tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post6070497678803513905..comments2024-01-03T05:18:54.650-05:00Comments on CDR Salamander: To save the Naval Academy ...CDR Salamanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05981221786954902349noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-71295174002769748122010-06-02T12:39:11.000-04:002010-06-02T12:39:11.000-04:00<span><span>First, it was Kyle Eckel (...<span><span>First, it was Kyle Eckel (</span></span> <br /><a href="http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-37213.html" rel="nofollow"><span><span><span><span><span>http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-37213.html</span></span></span><span><span></span></span></span><span></span></span></a><span><span>), then it was </span></span><span><span>Marcus Curry (</span></span><span></span><a href="http://blog.usnavyseals.com/2010/05/usna-star-football-player-marcus-curry-dismissed.html" rel="nofollow"><span><span><span><span><span>http://blog.usnavyseals.com/2010/05/usna-star-football-player-marcus-curry-dismissed.html</span></span></span><span><span></span></span></span><span></span></span></a>) ..... and now in the middle of two wars, Adam Ballard is designing premeditated excuses to get out of his commitment - i<span><span>t's gross <strong></strong><span>cowardice</span>, plain and simple. What would Zembiec say?</span></span>Anonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-66242948308726502622010-05-26T15:01:48.000-04:002010-05-26T15:01:48.000-04:00It is not difficult. The test as I remember was m...It is not difficult. The test as I remember was more than a pain in the a$$ than a test of knowledge. <br /><br />I guess I am old school but you need to learn and understand the basics before you can play with all the high tech toys. Over reliance on GPS is our weak link in the chain.<br /><br />Just my pocket change,<br />S/F,<br />REDEYERedeye80noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-14475382527386862582010-05-26T14:58:03.000-04:002010-05-26T14:58:03.000-04:00It isn't. Not at TBS anyway. Wasn't at 2...It isn't. Not at TBS anyway. Wasn't at 29 palms or Pendleton or Lejeune, or Okinawa or any place else I have been. UltimaRatioRegisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-12591901886916386272010-05-26T14:51:49.000-04:002010-05-26T14:51:49.000-04:00like Blumenthall, saying when "we came home f...like Blumenthall, saying when "we came home from Vietnam"?MR T's Haircutnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-69224870170533518652010-05-26T14:40:58.000-04:002010-05-26T14:40:58.000-04:00Maybe one of you Marines or Army types can explain...Maybe one of you Marines or Army types can explain to me what's so difficult about land navigation that it would put someone in a position where they'd need to cheat to get the minimum passing grade ("If it wasn't good enough, it wouldn't be the minimum"). I learned basic map reading, compass use, and land navigation as a Boy Scout, in military school, and as a midshipman and I don't remember it being all that difficult. <br /><br />BTW, I wasn't a technical guy either.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-11153361680984896892010-05-26T14:16:45.000-04:002010-05-26T14:16:45.000-04:00CN,
Blog owner notice. More than once today, 4 of...CN,<br />Blog owner notice. More than once today, 4 of 5 comments have been from you. You are doing the commenting version of yelling loudly, interrupting too much, not giving others a chance to digest the direction of the conversation, and generally trying to dominate the conversation. When a commenter does that, in addition to being rude - it drives people away from the blog and makes the owner grumpy. You are more than welcome here - you just can't be 4/5 of the conversation.<br /><br />If you really have that much to say, start your own blog.<br /><br />Consider this a warning. Strike 1. cdrsalamandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-35229472876273885182010-05-26T13:52:20.000-04:002010-05-26T13:52:20.000-04:00Like I said. Let me know when he donates the prof...Like I said. Let me know when he donates the profits and I'll believe it's something more than self aggrandizing.Combat NFOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-67466150575171506432010-05-26T13:49:13.000-04:002010-05-26T13:49:13.000-04:00How was the Aerospace Engineering Department, Syst...How was the Aerospace Engineering Department, Systems Engineering Department, Electrical Engineering Department, Naval Architecture Department? Did they have one? <br /><br />Civil Engineering sounds handy for Sea Bees, what about everyone else? You calculated glide slope, fuel flow rates, thrust, mass flow, and weapon settings using check book math? You must have a fancy check book. Frankly it isn't about the day to day calculations, it's about understanding what's going on with the systems, not just regurgitating what you've been told. <br /><br />Yes, History majors can fly a plane, but an Aerospace Engineer understands the LEX fence on the Hornet and the associated vortex impact on the vert stab in a way the english major won't. If you want Professor Fleming to do your Vmin calculations, I hope you're flying single seat. Some of those graphs are kinda confusing.Combat NFOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-14774872287687882862010-05-26T13:33:15.000-04:002010-05-26T13:33:15.000-04:00Actually its not true that Liberal Arts Colleges d...Actually its not true that Liberal Arts Colleges don't teach engineering-my beloved alma mater has one of the finest Civil Engineering Departments in the country.<br /><br />The better question to ask is what does the Naval Academy need to provide a foundation in that the Navy does not teach you well later on? The Navy made me major in Mathematics. In 20 years of flying I never used anything higher than checkbook mathematics. As far as the technical requirements learning navigation, radar, ew, ESM, and aircraft systems etc-the Navy did a pretty good job of teaching me what I needed to know. What the Navy does not do well, however, is teach folks: 1) How to write and convey ideas ( In some other form than a PPT), 2) provide language training and 3) provide the historical and cultural background to understand the various regions and peoples we operate in and with.<br /><br />The USNA could learn a lot from VMI-they have a rigorous program still. Citadel can't figure out if it wants the same rigor as VMI or if it wants to be more like USNA. Sadly I fear they want to be the latter.Skippy-sannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-4474365698055779162010-05-26T13:18:06.000-04:002010-05-26T13:18:06.000-04:00CNFO, why, after making a well-thought and defensi...CNFO, why, after making a well-thought and defensible point, you turn into Bill Ayers and act as if working for financial gain is tantamount to eating puppies? <br /><br />Nobody said it was purely altruism, but it is highly likely that his message is driven by genuine concern for what he sees as future Naval leadership.UltimaRatioRegisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-25954042236070653862010-05-26T13:08:38.000-04:002010-05-26T13:08:38.000-04:00Yeah, he's doing it to generate tax dollars. ...Yeah, he's doing it to generate tax dollars. He's so selfless. When he donates the profits to the USO, or the Navy Marine Corps Relief, or some other charity I'll believe he's writing for altruistic reasons.Combat NFOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-16582202886274862122010-05-26T13:03:18.000-04:002010-05-26T13:03:18.000-04:00Holy crap. Phib, I need my pills. First, you and...Holy crap. Phib, I need my pills. First, you and I have common ground on DADT, and now, I actually agree with a comment from CNFO. I will watch for the sunset in the east later on today.....UltimaRatioRegisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-43070149458303586312010-05-26T12:55:54.000-04:002010-05-26T12:55:54.000-04:00Hey, at least he is engaged in the private sector ...Hey, at least he is engaged in the private sector generating tax dollars. A lot more than can be said for many.cdrsalamandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-4945336460538605182010-05-26T12:17:55.000-04:002010-05-26T12:17:55.000-04:00With only 2 out of 13, this is great news for an A...With only 2 out of 13, this is great news for an Academy that represents only 20% of the officer corps. It should be mud in the eye of ROTC/OCS/etc as they are cheating at higher rates than should be expected.<br /><br />A truly stupid data point that is in line with the mindlessness of Ricks' critique. Criticize all you want, but let's have some consistency and intelligence.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-7356946878448243592010-05-25T23:53:36.000-04:002010-05-25T23:53:36.000-04:00My apologies, that was me above.My apologies, that was me above.Therapist 1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-82748841890564420612010-05-25T23:53:08.000-04:002010-05-25T23:53:08.000-04:00That is not what I read at all. The point I thoug...That is not what I read at all. The point I thought he was making was that the ability of the students to communicate and articulate themselves has degraded. Some of this is due to their bending of the admissions criteria. You can not tell me that a clearly articulated order in the times of "lawfare" is not important.<br /><br />LT.B has lamented the inability of many of his students to think abstractly and problems solve when he was teaching math. So it was not just the liberal arts folks making noise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-27698199299221092012010-05-25T23:34:47.000-04:002010-05-25T23:34:47.000-04:00I'm a lot more worried about ex-football star ...I'm a lot more worried about ex-football star Adam Ballard being kicked out of the Marine Corps for cheating at TBS than I am about the lack of grease on Herndon. Yeah, the Herndon thing is a symptom of a larger problem with respect to risk-aversion in the Fleet, but at the end of the day I don't really care if the mids get to climb the greased pole or not. I do care that the Naval Academy, despite sparing no expense, commissions people who would sacrifice their integrity so casually. You would think something like this would be the canary in the coal mine. Instead, we're all focused on Herndon.Anonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-65463420751128373722010-05-25T22:43:49.000-04:002010-05-25T22:43:49.000-04:00Fleming is YOUR friend, not mine, and I don't ...Fleming is YOUR friend, not mine, and I don't have to grant him anything.<br /><br />He has one goal - a pension. He teaches a subject which should not need teaching at the college level.<br /><br />Shut down USNA, cancel his pension, and be done with it. Yeah, I'm a graduate, but I'm not all sentimental about it.Greg Finnegannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-56530070922301009562010-05-25T17:20:35.000-04:002010-05-25T17:20:35.000-04:00What is wrong with Liberal Arts?What is wrong with Liberal Arts?cdrsalamandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-83297699495356240792010-05-25T14:34:42.000-04:002010-05-25T14:34:42.000-04:00Since this article was published I've received...Since this article was published I've received several copies of it from friends, including one former Marine officer, asking what I thought of it. Responding to them caused me to revisit all the absurdities of the past year from the color guard situation to Midn Curry and now to the "Greaseless Herndon Climb". I'm now to the point of wondering whether we'd be better off in adopting a British-style system of an extended OCS for folks who've already received their undergraduate education.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-77928593517424207632010-05-25T14:29:18.000-04:002010-05-25T14:29:18.000-04:00He wasn't just talking about the Naval Academy...He wasn't just talking about the Naval Academy, he was also talking about West Point. The Army calls their trainee officers cadets. At least in the original article, he makes a long point on the expensive mediocrity that both USNA and West Point have become.Vlad the Impalernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-77408171630833182652010-05-25T14:18:06.000-04:002010-05-25T14:18:06.000-04:00I've started to give up hope that anything is ...I've started to give up hope that anything is going to change any time soon at USNA. There's just too many people at the top that believe what they're doing is the solution to the diversity problem. I don't think we'll turn the corner on this until the Boomer generation is out and the Ys come into control.<br /><br />I am so disappointed in the Marines (as individuals), but glad that the Corps did the right thing. I'd hate to see my dad's love stumble and slide down the slippery slope of remediation with multiple do-overs.Heathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-24507454386526289012010-05-25T12:49:10.000-04:002010-05-25T12:49:10.000-04:00Yeah, every once in a while a TBS class at Quantic...Yeah, every once in a while a TBS class at Quantico has to re-invent "that wheel." Land nav is difficult stuff (or so they say). Makes one wonder if Boat School brought in people who didn't have the academic chops to succeed anywhere off the gridiron and now it's playing out in predictable fashion.<br /><br />Are you really doing anyone a favor bringing them on to play football when they really should have been spending all that time learning...say... military skills? I say if you want to fix Boat School, first get rid of that football garbage. Go back to playing Harvard or something for a lark. The service academies are supposed to be teaching critical thinking skills and the kind of knowlege that makes the difference between life and death out on the battlefield. <br /><br />And since the indiscretions are always made so public, the criticisms of the schools here can be just as public. DeltaBravonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-30443426828862710222010-05-25T09:56:38.000-04:002010-05-25T09:56:38.000-04:00Although I agree with most of Fleming's points...Although I agree with most of Fleming's points, he sounds like a total asshat over at Rajiv's site. Read his rebuttal:<br /><br /><a href="http://rajivsrinivasan.wordpress.com/2010/05/23/the-qualitative-point-average-rebuttal-to-bruce-fleming/" rel="nofollow">http://rajivsrinivasan.wordpress.com/2010/05/23/the-qualitative-point-average-rebuttal-to-bruce-fleming/</a>Redeye80noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-30514015388452546822010-05-25T09:32:14.000-04:002010-05-25T09:32:14.000-04:00I'm amazed that Professor Fleming is getting a...I'm amazed that Professor Fleming is getting all of this attention, although few controversies sell books in military circles better than an insider trashing the Naval Academy. He understands USNA so well after twenty years that he calls Midshipmen "cadets". His love for the institution comes through so very clear in his rebuttal, perhaps he didn't think it through enough to hide the real point:<br /><br />"<span>My point is precisely that our system FAILS to produce enough people like him (refers to Rajiv and West Pointers) to justify its negative side and its cost."</span><br /><br />I guess when we see the point he's driving at, we can better understand how and why he constructs his argument:<br /><br /><span>"The proof is that ROTC officers, who are more than twice as numerous as academy grads, apparently function at the same level as academy grads–there’s literally no difference in speed of advancement between the two pools in the JO ranks."</span><br /><br />Now if Professor Fleming understood the Navy's promotion system, he'd know that promotion through the JO ranks is largely dependent on time in grade rather than performance, but that's his "proof", and because of the data, it's hard to argue with.... unless you know how JO's are promoted.Combat NFOnoreply@blogger.com