Many Mids are upset by changes

Colleges and Universities A-Z Naval Academy - Annapolis
101

<p>Navy1974:</p>

<p>
[quote]
We have to take responsibilities for our peers and our subordinates, in addition to being personally accountable for our own actions.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>With regards to the superintendent expecting the Brigade to be modeled after the fleet:</p>

<p>From the above - one can logically follow that the purpose of mandatory study hours is not so Midshipmen with 4.0's can play video games - perhaps they are expected to help and encourage those Midshipmen who need help with their studies.
The way to raise the "quality" of the Brigade is to bring the lowest group up to par.<br>
Perhaps, the Superintendent is expecting Companies - who spend so much time together, eatling and living and studying - to support and encourage each other.</p>

<p>While those Midshipmen who carry 4.0's may look upon the new rules as a "punishment" that is not the intent.<br>
Just a thought from a disinterested party - outside looking in.</p>

102

<p>
[quote]
The way to raise the "quality" of the Brigade is to bring the lowest group up to par.

[/quote]
Unfortunately, there are those who post here and even the policies that are now in place that are are more in tune with 'dumbing down' rather than raising the bar. My Mid tutors, he gets great grades, he should be afforded the opportunity to make decisions for himself, not be treated like he was in middle school. He is not looking at this as punishment but as gross micromanaging of the Brigade and gross under estimating the Brigades' ability to make sound decisions -Being treated as a children rather than an adults. Not much for leadership training there...</p>

103

<p>Well, I do see his point. It is sort of like in my kid's high school when the senior prank went awry due to a few and the homecoming bonfire was canceled - forever.</p>

<p>Look at it this way though - last year many upperclass mids were left to "themselves" - they didn't eat dinner with their company and were off doing EC's each evening while tending to their own studies............</p>

<p>Now lets say the superintendent has a new "model" in mind - one that fosters the company as a "family".
They will eat together and study together. Instead of the "family" being those in their special interest EC - the "family" is their company.<br>
What if - the mids in that company bonded so well that they helped each other out - in academics, physical training, military training and brought the level of the whole company up?
So then instead of going out in the evening to dinner or their Habitat for Humanity club (nothing wrong with Habitat for Humanity) they are spending time with their family - helping that plebe study for that big calc test or helping each other study for that big Physics test or proofreading a mids English paper etc.......
Suddenly those mids who had 2.0's have 2.8's and those who had 2.5's now have 3.0's - the bar has been raised. The whole company has improved as a group.<br>
The upperclass mids have a fabuous opportunity to provide great leadership right in their own Company.</p>

104

<p>JustAMom....I see your point and it's a good one. I think that what you're saying could have been accomplished without the "carpet bombing" that is being done to the ECA's and the mandatory study hours. I know that my Mid also tutors within his company and takes an active part in company leadership positions. He can do that and still keep his own grades up and accomplish the goals he has set for himself. But say he has another goal and that's to help out someone from our hometown, but in another company, that needs some moral support or academic support or even try something new that he hasn't tried before, like tutoring kids in reading (Mid for Kids). There will always be Mids with "lower" grades and if we get the 2.0's to 2.5's then we have to keep working to get all the 2.5's to 2.7's. It's a never-ending cycle and at some point the ones with higher grades are being held hostage to those with lower grades. </p>

<p>And I have no problem with a Mid graduating with a solid-B average. My husband's roommate wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box and had difficulty with swimming, but he made Brigade Commander and was a true leader of the Brigade. In order to keep him working on getting that 2.8 up to a 3.0 he never would have had the time to be BC and that would have been very unfortunate. That's not to say that someone else couldn't have been a great BC, but this guy did a great job and it was a goal of his that he was able to fulfill. </p>

<p>There are lots of leaders from Navy that did not have stellar grades....John McCain comes to mind. No matter your politics I would find it difficult for anyone to deny that he is a man of moral, mental and physical strength and I think he was 2nd or 3rd from the bottom of his class. </p>

<p>For the record...I don't have a problem with no weekday liberty - but not allowing Mids to support their sports teams on the Yard during the week and cutting out programs like Mids for Kids does not promote moral or mental development, just the opposite IMO. </p>

<p>BTW - a mom of 4 isn't "just" anything - you sound like you're very wise. Thanks for joining in the discussion.</p>

105

<p>Ok so family is the important link here to learn leadership. So all through high school your potential Mid puts "family" first. Tutors younger sister, makes sure brother has math homework done, plays ball with older brother. Volunteers to help mom clean, helps dad do the yard. Everyone eats dinner together night after night and then goes off to study after having "meaningful" conversation. Doesn't participate in any EC, only plays a sport if it fits into the "allowed" sport time which Mom has dictated. No time to volunteer as helping at home is thought to be more important for the family. Makes sure younger sister gets the A on that English paper at the expense of studying for the AP Physics test. She gets the A while now he gets the B+, spent too much time helping rather than tending to one's own studies. Bottom grades are coming up while the top grades are slipping, but Great leader in the family. </p>

<p>Will he get into USNA? Is he the kind of leader that USNA wants? Is he the type of student USNA is trying to attract?</p>

<p>Is this the kind of Midshipman - one dimensional - that will become a great leader in the Navy with their only leadership training within their immediate "family" where they are comfortable? Is this really what the Fleet is looking for? Somehow I don't think it is.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Suddenly those mids who had 2.0's have 2.8's and those who had 2.5's now have 3.0's - the bar has been raised. The whole company has improved as a group.

[/quote]
You make a gross assumption that those on the bottom will come up with no consequences to those on the top. Maybe those on the top need those "outside" distractions to maintain their level of studies. There are many people who do much better in academics when they are pushed and pulled in many different directions. When they have no "outside" actives they become complacent. So in the end their grades drop, the bottom's comes up - pretty much the definition of dumbing down of the academics in America so that "everyone" achieves at the same level. Certainly did not raise the bar for the top achievers.</p>

<p>I too do not have any problem with "reduced" liberty nor does my mid. It is the micromanaging their time and activities that are troubling.</p>

106

<p>Unfortunately, Navy lost tonight. It was sad to see a nationally televised game without the Mids in the stands. I am sure this has accomplished something and maybe I will understand it sometime in the future. Did everyone watching the game get to see the Senior Officers and Enlisted personnel doing push-ups after Navy's final score? I guess that makes sense too. I wonder how many Navy games will be televised next year.</p>

107

<p>USNA69-
was ready to claim victory, but after reading the article "Filling Mid Menu" I find myself in utter disbelief as to what I am reading.</p>

<p>I expected to see someone accepting accountability and responsibility.
What I found was a quote from the Commandant of Midshipmen- who, when asked "whose fault is it"... answered, not with accountability, but with a "Probably mine....."</p>

<p>And the reason....
not the "lack of anticipating what these changes would require to impliment"....</p>

<p>Instead, the Commandant of Midshipmen cited 3 reasons for the "failure":</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The Brigade of Midshipmen, who were "overwhelmed by the changes thrown at them simultaneously</p></li>
<li><p>The Brigade of Midshipmen, who "weren't used to portion control."</p></li>
<li><p>The Brigade of Midshipmen, who, desipte the fact that "there was likely enough food on hand," were too "overwhelmed by the changes" to "think to ask for it." </p></li>
</ol>

<p>And there you have it.</p>

<p>"probably" my fault .......</p>

<p>it was certainly SOMEONES. </p>

<p>But it is most certain the fault does not lie with the "overwhelmed midshipmen" .."not used to portion control," or so "overwhelmed" that they didn't "think to ask for food."</p>

<p>"portion control".....
I can think of a lot of ways to describe empty plates in over 1/2 of the hall on the day Adm. Fowler "observed" the meal....."portion control" is not one of them.</p>

<p>If this is LEADERSHIP AT ITS BEST then there are a lot more problems to be addressed than the loss of liberty, loss of team support at the football games, loss of ECAs and mandated study time COMBINED.</p>

<p>I almost wish they had said nothing.
This is an insult to the entire Brigade.</p>

<p>grad/dad.... thanks for your post. I can't help but wonder if a stadium filled with cheering mids would have made a difference........I am glad to hear some saw fit to carry on in their absence.</p>

108

<p>what is the definition of "is" then? lol</p>

109

<p>Wow, in accepting "responsibility" she pretty much blamed the Brigade. I find myself questioning this concept of leadership being taught at the Academy - leadership by spinning a story. I guess accountability is only for those underneath your leadership - certainly isn't being applied to the so called leaders. The proverbial "I am sorry BUT IT really was YOUR fault" </p>

<p>What a disgrace to watch a football game tonight with virtually no midshipmen present. Many at the function I attended to watch the game with Parent Club members and Alumni also wonder if Navy will be televised Nationally again. What kind of message is the administration sending to the coaches and football program that has done so much to raise the visibility of the United States Naval Academy over the last five years. Were the Mids allowed to watch the game or did mandatory study time take precedence?</p>

110

<p>Here is a copy of Captain Klein's message to parents, posted in my email yesterday. I tried to find a link to it rather that give you the text, but was not successful.
CM</p>

<p>Dear Parents,</p>

<p>I wanted to take this opportunity to respond to many of you who have voiced concerns
about our food service, and provide you with facts to help bring you up to date on
our actions.</p>

<p>First let me say how pleased I am with the start of the academic year. We had a
great summer of training, both for the upper-class and our plebes. Classes are in
full swing and the fall athletic season has begun. It’s truly an honor to be part of
this great institution and it’s heartening to see the dedicated efforts of our
midshipmen and my staff as we work to fulfill our mission of producing superb
leaders for the Navy and Marine Corps.</p>

<p>The Academy has always been fortunate to have an engaged and supportive group
parents. We’re all tremendously proud of the Naval Academy and want to help it move
forward to ensure its continued success in meeting the requirements of the Navy and
Marine Corps we serve.</p>

<p>My staff and I are setting a course to prepare your sons and daughters to become the
best junior officers in the Fleet; officers with competence, character and
compassion. To that end, all of us here at the Academy are focused on developing our
midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically for the privilege of serving as leaders
of Sailors and Marines who volunteered to serve their country in a time of war.</p>

<p>One of our initial priorities was to reinstitute the practice of midshipmen
regularly eating meals together in King Hall. Our focus is better aligning the Naval
Academy with the Fleet, where our midshipmen will soon serve as leaders. Food
service and quality is important in the Navy and Marine Corps. Eating together on
messdecks, wardrooms and in ready rooms helps officers, Sailors and Marines develop
and maintain the relationships and unit cohesiveness so important to units in the
Fleet.</p>

<p>Midshipmen had been eating eight meals together per week, and in mid-August, we
increased that requirement to three meals per day, Monday through Friday – 15 meals
per week - for the entire Brigade.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, we could have better anticipated the requirement for increased meal
quantities which left some midshipmen with inadequate amounts of food. This was
unacceptable and we made it a priority to ensure this food distribution issue was
quickly resolved.</p>

<p>To address these issues, we have been obtaining instant feedback from midshipmen
regarding the quality of food and using their suggestions to improve our level of
service. We have encouraged midshipmen - particularly first class midshipmen as
leaders - to report problems to our Food Service Team and to their chain of command
so corrective action can be taken immediately.</p>

<p>Based on feedback and initiatives, we have taken the following corrective actions:
1
We have significantly increased rations to meet demand to include additional reserve
trays of food standing by for distribution.
2
We have reviewed staffing and product support to ensure quality for both food and
service.
3
We have increased the presence of management staff in our dining facilities during
meals to answer any questions/concerns midshipmen may have during meals.
4
Finally, we are demanding Positive , Proactive , and Intrusive Leadership at all
levels, critiquing each meal to ensure quality and quantity.</p>

<p>On a related note, we’ve also developed a new menu which reflects our goal of
providing midshipmen with the proper diet to support both academic and athletic
goals and to educate and expose midshipmen to foods that are part of a healthy,
well-balanced lifestyle.</p>

<p>Food service and quality is important in the Navy and Marine Corps, and the
Superintendent and I are both committed to ensuring that the Brigade receives the
best food service available.</p>

<p>I hope this information has helped clarify the points some or you have thoughtfully
brought to our attention. I appreciate your support and encouragement.</p>

<p>Thank you,</p>

<p>Captain Margaret D. Klein
United States Navy
Commandant of Midshipmen</p>

111

<p>The food isnt that bad. There was a significant shortage one meal because of a calculation error or something, but since then there has been plenty of food. Honestly, its usually pretty good. If it isnt, you can give feedback after everymeal. At first mando dinner was a pain, but compared to last year, (and looked at in a noncynical way) its better. Im savin a lot of money by not going to drydock or steerage all the time :-)</p>

112

<p>^^^^^^^^^APan, posts such as this could get you banned.</p>

113

<p>


</p>

<p>He means, banned by the mothers not the moderators. :D</p>

114

<p>Football: Why would an athletic director schedule football games midweek (I think we have an upcoming Wed and Thurs nite) knowing the dynamics of a service academy. Unfortunately the two Friday night ones were scheduled first, too soon to allow the new Supt to make any mid-range policy course correction. And yes, just by the nature of the weeknight scheduling, they will be on national TV. Sounds to me kinda like the Athletic Dept attempting to establish policy. Let’s focus the accountability where it is due.</p>

<p>

You continue in your one-dimensional quest. Let's examine the setting. Your perfect Mid goes to classes, rushes out in town to either build houses or save the educational system of Annapolis, grabs a bite to eat somewhere, and then rushes off to toot their tuba for some upcoming musical extravaganza. Very multi dimensional, correct?<br>
My view. They are a part of a military organization, their company, that hasn't seen them all day. As a company mate, I would classify this person as zero dimensional. Who is the multi-dimensional company midn? One who actively participates in 'tables', one who helps the plebes come along morally, mentally, and physically, one who ensures all their peers and subordinates are progressing satisfactorily morally, mentally, and physically. One who participates actively in company sports and when their team is not playing, vocally supports the other teams in their company. One who is attuned and interested in each and every facet of that company’s evolutions. That is a multi-dimensional midshipman. The military is not a 9-to-5 job, it is a “Band of Brothers” organization. Perhaps the new Supt thought a “carpet bombing” was necessary to get things back on the correct course. </p>

<p>Old fart observation # 1: As a retired officer, I have the dubious distinction of having all the old vets come up to me and allow that they wished they had stayed in until retirement and that their active duty years were the best years of their lives. The ensuing dialogue is always about friendships and family, great shipmates who would do anything for each other. If I had a dollar for each of these, I would be rich. And I have never heard one describe bad food, rushing off post to do their own thing, bad leaders, or the great 9-to-five job they had.</p>

<p>Old fart observation #2. The Academy is very difficult. There are Academics, Military Organization, and Athletics. Outstanding performance in a single area is difficult; two, almost impossible; and three, unheard of. Midshipmen will, consciously or maybe unconsciously, determine their orders of priority. Every time you have the opportunity to read the bio of a high striper, do so. Typically, the vast majority are liberal arts majors. Perhaps the new Supt is desirous that the Brigade raises the bar here before they attempt to go forth and save the rest of the world or follow JPJ in their “liberal” education. (someone, very wisely, usna1985, perhaps, and maybe others, stated that one would have plenty of opportunities after graduation to pursue these interests) An aside here is that parents are bemoaning the fact that Admissions seeks multi-faceted candidates and now the new Supt is squashing these interests. Admissions wants someone who can keep a lot of things on their plate (food analogy very appropriate at this time) who can transfer those assets to the rigors of the academy. I don’t think the Academy gives a hoot that a candidate participated in community theater. However, the fact that they did it, maintained their outstanding grades, concurrently played a varsity sport, and attained a 1350 SAT does impress them.</p>

<p>Old fart confession # 1: I stay pretty well attuned to the Academy as a part of sponsor groups, etc and talk to countless midshipmen annually. I am not disappointed in what I see. There does appear to be a bit of unwarranted arrogance, but that will be squelched, painfully probably, soon enough, once they enter the fleet. I was not a huge fan of the management style of the previous administration and am happy to see, what appears to be his exact opposite, replace him. The Brigade needs to be exposed, even if it sometimes hurts, to various leadership styles. While he, even to me, may appear quite severe sometimes, he is the leader, and as such, is to be respected. He has a vision and each and every change he makes is in support of that vision. The one thing about this thing that has truly appalled me is the apparent disrespect shown to his orders by some who are in the chain of command. Parents, I kinda understand but would hope that they would provide a calming effect rather than contribute to the hubbub. Also, occasionally, even the best and brightest need to be reminded that privileges are earned and not to be taken for granted.</p>

<p>Is Ball State another App State? Anyhow, beat ‘em!!!!</p>

<p>PS: With this post, I think I am through casting barbs about the present situation. However, the multiple possible ways to dissect Capt Klein’s statements may require an observation, especially since I have a bottle of merlot at stake. How does one ship a bottle of wine?</p>

115

<p>What words, exactly, would have filled this unquenchable desire for accountability, I wonder? What exactly would CAPT Klein needed to have said? It sounds like some of you would accept nothing less than her head on a pole.</p>

<p>And for the record, pretty much every single word of momof4's post was right on the money. The mids need to get out of their personal bubbles of self, and be prepared for the team-oriented world. The fleet does not care one little bit whether their ensign sang in the glee club, or whether their second lieutenant was the star of the rugby team. Here's what a Seaman cares about:</p>

<ol>
<li>I'm up to my eyeballs in debt because my 20-year-old wife has to stay home with our two kids and we're trying to feed a family of four on an E-3 income. Does my division officer know the tools to help get me on track, and more importantly, does my division officer care?</li>
<li>I joined the Navy to escape from a bad home life, but unfortunately I brought a lot of my own problems with me. Is my division officer going to serve as a role model to me, to help me do better things with myself?</li>
<li>If the department head starts making increasingly ridiculous demands of us in terms of working hours and mission accomplishment, is my division officer going to stand up for us? If we have to work until 2200, is my division officer going to stay with us until the work is done, or will he be one of the first ones off the quarterdeck?</li>
</ol>

<p>Somehow, although Habitat for Humanity is an incredibly valuable program, a midshipman's participation in that program may not so much enhance the division officer's ability to take care of his sailors.</p>

116

<p>I am really surprised by some of the comments of the Alumni. I really feel that we would not have been happy with the changes, nor do I believe these changes would have made us better officers. The real issue as I see it revolves around the process of admissions. The admissions board grants appointments based on the whole person concept. You get points for various categories: participation in athletics; GPR, Class Standing; test scores; student government; extracurricular activities; volunteerism; etc. They want the person who has learned to balance their lives and are successful at it. If we select these types of individuals, why don’t we allow them to carry on, instead of curtailing the types of activities we based their selection on?. </p>

<p>Navy1974 those are perfect examples of issues you will see in the fleet. But let’s combine those with watch standing, team training, individual qualifications, mandatory off command schools, etc. All of these are the life of a Junior Officer. When they get to the fleet is not the time to learn how to balance responsibilities, not only your own, but also for the men and women you have been assigned. The Academy is where you learn responsibility for your actions and choices, not when you show up to your first command, when there are so many other things to learn. Time management is one thing you can learn at the Academy. By the way, when I was in the Fleet, volunteerism in the community was extremely important and a requirement. Building houses for habitat, adopting schools, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Special Olympics, etc always involved shipboard and shore based personnel. During visits to foreign ports, ships always provided assistance to the local schools or orphanages or other charitable activities. So if it is important to the Fleet, it should be important to the future officers. ECAs and volunteerism does have a place at the Academy and should be a part of their life.</p>

117

<p>The military likes to hold up its system of accountability. The typical example is given that even if a Captain is asleep when the ship runs aground, he/she is held responsible.</p>

<p>I don't think anybody is looking for Capt. Klein's head on a pole but words of deflection do not reflect well on her and/or the Supt.</p>

<p>I believe she was quoted as saying it was "probably" my responsibility. Well, was it or wasn't it?</p>

<p>In her letter, she says: "Unfortunately, we could have better anticipated . . . ."</p>

<p>What Capt. who has been relieved of duty couldn't have said the same thing?<br>
Unfortunately, we could have better anticipated . . . the possibility a ship would have been in the exact spot where we surfaced.
Unfortunately, we could have better anticipated . . . .the possibility that . . . terrorists might blow a hole in the side of my ship.
Unfortunately, we could have beeter anticipated . . . the possibility that, while I was asleep, my staff would have not hit the bottom. </p>

<p>And, when those types of incidents occur, many on this board are quick to say words to the effect: Oh well, another Navy career comes to an end. Tsk, tsk, that't the way it goes. Without any suggestions that, just maybe, circumstances beyond the Capt.'s control may have intervened.
But, nobody wants to give credit to that possibility because . . . well, that's the way it is.</p>

<p>In this circumstance, poor planning resulted in some mids not getting the food they should have gotten. this, the result of decisions made by the Capt/Supt. This was not like an earthquake; this was not a natural phenomena that could not have been anticipated. This was the result of senior staff decision-making without regard for all of the consequences that such a decision entails. [Can't wait for the budget to be evaluated.]</p>

<p>The shortage of food and/or seating seems to be an irrefutable fact. Perhaps it was not a widespread problem, but enough mids [and some parents] seem to have confirmed the occurrence to support the contention that significant problems arose.</p>

<p>So, words of: "It was my responsibility" seem appropriate.
Instead, you have the FSO trying to blame the mids for not understanding portion control. Now, you have the officer trying to make it seem like it never really happened. Meanwhile, the Capt tries to deflect responsibility by leaving open the possiblity that it wasn't her responsibility.</p>

<p>That is what is amazing. . . that some on this board want to pretend the situation never existed. That the situation, somehow, was the mid's fault and nothing more than a bunch of moms getting upset over nothing.</p>

<ol>
<li> You're third point particularly gets my attention.
Who is standing up for the mids in a situation that seems to compare to the example you give? Has the supt. made ridiculous demands in terms of working hours and mission accomplished? By most standars--indeed by the Supt. own words--the Academy was not in a state of crisis. There have been isolated incidents but, as a whole, academic standards were being maintained and fleet readiness for graduates did not seem to be in question.
Then, by the standards of your second sentence, if the mids are expected to maintain study hours from 8-11, are the company officers staying until the work is done or is he one of the first ones off the deck? [A similar question might be asked of the Supt. re: his attendance at football games. If we are a "nation at war" and the Academy is a critical component, why is he at the football games when the Brigade cannot be?]</li>
</ol>

<p>The world--and, yes, the military--is full of hypocricy. Who are the only military personnel to have served time for the abuses of Abu Ghraib? Just the grunts. How many politicians have been indicted, convicted, accused of moral lapses and crimes of theft despite voting to impose punishments on others for the same thing.</p>

<p>This isn't about whether the fleet cares of the ensign's participation in an ECA; this is about permitting young people the opportunity to learn how to manage themselves. Learning how to manage themselves before learning how to manage others. This is about ECA's [which the Academy certainly considers when selecting peoplt admit] being part of the education and part of how the mids learn to manage resources.</p>

<p>In fact, this is probably one of the biggest shortcomings of an Academy education: That these young people are cocooned up behind those brick walls without coming to understand what it is like to manage real life problems. They have no idea [or very little idea] of how to rent apartments, buy cars, manage girl [boy] friends, party responsibly, pay bills on a limited budget, or any of the other myriad problems that yong people get themselves into.</p>

<p>In your first point, 1974, you ask whether a young officer knows the tools to help an E-3 who is burdened with problems to get back on track. I would suggest that the average 23 year old gradaute of the Academy is absolutely clueless as to how to advise an E-3 on how to feed a family of four. Heck, I think the vast majority of them are clueless about how to feed themselves much less advise another.</p>

<p>While I'm at it, MOST of them probably don't even know how to relate to a "bad home life."</p>

<p>So . . . a clear statement of responsibility by Capt. Klein [and also the FSO] would have been nice. If this had been a comparable fleet matter, she might have received a letter in her file and a career might have been derailed or slowed. Instead, she prepares to receive her first star. But. . . that's our government for you.
What a country! You gotta love it.</p>

118

<p>Oh . . . I thought this was interesting for those of you who believe that military training is all the mids should be learning.</p>

<p>It seems the Marines still maintain a position of
Combat Artist.</p>

<p>Active duty marines who's mission is to paint, sketch, draw the activities around them.
The story interviewed current and retired "artists" and went on to state that the Marines maintain over 8,000 drawings/paintings done since . . . well, since forever time gone by.</p>

<p>They carry guns and painting supplies.
Guess we should get rid of these guys along with the various bands.</p>

119

<p>grad/dad, your point is definitely valid. However, here is my concern. As I said, those programs are valuable in many ways, for many reasons. Community relations programs help tie those of us in uniform to our neighbors. They give civilians who may have never served the chance to interact with someone in uniform. Plain and simple, those programs do wonderful things.</p>

<p>But, when USS NEVERHOME is preparing for yet another deployment in support of OIF/OEF, mission comes first. Always. COMREL programs are great, and all hands should be strongly encouraged to support them when they can. Mission first. A ship that is prepping for INSURV isn't about to let Engineering Department take the day off for Adopt-A-School. Our OPTEMPO has increased so dramatically in the last six years, and our priorities as a Navy have had to shift accordingly. Maybe when the world is a friendlier place, we'll be able to relax brace a bit, but at the end of the day, it's mission first.</p>

120

<p>1974, I would ask that you re-read what you just posted, I think the three scenarios you describe along with the citation of the EC "Habitat for Humanity" makes for an ironic combination. </p>

<p>In order for a young Ensign to handle the situations you describe in 1.2.3 I would think he/she would need; knowledge, maturity and some sense of compassion, specifically the ability to look past their own interests and have the capacity to apply some energy to helping others. What exactly is the Mission of HFH? What life lessons would a Mid learn through participation in such a program? You don’t learn compassion sitting at a desk confined to a classroom, nor do you gain an appreciation for what it means to have much less than you are used to when you grew up. When I pinned on my silver bars on I was making more money than the Senior MSgt that worked for me and he had a family with four kids. It was hard for me to understand his struggle, I was singles and young, without much in the way of responsibilities. I listened and learned a lot from him and came to understand military service from his perspective. </p>

<p>I don't know what the right combinations or amount of EC's makes sense, what I do know is that when pendulums swing they don't just stop in the middle and that's unfortunate.</p>

<p>Personally I don’t think anyone is looking for Capt. Klein’s head, I really don’t believe she bears the brunt of responsibility for what happened. The situation that unfolded was most likely caused by a combination of events, some unforeseen (as most are) and unanticipated when they choose to immediately ramp up to a full meal program. We can forever debate who screwed up and then how and why. What I don’t find acceptable and I do find objectionable, is the fact that, through “unanticipated” citations in the press; it appears as though the leadership of the academy is trying to put much of the blame for the situation on the Brigade. Now that could be an unforeseen consequence of interviews that went off track or comments taken out of context. I wasn’t present at any of them so my knowledge is only second hand. In the grand scheme of things this was not much of an event and could/should have been addressed and shut down within a few days of the first signs of difficulty. The fallout in the press could have been avoided, letters to “concerned parents” might not have ever been needed.</p>