Speak 'ye hypocrite!
Navy spokesman Cmdr. Chris Sims said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the videos "were not acceptable then and are not acceptable in today's Navy."Follow the links here and here. Then come back here and see the video below and judge for yourself.
Executive officers and other leaders "are charged to lead by example and are held accountable for setting the proper tone and upholding the standards of honor, courage and commitment that we expect sailors to exemplify," he said.
A couple of things to keep in mind. CAPT Honors was Big XO on one of my old ships - the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65). That was roughly four years ago when these videos were seen - by thousands.
Now, almost a half decade later - people who have seen and probably done much worse things on deployment are calling for their Yeoman to bring them smelling salts.
Don't forget that he is now the Commanding Officer of "The Big E." Make what theory you want to why it is showing up now.
At the time (2006-7), Honors was the carrier's executive officer, or XO, the commanding officer's deputy. He took command of the ship in May.One of the hardest jobs in the Navy right now is the Commanding Officer of the Big E. This floating museum built by the same people who build ships in WWII and pushes itself around with eight museum quality A2W reactors. Much of the equipment is tagged out because they stopped being usable decades ago due to their archaic nature. Four generations of some families have been on this ship.
In the videos, Honors indicates that he's trying to entertain the crew. They were shown roughly once a week on closed-circuit shipwide television, according to a handful of sailors who were assigned to the Enterprise at the time. The sailors requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
One of them said he mailed a complaint about the videos to the Navy Inspector General this week.
She was an old beat-up girl when I was on her over a decade ago. To keep her up and doing the taxpayer's business is something only the best can do. The best can be quirky. The best warfighters even more so. Shouldn't we give some a little running room?
The Navy's initial reaction was sound;
The Navy released a written statement late Friday in response to The Pilot's inquiries.I think though - based upon the PAO's more recent statement - the usual suspects will take it from here - and in the finest traditions of throwing leaders under the bus instead of defending them - well - you know the path this takes.
"The videos created onboard USS Enterprise in 2006-2007 were not created with the intent to offend anyone," the statement said. "The videos were intended to be humorous skits focusing the crew's attention on specific issues such as port visits, traffic safety, water conservation, ship cleanliness, etc."
This sounds cliche - but if you have not been "there" - you really don't know what is going on. The videographer who was interviewed provides a clue;
"In his defense, I'll say that sometimes, when you've been out to sea for a while, cut off from everything, you start to think things that you would never normally do are actually a good idea," he said. "You do stupid stuff to stay sane."Anyway, watch.
Lex put it well and about captures my mood,
Carrier CO, Navy captain, fighter guy, TOPGUN grad, graduate of the Power School, veteran commanding officer: Now being finger wagged by an O-5 public affairs officer, who knows what is, and is not acceptable in today’s Navy.Like I stated earlier - the cluelessness and hypocrisy of it all just wears me down.
It will no longer do, old shoe.
In a just world - someone will make the right sounds, but CAPT Honors will be allowed to continue.
Regardless what happens, it is all sad; and I'm not just saying that because he looks like my brother.
I think I'm going to get a beer and think about ordering Adam Carolla's new book
.UPDATE: Galrahn has some thoughts as well - I especially like his point about what we do and do not find outrage in with our leaders. Style vs. substance. Nice angle.
UPDATE II - Electric Boogaloo: If you want to know what "mainstream" civilian opinion - as defined by Minnesota Public Radio - is wondering, then you might find this interview done this morning with Naval Academy Professor Bruce Fleming
of interest.UPDATE III: .... and so we will make it worse and more dangerous for all.
The Navy officer who aired lewd videos for crew of an aircraft carrier will be temporarily relieved of his command as early as Tuesday, Navy sources told NBC News on Monday.If he is a problem - then we have a problem. Time for me to work a new post on this. I'll let you know if I do.
Capt. Owen Honors commands the USS Enterprise and produced the videos while second in command aboard the aircraft carrier.
He is to be relieved while the Navy investigates the incident.
UPDATE IV: If he is a problem; then we have a problem. WIth the prospect of CAPT Honors' removal, I'm discussing the larger issue over at USNIBlog. Come join me.
259 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 259 of 259Skippy, Once again we agree. I don't know this guy but unless he was one of those folks who can get by on 2-3 hours of sleep I don't know where he found the time to do this either.
Better--what pertpetuates and accelerates the Navy leadership. We are not in the business of command and leadership anymore, we are in the business of mealy-mouthed management and human resources, and regularly reporting to the super sensitive and politically correct corporate office in DC. I long for the days when the ship set sail and the only contact was official message traffic and the twice a week news of the world message. We will never have another Halsey, Rickover, King, McCain....fill in the blanks, if you judge our commanders by the standards now in place. In explaining the differences between the services I used to proudly explain to DoD neophytes that in the Army you get ahead by following the guy in front of you, but in the Navy and the Marine Corps you are rewarded for displaying intiative and invention and exercising them until told to do otherwise. We are becoming a service of lemmings ruled by those too afraid to get out of the beltway, either physically or, more importantly, mentally. They should be using the freedom afforded by their terminal ranks to defend CAPT Honors not hang him out to dry. Weasels!!!
A good captain is neither human, nor approachable; that's the XO's job.
Great book, great movie, darn fine play.
Lieutenant Barney Greenwald is a better lawyer than Atticus Finch, he does not shy away from cross-examination and unlike Finch, he does not lose. Greenwald gets the guilty man off; Finch sends the innocent to prison.
Read this book. The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk (1951).
I think Galrahn's piece indicated they seemed to have halted when a change in the higher command occurred.
So can Sailors now tell the Chief and XO they were temporarily late?
Hmmm...had missed this. Might be answers questions I posed above. I think this was set up by someone who knows how to work the media. A PAO got relieved/masted? Nasty.
I agree. Combat is the ultimate crucible.
I only objected to CPT. Honors addressing and then dismissing those that objected to the videos. As the XO, that sets a bad example for other personality related disciplinary related issues.
Therapist,
What he did was slightly dumb, and in poor taste. Some might have found it funny, but not my style, wouldn't do it.
But relief over something that happened four years ago? Because of pressure from advocacy groups? Such action shows how cowering and gutless his bosses are. That is a MUCH bigger problem for the Navy.
Jellyfish in the senior ranks. Without the sting. Just sort of float along and ride with the political tide.
GUILTY Relieve him!
Ahh the disinfectant of sunlight. Tough to be proud of these videos, even though people are making excuses for them.
Tough to call it a witch hunt, when there really isn't any hunting involved.
In this case the behavior was on video for all to see, not much searching involved.
Phil, you're talkin to a bunch of fairly senior folks on here. They're above being judged by the public, Midshipmen at the Naval Academy are to be used by them in a larger game to deface the Naval Academy. This attack is on the broader Navy, so non USNA officers like Sal feel the need to defend their (ironically) sophomoric actions. One need not read further than John Paul Jone's "Qualifications of a Naval Officer" to see this video as conduct that is not in line with expectations of a Navy Captain. The videos seem to go a bit further than "the nicest sense of personal humor."
The Admiral should have distinguished "error from malice" and fixed him, before he planted the timed explosives that came back to destroy his command tour.
And that excuses the invertebrate performance of Flag Officers who are shocked, shocked, they tell you, to find that he made this video, some four years after the fact?
Their behavior is there for all to see, as well. Methinks it will not go over well this time, either. Tailhook's shameful witch hunt sure didn't.
You shouldn't be in public service if you're not willing to have your actions stand up to public scrutiny.
We all know that being politically incorrect is the most egregious and horrible crime one can commit today. It certainly trumps gutlessness and/or squandering billions with piss poor decisions on shipbuilding and maintenance to placate political overlords.
Just a reminder that this video was not meant to be seen by all. Just his Shipmates.
Neither here not there - just a reminder that he never intended this to leave the skin of the ship.
Did Teddy Kennedy tell you that?
It wasn't just politically incorrect. It was conduct that reflects why there are no cameras allowed in admins. It should never have been broadcast to the crew, let alone taped for that purpose. THAT shows pretty bad judgement, but it won't stop the excuse makers.
Geezzz, we have to go there again. If you arrest the corrupt mayor of a city, do you hate or love that city? Do you "attack" that city, or are you defending it?
Finally, JPJ never wrote "Qualifications of a Naval Officer."
Try again.
<span><span>The intended audience is irrelevant. This is what happens when parents want to be friends with their kids.</span></span>
No, JPJ wrote the letters that they were drawn from... Glad to see you're proud of Honors' actions, and defending the Big XO's right to abandon his office in the name of comedy. Bad judgement.
No, a well respected Naval Officer told me that. Glad to see you don't take issue with the content, sad to see you attack the messenger.
You and your fellow citizens of the United States of the Offended. Stupid, off color, wouldn't have done it and he shouldn't have either.
But your assertion that this offsets superb performance in support of combat operations on that and a subsequent sea tour, then you are as much of a jellyfish as the Flags.
You have no sense of perspective.
When you take a break from your self-righteousness, try having a cup of perspective.
I simply said that it demonstrates poor judgement. This man would be seeing members of that crew at mast. The role of Big XO, is not clown or entertainer. He should be congratulated for his accomplishments. Frankly, the CO and Admiral failed him by not stopping his behavior before it got out of control, but I can't say that senior leadership has been exemplary recently. Timely Webb reprint from '99 from that perspective. Much easier to course correct early, than deal with repercussions years later.
You really should re-read the posts. ... and there is no need to do a JPJ mash-up. Just read his actual words in the context in which they were written - not someone else's blended fabrication of what they wish he was. JPJ is a great enough man to stand on his own.
I apologize for your low expectations.... I believe that is part of the problem.
No, you use the phrase "disinfectant of sunlight", as if this was some hidden and dishonest wrongdoing.
The course was corrected, he was told to stop and he did. The knee-jerk political scaredy-cats (dressed as Admirals) that are collapsing to the pressure of gay activism and hanging CAPT Honor out to dry four years hence is a much bigger problem for the Navy.
The intended audience is irrelevant? Don't think so. Not for a football coach, a high school teacher, or a combat leader.
Words and actions taken out of context or perspective and made to appear to be more than they are is just as dishonest as fabricating, it is just more clever.
The low expectations I have are for Navy leadership and those espousing your philosophy. The expectations I have for evaluating leaders is whether or not people follow them into the shooting match. Which, contrary to your assertions, is slightly more difficult and more important than being a choir boy with his hands folded.
Well I guess we'll just have to part ways. I don't believe that Honors actions were in keeping with the ideals of a Naval Officer, let alone a senior Naval Officer about to assume Command. I find it unfortunate that you blame others for the public reception of his actions, instead of evaluating the actions.
Um, it was clearly not meant for a public audience, and thus it was intended to remain "hidden". Something a Navy Captain puts on video shouldn't be for limited distribution when broadcast to 5000+ people, some of which have VCRs, when it's even close to questionable. Do you even find this video questionable, or do you find it professional and appropriate?
Did you miss my comments?
And because it was intended for ship's complement means it was "hidden and dishonest wrongdoing"?
What did you do at your bachelor party? Play scrabble?
Now it's a philosophy? I expect public servants to be accountable to the public. Radical thinking. If he wasn't proud of his actions, he shouldn't have taken them. I find it sad that YOU are proud of the behavior exhibited in this video, and find it in keeping with the traditions of a senior Naval Officer.
Wow, you taped your Bachelor party and broadcast it to 5000 people? Interesting approach. Wait, I'm starting to see the lack of judgement across services now.
It wasn't the Captain's finest moment, but it hardly is Misbehavior Before the Enemy.
Have another glass of perspective. Make it a double.
I love that you add words and put them in quotes, like someone else typed them. Slick, AND dishonest.
I love that you think you are more intelligent and enlightened than the rest of us. Slick, AND arrogant.
"<span>YOU are proud of the behavior exhibited in this video"</span>
I am? I would get my money back from that On-line Law School. You got taken.
This is how you troll, yo.
When you run out of defense for your position, and get caught intentionally misquoting... attack the messenger. Have a lovely evening.
Piece of advice, don't make a tape like this for public consumption, it's inappropriate. Making a video like this as Big XO demonstrates questionable judgement. I'm saddened that a fairly senior officer (you and Honors) can't/didn't see that.
Is it over? It was just getting good!
I don't care who you are, that $hit was funny. This is the type of person I want leading young men and women into harm's way. I think it is criminal that a few whiners wait four years to torpedo this guy. Like he said at the beginning of the video, "If you are offended, turn it off or change the channel." People need to grow some skin; it doesn't even have to be thick. You use humor to keep your sanity in high stress environments and you have to give people some slack. The desk jocky types will never understand this.
Hopefully, that gets more airtime. If we're going to hunt for witches, let's make sure we get 'em ALL!
<span>I don't care who you are, that $hit was funny. This is the type of person I want leading young men and women into harm's way. I think it is criminal that a few whiners wait four years to torpedo this guy. Like he said at the beginning of the video, "If you are offended, turn it off or change the channel." People need to grow some skin; it doesn't even have to be thick. You use humor to keep your sanity in high stress environments and you have to give people some slack. The desk jockey types will never understand this.</span>
The point of putting that scene up was to explain my own feelings of how people that should have prevented this from happening instead stabbed a man in the back, whether he did this for the good or bad. For all the people on this forum throwing out commentary about how this man needs to be drawn and quartered publically to please the plebecites, the quote from Greenwald about where Queeg was while the rest of us were navel gazing is how I feel as well. There is more to this story then we are being told right now and it will be really interesting what happens when the other shoe drops.
DB,
Twist the knife slowly as they choke on their own words. BZ
The intended audience is very important to get your message across. You do go Gunny Ermey or George Patton on a knitting club composed of 85yr old Lutheran church going women. The same is true you do go like pleading like Dago Red Mulchany with a football team right before the superbowl. That is lesson number one at leadership schools all over the world. Thanks for the fail!
The witch hunt has already started...
Hey Guest-at least sign your nom de guerre and take your beatings like a man. I never sign in here as just a guest (unless I can't find the log in button because I am too busy watching risque videos) and plenty of people don't agree with what I have to say!
Skippy,
Aren't you always watching risque training videos? :-P
Skippy, too many personal threats from the "front porch." Its not worth it with some of these wackos.
Look! Troll feathers!
One issue with the timeline, as I commented over at USNIBlog - is that Honors left ENTERPRISE XO before the CNO visited.
So, what is the 5000 persone audience where a Navy Captain pretending to jerk off is acceptable? I can't think of an acceptable audience for this, that's why the audience is irrelevant.
Wow, you're incredibly insulting to talk to. Name calling? Wow, I guess the senior ranks in the Marines are screwed up too.
We must be, if YOU think so! All we do is kill the enemy. How inconsiderate of us.
Post a Comment