In February 1996, the wardroom of the USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) convened for the first time to meet with retired Rear Admiral Wayne Meyer, the “Father of Aegis.” The ship would not be commissioned until 17 April 1997, but the opportunity presented itself. Both the commanding officer (CO) and the executive officer (XO, then Lieutenant Commander Stephen F. Davis Jr.), who knew the admiral, felt the meeting could be a catalyst in forging a disparate collection of officers into a cohesive wardroom.

The result was a remarkable event that went beyond the significance of building an Aegis destroyer. The conversation went to the core of what it means to be a naval officer and warfighter. The remarks and commentary that follow remain relevant 25 years later; in fact, they are probably even more relevant as the Navy accelerates its focus on great power competition and the demands of high-end war at sea.

What follows is a condensed version of the memorandum written by this author just after the session on 26 February 1996. A selection of the admiral’s remarks is offered, each followed by comments intended to highlight their relevance to the day-to-day life as a shipboard surface warfare officer.

The Bobby Jones Story

“In 1938, a neighbor—Bobby Jones—was given the choice of going to jail or joining the Navy. He chose the latter. Twenty weeks later, this guy came back from boot camp. A remarkable transition had taken place. He who was once a bum and loser was now a hero. What a transformation! Bobby Jones was subsequently killed in action during the war.”

Comments:

• The Navy is a transforming organization. We take young men and women off the streets and make them into something special. That shows the remarkably sound raw material our society has to offer, and what an organization built on courage, honor, and commitment can give an individual in terms of self-pride and dedication to something beyond themselves. We show these young men and women—and the United States at large—what is great about this country through the sailors that man our ships.
• As officers, it is incumbent on us to nurture our sailors, to reinforce the image a rural town in Missouri had of Bobby Jones with our crew, and, above all, to take care of our people. Earn their respect and their affection, and make their priorities your priorities.

Avoid the Wisdom of Hindsight

“In real time things don’t look so obvious—they only look obvious 50 years later.”

Comments:

• Don’t judge decisions of the past from the lofty perspective of the present. Admiral Meyer was talking of the decision to drop atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. But you can also look to any number of examples from war. For instance, Captain Gilbert C. Hoover of the cruiser USS Helena (CL-50) was censured after the Battle of Guadalcanal for opening fire too early, leaving the scene of action, and failing to pickup survivors from the cruiser USS Juneau ([CL-52], including the five Sullivan brothers). He continues to be judged harshly today. Yet, how can we who were not there, who have never experienced the awful mental and physical toll of sustained combat, who did not see shipmates dying, and who can only partially understand the perspective of those dark months presume to judge? What information he had, what experiences colored his judgment, and how tired he was all come into play. They can never be fully known.
• What can we learn from this? War is chaos, and to prevail we must be able to make decisions quickly on scanty information. Somehow, we must have the confidence in ourselves and in our shipmates to act in uncertainty. This is not an easy task and requires dedicated effort before the event. Simplicity is also a key element here. As Arleigh Burke said, plans must be kept simple, not because people are incapable of understanding them, but because they must be readily understood and acted on by exhausted people in the midst of chaos.
• Clausewitz said that everything in war is simple, but the simplest things are difficult. This is what Admiral Meyer was telling us. The fog of war surrounds everything we do. Don’t judge others too harshly and prepare yourself and your sailors by the most rigorous training.

Miss Edith—The Teacher

“Miss Edith didn’t know where we were going, but she knew she had to prepare us.”

Comments:

• This vignette tells of the importance of preparation in the face of an unknown future. Preparation is more than just rote memorization—it has to inculcate the individual’s (and the team’s) ability to apply principals to unique and unforeseen situations.
• A perfect example of how theoretical training can prepare us for an unknown future lies in simple math. If all we learn is that the differential of X² is 2X, then we will be unable to handle the differential of X³. In engineering, we are taught the theory behind differential calculus so we can handle myriad challenges in real life. Likewise, as officers if we only learn the systems and techniques we are responsible for, then we may not be able to know how to use them when the unexpected arises. A broader understanding of naval warfare and the “whys” of our business enables us to effectively handle the unexpected when it comes.
• The unexpected is the norm in war.
• The admiral was suggesting that we need to prepare for known requirements—true—but also for the unknown. Once again, we see the need for a much higher level of training than is customary. We don’t know what we will be called on to do, but we had better prepare for it now.

Independence at Sea

“What makes naval officers special is the character that grows from independence at sea, living by your own wits day in and day out, and the teamwork that is required to succeed.”

Comments:

• Naval officers are different than their counterparts ashore. The difference between peacetime steaming and combat is slight. About 85 percent of our effort in combat is simply getting there—getting underway, steaming swiftly and safely to the scene of battle, and ensuring our systems are fully operational at all times. The last 15 percent is simply the cream on top.
• Through the weeks and months we operate at sea, we learn the skills of seamanship, operations, and teamwork that will be essential in combat. Our philosophy has always been so. We steam long hours, sometimes with little apparent purpose. But in all that, we are learning, gaining confidence, and acquiring a familiarity with the sea. A navy that does not sail—be it the French in the Napoleonic Wars or the Soviets in the Cold War—cannot learn these things.
• On the other hand, the last 15 percent of what we do is what we must prepare hard for, because an 85 percent grade is a failure in this school. That is why we must learn the art of war, specifically the art of naval war.
• A ship is unlike any other organization. When the CO says right full rudder, the whole goes right—comms, sensors, weapons, support, and facilities. “The actions of each of us affect the lives of all of us.”

Being a Leader

“Every day people are turning to you . . .”

Comments:

• We are the leaders in the ship. The crew looks to us for example and for standards. It requires forethought, integrity, and human concern to be the kind of leader needed in the Navy. It is part of our commitment to make decisions and to help at our level if we can, without bucking the issue up the chain of command. You will someday have independent command where there is no one to turn to. Prepare yourselves now for that day and your people will truly respect you.
• Clausewitz wrote that in war the willingness of the whole to continue rests on the shoulders of the commander. If, as things deteriorate, the commander flinches, the whole is lost. A previously cohesive and well-disciplined army turns into a panicked mob. The same can happen on a ship in combat—either against a human enemy or natural disaster. The commander in this sense is the one in charge—the CO, the officer of the deck, the engineering officer of the watch, etc.
• As leaders we are charged with stopping the buck with us.

Making it Work

“You’re just going to have to Indian-wrestle the damn things to pieces.”

Comments:

• As some pointed out during the offsite, we are in the midst of significant social transformations. A look at the mixed composition of our crew is the obvious example. We cannot ignore the issues. We must confront them squarely and wisely.
• Our philosophy goes a long way to solving the complex issues we face. If the crew understands our mission and the qualities needed to survive in combat, then many of the issues become less threatening and more solvable.
• We must and will resolve issues as a team of professionals.

Courage

“You never know if you’ve got it until you are called on.”

Comments:

• You see it in the better war movies. The new guy is worried that he does not have the courage to prevail. In the end, he rises to the occasion.
• What motivates people to do heroic things in battle is an interesting subject. Throughout history, though, one common thread has been commitment to one’s comrades. Once again, we come to trust and cohesion.
• How can you best prepare for combat? First, stay physically fit through exercise and good diet. Second, learn your systems and watch station until they become second nature. Third, constantly challenge yourself with “what ifs.” Fourth, and most important, read history.
• Become familiar with what has happened in the past so that you come to understand the nature of combat as best you can during peace, and so that you can always place your events in context.

Getting Ready

“Prepare every day . . .”

Comments:

• This is the big “what if” drill. If you are not challenging your watch and yourself to think about the emergency that has not yet happened, then you are not getting ready. When it does happen, you might freeze of even just delay an instant. That can mean the difference between life and death—if not for you then, worse, for one of your sailors.
• Think about the unexpected: fire, flood, casualty, loss of rudder, object close aboard, man overboard. Drill to handle these, and when the time comes you will.
• In relating this, Admiral Meyer stressed why it was so important to him. His first CO had been on board the cruiser Helena when she was sunk at the Battle of Kula Gulf in 1943. The event occurred after we had learnt of the superior and deadly Japanese Long Lance torpedo. Through error and over-aggressiveness, Helena stumbled into a torpedo spread fired by a defeated and retreating enemy. Admiral Meyer’s CO had been there and understood the need for split-second action. Decisions in these circumstances must be made as much on instinct as on rational thought. You just have to act.
• To build such judgment is first of all essential, and second, requires repetition and active participation on your part.

Human Nature & War

“It is amazing what is inside of people. The Creator has put a lot into every human being. . . . To prepare, you have to have the practice and discipline to steel yourselves to it.”

Comments:

• We went into World War II convinced of the inferiority of the Japanese. We did likewise to the Koreans in 1950 and the Vietnamese in the 1960s. Desert Storm taught us that the Iraqis are certainly inferior—and while we’re at it, so are all the third-world militaries. Obviously, these are the wrong lessons.
• The admiral was referring to a group of Bosnian Serbs who chose to become refugees rather than submit to the rule of Bosnian Muslims. If that does not sound the alarm within each of us, then we are not paying attention. The world is a grim place.
• Third-world leaders are smart people—that’s why they are still alive. They watch, they learn, and they are ruthless managers of power. The next war will not be like Desert Storm. To prepare, we must learn the theory of war, and we must become familiar with the people around the world who we might someday fight.
• War is the clash of actively opposed wills. As such, defeating the enemy’s will is the key to victory. To do that, we have to have some understanding of that enemy’s culture and psyche.

Learn While You Can

“You have to spend a lot of time on your second nature.”

Comments:

• Again, the admiral is counseling us to learn all we can when we have the time—hone judgment so that when the situation occurs, chaos abounds, and all is uncertain, we are able to act.
• Train yourselves and your sailors to be decision makers. Once they master the basics, throw ambiguity at them. Make them adapt—force them to make decisions in uncertainty.
• Clausewitz wrote that the experienced commander has a sort of inward eye that allows him to sense the battlefield. We too develop this Coup d’Oeil as we get trained. The problem is that we are too inefficient in building our training level so that we never reach that plateau.

FitReps and the Team

“The problem with the Navy is that every officer works for himself. The FitRep system sets each against the other.”

Comments:

• This is a reality with which we all must contend. If, however, we emphasize the importance of teamwork in our evaluations, we can offset the negative competitiveness that is part of our system.
• Part of commitment is doing what is right. As our commitment to the ship, the Navy, and each other grows, hopefully we will all work for something beyond just ourselves.

Aegis and the Kamikaze

“Your ship solves the problem of Okinawa.”

Comments:

• The Navy’s bloodiest battle was the battle for Okinawa in 1945. Why? Because the Japanese had invented the manned cruise missile—the Kamikaze—and it wreaked havoc on the invasion fleet.
• In the 1950s the Navy sacrificed its surface strike capability to acquire the ability to defeat missiles. The Sullivans is a direct result of that effort—a direct descendent of ships such as the USS Boston (CA-69) and Little Rock (CL-92).
• We now have our strike capability back too, and this greatly complicates our mission. In the near future, we will be fielding enhancements in our ability to strike ashore in support of troops engaged in combat.
• As our missions multiply, we must therefore master more than ships were required to do in the past. The day of the surface combatant as solely an escort is gone. We are now the tip of the spear, as much as any aircraft squadron or submarine. This requires a new philosophy wherein we are first and foremost tacticians. Administration and management must resume their proper places lower down the ladder.

Warfare Areas

“Strike and AAW are different. In strike, you are told to launch a Tomahawk at 1005 and 27 seconds tomorrow morning. In AAW, you are told to expect an air attack between 0600 and 0600. That is incredibly stressful.”

Comments:

• Admiral Meyer here touches on the difference between the offensive and the defensive. In the former, we have the initiative, which reduces the impact of uncertainty. In the latter, the initiative rests with the enemy.
• Our challenge is to be able to do both, with little transition between peace and war. We must develop within us the ability to wrest the initiative from the enemy and to destroy his attacks. Once again, this will require judgment honed to instinct. It will require a mastery of our systems—which is the only way to innovate in today’s battlefield.
• The challenge is thus laid before your feet. You can live up to it, but it will require a lot of work and a lot of leadership.

No Sanctuary

“There is no harbor; there is no sanctuary. You are at risk all the time.”

Comments:

• The littoral environment represents a 24-hour-a-day, 360-degree threat. When operating forward we can never relax our vigilance. More importantly, we can never assume we are at peace. We will operate with missiles enabled, guns loaded, and keys distributed.
• Getting to the point where we can react swiftly and accurately to a threat without unnecessarily igniting an international incident or undoing our national policy will be the prime focus of this ship over the coming year. These conditions drive our philosophy and should excite in you a drive for the highest of standards, a dedication to the most rigorous of training, and, of course, a sense of adventure, challenge, fun, and satisfaction the likes of which you have never experienced.

In his talk with the wardroom of The Sullivans, Admiral Meyer did unprecedented service. His experience and insight, borne of many years in the breech, held much wisdom for us beginners. The world has changed much since 1996, but human nature remains the same. So too does the relevance of the wisdom the admiral offered. Take heed of what he said, steel yourselves to the responsibilities implicit in his stories, and when the time comes, you too will be equal to the challenge.