This Sunday March 10 at 5pm (don’t forget the time change “spring ahead”) Episode 166: ‘Expeditionary Fleet Balance” on Midrats at Blog Talk Radio:

Do we have the right balance between strike as embodied by carrier air and expeditionary forces based around amphibious ships?

What capability is most cost effective and gives the combatant commanders the most flexible assets in their area of responsibility?

What is driving our Fleet structure, and do we have the right mix? What is informing our decisions, and what should be informing it?

Our guest for the full hour will be Lieutenant Colonel James W. Hammond III, USMC (Ret), senior manager at WBB.

Prior to retirement in 2005, he was Director, Commandant’s Staff Group.

As a starting point for our discussion, we will review his points in the FEB13 Proceedings article, “A Fleet Out of Balance.” Previous published articles and letters in the Naval Institute Proceedings and the Marine Corps Gazette have dealt with Naval Surface Fire Support, Counterbattery support from the Sea, Electronic Attack, Revolution in Military Affairs, and Provisional Rifle Companies.

Listen live (or download later) here or on our iTunes page.

Posted by Eagle1 in Marine Corps, Navy | read comments (0)

From the U.S. Naval Academy:

“It’s our privilege to announce a very special project designed and created at the Naval Academy that should be of great interest to fans around the world. Led by Midshipman Chris O’Keefe (now an Ensign), “A History of the Navy in 100 Objects” premieres today on the Naval Academy website at www.usna.edu/100Objects.  O’Keefe modeled his “100 Objects” after the BBC’s “A History of the World in 100 Objects.” It was while listening to the BBC podcasts that he realized that the Navy didn’t have a similar series about its history and heritage and decided to produce his own.  In his spare time, O’Keefe set about identifying objects in the Naval Academy collections to develop the series, and interviewed experts from the Naval Academy, the Naval Institute and elsewhere about the objects. Navy leaders such as Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Commandant of the Marine Corps James Amos, and former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz provided commentary for the series. Twice a week, for the next 50 weeks, a new object will be released. The first is about the crypt of John Paul Jones. Jones is considered by many to be the founder of the American Navy, and this podcast discusses his contributions to history. Future object podcasts will include the Momsen Lung, deck and hull plates from USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, and a Pearl Harbor bomb arming vane. All of the objects used in the project are located at the Naval Academy, either in the museum, the Archives and Special Collections of Nimitz Library or, like Jones’ crypt, on the grounds of the academy.”

An ambitious project! BZ Ensign O’Keefe and everyone involved!

Posted by admin in Education, History, Innovation, Marine Corps, Naval Institute, Navy | read comments (3)

When I joined the Editorial Board of Proceedings two years ago, I conducted a brief survey of the magazines articles from 1875-1919.  The primary purpose was to determine what ranks were more likely to write for and be published in Proceedings.  The post and results can be found here.

One of the common concerns I’ve heard as Chairman of the Editorial Board is that Proceedings “only publishes articles by Admirals and Generals, especially the CNO.”  I admit that I didn’t know how to answer until recently.  Proceedings receives submissions from most ranks and civilians and while articles published by flag and general officers are sometimes cited by other media, I wanted to know so that I could give an informed answer to people who asked.  Therefore I conducted a new brief survey of articles from Proceedings beginning with the February 2011 issue and concluding with the January 2013 issue.  I tallied the articles based on the rank of the author.  In the case of multiple authors, each author was included in the tabulation.  Articles by regular columnists like Norman Polmar, Norman Friedman, Eric Wertheim, Tom Cutler, and Senior Chief Jim Murphy were not included in the tabulation.

To answer the question at hand, in a two-year period only 1.8 percent of published articles were the product of a service chief – including two by the Chief of Naval Operations, one by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and one by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.  In fact Ensigns and 2^nd Lieutenants (with 2.8 percent) and Lieutenants junior grade and 1^st Lieutenants (with 2.3 percent) published more than the service chiefs.  Of published articles by military personnel, Navy Captains and Marine Colonels were the most prolific with 11.9 percent.  Of all articles published in the past two years, the category “Other” (comprised primarily of OSD/DoN civilians) and “Faculty/Think Tanks” – those whose primary job is to think and write – dominated the pages of Proceedings with 16.5 percent and 16.1 percent respectively.

The Editorial Board reads every article provided to it by the Proceedings editorial staff.  We evaluated each of those articles based primarily on how well the author has developed and supported a particular concept.  We debate the merits of each article and not necessarily who submitted them, although we do look more closely at articles generated by enlisted and junior officers to see what the next generation offers.

Therefore, if you want to be part of the same forum for debate that led young officers like Lieutenant Ernest King to write, if you have a new idea or perspective, if you think you can make the case for that perspective, then I encourage you to write and submit to Proceedings.  Your idea might challenge or support conventional wisdom.  It might be something that no one has thought of – or has taken the time to pen.  It might be an idea on how the sea services improve processes, support people, or modify platforms.  Don’t be satisfied with what “might be.”   Write. Engage. Be part of the debate.  Start the debate.

“Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.”

LCDR Claude Berube, USNR teaches in the History Department of the U.S. Naval Academy and is Chair of the Editorial Board of Naval Institute Proceedings.  He is the author of over thirty articles and the co-author of three books.  The views expressed are his and not those of the Naval Academy or Navy.

Posted by admin in From our Archive, Marine Corps, Naval Institute, Navy, Proceedings | read comments (12)

Unable to attend the 2013 USNI West Conference and Exposition in San Diego last week?

Well, you might have missed some really good information – except that you can still view some of the key presentations and panels by watching them on USNI’s YouTube page and get a summary of each day’s summary here.

Almost like being there except you miss the giveaways at the vendor’s booth.

Also, given that Midrats has Super Bowl “Best of” going this Sunday, it’s a way to get your “talking ’bout National Security” fix.

Posted by Eagle1 in Aviation, China, Cyber, Foreign Policy, Innovation, Marine Corps, Maritime Security, Naval Institute, Navy | read comments (1)

Episode 158: 3rd Anniversary Show 01/13 by Midrats on Blog Talk Radio at 5pm Eastern U.S.:

Join us this Sunday to celebrate Midrat’s 3rd Anniversary with a free-ranging panel discussion with some of your favorite guests from the past three seasons.

Join your hosts Sal from “CDR Salamander” and EagleOne from “EagleSpeak” with regular guests on the panel; Captain Henry J. Hendrix, Jr. USN; Captain Will Dossel, USN (Ret); LCDR Claude Berube, USNR; and YN2 H. Lucien Gauthier, III (SW) USN.

We will be asking each other questions on the above-the-fold subjects of the last year and what we see in the next.

Join in the chat room for to suggest your own questions as well.

Listen in live here or download it later from here or from our iTunes pages here.

Posted by Eagle1 in Coast Guard, Foreign Policy, History, Marine Corps, Maritime Security, Naval Institute, Navy | read comments (0)

Last week, I read one of those books that is impossible to put down.  I read it—devoured it is more like it—in about a night-and-a-half of reading instead of sleeping.  That’s something I don’t do these days, but I had to finish it.

It was weirdly familiar and hard to read, and in many ways it resonated.  It’s called After Action: The True Story of a Cobra Pilot’s Journey, and it was written by Dan Sheehan, a fellow Cobra pilot.  It’s—sort of—a recall/analysis of his time in Iraq in the early days of OIF and a discussion of the aftermath.  I haven’t flown since 2010, but while reading his book, it felt like yesterday.  I could smell the cockpit like the blades had just stopped turning, could feel the switches and gauges under my fingertips again, and remember well the post-mission stupor exacerbated by the dull, strong whomp-whomp of the blades echoing up my back.

Dan is an acquaintance; we both served as instructors at the Fleet Replacement Squadron right before we each left active duty.  I don’t know him incredibly well, but he’s got a stellar reputation and was exceedingly competent.  But that’s not why I hope people read his book.

I hope people read it because what he writes about is important.  Yes, flying is interesting, and he describes what that’s like so expertly and eloquently that it made me physically miss it (as if I didn’t miss it enough already).  So if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to fly and fight a Cobra, he’ll tell you.  But the beauty in this book—if I dare use that word to describe the critical part of his story—is his ability and willingness to stand up and put a face to what so many veterans have experienced and continue to experience.

It’s a book that may not get a huge following, as it’s kind of in its own category.  But if it doesn’t get widely read, then it’s a crying shame.  Despite the fact that we’ve been at war for over a decade, less than 1% of Americans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan (yet many of those endured multiple deployments), and I find myself repeatedly surprised by how few citizens have a real awareness of just what has been happening since 2001.  I want people to read Dan’s book, both those who have served and those who have not.  Those who have might see traces of themselves in his story, and those who have not served need the perspective.  Thank you, Shoe.  Keep writing.

Posted by Jeannette Haynie in Aviation, Marine Corps | read comments (4)

Marine Corps’ 237th Birthday.

Marines.

Don’t leave home without them.

For 237 years, we haven’t.

Posted by Eagle1 in Marine Corps | read comments (1)
Tags: U.S. Marines

I admit that in the past I’ve dreaded this time of year. Not because of Halloween, the fall season, or even the nearing of winter. Nope, I feared the annual arrival of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) leaflet that, without fail, shows up on my desk- even with the door locked- like magic.

The fear isn’t of giving money to a cause but instead the act of doing so. I find that actually filling in the form with a pen is somewhat cumbersome and, well, outdated. In fact, while attempting to fill out the form just today I had some trepidation of doing so for the fact that I may be doing it wrong. If there were only a website I could use…

Enter the modern age of the world wide web and the CFC site CFC Nexus. This was so much easier. The site touts that it only takes about 10 minutes to complete the process- I did it in seven. The hardest part(s) was finding your local donation site on the map or perhaps finding a worthy charity… which is fairly easy (might I suggest the Coast Guard Foundation (10514) or perhaps the Wounded Warrior Project (11425)).

CFC Nexus still allows you to do payroll deduction as most of us have done in the past or you can do a lump sum credit card gift.

So if you haven’t given yet I’d suggest giving the site a try. It’s easy. It’s time saving. It’s the season to give (no, really, it is.)

Posted by Ryan Erickson in Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy | read comments (2)
Tags: by Ryan Erickson, CFC, coast guard foundation, Wounded Warrior Project

This Sunday, 28 October, the Marine Corps Marathon will once again be closing down the streets of Washington, D.C.  Since the MCM began in 1976 it has grown immensely, and over 43,000 runners are registered for the three main events of the weekend.

I’ve run it off-and-on since 1995, between deployments, PCSs, and the births of my children, and have seen it grow from a smaller, simpler race to the massive event that it is today.  Without fail, it always feels amazing to be able to run the marathon in the heart of the beautiful city that D.C. can be, in the middle of fall, around all of the monuments, and surrounded by spectators and friends.  Some things about the MCM have not changed over time: it is still inspiring, it is still entertaining (standing at the start in 2009 with three other current/former Marine Corps helicopter pilots made the Osprey fly-over incredibly fun), and it still possesses the ability to humble me.

The MCM has grown into a mini-reunion of sorts, as those I’ve served with and known over the years fly in town for the run, or sign up for it while stationed here.  I’ve run it on warm, sunny days and on cold, rainy ones, and I’ve run it as a healthy 20-year-old who thought nothing of it and as a 36-year-old with three kids (who thought quite a bit).  I have beaten Al Gore and Oprah Winfrey, and have been beaten by Kermit the Frog, Elvis, and a man with a pot-belly wearing a shirt that read “I hydrated with beer” on the back.  Humorous but humbling.

Fittingly, one aspect of the MCM that has changed is the number and type of groups running for something.  The striking difference about the runners of the MCM is how many are military and how many are running for other servicemembers, whether in memory of friends or family lost over the past decade or in honor of those wounded or currently serving.  No other race I’ve run has that kind of presence.  And the level of commitment, the depth of loss, and the amount of respect is far more humbling than anything I feel physically over the distance.  While there are times that I feel as if most of this country has forgotten that we are and have been a nation at war for 11 years, at the MCM the opposite is true.  From groups like USNA’s Run to Honor and the Travis Manion Foundation to the hundreds (thousands?) of people running with a friend’s name on their shirt, Washington, D.C. looks amazing every year on the last Sunday in October.

I will be running again this weekend as part of Team Beav, a group started by Katy Kerch in 2006 in honor of her brother and my squadron-mate, Major Gerald Bloomfield (“Beav”).  We lost Beav and Major Michael Martino on November 2, 2005, when their Cobra was shot down in Iraq.  Team Beav has grown over the years, and the list of names on the back of our shirts has grown as well.  Katy is an indefatigable woman who has motivated runners and non-runners alike to run the MCM in memory of Beav, raising money for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund along the way.

So if you’re in town and you are running the marathon, I hope you enjoy it.  And if you are in the area but not running, come out to watch.  Rain, shine, or tropical-storm-force winds, the crowds and the energy level will be high.  If you feel as though you have lost faith in America and in her citizens, being part of the MCM on race morning can change that, if only for a few hours.

For those we have lost, I miss you, I remember you, and I will be thinking of you on Sunday morning.  Semper Fi.

Posted by Jeannette Haynie in Marine Corps, Uncategorized | read comments (0)

I had the great pleasure of attending the first day of the Navy Development Warfare Command’s Pacific Rim Innovation Symposium at SPAWAR in San Diego yesterday.  It was an invigorating afternoon of debate, discussion and lectures.  To set the tone, we heard from ADM Haney, PAC FLEET COMMANDER, who challenged us to think, question, debate, read, write and communicate.  We also had the great pleasure of hearing from RADM Terry Kraft, the Commander of NWDC, Navrina Singh, who gave a fascinating talk on innovation at Qualcomm, and Dr. Larry Schuette, who offered some incredible insight to his work supporting innovation and science as the Director of Innovation at the Office of Naval Research.

During our breakout sessions I listened as SPAWAR scientists and the Commanding Officer of the Cape St. George discussed surface warfare innovations and white fleet concerns…needless to say I was very much out of my league, but happy to he apart of the debate even as an active listener.

Today I’ll give a talk on Innovation, as it relates to what I’m calling the small unit eco-system…I’ll post my remarks tonight.

If you have time, tune in for today’s session:  https://www.nwdc.navy.mil/ncoi/pris

It’s events like this that give me great pride in our naval service and a hearty appreciation for the fact that they are leveraging their greatest strength – their people – to change the navy for the better!

On the day after the 237th birthday of the U.S. Navy, and two days after the 139th birthday of the U.S. Naval Institute, this is a wonderful thing indeed!

Posted by Alexander Martin in Innovation, Marine Corps, Maritime Security, Naval Institute, Navy | read comments (0)
Tags: Alexander Martin