Navy Relieves Harsh Commander

[rayrey10]

I worked for a guy who used to treat his Marines this way. I was the Platoon Sergeant so I took most of the abuse to spare the Marines. That was the most challenging 6 months of my life. I couldn't imagine being stuck in the middle of the ocean with someone like this.


http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1969602,00.html?hpt=C2

[n4gix]

Wow! What a piece of work. I have to wonder just how she managed to make it through Annapolis to begin with, much less make it as far as Commander...

...her career is toast now.

[Willy]

I've been following this. She made it to Captain (Colonel in the other branches).

Brings back a lot of bad memories for me as I was in a similar command climate on my last ship. We called it "Leadership by Terror".

[tigisfat]

I worked for a guy who used to treat his Marines this way. I was the Platoon Sergeant so I took most of the abuse to spare the Marines. That was the most challenging 6 months of my life. I couldn't imagine being stuck in the middle of the ocean with someone like this.


http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1969602,00.html?hpt=C2



Wow, I thought that's how the military was?

[Ken Stallings]

The only times I ever cursed was at the situation, not at the individual. It's a fine difference, but a vital one.

The other thing is that when I've had to chew someone out, I made deliberate effort to do it in private. One time I did use profanity doing it, but it was again addressing the poor behavior such as "that's bull****!" In this case, it was a super sharp NCO who repetedly violated my guidance to him as to his limits of authority on equipment access. He was repeatedly stepping on the toes of a civilian contract, authorizing active duty personnel to take equipment for other uses outside the contract when the equipment was apportioned to the contractor's oversight and responsibility!

That's stuff that can lead to courts martial. So, in my view, I was saving the guy from himself. The reason I did that was because his errors were from a sincere desire to "get things done," which I normally admired in him.

But this Navy Captain appears like a totally ineffective leader. I cannot imagine even thinking about spitting in someone's face nor throwing objects at them, much less doing it! Just one such outrage should have led to her immediate courts martial! I agree with the thrust of the article that she should not have been promoted to Navy Captain much less given command of a ship. My guess is that she was a chamelion, able to shift gears and put on the professional bearing when her superiors were around. Only when she was top dog did the abusive side of her character come out.

For me, I've always tried to tread lightest around junior enlisted people. When I pinned on Major I noticed that regardless of how softly I handled a situation with an airman E-4 or below, they got wide eyed. It was a sobering lesson for me to learn and I had to force myself to really strive for the warm-hearted bearing. So, the few times I had to counsel someone I saved the stern discussions for NCO's and fellow officers. At least they had the internal confidence to handle the discussion.

As a leader, you are nothing if you harm your people. The whole point of counseling is to press the buttons required to make them better people. This Navy Captain apparently never learned that, or more likely just didn't care enough to make her people better!

Ken

[Ken Stallings]

Wow, I thought that's how the military was?

This is a common misperception due mainly to typical Hollywood dressing of military situations. In reality, most situations are handled in ways familiar with civilian workplace protocols.

Combat situations can alter the situation due to the immense pressures, and NCO's at basic recruit training can still "get in the face" of a recruit and often will. But the main point there is to measure a recruits ability to perform under pressure. This is why when the recruit graduates, the NCO DI normally reverts to a very positive bearing with the new enlistees.

Cheers,

Ken

[Willy]

The Navy used to provide periodic leadership training to it's enlisted and the kind of behavior exhibited by that Captain goes against everything taught.

[TARPSBird]

Graf said a "small group of disgruntled officers in the Cowpens wardroom were spreading rumors throughout the crew and convincing others that the command climate and [her] demeanor were far worse than they actually were."
Sounds like Capt. Queeg's testimony from The Caine Mutiny. :frown:

[Ken Stallings]

Graf said a "small group of disgruntled officers in the Cowpens wardroom were spreading rumors throughout the crew and convincing others that the command climate and [her] demeanor were far worse than they actually were."
Sounds like Capt. Queeg's testimony from The Caine Mutiny. :frown:

No kidding! Yet not even Queeg threw a ceramic coffee cup at a subordinate or spit in their faces!

That movie remains among the best movies for exploring the nuances of command interaction there is. Another very good one remains Twelve O'Clock High. The scene where Savage tells his highly experienced, but jaded exec, that he's forming the "Leper Colony" is an all time classic moment in Hollywood!

Ken

[brad kaste]

Graf said a "small group of disgruntled officers in the Cowpens wardroom were spreading rumors throughout the crew and convincing others that the command climate and [her] demeanor were far worse than they actually were."
Sounds like Capt. Queeg's testimony from The Caine Mutiny. :frown:

...I wonder if she rolled steel ball bearings while on the bridge.......

[Ken Stallings]

...I wonder if she rolled steel ball bearings while on the bridge.......

Nope, she would have thrown them instead! :icon_lol:

Ken

[tigisfat]

Ken, you had to have seen the T-38 instructor vs. foreign student video, right?

Here it is for those who haven't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4VCV_z52GU

[Ken Stallings]

Yeah, but the reason that went viral is because it was so unusual. In my view the IP lost control of the situation because of his own lack of situational awareness. The heat was, in fact, turned off -- just as he kept calling for. The issue is that the IP wanted the cockpit cooled off, which meant he should have asked the student to turn the environmental temperature unit cold.

Yelling wasn't accomplishing anything except causing a total breakdown in communication between student and instructor. As an IP and EP myself, I blame the instructor for that situation. The stereotypical "yelling" IP at UPT has been discouraged for a number of years. That video is a reason why.

I've never liked the FAIP program either. I believe IP's need operational seasoning to be effective. For navigators, there was no such thing as first assignment IN's. The anxiety level in that cockpit reached alarming levels, and while it was going on I believe no one flying that aircraft had proper situational awareness. Fortunately, no one died as a result of the communications breakdown.

Cheers,

Ken

[crashaz]

I read this story and yep The Caine Mutiny came to mind with Captain Queeg. I have been following it over @ USNI as well....

http://blog.usni.org/2010/01/14/skipper-of-uss-cowpens-relieved-for-cruelty-but-career-still-alive/comment-page-1/


Always interested in what is going on in my Navy!
:salute:

[tigisfat]

Yeah, but the reason that went viral is because it was so unusual. In my view the IP lost control of the situation because of his own lack of situational awareness. I figured it was pretty unusual. An old Lt Col showed it to me in instructor ground school, and he thought it was the funniest thing ever, as did I, as sad as it is. I don't scream at or barrage flight students, but I have overloaded a few with information until I can tell that I need to be quiet because they can't think straight because they are no longer flying, they're trying to please me. I've always had a battle with trying to be a thorough instructor that really makes sure they know what they're doing and letting them build experience and confidence. I was ill prepared for my civilian private exam because an instructor wasn't teaching me, he was a flying buddy. He also was one fo those that doesn't prepare you for the exam; he taught me to fly (I still go on and on about the pros and cons of that).



The heat was, in fact, turned off -- just as he kept calling for. The issue is that the IP wanted the cockpit cooled off, which meant he should have asked the student to turn the environmental temperature unit cold.I had a bit of a different take on it, but I could be wrong. It sure seems like for a good portion of that video, the front of the canopy is changing colors under the intense heat. It begins to change back later well into the screaming.


I've never liked the FAIP program either. I believe IP's need operational seasoning to be effective. I can't say you're wrong, but in the civilian world the best and most knowledgeable CFIs are right outta the chute.

[Bjoern]

Leadership fail.