tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438008.post5198184924068631593..comments2024-03-27T06:40:56.148-04:00Comments on EagleSpeak: "How to Make the Navy Bigger, Sooner, Cheaper" -A Revisit to 2008Mark Tempesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18172703868541571574noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438008.post-59695994340286722142013-12-12T08:48:55.830-05:002013-12-12T08:48:55.830-05:00Right on Shadow. JO command is what can make an of...Right on Shadow. JO command is what can make an officer--provided he listens to his Chiefs. Zero defects is good in nukes but no way to learn the business.Captain Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17297301009511642108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438008.post-83644200841882976832013-12-11T12:22:57.560-05:002013-12-11T12:22:57.560-05:00At the accepted peril of becoming somewhat tangent...At the accepted peril of becoming somewhat tangential, I never did get the reason for dismantling the COOP proram. It couldn't have been that all expensive to run and provided a valuable service in regular bottom conditioning of our ports (for those outside the mine warfare racket, this helps differentiate real mines from old shopping carts and 55 gallon drums being used in the drug dealer retirement program), plus a wealth of local knowledge for the ports they covered. Also kept seamanship and operational skills sharp for the crews.<br /><br />JOs in command, while some may find this a bizarre notion it should be remembered that mid-grade and senior officers in command of small combatants is a fairly recent development. A friend's father commanded an LST as a JG during WWII and I knew several guys who had commanded DEs and the like as LTs. Biggest flaw I see in your plan is the lack of flag staffs, since there is a shortage of those (kidding, they managed to run WWII with less than 30 admirals, including the staff corps and that was a 5000 ship navy, I've seen little in the small to medium combatant world that would require much more than an LT or LCDR in command, with CDR and CAPT commodores). <br /><br />It would also be good to get way from the zero defects mentality. Used to be if you kissed the pier, you drew a bosun's chair and painting supplies then went overside and fixed the 1st LTs paint work, now it seems to be a major crisis. I suspect that this breeds overly cautious JOs and coupled with an over-reliance on single systems (eg. USS Port Royal) has reduced our overall capability.<br /><br />ShadowAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438008.post-52042847779087782182013-12-11T11:13:15.244-05:002013-12-11T11:13:15.244-05:00Good stuff. I really do wish that we had the visio...Good stuff. I really do wish that we had the vision at the top and the intestinal fortitude to try what you recommend. Full disclosure: I had a LT command (AOG) and it made my career despite the risks I was warned about.Captain Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17297301009511642108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438008.post-58787720889033471602013-12-11T08:35:56.731-05:002013-12-11T08:35:56.731-05:00The USCG is already really good at the second half...The USCG is already really good at the second half of this. They suck at procurement, but they're great at boardings and interdiction (not to mention they can actually do that in a lot of places the USN can't). Forget the fleet marines, stick a USCG LEDET on each ship.elendil004https://www.blogger.com/profile/01102989863807084853noreply@blogger.com