A CO that doesn't think?

So I saw this gem from CAPT Lambert's blog (http://navycaptain-therealnavy.blogspot.com/2014/05/amusing-anecdote.html)

Some Command Master Chiefs (Senior Chiefs, too) are fairly wise men and women.  I was talking to a retired CMC the other day and he was talking about the TRIAD and their roles in the command.  I asked him to describe their respective roles. He said, "My job is to make sure the CO and XO get to do their jobs.  The Commanding Officer's job is to give speeches and make Sailors feel good.  The XO's role is to think.  My job is to make sure the CO doesn't think and the XO doesn't give any speeches or make the Sailors feel good." 

I'm going to assume that likely the person making the quote was joking.

However, they aren't far off the mark.  From day one in my career, I was told the Chief would run my division and my job was to get qualified.  As a new Ensign, you tend to go with whatever you're told (you don't know any better), so that's what I did.

It was a total disaster.  My chief was an 8 year, 1 sea tour chief, and he managed to nearly kill a few Sailors before I finally got my head out of my butt and started paying more scrutiny to what he was doing.

Navy Retention Survey

If you haven't done so already, go take the unofficial Navy retention survey, located here:

http://www.dodretention.org/

Two things before you do:

1. They leave space at the end to ask for questions that weren't asked. Jot down questions you think should have been asked as you take it so that you can easily write that part.
2. They give a free flow text area at the end for additional retention thoughts. Please make it easy on the folks looking at the survey and compose your thoughts before writing. Don't just bitch...we all know there are bad aspects of the Navy, but focus on not just the bad, but how it could be overcome.

Getting your time to scale

(Inspired by: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/04/taking-your-time-doesnt-scale.html)

By it's very nature, time doesn't scale.  You can't "bank" time.  You can't store it.  You can't make more of it.  Time is one of those resources that is always fleeting. 

And yet, it's also one of the most important resources that you have.  While you can't bank it, you do always get more time, since after every second you get more seconds. 

Operational Pause

I managed to get orders to a staff job, and I'm going to the Maritime Staff Operators Course. What's awesome is that I'm getting the chance to focus on operational level of war, rather than the constant admin battle that too often represents the job of a department head. However, it gives me less time to blog, so I'll be on a bit less frequently until the middle of June. I'll still post, but likely only once or twice a week.

Didn't want anyone to think the blog was going away...it's just on a bit of a pause.

Victims' Legal Counsel establishment for Sexual Assault victims

There wasn't much fanfare on this, which is surprising given the focus on sexual assault.  The Navy has opened up multiple legal offices specifically to focus on helping sexual assault victims through the legal process.  More information here:

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/NAVADMINS/NAV2014/NAV14087.txt

Specifically, they are charged with the following:

"6. SCOPE OF REPRESENTATION. VLC WILL FORM AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH ELIGIBLE VICTIMS. ACCORDINGLY, ALL COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN VLC AND THE CLIENT WILL BE CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEGED. VLC WILL ADVISE VICTIMS ON SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTING OPTIONS; PROVIDE LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND ADVICE DURING THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS; ADVOCATE ON THE VICTIM'S BEHALF; REPRESENT THE VICTIM IN MILITARY JUSTICE PROCEEDINGS WHERE THE VICTIM HAS AN INTEREST AND RIGHT TO BE HEARD BY THE COURT; AND PROVIDE OTHER LEGAL ADVICE AND SERVICES CONNECTED WITH A REPORT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. VLC ARE SUBJECT TO AND MUST COMPLY WITH THE RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFERENCE (J)."