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February 2005
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Cartoon by Jeff
Bacon.
"Good morning Airman Smith," I said as I paid the young Sailor for a cup of Joe at the squadron geedunk. I was in a rush, as always, to get my PQS signed off, preflight the airplane, finish my evals, or one of the myriad of other things that kept me more than occupied as a junior officer in Patrol Squadron Eleven. Although I had seen Airman Smith around the squadron, I didn't know much about him and, frankly, hadn't given it a second thought. He was right out of bootcamp, working at the ship's store while learning a trade in the Navy ... and well outside the sphere of interest of this young, self-absorbed Lieutenant. That was 13 years ago and I have no idea of what became of him... I now regret not knowing and, more importantly, doing all I could to help that young man succeed. I hadn't even considered that he certainly didn't join to sell coffee, and that he might benefit from some personal attention to keep him engaged and motivated ... and his eyes on the bigger prize. Frankly, as I look back over my Navy career I fear that I had insufficient appreciation for how important it would be to personally motivate, mentor and engage our newest Sailors. That regret came into sharp focus by an experience I had recently during a blustery Chicago morning.
"General Quarters, General Quarters. All hands man your battlestations." 0530 was decidedly too early to be startled by the cacophony of claxons and urgent calls over the 1MC. Just 30 minutes earlier, I had emerged from the Great Lakes BOQ into a bracing cold Chicagoland morning. I was getting the opportunity to witness the penultimate event before boot camp graduation -- Battlestations. This "Coming of Age" ceremony is a grueling 36-hour experience where recruits are tested on the knowledge, teamwork, and determination that they've learned over the previous 7 weeks at bootcamp. The goal of becoming a Sailor is just hours away and the recruits can taste it. They're dirty, wet, tired and ready for this all to end. Little did I know that it wasn't just the recruits that were getting the education. In just a few hours, I would have an experience that I would never forget.
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By mid-morning, Battlestations had ended. The company stood at parade rest, each recruit wearing a tattered, polyester ball cap stitched with yellow block letters spelling "RECRUIT." These young people hadn't yet earned the title of Sailor -- but that was about to change. "Attention on Deck," was called as the Recruit Training Command's (RTC) CO entered the room. He spoke for ten minutes about how proud he was of these young Americans ... how their contribution to the Country mattered ... his tone was somber and serious and, as far as I could tell, no one blinked. He reminded them that their training wouldn't end that day ... how they must continue to live the Navy's core values of Honor, Courage & Commitment. Finally, he ordered his staff to make these recruits Sailors. And, in an extraordinarily simple yet highly symbolic act, the recruits exchanged their RECRUIT hats for Navy caps. They were no longer individual recruits; they were now Sailors and Shipmates. I'm not particularly prone to emotion but I must tell you that I was a bit choked up. I wasn't alone -- many of the staff and new Sailors were obviously feeling the gravitas of the moment. We knew we were witnessing an important, life-changing event in the lives of these Sailors. They each took a chance to be part of something bigger than themselves, to advance their lives, and contribute to society. At that moment, all things were possible. They had emerged from the chrysalis a changed person -- with the potential to be a great American.
We've all seen the occasional Sailor that is less than fully engaged. The new E1 or E2 who just doesn't seem happy or vested in the Navy. I now wonder what happened to them between that emotional ceremony where they gave themselves fully to the service of their country and an attitude of general apathy and cynicism. Something happened in A school or perhaps while checking aboard the ship. Perhaps someone communicated to them, verbally or through their actions, that the core values were propaganda and that their contribution didn't really matter. Someone didn't care enough to take him or her under their wing and say "You'll give up on yourself before I give up on you."
These young people are our most valuable asset -- they are our relief, our future, and our legacy. "The first 72 hours of a Sailor's checking onboard a command is absolutely critical. This experience will often determine how successful a Sailor will be in that command," said Master Chief Michael Tsikouris, RTC's Command Master Chief. "As leaders we are obligated to ensure that we continue the great work being done at Great Lakes. We must make a concerted effort in continuing to create an environment where these new Sailors feel valued. We all have a responsibility to ensure our newest Sailors have a clear understanding of their path to advancement, the responsibility and duty that comes with being a Sailor. Mentoring these young men and women is the bread and butter of solid leadership -- and our actions leaders speak as loudly as our words."
It's funny that many of us don't realize until later in life that our greatest and most lasting contributions are not individual accomplishments -- they are how we impact others. I would encourage you to go out of your way to find these new Sailors and take responsibility for their success. Make time to ensure that the command's sponsor program is world-class. Send all your JOs to Great Lakes to witness first-hand the making of our great Sailors. And next time you are in the geedunk, spend the time to share that cup of coffee with Airman Smith.
© 2005 Christopher Michel. All opinions expressed in this article
are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.
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Chris is President of Military Advantage, the nation's largest military membership organization. Through Military.com, the company connects over 4 million members to the lifelong benefits of military service and provides public and private sector clients efficient access to the military market. Members trust Military.com for career, education and financial services. Founded in 1999, Military Advantage has raised over $30 million from leading investors and strategic partners, including A&E Television Networks. In 2004, Military Advantage was acquired by Monster Worldwide (Nasdaq: MNST).
Prior to founding Military Advantage, Chris was a strategy consultant assisting companies in the airline, entertainment, and financial services industries.
Chris also served as a Naval Flight Officer in the United States Navy. While on active duty, Chris flew as a P-3 Navigator, Tactical Coordinator and Mission Commander in support of maritime interdiction operations in the Red Sea, NATO enforcement operations in the Adriatic, and counter-narcotics missions in Central America. Following his operational tour, Chris worked in the Pentagon as Aide to the Chief of the Naval Reserve.
An advocate for servicemembers and Veterans, Chris is a frequent speaker and has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, Financial Times, and others. He is also a regular guest on CNN and other national radio and TV programs. In addition, he writes the monthly "Charting your Course" column for U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine and is working on his first book to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2005. He also serves as a Trustee of the U.S. Naval Institute Foundation and is a past Director of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation.
Chris earned his commission from the NROTC program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was named a Distinguished Naval Graduate. He also holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
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