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There's just nothing positive for the Navy's 7th Fleet. While complaining is the right of the enlisted, there's clearly a pattern of bad command climate, the bosses knew it but, soft-peddled it.

https://www.navytimes.com/news...e-on-cruiser-shiloh/

quote:
“I just pray we never have to shoot down a missile from North Korea,” a distraught sailor lamented, “because then our ineffectiveness will really show.”

...These comments come from three command climate surveys taken on the cruiser Shiloh during Capt. Adam M. Aycock’s recently-completed 26-month command. The Japan-based ship is a vital cog in U.S. ballistic missile defense and the 7th Fleet’s West Pacific mission to deter North Korea and counter ascendant Chinese and Russian navies.

These comments are not unique. Each survey runs hundreds of pages, with crew members writing anonymously of dysfunction from the top, suicidal thoughts, exhaustion, despair and concern that the Shiloh was being pushed underway while vital repairs remained incomplete.

...“The large number of lengthy comments from the respondents is not normal and the number of consistently negative comments is shocking.”

Such reports always include some disgruntled sailors, but Lovely said he had never seen it at the Shiloh’s level.

...Hoffman, another retired skipper, said there are very few signs that the surveys were briefed to Aycock’s bosses.

“If it did, it certainly didn’t have any positive result,” Hoffman said. “The comments in the later surveys suggest that the Captain became even more abusive, domineering and micromanaging over time. There was a steady downward trend over the three surveys.”

...Hoffman wondered how Aycock’s bosses could not have known the extent of Shiloh’s issues if Yokosuka cabbies reportedly knew about them.

“I put the bulls eye back on [Aycock’s boss] for letting this fester,” Hoffman said. “He ignored the one tool that the Navy has in place to manage the internal mood of the ship and allowed this CO to continue to drag the ship into a deeper abyss.”

By the May 2016 survey, the entire waterfront knew of the Shiloh’s issues, “and how terrible the command has become,” one sailor wrote.

....Aycock “belittles the XO in public” and “has his hands in every process,” slowing everything up, a sailor wrote in the November survey.

A recurring theme of the surveys was the commanding officer’s micromanagement and how it rendered the chiefs mess powerless and unable to defend its lower-enlisted sailors.

“Most Khaki wonder how they will physically and mentally survive the remaining months and all are burnt out,” one sailor wrote in the May 2016 survey. “Our sailors do not trust the CO and because all decisions are made by the CO, the Sailors do not trust us. This is a very real problem.”

One sailor wrote in the November survey that the chiefs mess was no longer “the back bone of the ship” because they couldn’t lead their divisions.

“Division Officer {sic] are so scared of the CO that they can not make a decision,” the sailor wrote. “Dept Heads are all yes men who will never go against the grain. [Executive officer] and [command master chief] are exactly the same as DEPT HEADS. This command is ran off fear.”
 
Posts: 15030 | Location: Wine Country | Registered: September 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Mattis has his role at a pivotal time in history.

God bless him, and all that serve with him.




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Posts: 5668 | Location: District 12 | Registered: June 16, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Obama forced out the best and kept the political boot lickers...


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Posts: 8652 | Location: 18 miles long, 6 Miles at Sea | Registered: January 22, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
I Am The Walrus
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Sounds like the current unit I'm in but at the Battalion level.


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-c1steve
 
Posts: 4117 | Location: West coast | Registered: March 31, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Stangosaurus Rex
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I had read in an article that sailors wer put in the brig and put on bread and water for minor infractions or mistakes related to performance. That class if ship does not have a brig. I wonder whefd they were held?


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Posts: 7846 | Location: South Florida | Registered: January 09, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Better Than I Deserve!
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This is what happens when you force the leaders out of the military and keep "yes men" that are only concerned about their careers and kissing the Chain of Commands ass even if it destroys the crew.


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Posts: 4990 | Location: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: September 23, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by downtownv:
Obama forced out the best and kept the political boot lickers...


The president doesn't have THAT much influence.

There have always been bad commanders; and there will comtinue to be some that slip through the cracks in the future. I had quite a few of these toxic 'leaders' in my 23+ year USAF career (3 of the worst were Navy during a joint stint at USSTRATCOM).

zippy the wonder turtle created a bad environment and pushed leftist/PC 'leaders' at the HQ and other flag officer levels, but this commander is there because of Navy personnel, not executive branch.

The Navy owns this problem, through pushing officers who possess poor leadership skills into positions of authority.



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Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
 
Posts: 21914 | Location: Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth | Registered: September 27, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
The president doesn't have THAT much influence.


Perhaps you remember the LOOOOONG list of flag level officers that were "retired" after obummer took office?


Elk

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The Idaho Elk Hunter
 
Posts: 25656 | Location: Virginia | Registered: December 16, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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OK, but why would the Navy continue to let this go on???? They took 3 surveys and the first survey was bad, a period of time went on and then a second survey which was worse, then more time want on and a third survey that was even worse than the last two. Why didn't the hire ups make a complete change of the upper management of the crew???
 
Posts: 21408 | Registered: June 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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The same ship where that sailor hid onboard.

https://www.navytimes.com/news...transferred-to-brig/

quote:
-----------------------------------------------

The now-infamous Shiloh sailor who was presumed overboard earlier this month — only to turn up in the cruiser's engineering spaces a week later — was moved to the brig at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego this week for pre-trial confinement on possible court-martial charges, U.S. Pacific Fleet officials said.

Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Mechanical) 3rd Class Peter Mims, 23, was reported missing and assumed overboard June 8 as the guided-missile cruiser was conducting routine operations off the coast of Okinawa.

Mims, whose home of record is listed as Interlachen, Florida, was found in the ship's engineering spaces a week after going missing and turned himself in to shipmates, Pacific Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight said in an email.

"We do not know all the details and motivations behind this Sailor's week-long disappearance," Knight said. "This matter remains under investigation, but early indications are that he had taken steps to avoid being found by other Sailors, who were actively attempting to locate him."

His disappearance sparked a massive 50-hour manhunt involving U.S. and Japanese forces.

Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from the carrier Ronald Reagan, a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, the destroyers John S. McCain and McCampbell, and the Reagan itself all assisted Shiloh in the search for Mims.
-----------------------------------------------
 
Posts: 711 | Location: SC, USA | Registered: October 09, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Age Quod Agis
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quote:
The president doesn't have THAT much influence.

I agree. This is two phase problem; the first is a command climate that allows conduct like this to continue, and the second is the bureaucratic and selection structure that creates the people in the command chain. This problem is much more than 8 years (two presidential terms) long. I saw it in the Army in the early '90s. The Army was promoting guys who were ring knockers, looked good, ran fast, and talked hooah over those who were thoughtful, competent leaders of men. Fortunately, the Army's low point came before the second Iraq war, and they fixed some of those command issues. Not all, by any measure, but many.

The Navy is deeper in the shit, and hasn't started the cleaning process yet. All of these commanders who are having problems are serving their higher chain of command (unreasonable op tempo, submission to stupid training and bullshit requirements, etc.), and protecting their own careers (micromanaging, screwing subordinates, putting up a front instead of getting it done) at the expense of supporting their troops.

Leadership is about setting objectives, securing the resources to obtain the objectives, and motivating and supporting your people to achieve the objective. It isn't about YOU.

Sometimes it means telling those above you that you can't achieve the objective they set with the resources they have authorized. Right now, in the Navy that means you don't get promoted so it never happens, but it is the only way that leadership can truly function. Senior leadership is not about saying "YES SIR" to every order you get.

I know special ops guys in Afghanistan who called off missions when promised support (air, artillery, etc.) didn't show up, and they were supported by their chain of command. The Navy hasn't learned that lesson yet, because no one is shooting at them. So their sailors pay the price in unsafe, unready ships, exhaustion, overwork and an abusive work environment. Something has to change.

Firing a bunch of senior Admirals, including the CNO, would be a good start. This is a massive command environment and command selection problem and it will take years to wash these people out of the system.



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Posts: 12910 | Location: Central Florida | Registered: November 02, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Official Space Nerd
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quote:
Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
quote:
The president doesn't have THAT much influence.


Perhaps you remember the LOOOOONG list of flag level officers that were "retired" after obummer took office?


Yeah, I remember. I also remember that most of those flag officers were caught while embezzling funds, not keeping their zippers zipped, and a wide variety of other serious legal issues.

We read how some some Lt Col would be busted for raping a passed-out-drunk Lieutenant after a party, and people would run around screaming on how zippy was 'ruining the military.' MOST of those replaced/coerced into retirement were brought down by their own vices, not potus.

The president can only really influence those at the very top. Of course, a lot of harm was done there during the last 'presidency.' However, this lower-level stuff is STILL the responsibility of the mid-level Navy leadership.

Bad commanders are nothing new. There was the first female ship Capt who would would scream and swear at everybody, stand jr officers in the corner, and drive the crew like slaves. There have been others removed for "lack of ability to effectively lead." I would be surprised if most of these cases even made to potus' desk, unless they made the news cycle.



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Posts: 21914 | Location: Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth | Registered: September 27, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
”I just pray we never have to shoot down a missile from North Korea,” a distraught sailor lamented, “because then our ineffectiveness will really show .”


The emphasis is mine, but is this guy more worried about looking ineffective or being ineffective?


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Official Space Nerd
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quote:
Originally posted by jbcummings:
quote:
”I just pray we never have to shoot down a missile from North Korea,” a distraught sailor lamented, “because then our ineffectiveness will really show .”


The emphasis is mine, but is this guy more worried about looking ineffective or being ineffective?


I read it as the ship IS inneffective, and a real crisis will show it to the world. He's concerned that people will die because his ship is incapable of performing its mission.



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Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jacky Fisher
 
Posts: 21914 | Location: Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth | Registered: September 27, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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The guy with the second key to the launch console left them in his pants and they are tearing up a Navy Exchange dry cleaning shop in Olongapo hoping to find them.




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quote:
Originally posted by Hound Dog:
Bad commanders are nothing new. There was the first female ship Capt who would would scream and swear at everybody, stand jr officers in the corner, and drive the crew like slaves. There have been others removed for "lack of ability to effectively lead." I would be surprised if most of these cases even made to potus' desk, unless they made the news cycle.


The Sea Witch, Capt. Holly Graf...the female version of Phillip Queeg, who after all the investigations, ended up receiving an honorable retirement.
 
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Big Stack
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I think a lot of this is sequestration coming home to roost. The military has been forced to do at least as much, if not more, with less money. So corners are being cut. We're now seeing the effects.
 
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quote:
Originally posted by BBMW:
I think a lot of this is sequestration coming home to roost. The military has been forced to do at least as much, if not more, with less money. So corners are being cut. We're now seeing the effects.


This one is on Navy leadership. Ponder this nugget..
Last year for several months, the US Navy had more Admirals, than ships. And, we're not that far from achieving and maintaining such dubious achievement.
 
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Oh stewardess,
I speak jive.
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quote:
crew members writing anonymously

(chuckle)

Right. Anonymous.

quote:
Originally posted by BBMW:
I think a lot of this is sequestration coming home to roost. The military has been forced to do at least as much, if not more, with less money. So corners are being cut. We're now seeing the effects.

There's no shortage of funds, we have enormous if not other-worldly defense budgets, and our Navy gets a ginormous piece of it. They have plenty of funds, and then some.

What there is is a lack of adequate and accurate prioritization, too much waste, and too little accountability, and thus the cycle infinitely repeats.

Cough (littoral ships), cough (never ending search for camo), cough (F35), ad nauseum. One million wasted means little, but it ads up, day after day after day.
 
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