Day 10,992

On Thursday, I celebrated my Retirement ceremony after 26  years of service as a Commissioned Officer in the US Navy, and a total of over 30 years since reporting for duty as a Midshipman at the US Naval Academy. It was a great day surrounded by family and friends. I thought it would be fun to share a portion of my remarks from the ceremony, quoted below:

“In today’s program is a picture from 10,991 days ago. It was July 6, 1988, on a hot and muggy day in Annapolis, Induction Day for the Class of 1992. Before there was air conditioning in Bancroft Hall. My memories of that day are mixed – some are vivid, some are fuzzy. One of the vivid ones was shortly after this picture of my Dad ceremonially swearing me in after the T-Court ceremony. I was supposed to be in formation with Bravo Company, 4th platoon. I was late. Somehow, I found my way to our formation on 3-3. That part’s a bit fuzzy. When I got there, I fell into formation, still a bit fuzzy. Then John Woodson, Class of 89, our platoon commander, __politely__ inquired about my tardiness. Here my memory of things becomes pretty vivid. As it turns out, John lacked intellectual curiosity about the actual reason for my tardiness. My training had begun. That night, I spent some time reflecting, as I attempted to fall asleep hanging over the side of a vinyl coated foam mattress, in the top bunk of a very hot and humid room 1324, trying to catch a breeze from a 6-inch fan clipped to a steel desk. I thought… and I quote “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”  It wasn’t a very deep level of introspection. But I was 17. And it was I-day.

…

This is the part (of the ceremony) where traditionally the Sailor going ashore shares the lessons of his time in service… so I’ll give it a shot.

–        Never allow yourself to be the single point of failure. In almost every major mishap the Navy has had during my 30 years, the last link of the error chain has been the same: the Captain made himself the single point of failure, then made a mistake. So build your team – a team that trusts you and that you trust to do two things: to carry out your orders because of their faith in your competence, and to question your orders when you are wrong. This is a hard balance that requires constant attention.

–        Build trust –there is only one truly effective way I have found to do this. Others can’t earn your trust – you must give it freely.

–        Avoid false dichotomies – when presented with an either-or choice, pick both. Except when you should pick a third choice.

–        Recognize when the leader must surge demand. There are times when the leader must lift the command through the strength of their own will and backed by their own competence. These times are as rare as they are important.

–        It is easy to accept risk. It is hard when the risk comes true. This is important to remember when deciding to accept risk.

–        Nearly every perceived dilemma can be solved by remembering one thing we learn at the beginning of our careers. Ship – shipmate – self. Loyalty starts at the top of that hierarchy. Readiness is built from the bottom.

–        It’s tempting to try to guess what answer the boss wants. All good bosses want YOUR answer.

–        If you don’t like the boss’s decision, file it away. If you don’t like the boss, wait a year.

–        Technical and tactical competence are easy; leadership is hard.

–        Own the failures; share the victories.

–        Win by out-cooperating your shipmates, not by out-competing them.

–        And finally, the smartest person in the organization isn’t the one with the most facts, it’s the person with the best questions. So ask great questions.

I was recently asked what the most rewarding moment of my career has been. There are many possible answers to that question.

Over the last 30 years, I’ve been around the world, most of it more than once. I’ve seen how incomprehensibly vast the oceans are, and conversely, like a ship at sea in the Pacific, how small the world is. I’ve enjoyed midwatches on the bridge, sunrises and sunsets at sea, the sound and rhythm of the waves against the hull, the iridescence of sea life in the wake, the feeling of solitude in the bridge wing chair under the multitude of stars a thousand miles from land. I’ve seen Singapore and Romania, Italy and France, Rome and Australia, the beaches of Normandy and the battlegrounds of the Pacific, the Suez Canal and Red Sea, the Panama Canal and South America, and dozens of other ports. I’ve appreciated the smells of curry in India and the floral splendor of Hawaii after months of smelling salt, paint, and diesel fumes.

But among all those experiences, the best moment was at the end of my first deployment in Command, when I got to stand on the quarterdeck and shake the hand of every Sailor as they went ashore to reunite with their families and friends. Our team had accomplished the mission with pride and professionalism, and we had returned every Sailor safely home. As we saw last year, the alternative is always real. With all the technology and equipment, this old adage remains true: men and women mean more than guns in the rating of a ship. Today, at the reception, I hope to shake the hand of everyone here, in gratitude for being part of this journey and for returning me safely home.

The next adventure awaits…”

My Navy adventure spanned 10,991 days. The Navy will miss me for as long as the ocean missed the ship as the wake closes over. That is as it should be. Yesterday was day 10,992. It was a good day.