Proceedings - October 2023 Vol. 149/10/1,448

Celebrating Submarines . . . and Our 150th Birthday!

October 2023

Here’s to the next 150 years of “giving voice to those who seek the finest Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard!”

CEO Notes

October 2023

For 150 years, every major program, policy, and social change impacting the maritime services has been debated and recorded in the pages and events of the Naval Institute.

Comment & Discussion

October 2023

Readers respond to articles on the Naval War College, Maritime COIN, and more.

Six Moments, Plus One

October 2023

The Naval Institute’s periodicals have had outsized effects on numerous occasions. Here are six noteworthy moments for Proceedings and one for sister publication Naval History.

Task Force 59 in Fifth Fleet is deploying operational platforms to generate new knowledge. Stood up two years ago, it evaluated 80-some small uncrewed surface vessel designs before culling the field to 15 for a three-week integration exercise. Facing a tsunami of new technology and unsure how to adopt it, the Navy needs the fleet to find the opportunities.

Build This, Not That

By Vice Admiral David H. Lewis, U.S. Navy (Retired)

October 2023

The Navy should be doing what works—bringing the operational fleets, Marines, and sailors into the technology innovation process.

The USS John Warner (SSN-785) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for her CNO Extended Dry-Docking Selected Restricted Availability. The Navy should create a shipyard career path for submarine officers.

Rethink Submarine Officer Manning During Major Availabilities

By Commander P. W. Gilmore, U.S. Navy

October 2023

Officer manning on board submarines during maintenance availabilities is nearly identical to that on board operational boats. This is problematic.

A more transparent fitness report process that emphasizes feedback and performance-based bonuses and promotions would help the Navy recognize and retain its high-performing junior officers.

Get Better on JO Retention

By Lieutenant Eric Hess, U.S. Navy

October 2023

“Get Real, Get Better” bridges the gap on some issues but widens it on others.

A briefing on board the USCGC Bear (WMEC-901). Regular check-ins and evaluations can identify areas for improvement and ensure service members are always striving to be the best versions of themselves.

Intentional and Invested: Good Leadership and Communication Prevent Mishaps

By Petty Officer Third Class Alexandra Wirth, U.S. Coast Guard

October 2023

Enlisted Prize Essay Contest—Third Prize, Sponsored by USAA. The biggest lesson to take away from mishaps is the need for stronger communication and more intentional actions.

The USS Chicago (SSN-721, front) proceeds on the surface with the USS Shiloh (CG-67) and Comstock (LSD-45) and USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE-10) during operation Valiant Shield 2020. The theater undersea warfare commander is the best command-and-control structure to maintain undersea domain awareness and ensure deterrence against near-peer submarines.

Better Command and Control for Theater Undersea Warfare

By Captain Peter G. Brereton, U.S. Navy

October 2023

The theater undersea warfare commander construct must be integrated into doctrine and practice at the operational level.

The PCU New Jersey (SSN-796) is rolled out for her launch in April 2022.

Fighting Submarine Maintenance Bottlenecks

By Ronald Giachetti and Paul Beery

October 2023

The Navy needs to invest in shipyards to keep its boats in the fight.

Officers assigned to the fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN-777) gather topside on the boat’s return to Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam following an extended Indo-Pacific deployment.

Different But Equal

By Lieutenant Commanders Andrea Howard and Emma McCarthy, U.S. Navy

October 2023

Deckplate culture is a critical factor in the successful integration of crews.

The Virginia-class submarine USS Mississippi (SSN-782) moored at HMAS Stirling Naval Base in western Australia. Under the AUKUS pact, the United States and United Kingdom will share nuclear-propulsion technology with Australia, which must ensure its navy has sufficient capabilities to secure sensitive technologies.

AUKUS Is Writing Checks Australian Security Can’t Cash

By Lieutenant Commander Sean West Money, Royal Australian Navy

October 2023

The RAN needs to enhance its protective capabilities to ensure the most sensitive nuclear-propulsion technologies can be shared with Australia.

The USS E-1 (SS-24) during the naval review in New York Harbor, October 1912. Future Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz commanded the E-1 (formerly the Skipjack) from February to May of that year, and she later served as his flagship when he was commander, Second Group, Atlantic Submarine Flotilla.

The Silent Service

By A. Denis Clift

October 2023

Highlighting 150 years of submarine warfare in U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings.

The “no collision” incident was typical of World War II submariners, such as those gathered here in 1964: (from left to right) Rear Admiral John A. Tyree Jr., Vice Admiral Vernon L. Lowrance, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey, Rear Admiral I. J. “Pete” Galantin, and Rear Admiral Eugene P. Wilkinson.

‘A Collision Did Not Occur’: An Early Lesson in Leadership

By Rear Admiral John W. Bitoff, U.S. Navy (Retired)

October 2023

Admiral Eugene Fluckey was more than a hero. He was a special human being who adhered to one of the most important tenets of leadership: Take care of your people.

A Two-Way Street: The Navy–Naval Institute’s 150-Year Relationship

By Craig L. Symonds

October 2023

On the eve of the Naval Institute’s sesquicentennial, Dr. Symonds looks at the history of the independent forum.

Counterinsurgency to the Shores of Tripoli

By Captain B. J. Armstrong, U.S. Navy

October 2023

The Navy’s operations against Barbary corsairs in the early 19th century provide lessons for operating in the gray zone today.

Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 9 fly over the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72, front left), Tripoli (LHA-7, front center), Ronald Reagan (CVN-76, front right), Mobile Bay (CG-53, middle left), Benfold (DDG-65, middle center), Antietam (CG-54, middle right), Spruance (DDG-111, back left), and Fitzgerald (DDG-62, back right) as they sail in formation in the Philippine Sea during Valiant Shield 2022.

Sea Control: The Navy’s Purpose

By First Lieutenant David Alman, Alabama Air National Guard

October 2023

To convince the nation of the need for a 21st-century navy, the service must look to its history and return to its roots.

Artificial Intelligence Is a Human-Centric Endeavor

By Captain Brent Spillner, U.S. Navy

October 2023

Humans are essential to the successful integration of AI in warfare.

Crew members from the USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC-1140) approach a fishing vessel in the Pacific Ocean in March 2023.

Let the Coast Guard Keep the Fines

By Chief Boatswain’s Mate Phillip Null, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)

October 2023

Reimagine “prize money” to benefit the service and the nation.

In fall 1970, the Naval Academy held a press conference on the plight of POW/MIA families. Midshipmen Rick Rubel and Joe Glover flank Brigade Commander Mike Hecomovich, with the replica bamboo cage in the background.

Two Midshipmen and a Mission

By Captain Tal Manvel, U.S. Navy (Retired)

October 2023

The midshipmen’s story is included in H. Michael Gelfand’s 2006 book, Sea Change at Annapolis, but their efforts were largely unreported at the time.

A second-class petty officer on board the USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753) trains a fire-attack team after a damage control exercise. Leadership training earlier in the training pipeline would net more petty officers who are self-reflective leaders, capable of performing high-risk evolutions with increased autonomy.

Petty Officers Are Leaders, Too

By Ensign Logan James Tobias, U.S. Coast Guard

October 2023

The Coast Guard must begin championing the leadership development of its petty officers.

A Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 F-35B Lightning II on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth in the Mediterranean in November 2021. The Lightning II community does not have enough landing signal officers (LSOs) for deployments, nor is there a clear way to solve this issue without making manpower sacrifices or funding a Marine Corps F-35B LSO school.

Fix the Marine Corps F-35B LSO Shortage

By Major Brian Kimmins, U.S. Marine Corps

October 2023

The Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II community does not have enough LSOs for deployments, nor is there a way to solve this issue without making manpower sacrifices.

If fitness trackers such as the one pictured here can provide reliable and secure physiological data on military members, they can be a useful tool in monitoring service member health and wellness.

The Challenges of Wearable Technology

By Lieutenant Commander Adam T. Biggs, U.S. Navy, and Dale W. Russell

October 2023

If there is a good reason to collect physiological data, the military should consider the many challenges before implementing any wearables program.

Federal firefighters and a helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 3 combat a fire on board the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) in San Diego in July 2020. Using the Swiss Cheese Risk Model without refinement could instill a dangerous false confidence and risk tolerance by failing to draw sufficient attention to the weakness of casualty-prevention systems.

The Navy Should Not Rely on the Swiss Cheese Risk Model

By Commander Michael A. Kidd and Lieutenant Commander Andre T. Mayounga, U.S. Navy

October 2023

The Bonhomme Richard fire revealed a series of mathematical flaws in the Swiss Cheese Risk Model unknown to most commanders and leaders.

Book Reviews

October 2023

Experts review Bipolar General, Against All Tides, and other new and noteworthy books.

Where We Were

October 2023

A look back at the October issues of Proceedings from 1923, 1973, and 1998.

The periscope of the USS Wahoo (SS-565) captures the end to the submarine ex-USS Devilfish (AGSS-292) in the Pacific Ocean on 14 August 1968.

From Our Archive

October 2023

The periscope of the USS Wahoo (SS-565) captures the end to the submarine ex-USS Devilfish (AGSS-292) in the Pacific Ocean on 14 August 1968.

The Swedish submarine Gotland on sea trials following her 2018 modernization.

Sweden’s Gotland-class Subs: AIP pioneers of the Baltic Sea

By Eric Wertheim

October 2023

Sweden’s march toward full NATO membership brings an impressive naval fleet into the spotlight, exemplified by the Royal Swedish Navy’s Gotland-class (Type A-19) submarines.

Sailors load a missile cannister into a Mk 41 vertical launch cell.

Vertical Launch Systems Evolve

By Edward J. Walsh

October 2023

BAE Systems Land & Armaments is pushing ahead on manufacturing canisters that house the wide variety of missiles launched from the Mk 41 vertical launch system.

Asked & Answered

October 2023

What U.S. submarine class has best served the nation in war or peace, and why?

How Well is an Officer Handling the Pressure of Battle? Wearables May Be Able To Tell

October 2023

What if, during a battle at sea, the commanding officer on a ship could tell whether a key officer, such as the TAO, is crumbling under stress—and may start making bad decisions—based on that officer’s heart rate, blood pressure, galvanic skin response and other stress measures?

The USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC-1141) patrols the Arabian Gulf in 2022 as part of Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. If the Coast Guard’s value to the nation is truly its global character and mandate, then investment needs to be made to make that a reality.

Getting Real About the “Global Coast Guard”

By Commander Kevin Duffy, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)

October 2023

If the Coast Guard’s value to the nation is truly its “global” character and mandate, then investment needs to be made to make the same a reality.

Sailors on the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) attend an event during Suicide Prevention month in September 2022. One strategy for suicide prevention is encouraging service members’ pursuit of purpose and meaning through supportive leadership and unit cohesion.

Purpose in Life: A Remedy for Preventing Suicide

By Elizabeth A. Medeiros

October 2023

A sense of purpose is essential for suicide prevention efforts in the military.

MH-60S Seahawks assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8 complete the squadron’s final flight near San Diego prior to its deactivation ceremony. The lack of a dedicated special operations support squadron in the Navy could negatively affect the operational readiness of the United States in the Indo-Pacific.

Reconsider Shutting Down the Navy’s Only Special Operations Support Squadron

By Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Reed, U.S. Navy

October 2023

The Navy should reconsider shutting down Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85.

Sailors stand watch in the bridge on the USS Louisiana (SSBN-743). Today’s DSE teams face challenges with unit integration, high OpTempo, and poor officer progression. The solutions to these issues are as diverse as the problems but supporting them will better position the DSE construct in the next decade.

Beneath the Waves: Information Warfighters

By Lieutenant Corey Grey, U.S. Navy

October 2023

The Navy must take steps to better support its DSE teams as they support submarines.

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is on station in the eastern Mediterranean Sea following the Hamas attacks in Israel.

The USS Gerald R. Ford Is Operating in the Eastern Med. What Next?

By Admiral James A. Winnefeld, U.S. Navy (Retired)

October 2023

Undoubtedly, the familiar question “Where are the carriers?” was one of the first asked in the White House Situation Room on Saturday morning.

A Marine ground supply officer gives an after action report during Mountain Exercise 4-23 at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Pickel Meadows, California. It is time for innovation in supply and logistics at the lowest levels to align with strategic concepts of joint-force effort and collaboration.

The Marine Corps Needs a Local Supply-Web Logistics System

By Patrick Griffin

October 2023

Supply officers at the using-unit level need a better way to talk laterally across units, and across services, to provide the most efficient support for their units.