Posted on 03/14/2010 11:46:52 AM PDT by Nachum
Standing on the bridge of her warship with the ocean before her and a crew of men awaiting her command, the future looked fantastic for Captain Holly Graf, the first American to take charge of a US Navy cruiser.
She came from a respected naval family - her father was also a captain and her brother-in-law an Admiral - and she raced up through the ranks. Capt Graf seemed to have the toughness and qualities needed to take her to the very top - brilliant at seamanship, fiercely determined, and a thinker with an outstanding academic record who was at last showing that the US Navy could produce female commanders as good as their male comrades.
As she left harbour in the Mediterranean early in 2003 there was more riding on her shoulders than simply the command of the U.S.S. Winston S Churchill and her crew. She was a role model, opening the Navy's higher echelons to female officers, and helping to make up for a history of sexual and gender problems such as the Tailhook scandal in 1991 when aviators assaulted dozens of women.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
the first American {woman?} to take charge of a US Navy cruiser.
“UN Navy crew’s mutiny...”
And apparently it was crewed by the UN.
They need to fire the proofreaders at this particular paper.
IMHO, that ought to be mentioned, along with her "personality" problems. It's possible they were a cover for her very poor seamanship. (I.E., if that's still a word ... if not try sealesbianship.)
Nick Allen, you lie!
“They need to fire the proofreaders at this particular paper.”
They might have already.
Wow, misleading article title, gross mistakes in the text - the Telegraph started hiring from The Sun?
Well, maybe not quite as good as most. She and the other "Captain Queeg" just didn't measure up, now, did they?
It’s not mentioned in this particular article, but Graf is supposed to have thrown coffee cups - the ceramic mug kind - at one or more junior officers. There is also the claim that she humiliated a Chief, a Master Chief, by putting him in “Time Out” in the middle of a control room for several hours.
OTOH, she could bery well have been promotes to that position for the sole purpose to prove women shouldn’t be captains of ships. They knew for years what she was like and rushed to give her a ship. Why her and why at that time?
I read in a prior story about when a new officer relieved her from a prior ship, as soon as that officer said the word “relieved” the entire ship cheered.
Sorry but I don’t think it’s just a few people that have it in for her. AS the author would like us to believe. I read prior stories about her behavior towards lower officers and I believe her style of command, training and motivation revolved around fear, humiliation, and yelling expletives at people. That’s what she think passes for being a captain. To each their own, but combine it with a “I’m never wrong, people are out to get me” attitude and what happened to her is not an unexpected outcome.
I don’t know about the navy; but, I’ve seen her type in the Army. They ‘crack up’ under mild pressure and blame subordinates.
Its partially an organizational problem, because this attitude comes from the top down. In the Army, the crack up comes at the O-3 level, company commander. It is at this level that responsibility is not matched by control over your subordinates (for example, your senior NCO’s are ‘rated’ by your boss, instead of yourself). Some people just could not handle the pressure.
However, many people did cope with it and were fine leaders, so I’m not excusing her actions at all.
“She was a role model, opening the Navy’s higher echelons to female officers, and helping to make up for a history of sexual and gender problems such as the Tailhook scandal in 1991 when aviators assaulted dozens of women.”
Some role model she proved to be.
It hasn’t “just been her”. She is one of six ship commanders to be relieved in the last year. 5 are guys.
The investigation report was posted here last week. She repeatedly ‘disciplined’ her XO and other junior officers in front of the crew. Discipline and behavior correction included calling them f’n idiots.
Keelhaul her!
I've heard women say things that would trigger a physical fight if said by one man to another, expecting to be protected by their sex.
I just don't think that most women should be in positions of absolute command, it is contrary to human nature.
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