Far East Cynic

As Mr Lehman was saying……

And NO-we are not going down that rathole again.

However, the former SECNAV did point out that while the Navy's material problems can be overcome-destroying a hard won culture, has a more lasting impact:

CDR Jonathan Jackson was relieved of command in December for violating the Navy’s sexual harassment policies and for conduct unbecoming. But having read through the Navy IG Report and the commander’s NJP appeal (both pdf files found at the U/T link above),  I find that the one is damning and the other exculpatory. We apparently have a department head who bore a two-year grudge, and a struggling junior officer who either was deliberately insulted, or she was not. And a CO who maybe spent a little to much time celebrating with Bacchus, leaving himself open to charges that he spoke thoughtlessly and acted imperfectly, while letting off steam.

 

A couple of additional points: 1)Admin's are kind of a logistical necessity in places like, Haifa, Dubai, Athens ( where the ship pulls into an entirely different city-Pireaus), and several French ports. They serve as safe havens for your accumulated loot-and back in the day were places where a lot of learning took place in the company of dear Bacchus while stories from cruises past were passed down.

Of course in those days, what went on cruise stayed on cruise. And any women you brought back to the admin became fair game-if not community property. Nowadays they end up on someone's Facebook page.

Doesn't anybody get put in hack any more? More pertinently -where was his XO and when did the "lets close the door and talk a bit" conversation happen that might have saved his ass? My XO and I had a few (and I emphasize the word few)  –in both directions. Sometimes he brought me back to the ground and sometimes I did to him. He's a great man-and a great leader. We each took care of each other.

Furthermore-its clear that when you read both documents linked to by the article-there was rush to judgement by the IG. Unless you think giving a guy a charge sheet two hours before mast is somehow OK. Plus a few other things-like a disgruntled JO with a score to settle. I thought advancement by assassination only happed in the alternate universe. Something is aromatic in Denmark.

And now ask yourself why the Chiefs don't go on liberty with their junior Sailors. Don't think this doesn't send a chilling message to them-go drink alone.

And not one word about how he did in the aircraft. Nuff said.

  1. You started it.

    I shared "With The Failaka Field Force" with the 4th person this weekend. She thinks I ought to write a book. It didn't even have the bit where I was suggesting very strongly to the COS that we take some of the smartest girls on the planet. His ruling was firm. No girls. I was at that point in favor of taking the best and the best SONAR people were the girls we had. They were all OTA, one was OTM. They were all First Class.

  2. My first CO had his own mess. The Flag mess. I was not responsible for it at all. I was the Wardroom Mess Treasurer. The XO was president of the Mess. We invited the skipper in.  Deep draft command for guys that wound up as COMNAVAIRPAC and 3rd Fleet. A good place. No girls at all on COMIDEASTFOR flag ship.
    I didn't do hack unitl Destroyer days, Commo in hack because we couldn't talk to AB over SATCOM. He slung a hammock in the CMS vault and really didn't actually care at all. The XO was a perpetual rain cloud of doom and gloom. He later went to Admiral's MAST for shooting Iraqi that surrendered. The SATCOM we were using then was busted on the satellite. Funny that the EDO didn't share hack but he was an LDO.