The current (female) NWC President was appointed with the strong connivance (if not outright direction) of the current regime. What else would one expect to be the result? Our "Progressive" masters believe in an all of government approach to their agenda. A politically neutral and professional military is anathema to them. Where better to start the rot than at the War Colleges?
Appears the purge started under Obama admin has nearly completed. Only compliant people need bother apply. The people running things now in large part either are aligned with this administration and largely went through high school during the Clinton era post cold war and are more in tune with feelings and tolerance of all immorality which translates across to many other things. There are probably mid level people and older professors there who have some real heartburn over what has changed there but being compliant and under the thumbs of the upper leadership dare not say anything or have basically acquired a sort of stockholm syndrome. We aren't shaping war fighters who can win against a enemy with near parity and we are fixing to get our clocks cleaned if this trend continues. When irrelevant traits and backgrounds trump merit and ability, you are picking for losers not winners. Here we are administering a social program, not a winning military.
The problem is this... US Naval War College has transformed into just another run-of-the-mill, mediocre US College. Aside from a flag or photograph hanging here & there, it is not Naval. It does not teach War. It fails at its mission of Naval War. Long ago, it ceased being a venue of martial virtues. Now it is just another New England liberal arts school, sitting upon valuable waterside real estate, where some of the grads might actually read Thucydides and Sun Tzu. I'd hate to sell it all off for another Newport housing development, but unless a new school/Navy/DOD/Presidential administration mucks it out like Hercules in the Stables, the place is better off as another expanse of McMansions. At least, then, the property will generate tax revenue.
Well, NWC's focus probably shouldn't surprise us when you look at the overall USN social media. All along I haven't seen fanfare about the extended CSG, war shots, etc. but plenty of social media about Pacific Partnership, readiness in the Pacific, training, exercises... Either INDOPACOM has the monopoly on the social media time, or there's a hesitance to showcase that work
Thank you Sal for this useful analysis of something I would never thing to analyze.
As a part of a for-profit commercial enterprise, I look at all sorts of data to try to understand patterns, draw conclusions, decide on future courses of action.
You have identified a major institution's apparent blindness / complicity toward an emerging issue >> danger. At the helm of a ship, that's bad seamanship.
In ~2050, it will be fascinating to think back on 2000-2020 and ask "which side's long game was more impactful at determining the future of America: conservatives' play to lock-up a multi-decade SCOTUS majority or the progressives' near total capture of institutions and academia?"
As a graduate and former NWC deputy PAO, let me answer where maritime affairs and strategy are: it's in the curriculum and the war gaming department. Lectures of Opportunity are designed to compliment "thought" and many times designed to challenge it (ie a minority voice). To grade NWC by their You Tube channel is missing the forest through the trees. Glad to see Chatham House rule is alive and well for Qs and As. While NOT part of the NWC Lecture of Opportunity series, the NWC Library's "Eight Bells" series fits more into the Maritime Strategy realm, thought they typically don't focus on current events. I look forward to reading your reports. That is certainly something NWC alums should do more of. Keep writing (and ranting).
What a mess! I’m becoming more and more convinced that fixing the services may demand mass firings in the Flag ranks and among the SES. At a minimum, it will require a SECNAV and CNO who are grimly determined to make the Navy into a proper fighting force.
I wonder a bit if some areas have been moved over to the classified domain. If so, it has a detrimental effect on the morale of their interested base of support. I also highly doubt that's the reason we see the mass of mumbo jumbo over the guts like we used to see. I think this issue likely resides everywhere. Certainly Naval Postgraduate School has lost some of its luster too. The LMAAAC concept seems to be the only ship concept anyone has been pushing the past few years out of there and its a concept badly in need of some work.
Close the Naval War College, now.
The current (female) NWC President was appointed with the strong connivance (if not outright direction) of the current regime. What else would one expect to be the result? Our "Progressive" masters believe in an all of government approach to their agenda. A politically neutral and professional military is anathema to them. Where better to start the rot than at the War Colleges?
Appears the purge started under Obama admin has nearly completed. Only compliant people need bother apply. The people running things now in large part either are aligned with this administration and largely went through high school during the Clinton era post cold war and are more in tune with feelings and tolerance of all immorality which translates across to many other things. There are probably mid level people and older professors there who have some real heartburn over what has changed there but being compliant and under the thumbs of the upper leadership dare not say anything or have basically acquired a sort of stockholm syndrome. We aren't shaping war fighters who can win against a enemy with near parity and we are fixing to get our clocks cleaned if this trend continues. When irrelevant traits and backgrounds trump merit and ability, you are picking for losers not winners. Here we are administering a social program, not a winning military.
Where can I return my NWC diploma?
An incredible waste of taxpayer resources and the potential of an institution that fought the Pacific War 20 years before Pearl Harbor.
And they wonder why their recruiting numbers are in the commode?
The problem is this... US Naval War College has transformed into just another run-of-the-mill, mediocre US College. Aside from a flag or photograph hanging here & there, it is not Naval. It does not teach War. It fails at its mission of Naval War. Long ago, it ceased being a venue of martial virtues. Now it is just another New England liberal arts school, sitting upon valuable waterside real estate, where some of the grads might actually read Thucydides and Sun Tzu. I'd hate to sell it all off for another Newport housing development, but unless a new school/Navy/DOD/Presidential administration mucks it out like Hercules in the Stables, the place is better off as another expanse of McMansions. At least, then, the property will generate tax revenue.
Maybe they can get Taylor Swift to appear in a video...
Well, NWC's focus probably shouldn't surprise us when you look at the overall USN social media. All along I haven't seen fanfare about the extended CSG, war shots, etc. but plenty of social media about Pacific Partnership, readiness in the Pacific, training, exercises... Either INDOPACOM has the monopoly on the social media time, or there's a hesitance to showcase that work
"These are not serious people" This is to be expected.
A friend and former colleague just suggested I apply to renew my clearance; my reply can be abbreviated as N.F.W.
Thank you Sal for this useful analysis of something I would never thing to analyze.
As a part of a for-profit commercial enterprise, I look at all sorts of data to try to understand patterns, draw conclusions, decide on future courses of action.
You have identified a major institution's apparent blindness / complicity toward an emerging issue >> danger. At the helm of a ship, that's bad seamanship.
In ~2050, it will be fascinating to think back on 2000-2020 and ask "which side's long game was more impactful at determining the future of America: conservatives' play to lock-up a multi-decade SCOTUS majority or the progressives' near total capture of institutions and academia?"
As a graduate and former NWC deputy PAO, let me answer where maritime affairs and strategy are: it's in the curriculum and the war gaming department. Lectures of Opportunity are designed to compliment "thought" and many times designed to challenge it (ie a minority voice). To grade NWC by their You Tube channel is missing the forest through the trees. Glad to see Chatham House rule is alive and well for Qs and As. While NOT part of the NWC Lecture of Opportunity series, the NWC Library's "Eight Bells" series fits more into the Maritime Strategy realm, thought they typically don't focus on current events. I look forward to reading your reports. That is certainly something NWC alums should do more of. Keep writing (and ranting).
"Genocide Studies" is figuring out how to do it better, silly woman!
The state of the world reminds me of a favorite singing group when I was in High School"
What a mess! I’m becoming more and more convinced that fixing the services may demand mass firings in the Flag ranks and among the SES. At a minimum, it will require a SECNAV and CNO who are grimly determined to make the Navy into a proper fighting force.
I wonder a bit if some areas have been moved over to the classified domain. If so, it has a detrimental effect on the morale of their interested base of support. I also highly doubt that's the reason we see the mass of mumbo jumbo over the guts like we used to see. I think this issue likely resides everywhere. Certainly Naval Postgraduate School has lost some of its luster too. The LMAAAC concept seems to be the only ship concept anyone has been pushing the past few years out of there and its a concept badly in need of some work.