Admittedly, the stakes are increasing inwards the Surface Force, but the CO is to a greater extent than rather than less of import inwards this challenging surroundings inwards the wake of high-profile accidents too the revival of bang-up might competition. For starters, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Vice Admiral Rich Brown, clearly believes inwards the primacy of COs too inwards our judgement. From his offset communication via “Personal For” message to his commanders through this fall’s Commanders’ Training Symposium, his consistent message is 1 of empowerment too reducing administrative burdens land setting thresholds for minimum requirements inwards the force. [1]
The novel Surface Force Training too Readiness Manual (SFTRM) streamlines the qualification process, and, for ships amongst rigid leaders too capable crews, dramatically decreases grooming redundancies land giving valuable fourth dimension dorsum to the Captain. H5N1 24-hour interval at bounding main is great, but a 24-hour interval at bounding main without inspectors on board is better. The SFTRM allows ships to forgo the previous block grooming too incorporates our most qualified watchstanders into mission expanse certification—changes that incentivize COs too give grooming fourth dimension dorsum to the crews of prepared ships. [2]
Revoking the previous Surface Force grooming didactics empowered COs to brand grooming programs that real piece of work for our Sailors too crews. [3]
I am 1 of the Navy’s most junior commanding officers. As an “early command” captain of a minesweeper, I should endure the most micromanaged. The reality is the opposite. I receive got remarkable latitude to practice my job, too I am intrinsically empowered to practice it. With due credit to my supportive immediate superior inwards ascendence (ISIC) too his predecessor, I never receive got felt that the success or failure of the transportation is anyone’s responsibleness other than my own. Yes, occasionally a leader upward my chain of ascendence takes a rigid involvement inwards what my transportation is doing, but questions asked of me are solely to ensure I receive got sufficient resources (funding, parts, maintenance squad support) to practice my job.
One of the beauties of our aging mine countermeasures strength is that nosotros receive got onetime communications suites. This agency sometimes I am non reachable at sea. Don’t fret—my superiors don’t. I am trusted too trained to withdraw maintain the transportation safely too acquit my mission. Additionally, only because an e-mail arrives inwards my inbox does non hateful it has to endure answered immediately. I remember dorsum to my expeditionary grooming inwards which I learned to “shoot, move, communicate” inwards that order. Do your labor first, too and thus communicate.
Comprehensive Review/Strategic Readiness Review-directed too Surface Force-directed initiatives are enablers rather than detractors from readiness too autonomy. Recently established policy changes:
Develop a stronger officeholder grooming continuum
Streamline deployment certification processes
Invest inwards simulator grooming to help duo the gap for ships inwards prolonged in-port periods
Remove cumbersome grooming computer programme requirements
Establish logbooks to residue talent-to-task on the bridge
Provide elementary baseline requirements for standing orders that enable watchstanders to rapidly re-qualify on novel platforms without worrying close where to notice permission items or platform-specific information
These efforts strengthen my might to practice my labor past times giving me to a greater extent than capable officers on the bridge, less distracting grooming requirements, too a elementary “floor” for minimum performance.
Additionally, rigorous assessments too lineament checks render valuable indicators of competency inwards the Surface Force—a win for COs too senior determination makers.
With a multitude of shipboard requirements, those of us on ships—and inwards ascendence of ships—make daily too hourly decisions close where too how to pass our express fourth dimension too finite resources. Which programs, sailors, officers, equipment, too spaces demand attention? Which must facial expression for roughly other day? It is our labor to brand these withdraw a opportunity decisions, found priorities, too laid the standards. As a commanding officer, I consistently assay to prioritize, diminish distractions, eliminate redundancies, too focus on the basics of transportation treatment offset too tactics second. I am the most experienced mortal on my ship. I found the standard, concur the standard, too piece of work difficult to imbue my sailors amongst that standard.
The Surface Force has challenges aplenty, but erosion of the operate of the commanding officeholder is non one. In a utopian future, administrative requirements disappear too COs pass our days driving ships too practicing amongst our crews at gunnery quarters. In the meantime, nosotros agree inwards the administrative tasks when nosotros must, too nosotros sympathise that nosotros ain the employment too the solution. Commanding officers ain the fight.
[1] Commander Naval Surface Forces message date-time grouping 230035Z January 18, Personal For ComNavSurFor Commanders too Commanding Officers from Vice Admiral Brown; ComNavSurFor message 242355Z OCT 18, Personal For ComNavSurFor Commanders too Commanding Officers – 2018 ComNavSurfPac Commander’s Training Symposium Read Out
[2] ComNavSurfLant/Pac Instruction 3502.7, Surface Force Training too Readiness Manual, 01 Nov 2018.
[3] ComNavSurFor message 232126Z OCT 18, Cancellation of the Shipboard Training Programs Instruction.
Lieutenant Commander Reppert is the commanding officeholder of the USS Ardent (MCM-12). She is a 2006 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy too has a master’s bird inwards safety studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Her prior bounding main duty assignments include the USS Lassen (DDG-82), USS Carter Hall (LSD-50), too USS Truxton (DDG-103)
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