Posted on 07/28/2008 8:19:12 PM PDT by GATOR NAVY
On this one evolution we were steaming with another LST. We were senior. My Captain told me always to remember I am now OOD of a ship 500 yards wide and 2,000 yards long. The flag staff may have forgotten that principle. However, it doesn’t mitigate as far as the Navy is concerned.
.....
The amazing thing is he let me keep my job.
I suspect these two facts are connected. Having enough sense to realise when you are (if you'll forgive the expression in the circumstances) out of your depth makes a lot of difference to someone's potential. I could forgive most things, myself, from a subordinate who realised when it was time to ask for help. I had little patience for those who tried to bluff their way through it.
Again?
Yep! any sailor that says that is a Fool! or never takes his boat off the mooring:-P
I’d love to see Axelrod’s Parrot try his hand at sailing a 34 ft Sabre or any other, it would be a pathetic comedy show and yet the Parrot Putz is running for CIC!! RIDICULOUS!!
A Greek cruise ship ran aground off Nantucket a few years ago, in clear weather at night. The passengers were evacuated by boat and crew was interviewed on local TV news. The officer on watch at the time of the grounding complained that he was watching TV at the time and for some reason the cable to GPS antenna was loose and the ship steered itself on to the beach.
The Coast Guard’s Captain of the Port of Boston, sent a prize crew by helicopter and ordered the officers off the ship, taking control of it. (Whether or not he cleared it with higher ups, I know not.) He was interviewed on local TV, saying that you cannot depend on electronic navigation and you “need to look out the window”.
I’m sure this case was different. Message is the same, you cannot depend electronic navigation. Or subordinates.
For the sake of someone unfamiliar with Naval operations, could someone please explain what a well-deck drill is?
Ok let me see if I have this right... the Gator Navy steams around in a BOX at 5 kts all day long and then hits dirt???!! :-) The CO is totally and inescapably responsible for everything that happens on the ship and ultimately takes the fall for all collisons and groundings... “however slight”. I agree the NaviGATOR, XO (training) and probably Ops will all be looking for jobs soon.
You had the brains to call the captain! The theory is you gotta let your crew make decisions and make mistakes — it’s how they learn — but never let their mistakes become the ship’s mistakes. I always asked myself “is it safe and will it work?” Hard to do as a captain but worth it in the long run because you get a well trained crew. A CO doesn’t sleep much at sea.
Great story, great officer. I’m sure it rubbed off on you.
ALL Navy CO’s will not dress you down if you call them to the bridge for assistance. Your mistake, he pays for it.
What a great story. What a good example of a good leader.
Too bad he didn’t run into a channel bouy instead
From USNEWS April 18, 2008
It was a tenacity that would serve [ADM] Mullen [CJCS] well again a short time later when, as a lieutenant with his first command, his ship hit a buoy in a channel. “My career virtually ended,” says Mullen. “I got a completely unsatisfactory evaluation.” He figures it set his career back 11 years.
Fascinating thread. I am trying to wrap my mind around the idea that it takes 391 sailors and 22 officers to ferry 500 marines around. I mean, think about it - the purpose of the ship is to be a taxi and floating hotel.
With 391 sailors, do the marines get room service?
I agree with you. It’s counter-intuitive, but recognizing that you’re in over your head and deciding to tell your superior about it takes initiative.
The Capt in charge of the squardon of DDs was BEACH, I served on the USS TRITON with his son in the erly 1960s. It was blindly following the lead ship that did them in.
By commercial standards, Navy ships are always overmanned. That's because the Navy figures casualties and damage control ops into the manpower requirements.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.