The Naval Academy : Training Officer Tour

For an example, Lieutenant McDonough had to learn how to deal with enlisted men for the first time. His soldiers were used to a distant, unpresent platoon leader who left all the leadership to the non-commissioned officer, so when he arrived, they treated him like a the clueless officer that they had before him. McDonough had to earn trust with his men and show them that he was willing to go out on patrols with them and reprimand them if they were being insubordinate. He struggled with this balance of trust and authority especially with the new soldiers he was sent after losing some of his originals in battle. He knew he had to utilize his NCO platoon sergeant, Hernandez, but Hernandez felt usurped because, when the previous platoon leader was in charge, he had most of the command of the soldiers in battle, and Lieutenant McDonough seemed to have taken some of that from him. McDonough, although having done his job, had to make repairs to that relationship with his

Transitioning to command from any other leadership challenge in the military requires that an officer experiences a mental shift in his/her approach to exercising the newly granted authority, responsibility and accountability for the unit. Army doctrine suggests that authority, responsibility, and accountability are inherent attributes of command. These attributes of command coupled with the expectations of the commander, demand a new and holistic approach to commandership, which is defined as exercising the art of command through leadership, management, and command.

The Naval Academy Summer Seminar inquires my interest academically, gregariously, and contributes as a possible future career. To begin with, I presume that by having this opportunity to attend this seminar both my work ethic and scholastics will be challenged extensively; for instance, being exposed to a variety of fields of study would expand my studious capability. Next this program would also give me the possibility to forge new relationships between fellow participants through working side by side with one another in a team setting, and by engaging socially amongst each other. To conclude, I have been intrigued to purse microbiology as a field of study after high school and have considered proceeding with the Navy as a Naval Microbiologist

Commanders at all levels face increasingly challenging scenarios as the operational environment changes. Some instinctively motivate and empower their subordinates to think and act independently, thereby influencing actions during combat. However, those who understand the commanders' activities of mission command will influence not only subordinates, but the outcome of the battle as well. Mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders.1 Commanders who understood the importance of mission command was Major General Horatio Gates. General Gates at the Battle of Saratoga successfully

Throughout week two of Commissioned Officer Training (COT), my morale level is continuing to fluctuate. With the inconsistencies in the schedule and members not knowing where they need to be has been a mood buster. Overall, my morale level on a scale from 1 to 10 is a 4. Though this second week has been easier in terms of waking up and classroom schedule, the “hurry up and wait” factor is very debilitating. I understand being flexible but when you are sleep deprived, things are a bit rough.

There are many times within a career that members will attend training, however; not all training is created equal, that being said; The Chief Petty Officer Academy (CPOA) is truly one of the training opportunities that is worth every penny. From the moment you start your training at the Chief Petty Officers Academy you can feel the passion and dedication the instructors have towards the students who are walking through their halls. The CPOA has helped us learn from our pasts so that we are ready to lead the future. Through in depth training such as the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Report, Goals and Values Class, and Leadership Workshops they have given us a snap shot of who we might have been in the past, where we are at present

The lesson today was about Mission Command. This is a topic that has caused some confusion within the Army and to an extent across DoD. Just like anything else we do in the Army, we have to label it, write the doctrine, teach it, and power it down, mission command is no different. However, this is not a noble or new concept. We have been conducting mission command since the birth of our Army, we just decided to label it different. I believe mission command is not a process; instead, it’s a philosophy and state of mind that affects organizational culture. Mission command is leadership exemplified; it is getting people to execute your intent on their own accord. The end of the day, you want your subordinates to trust you, think on their own and

The author divides the book into four sections. In the first section, Captain Marquet describes how he first experienced being empowered by his commander Captain Pelaez of the USS Sunfish. Captain Pelaez overheard the author observe that it would be helpful if they could “ping” a merchant ship using active sonar for training. Knowing that his permission was needed to go active, Captain Pelaez suggested that Marquet merely make his intention known to him. The result of having the authority and ability to develop his team’s training resulted in a paradigm shift about effective leadership for the author.

Leadership, according to the Army doctrine, represents individuals’ ability to influence people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization (“Leadership” FM 6-22). However, the varying characteristics of individuals that the Army attracts may instill this doctrine in many different ways, leading to different representations of leadership. Some individuals choose to lead their subordinate in a stern matter, only displaying matured emotions and a “tough-loving” attitude to guide them in the right direction. Others

Naval Academy is a great college to go to. The United States Naval Academy is a prestigious school and a great deal to offer its students.

In order to prepare for the many rigors of life at the Naval Academy, I have challenged myself in all that I do to develop into a more morally upright individual, while also tempering myself mentally, physically and spiritually. To prepare myself academically, I have constantly thrown myself into difficult and highly technical classes. Physically I have grown through sports; I have pushed myself through various activities such as rock climbing and wrestling, and now that I am in college and do not have access to sports, I have been pushing myself to go to the gym daily, and if that is not available to at least do an equipmentless routine. Spiritually, I have grown to make decisions though the basis of my religion, Christianity; I ask myself

This paper will provide my reflection about mission command, and how I will incorporate principles of mission command such as build cohesive teams through mutual trust, create share understanding, provide guidance of Commander’s intent which will inspire self-discipline, produce mission order, accept prudent risk, and exercise discipline initiative in my philosophy in future assignments as a Sergeant Major.

My organizational knowledge comes from serving over 27 years in the military and being able to work my way from the bottom of the enlisted ranks to the top. Taking on challenging positions throughout my career and being successful has been a key to my success, but does not come without hard work and determination. I focus my leadership on the Navy’s Chief Petty Officer mission, vision, and guiding principles. It breaks down into seven categories starting with Deckplate Leadership, Institutional and Technical Expertise, Professionalism, Loyalty, Character, Active Communication, and Sense of Heritage.

Soon after being selected as an Aviation Department Head, the old saying of “do your boss’ job better than they do it” began playing like a record in my mind. A solid, steadfast and genuine command philosophy is key to a successful tour in one of the most sought after positions of military leadership. In order to effectively “do my boss’ job” and excel with my piece of the puzzle as a squadron leader, I began to ponder what my command philosophy would encompass. What do I value in a Commanding Officer? What pillars do I live by that represent who I am or who I want to be? Furthermore, will these pillars provide the necessary foundation for my Sailors to rely upon when faced with difficult decisions, mission-driven or otherwise, in the absence of leadership? To assist me in developing a philosophy of my own, I requested the guidance of one of my former Commanding Officers and mentors. My admiration for what he has accomplished as a leader and aviator is undeniably great. Thus, the topic of most challenging command decision made it easy for me to pinpoint an interviewee. Analyzing his thoughts and actions, who he sought assistance from and how he handled the situation overall shed light on what I would do if I were in the same position. Following a summary of the interview, I will compare his actions to my own thoughts at this current stage in my career while using my own command philosophy as a guide. Learning from the triumphs and failures of the past has proven

I had the privilege of sitting next to an Aviation Survival Technician Chief (ASTC) for four and a half weeks! I will never forget my experience at Chief Petty Officers Academy (CPOA). The Leadership Practices Inventory was an extremely useful tool. I finally got a chance to get back into a workout routine with new ideas. I had the chance to meet seventy-one people to expand my networking.