From June 2005 to September 2009, I served on the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG) 64, USS Carney. The USS Carney has approximately 300 sailors and officers. Out of the 300 about twenty-five are officers and another thirty or so are senior enlisted. Officer’s tours are eighteen to twenty-four months long and the enlisted sailors can remain on board for up to five years. While serving aboard the Carney, I witnessed the key crewmembers turnover at least three times. After each key crewmember, enlisted sailor or officer, transferred someone needed to rise to step into a new role and a new team needed to be formed. While I did not realize it at the time, we constantly performed Human Process Interventions to ensure we were ready to answer our nations call at a moments notice. The upper echelons of the U.S. Navy go to great lengths to ensure that teams are created through a structured multi-level training process, surveys, and other Organization Development techniques.…
The instructors make them question why they are there by pushing them to their limits. The cadets learn there is no time to have mistakes. The one thing on their mind is to graduate and become a Navy Seal. They know that it "pays to be a winner". By the end of the week one almost half of the class is gone because they couldn't take the training or got injured. This makes the cadets still in training feel great about themselves, knowing that they made it longer than others.…
A lot of young adults join the military for selfish reason such as, the need to pay for college, the desire to carry a weapon, or even to shoot another person. Coach Teifer joined the military simply because he wanted to serve the best country in the world. Waiting for the girls getting out of their seven o’clock practice, to pass by the small classroom we were in, I then questioned Coach Teifer as to why the Navy SEALS is such an elite group. “Because it’s the only group that has to train. The name SEAL stands for Sea, Air, and Land. So you have to learn to operate in water. Jumping out of planes, and landing. So it combines every kind of terrain there is.” This Navy Seal program he was in, started with 108 people and graduated only 12 people.…
IT IS THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL SUCCEED WHERE ALL OTHERS FAIL.I CHOSE THIS BOOK TO GAIN A NEW OUTLOOK ON MY OWN WORK ETHIC AND TO REDEFINE MY OWN MOTIVATION IN THE MARINES CORPS…
At 10 a.m. on July 27th dropped her anchor in Apra Harbour, Guam. While the ship was taking on fuel, food and other necessities Captain McVay went to speak to operations officer in the Pacific Commodore James Carter, McVay expressed his wish that the updated training be issued to his crew as soon as possible, as it was his top priority. However Carter is quoted in saying in The Tragic Fate of the USS Indianapolis by Raymond B. Lech that “we no longer give such training here in Guam.” This meant that McVay was forced to sail to Leyte across the Philippine Sea with a number of inexperienced crew members. The cruiser was therefore available to leave as soon as she was refuelled, meaning the crew was able to leave the following morning. McVay requested up-to-date intelligence of the conditions at sea, as he hadn’t been in the area for over three months. Naturally being stationed in Guam, Carter knew of the USS Underhill’s sinking and the Tamon group of submarines were in the area. However, Raymond B. Lech reports that Carter informed McVay of no dangers or unusual conditions at sea in The Tragic Fate of the USS Indianapolis. Having gotten no information from Carter, McVay approached the routing officer for the Pacific Lieutenant Joseph Waldron looking for information on the conditions and to receive preliminary orders for the Indianapolis’s sailing. Two members of Waldron’s team were assigned to McVay in order to…
In the novel The Sea Wolf by Jack London, the character of Wolf Larsen mirrors the meaning of a credo written by the same author in that both talk about living life to what he believes to be its fullest potential, and not caring what is done to achieve it. Over the years and starting from nothing, Wolf Larsen built this life on his ship, The Ghost, and has gained the knowledge to not only be one of the strongest men on the ship, but also one of the smartest, and claiming his rank as captain. This form of determination and strive to be the best can best be seen in lines seven and eight in the credo, "I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." Wolf doesn't want to wait to make his life great, he wants to work hard and use the life that he is given to rise up and achieve a status in the society that he has created on the boat. Though some of his methods are unorthodox when trying to achieve or maintain power, for instance, beating up crew members who were dissatisfied with his practices or even stealing all of the crew members money through manipulation and poker, that was what he needed to do to create the life that he had been striving for since he was a young child. As the novel progresses, Wolf begins to deteriorate and ends up becoming blind but, while losing his eyesight, was still able to show his dominance by destroying Hump's work in repairing the ship. This illustrates similar meaning behind…
On December 7 of 1941, Japanese airplanes attacked the naval base of Pearl Harbor with a horrendous attack. With this, the 32nd president of the United States, president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, gave his famous speech. Shortly after this, the British and United States declared war on Japan. Not so long after, Germany declares war on the United States. The attack of Pearl Harbor is to be said as the starting mark of America into the war of World War II. Now technically, the war started earlier in about 1921-1922, when Adolf Hitler assumed control of the National Socialist German Workers, otherwise known as the Nazis. But the US was not involved until the Japanese suddenly…
The crew’s delight in their new captain was short-lived. Commander Alfonso moved swiftly to assume command, admonishing his sailors that he would push them hard. He wasn’t joking—soon after the Florida slipped into deep waters to begin a postoverhaul shakedown cruise, the new captain loudly and publicly reprimanded those whose performance he considered lacking. Chief Petty Officer Donald MacArthur, chief of the navigation division, was only one of those who suffered Alfonso’s anger personally. During training exercises, MacArthur was having trouble keeping the boat at periscope depth because of rough seas. Alfonso announced loudly, “You’re disqualified.” He then precipitously relieved him of his diving duty until he could be recertified by extra practice. Word of the incident spread…
There are several characteristics that make up a hero. A hero can be strong, brave, determined, or a great leader. Beowulf and a Navy Seal possess these characteristics. Both are brave leaders who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the people that they represent. Both are warriors who are strong willed and determined to fight an enemy that threaten the security of others. Although they are much the same, there are several differences that makes the Navy Seal the most heroic out of the two.…
Teaches you to be responsibility and to take responsibity for your actions. Then every cadet has…
The tactical lessons I learned from A Message to Garcia are that if you are given a task to do, do it without being constantly told to do so and accomplish it to the best of your abilities and in a timely manner.…
In Annapolis, Maryland at the United States Naval Academy, in beautiful Memorial Hall, there hangs a flag which is hand stitched bearing the words “Don't Give Up the Ship”. This defining, historic quote was uttered by Naval Captain James Lawrence who was injured and dying aboard the USS Chesapeake. It inspired his men to not give up the ship where they were aboard, and continue to fight with all their hearts. Being the son of two former Naval Commanding officers, I hear this quote a lot in attempt to pump me up. For myself, it motivates me to always never give up my “ship”, or goals and aspirations. I believe that no one should ever give up on what their dreams are or something they want to accomplish.…
In 2001 movie Pearl Harbor directed by Michael Bey creates a reenactment of the horrific day of Peal Harbor. Though this story described the awful day there were many different issue throughout it. Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker, the main characters, start as first lieutenants. Danny, a nurse named Evelyn and their fellow pilots and nurses are transferred to Pearl Harbor. The Japanese navy then begins its attack on Pearl Harbor. Multiple ships are obliterated, while one is capsized. Two other ships are badly damaged. Danny and Rafe drive away in search of a still standing airfield, while Evelyn and the other nurses struggle to assist hundreds of wounded. Rafe and Danny manage to get in the air and down dozens of ships. Landing, they assist…
The Naval Academy will grant me a prestigious education that will enable me to achieve my long range goals of becoming a more adept leader, student, and athlete. The academy will aid me in becoming a capable leader that will prepare for future outcomes and establish relationships that will assist in future endeavors. The academy’s rigorous academics will ensure my erudition which is a necessity to reach my goal of graduation. The numerous athletic opportunities offered at the academy will warrant future success in arduous physical tasks.…
We were pushed to our maximum in this course, with pressure and target. We have to have integrity and determination. Our mission was to paddle 24 km. I never thought that I could do it, but I did it and it feels awesome! Even though there were lots of obstacles, like weather, the current, the waves, and the wind, we still made it. From this journey, I can learn something. Its not about what we got, its about how we make use of it. Everyone can paddle, but not everyone would try to paddle 24 km.…