Ray Mabus was not without his accomplishments. Do you remember how women in the USN (meter maid) and USMC had distinct covers? In the spirit of equality, men and women now wear the same type of combination covers. So, there!
CDR Sal, you highlight a very important point. Between DDX / DD 1000 and LCS, we have literally squandered 20 years plus of ship building and fleet modernization. I'm almost surprised someone didn't try to shut down the Arleigh Burke lines to continue to fund LCS. Even the Navy couldn't be that lacking judgement, right? Right?.....
Those within the USN who dared to criticize LCS got hammered. Anyone since 2006 who criticized the LCS in print or testimony should be given a parade. The SWO community really owns this one, and it needs to forced to make public amends.
They hand off "little crappy ships" to CO's which are horrible, then fire the CO's because they aren't maintainable. How about we recall to active duty those Flag officer advocates and bust them back to 05? We keep preaching accountability to the rank and file, but there is no accountability for the Flags who demand it from everyone else.
As long as the CNO continues to select and detail fellow Flag officers to their jobs, we will continue to generate yes men/women in those slots. Time to take that process away from the CNO and make records stand on their own, without regard to Flag sponsorship, DEI quotas, or any other outside influence.
An LCS for what in the littorals??? There was never a strategy developed for the thing. Foolish -most of us said at the USNWC back in the early 2000s when Clark came to the College for a visit... But the "powers-to-be" must have seen somthing us O-6s couldn't get our arms around. Further, at the same time, Mike Mullen was running thru the halls of the College and NWDC dumping all over LCS in support of the money grab that big ship construction brings Navy. Again, Foolish.
The idea of a mass-production common hull able to do different missions based on their specific equipment is an excellent idea. The LCS was NEVER it though.
I read this ProPublica report back in September when it came out... nice to see the level of selective accountability in all of this... Back in the day, I had two close friends (JO's) who did their 20 and ended up not making the rank they richly deserved... because they wouldn't compromise their ethics for the sake of doing something a senior officer insisted on that was illegal.
This contributes to why the Navy today has lost its credibility to convince the President and Congress of what is needed to defend our country. The don't believe our leaders - this gives them ample justification. Career in the Navy - read the article and ProPublica - you'll understand why our JOs and Sailors don't want to be part of system that rewards failure and sidelines those who know what needs to be done. Why would you want to commit to 30 years of shoveling uphill? Only if your belief in our country was strong enough to overcome the stank from this sort of thing - and how many believe that strongly today. This is an opportunity for the CNO to clear the decks - surround herself with real talent, find the North Star and navigate there as quickly as possible. I'm not optimistic.
The failure of the LCS was simply put a failure of our leadership. It laid bare the ugly truth of going along to go along. Why is it a problem of moral courage to speak the truth to a senior officer? I thought that was our duty.
The flags made this mess. They perpetuated it. And they wonder why recruitment is down. Lol.
"Especially in unmanned systems and directed energy - the desire to manifest what you want by tightening the blinkers even closer to the head, stuffing more wax in the ears, firing alternative voices … it still exists."
This. It's a major problem with unmanned systems, in particular. Much of the problem comes from the fact that the handful of people with real expertise in unmanned systems find it VERY hard to get promoted.
Pro tip: If you don't have BAMS-D operational experience, you do not get promoted to command PMA-263, be the MQ-4 Class Desk...and I'd be wary of PEO U&W. For one damned time, let Scars Earn Stars.
In the wake of the double-barreled disasters of A-12 and Tailhook, Naval Aviation went on the Big Navy Excrement List. Budgets got cut, opportunities for promotion beyond Rear Admiral evaporated. NAVAIR straightened itself out, at least in part.
Ray Mabus was not without his accomplishments. Do you remember how women in the USN (meter maid) and USMC had distinct covers? In the spirit of equality, men and women now wear the same type of combination covers. So, there!
CDR Sal, you highlight a very important point. Between DDX / DD 1000 and LCS, we have literally squandered 20 years plus of ship building and fleet modernization. I'm almost surprised someone didn't try to shut down the Arleigh Burke lines to continue to fund LCS. Even the Navy couldn't be that lacking judgement, right? Right?.....
Those within the USN who dared to criticize LCS got hammered. Anyone since 2006 who criticized the LCS in print or testimony should be given a parade. The SWO community really owns this one, and it needs to forced to make public amends.
They hand off "little crappy ships" to CO's which are horrible, then fire the CO's because they aren't maintainable. How about we recall to active duty those Flag officer advocates and bust them back to 05? We keep preaching accountability to the rank and file, but there is no accountability for the Flags who demand it from everyone else.
As long as the CNO continues to select and detail fellow Flag officers to their jobs, we will continue to generate yes men/women in those slots. Time to take that process away from the CNO and make records stand on their own, without regard to Flag sponsorship, DEI quotas, or any other outside influence.
three words: "Soviet level dysfunction" Full Stop!
The LCS' do have use in the Red Sea...They'd make nifty reefs
I'll say it again trying to make lemonade out of aluminum cans shaped like little ships.
We should give the Philippines a couple of LCS for their reef-squatting missions
An LCS for what in the littorals??? There was never a strategy developed for the thing. Foolish -most of us said at the USNWC back in the early 2000s when Clark came to the College for a visit... But the "powers-to-be" must have seen somthing us O-6s couldn't get our arms around. Further, at the same time, Mike Mullen was running thru the halls of the College and NWDC dumping all over LCS in support of the money grab that big ship construction brings Navy. Again, Foolish.
The idea of a mass-production common hull able to do different missions based on their specific equipment is an excellent idea. The LCS was NEVER it though.
I read this ProPublica report back in September when it came out... nice to see the level of selective accountability in all of this... Back in the day, I had two close friends (JO's) who did their 20 and ended up not making the rank they richly deserved... because they wouldn't compromise their ethics for the sake of doing something a senior officer insisted on that was illegal.
This contributes to why the Navy today has lost its credibility to convince the President and Congress of what is needed to defend our country. The don't believe our leaders - this gives them ample justification. Career in the Navy - read the article and ProPublica - you'll understand why our JOs and Sailors don't want to be part of system that rewards failure and sidelines those who know what needs to be done. Why would you want to commit to 30 years of shoveling uphill? Only if your belief in our country was strong enough to overcome the stank from this sort of thing - and how many believe that strongly today. This is an opportunity for the CNO to clear the decks - surround herself with real talent, find the North Star and navigate there as quickly as possible. I'm not optimistic.
Pain!!!
The failure of the LCS was simply put a failure of our leadership. It laid bare the ugly truth of going along to go along. Why is it a problem of moral courage to speak the truth to a senior officer? I thought that was our duty.
The flags made this mess. They perpetuated it. And they wonder why recruitment is down. Lol.
Try re-reading the article. One ID'ed there.
From here on forward, naming and shamming needs to be the standard when speaking of LCS-
Vern Clark
Ray Mabus
Robert Work
Jonathan Greenert
Their names need to be held in contempt and derision for the mess they created.
"Especially in unmanned systems and directed energy - the desire to manifest what you want by tightening the blinkers even closer to the head, stuffing more wax in the ears, firing alternative voices … it still exists."
This. It's a major problem with unmanned systems, in particular. Much of the problem comes from the fact that the handful of people with real expertise in unmanned systems find it VERY hard to get promoted.
Pro tip: If you don't have BAMS-D operational experience, you do not get promoted to command PMA-263, be the MQ-4 Class Desk...and I'd be wary of PEO U&W. For one damned time, let Scars Earn Stars.
In the wake of the double-barreled disasters of A-12 and Tailhook, Naval Aviation went on the Big Navy Excrement List. Budgets got cut, opportunities for promotion beyond Rear Admiral evaporated. NAVAIR straightened itself out, at least in part.
The surface community needs the same treatment.