have gone to sea but not into Afghanistan.

CDR Salamander said...

Sea counts.

CDR Salamander said...

Captain Joe,

Really?  Thank you for addressing the substantive issues.  Your intellectual depth and degree of intellectual curiosity is impressive.

CDR Salamander said...

Guest,
I guess you don't read USNIBlog too much.  You may want to go over there and read my post from earlier this week.  Just click here, if you dare.

LT B said...

I don't know I could wath TV from the crapper. :)

CDR Salamander said...

Then you are a shoe in for Flag.

LT B said...

I eschew knee pads. Not a chance in hell I could make flag.

Salty Gator FOB NORTH said...

nah man I was joking....sorry it came across different.  I would shoot his parents too.  I know a kid named Christopher Robin Hood.  No $hit, either.   That's his real name.

Salty Gator FOB NORTH said...

self licking ice cream cone.

Captain Joe said...

CDR Sal.
I was just being facetious. You are prolly right on target about BIG Black. He appears to be somewhat full of himself, and he lacks battlefield salad. No way he should be a flag without those credentials today. He's simply a token with the gift of gab.

Skippy-san said...

Reserve Flag officers are curious creatures. In my last active duty tour, I had more than a little exposure to them. Their road to flag is extremely competitive-almost to the point of being cutthroat. I think it tends to distort their perception of the Navy as it really works.

Also-and I have only the experience of sitting on a reserve selection board to verify this-the "check marks" that matter in the active community have not always been well rewarded in the reserve force. For example-a guy who had done a lot of ADSW tended not to be rewarded for it a selection board.

The Usual Suspect said...

Guest, sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. 

Anonymous said...

Well, you are sort of short.... :)

OldRetSWO said...

If you understaood the Reserve system when JC was a LCDR and CDR, there was no going forward for us and very few deployable billets.  I'm one yr junior to him and the opportunities were not there for our "generation".  I know very few reserve component peers of JC's (and mine) who were able to go forward.  One is the current Deputy CNAVRES who did spend a yr on the ground in Iraq.   

Salty Gator FOB NORTH said...

the voice of experience.  I yield.

Therapist1 said...

You also volunteered to go, but for some unknown reason those without families who volunteer seemed to be looked over.

Therapist1 said...

Refer the parents to me.....I am thinking I can make quite a tidy sum off that level of pathology.

Therapist1 said...

Please, at least pic a pseudonym rather than skipping through as a coward, sorry guest.

Therapist1 said...

My apologies, coward was too strong.  Trolls just make me a wee bit upset.

Therapist1 said...

I am confused as to the need for reserve flag officers.  There is already a glut of flag officers in the Navy anyway, why keep some on the payroll as reservists or raise others in their reserve roll.  You can't tell me that there are not ample junior officers on acvtive duty that could fill the roll if required.  Frankly, there does not seem to be the adequate use of junior officers to head staffs on ships.  You can't tell me this has become obsolete in the past 50-60 years.

Anonymous said...

I'm OK with both terms...one for the desire to piss people off for little or no reason, the other for not have the guts to make themselves known. I've been using my real name (and I'm easy to find) for years. If anyone disagrees with me enough, they're welcome to bring to my face...not that it might be a good idea, but they can.

sobersubmrnr said...

Very well said. 

LT B said...

It is important in the reserve to have FOGOs force the NKO and ESAMS metrics down the intestines. It is, afterall, how we measure readiness and preparation for war these days. >:o

Byron said...

For some odd reason, my name went missing from the above.

Anonymous said...

Skippy,
Thanks for coming back to one of the core secondary issues with this post:
- What is a serious Navy a decade into a war promoting and/or bringing on active duty reserve officers at the O8 level who have no combat experience at all or serious underway time in almost three decades??  How do we say we value combat experience when we do things like this?  How?  He hasn't even had a single-digit N-code on an afloat staff for goodness sakes. 

When we have more Flag Officers than warships right now on active duty, I don't even see the need for reserve Flag Officers in any event.  If we did need them - how does the Deputy J9 at JFCOM need to be a 2-Star?  That is a O6 job.  Heck - in the J9 JFCOM site they don't even mention his name.

CDR Salamander said...

<img></img><span>Guest</span><span>View details</span>

<img></img> <span>Guest</span><span></span><img></img>
<span>Skippy,  
Thanks for coming back to one of the core secondary issues with this post:  
- What is a serious Navy a decade into a war promoting and/or bringing on active duty reserve officers at the O8 level who have no combat experience at all or serious underway time in almost three decades??  How do we say we value combat experience when we do things like this?  How?  He hasn't even had a single-digit N-code on an afloat staff for goodness sakes.   
 
When we have more Flag Officers than warships right now on active duty, I don't even see the need for reserve Flag Officers in any event.  If we did need them - how does the Deputy J9 at JFCOM need to be a 2-Star?  That is a O6 job.  Heck - in the J9 JFCOM site they don't even mention his name.</span>

CDR Salamander said...

<span><span>Skippy,    
Thanks for coming back to one of the core secondary issues with this post:    
- What is a serious Navy a decade into a war promoting and/or bringing on active duty reserve officers at the O8 level who have no combat experience at all or serious underway time in almost three decades??  How do we say we value combat experience when we do things like this?  How?  He hasn't even had a single-digit N-code on an afloat staff for goodness sakes.     
   
When we have more Flag Officers than warships right now on active duty, I don't even see the need for reserve Flag Officers in any event.  If we did need them - how does the Deputy J9 at JFCOM need to be a 2-Star?  That is a O6 job.  Heck - in the J9 JFCOM site they don't even mention his name.</span></span>

Skippy-san said...

Well, the problem is-with the demise of the reserve air wings and the NRF ships-there will be no relevant experience for a reservist these days-in the more senior officer ranks of the URL. In that regard their staff corps counterparts do more to contribute to the active force, doctors can be doctors. Even they go to active duty what will they do? Nothing in their warfare specialty to be sure. How many reservists got called up to ease the watch rotation on a carrier or a cruiser in the last few years?

Being a guy in a CAOC for six months does not qualify one to be a deputy fleet commander.

Salty Gator FOB NORTH said...

I disagree.  The Naval Expeditionary Combat Command gives the USNR the MAJORITY of its deployment opportunities.  Unfortunately, to the basic straight-stick SWO, NECC is the bastard children of the surface navy.

Casey Tompkins said...

Shorter Guest: you're just saying that because he's black.

Aside from that; what Granpa Bluewater said.

Casey Tompkins said...

Jet designer William Lear named one of his daughters Shanda; one version I've heard claims the original name was Chandelle, which is worse.

Casey Tompkins said...

From what I've heard, DB, that's how many elementary schools operate these days; everyone gets a prize! We need to encourage the little buggers self-esteem.

Casey Tompkins said...

That was my first response as well, Gator. Nothing on John; I'm sure he meant it in a nice way, but that kind of approach is exactly what 'Phib was highlighting.

I prefer the Morgan Freeman approach, myself.

Anonymous said...

However, at the officer level, that does not help the 1125/1315/1325 guys.  NECC, and especially the MESF communnity are slowly boxing many of those guys out, leaving them limited places to go to get deployment experience, except to augment staff billets.  With the new AQD/NOBC requirements even some SWOs are getting boxed out.
Many of the staff guys (Medical/dental/Intel/CEC/Supply) have lots of deployment opportunities all working within their field of expertise.  The reserve SEAL/EOD guys that I know can deploy literally choose to deploy as often as they want to.

Having done DH, XO and a CO job in MESF, yes indeed it is, especially on the reserve side, the bastard stepchild.  The good CDR has made that point repeatedly on his blog, mostly in regards to Riverine.  The only way to change that is to do what the Air Force did by making a cargo pilot the CSAF vice a fighter guy.  Once a message such as that gets sent (not necessarily at the CNO level), then attitudes may change.

C-dore 14 said...

I think that Skippy is on target with his assessment of the NR Flag Community.  What disturbs me about this bio is the total absence of surface-related Reserve assignments such as ship-specific SELRES Dets, Naval Control of Shipping units, MIUW, etc.; all of which still existed for most of RADM Caesar's first 10 years in the Naval Reserve.  What I see in their place are "high visibility" NR staff duty in the DC/NORVA area that play better at NR selection board time but have little value-added for the operating forces.  

I think, as both Skippy and CDR S state, that this lack of deck-plate operational focus is the most important take away from this post.  As Reservists have become a more important part of our force over the past decade the Navy should be looking at this criteria more closely.

Anonymous said...

Why don't you think I read USNIBlog?  You'd be guessing wrong, no surprise there.

Anonymous said...

Sitting offshore only counts for combat pay, not real combat.  It's only really combat if someone is returning fire.

Grandpa Bluewater said...

The Navy would have a lot of retired 1 and 2 stars if it wouldn't give post command 06 jobs to them. Mmmm, that might be transformational, a revolution in FOGO personnel utilization. Conserve funds, too. Now if we made joint jobs and combined billets spot promotes or better yet, spot frocks...mmmmm.

Curtis said...

Reserve Deck Plate Leadership.....  It takes two months to spool up a Reserve MESF Squadron/det and over a year to spool up an Active MESF squadron/det for deployment.

Anonymous said...

Pseudonyms are courageous?  Fascinating.  You must be a CDR.

Guest said...

If you have the time to belittle an Admiral in tje United States Navy then it's no wonder why you guts are still LTs and CDRs.

Guest said...

<span>If you have the time to belittle an Admiral in the United States Navy then it's no wonder why you guys are still LTs and CDRs.</span>

sid said...

Yeah.

Some here decided to stick to their principles Guest....

Besides,  you won't hear an ill word thrown at some FOGOs here. Adm Harvey immediately comes to  mind...

You've also missed the various accolades to folks like Sims, and Gallery too apparently.

Grandpa Bluewater said...

Linked, not liked. Sorry.