USS Delaware Chosen For Submarine Name
From the DoD today:
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today that the next Virginia-class attack submarine will be named the USS Delaware. Dr. Jill Biden will sponsor the USS Delaware. A longtime Delaware educator and military mom, Dr. Biden started Joining Forces with First Lady Michelle Obama to encourage all Americans to recognize, honor and support military families.Although not mentioned in the article, I assume this name will be attached to SSN 791, the last Block III boat, scheduled for commissioning sometime around 2018.
Mabus named the future USS Delaware in honor of the first state in the Union. The name honors the great contributions and support Delaware has given the military through the years and pays homage to the state’s more than two centuries of naval heritage.
“I chose the name Delaware to honor the long-standing relationship between the Navy and our nation’s first state,” said Mabus. “It has been too long since there has been a USS Delaware in the fleet and this submarine will remind future deployed service members and state residents of their strong ties and many shared values for decades to come.”
posted by Bubblehead at 1:05 PM
70 Comments:
Outstanding choice!
11/19/2012 1:11 PM
The last USS Delaware, BB 28 (one of two Delaware-class battleships), having been in service 1910-1923....
11/19/2012 5:53 PM
Obviously, an apolitical choice. Right. -Right!
11/19/2012 6:05 PM
Ok, WAY off-topic. But if you go to the Drudge Report right now, there's a pic of Princess Kate Middleton (she may be pregnant) and I swear it looks like she's wearing RN dolphins.
11/19/2012 7:49 PM
any news on when the o-7 boards are? must be coming up soon... Who is on tap to pin a star on... Let the prognosticating begin...
11/20/2012 5:46 AM
O-7 board convenes 10 December. Word is there will only be two picks for 1120s. Obvious players would include Bob Clark (USNA Commandant), Bill Merz (CSL COS), and Vern Parks (CSDS-12). Plus all the other O-6s who have had great careers and done great jobs.
11/20/2012 8:25 AM
that is less than last years number...Wow.. Seems to be slim pickings for the 1120 community.
11/20/2012 8:39 AM
Slim for all communities - there's a big backlog, they haven't promoted half of the selects from year before last.
11/20/2012 11:13 AM
DANT AND COS usually a lock.. Not sure if Parks has the time in yet... but who knows after last years selections...
11/20/2012 12:58 PM
Not only was the Dant a lock last year, he was selected. Then, somebody said "not so fast," and he was de-selected. Everyone above him actually involved in that abortion should have been fired, as should the guy who was magically selected in his place.
11/20/2012 3:45 PM
@Annon 1545
Would that be Chas the Spaz?
11/20/2012 4:04 PM
I hope they run out of state's names before they finish building Virginia Class SSN's.
11/20/2012 5:50 PM
USS California (SSN-781)will be in the news soon.
11/20/2012 6:16 PM
USS California? What happened?
11/20/2012 6:46 PM
Anon at 3:45pm - you are either divulging board deliberations or spouting BS. If the board selected Clark and then re-voted, then someone is violating an oath by discussing it. If the board reported out, then there is no way to "de-select" Clark and pick someone else.
11/20/2012 6:53 PM
Anon at 7:49pm - you are indeed correct: from http://www.entertainmentwise.com/style/77442/1/Kate-Middleton-Red-Hot-In-Alexander-McQueen-As-She-Recycles-Canada-Hat-For-Queens-Jubilee is the quote:
"Kate gave her outfit a royal twist by pinning a maritime-themed brooch featuring two dolphins onto her dress – a gift from the Royal Navy Submarine Service of which William is Commodore in Chief."
11/20/2012 8:00 PM
What is a "DANT"?
11/21/2012 5:16 AM
Term used for the Commandant of Midshipman at the USNA..
11/21/2012 6:00 AM
Which Dant was that who was de-selected? Never heard of it...
11/21/2012 6:07 AM
Not sure I buy the whole... "not so fast line" I have to call BS on that.... however, I do agree that the picks last year BAD at best... Although DEVFRON screens Parks needs to put more time in. Merz and Clark... Not sure if a DANT HAS EVER NOT screened... Would be a shame if Clark did not get to pin on a star.
11/21/2012 6:07 AM
Clark, he is the present DANT
11/21/2012 6:08 AM
Selection boards report internally first. No first-hand knowledge here about the prior O-7 board, but it would hardly have been the first panel to be 'reconvened' before an external report was made.
11/21/2012 8:34 AM
And lest anyone be left wondering as to whether or not the above story is true, here is the U.S. Navy's side of the story.
Excerpt:
"During the resulting "B-36" and "Unification and Strategy" Hearings which came to be known as "The Revolt of the Admirals," Burke was tarred in the press with accusations that he was running an anti-unification, anti-Air Force "secret publicity bureau" and Op-23 was subjected to a Navy Inspector General investigation ordered by Secretary of the Navy Francis Matthews. The investigation showed no improper conduct, but that December, after Burke was unanimously approved "below the zone" by the Rear Admiral selection board for promotion, Matthews, with the apparent concurrence of Defense Secretary Louis Johnson, requested that Burke's name be removed from the flag list and the name of a more senior officer substituted. It took the intercession of President Truman, at the behest of his naval aide and Burke classmate Robert Dennison and the new CNO, Admiral Forrest Sherman, to see it reinstated." (Ref.)
11/21/2012 1:32 PM
Not sub related but two more CO's are fired. http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/11/navy-2-skippers-fired-alleged-misconduct-fort-mchenry-mount-whitney-111912w/
11/22/2012 5:16 AM
Having sat the O-7 board last year, I can legally say that the board followed the proceedings to the letter of the law and there were no selects and then deselects.
11/22/2012 10:02 AM
I think the idea of anyone, such as DANT, would get a automatic bid taints the whole process IMO.
Running a college campus with kids who already have high aptitudes and physical ability vs the rest of the Navy do not a correlation make.....
11/22/2012 5:40 PM
One tour doth not an admiral make...it's the preceding years of jobs & performances that gets one into the DANT role in the first place.
Star selection is just follow-through, unless he somehow manages to cock it up thoroughly.
The only things automatic and certain in life are death and taxes. YMMV.
11/22/2012 7:20 PM
So giving an O-ganger an easy billet (Canoe U) and then push button Admiral?
If anyone gets an automatic bid then the review process is inherently flawed.
11/24/2012 7:32 PM
Some O-6 billets are considered "pre-flag" in the ashore Navy, just as any number billets in the fleet forces precede the next level of responsibility (nub DivO -> DH -> XO -> CO....or nubPO3 -> PO2 -> PO1 -> CPO...etc.)
Not complicated. And not automatic...just 'likely', as that's the intent of the pre-flag role -- to test one's "mettle."
Conversely, not too many college NROTC O-6s get selected to O-7 (as in none, ever?), as that's just not the role you'd put a pre-flag-quality O-6 into.
Pretty simple stuff, really. And it makes sense on many levels. You don't want to have pre-flag quality being assigned to joe-shit-the-ragman roles...not unless you want to live in/under that kind of a Navy.
While anyone can and will bitch about who gets selected for O-7, the system of pre-flag roles does at least telegraph to the community just who is considered to be of that calibre. Actually getting selected is a whole other can of worms. "Automatic" is only a selection on a gear shift.
11/24/2012 9:24 PM
P.S. Not all pre-flag roles are equal. The DANT is a fairly highly ranked one...and if you value the future of the Navy, you too will want it to be. The person in that role influences the values -- and hopefully judgment -- of a very high percentage of the Navy's future naval officers.
I served for six submarine COs in my time. The best of the lot did in fact serve as a DANT at a later point in time, and, yes...he was later selected for O-7.
Sometimes the Navy does the right thing.
11/24/2012 9:45 PM
Conversely, not too many college NROTC O-6s get selected to O-7 (as in none, ever?), as that's just not the role you'd put a pre-flag-quality O-6 into.
Actually, Chester Nimitz was a college NROTC O-6 -- the very first one, at UC Berkeley. Between that and the court-martial conviction, the guy seems to be the exception that proves every flag-selection rule.
Very different times.
11/24/2012 10:56 PM
Yes, but...Nimitz' role at Berkeley was to establish the Navy's very first NROTC unit.
I detect a trend.
11/25/2012 1:30 AM
I trust we treat the Flag board the same as any other board in the Navy...we advance based on merit not position.
11/25/2012 7:32 AM
What... you can't be a lecher at any ROTC unit too?
I thought that was the prerequisite to putting on stars these days...
11/25/2012 7:40 AM
O-6s get put into "pre-flag" shore and sea duties (e.g., Commodores, Commendant of USNA) because they have careers that demonstrated sustained superior performance throughout, not because they are given an "easy billet to push button to Admiral." By that point in an Officer's career, the writing is pretty much on the wall from a history of 20-25 years of service.
The screening boards use both merit and position when promoting. There are certain "off-ramps" post-DH where Officers can be detailed to jobs that aren't promotable for the next career milestone. For example, you won't find too many, if any, O-6's who didn't serve a CO at sea tour. Not all jobs are created equal, and it's the detailers' jobs to put promotable Officers into promotable jobs. It doesn't guarantee advancement or screening for the next career milestone, but it continues to keep the door open provided the Officer performs well in his assigned duties. Succeeding in challenging billets is always going to look better than succeeding in easy billets.
Just like if a nuke wants to be on track for MCPO, he'll qualify EWS on first boat, take on ship-wide collateral duties, go to prototype for shore duty, qualify EOOW, and pretty much be a shoe-in for CPO, continue to kickass as Chief while taking on other ship-wide collateral duties, qualify EDMC, become squadron MPA/EA/CRA/RCA for shore duty, go on to become an EDMC. You can do it without going on this track, but it's going to be harder.
11/25/2012 9:07 AM
Agree with the above poster on advancement. It's kind of like the Electoral College for president. Concentrate on the battleground states, win those and it's on to the big show. Everything else is just a gimme.
One correction, there are a few non-CO at-sea 0-6 billets out there for CO(SS) guys. The CO for NSSC Bangor was promoted to 0-6 and then given CO Naval Base Kitsap. Great guy!
11/25/2012 11:06 AM
To the Anon who posted the story about the COB on the California here's your solution to all of our problems:
I am amazed that we still have these problems when we have such stellar leadership at the Squadron, Group and FORCM positions. Obviosly these dastardly MCPO's are hiding this all from these steely eyed CMCs? How about we issue these rules...You have two or more COBs in your squadron get relieved you get to drive them to the airport with your bags packed. Hmmm, I might be on to something. Our current plan for leadership rule and training has not faired too well. Maybe we can wait till all of the holier than thou Master Chiefs can retire?Thats a plan. Its sort of like Hope! Or we can allow the CO's and CDREs to start picking the COBs and CMCs. We wouldn't have these problems!
TSSBP!!!
11/25/2012 7:41 PM
So, what happened on the CALIFORNIA?
11/26/2012 4:24 AM
As far as the advancement review boards, when you consider that USNA grads are suggestoried into subs, and that overall officer attrition is heavy, that doesn't make for an opportunity to get the "best of the best".
11/26/2012 8:06 AM
^^^ That's one theory. The reality...seen first-hand, not just a story...is that the 'very best' do sometimes tend to stay in.
Reflecting on the best-overall (most capable, smartEST, savvy, team-player-and-leader) that I saw in NPS, SOBC and SOAC...the top two that I observed directly stayed in (until they didn't...everyone eventually leaves, of course).
One made it to SSN command, O-6 and med-disqual'd out (thyroid), one made it to being CO of one of the project boats, O-6...and N42 (yes, this will tip the name to some)...and then bailed. IDK why in the latter case, but am guessing he didn't make the O-7 cut and called it a day...but he was far and away the 'best of the best' amongst his peers.
So it does happen that these guys sometimes stay in. I've seen it.
BTW...another way of thinking about this: even if someone were potentially very good (to 'best') for the military/submarines, if they freaking hate it, how 'good' could they possibly be, really, in terms of making a very difficult job any better for the others they work with? Negative attitudes don't sell anywhere...in the military, or out.
11/26/2012 9:01 AM
So the Nuke Navy has chronic manning issues, chronic unplanned losses across the ranks, a shrinking fleet, general buyers remorse from the majority of sailors.
What you are defending and proposing is status quo. Hate to break it too you but the world of Nukedom needs a MAJOR shake-up from the very top.
The people who can make the major changes are the admirals. Once they get there they don't have th balls to make changes.
In the civilian world if you have 2/3 of you employess not being retained, heads would roll. But the Guvmint drones get to play by a different set of rules and the employees (read: sailors) pay the price.
If you don't think the system is due for overhaul, I can only pray for those that are still in that you aren't active duty.
11/26/2012 4:29 PM
How can Admirals make the day-to-day jobs of nukes better? At the end of the day, you stand watch for 6 hours, take 6 log sets on paramaters that should not be changing, and have to do more training just in case armageddon occurs than everyone else in the whole Navy. There's nothing anyone can do to make that job exciting. People would endure the long hours and time away from family if the job were satisfying, but it's not.
Of course, it certainly doesn't help when Navy leadership pounds nukes into submission with requirements up the ass.
The only thing anyone can do to fix the job is to automate it. VA class does that somewhat, but the real hurdle is selling Congress on the up-front funding to save manpower costs later. That's just not how federal budgets are done, so it'll never happen.
You can't parallel military leadership to civilian leadership because in the civilian world, the leadership controls the money, the hiring process, the funds allocation. In the military, the leadership controls none of that. They have to make the best of what they are given, and oftentimes they're not given a whole lot.
MCPOs keep getting fired? Not surprising. Most CPOs pawn off their duties and responsibilities on everyone so that they can just lounge in Chiefs quarters. After all, they 'earned' the right to be a lump on a log for the last 8-10 years of their careers. Talking about hiring processes in the civilian world...I can count on one hand the amount of CPOs I've ever met that I'd ever hire to be a manager and actually perform at the level where I'd keep them. But this is what the Navy has and some of them have to get promoted to MCPO. Surprise surprise, they still suck even with two stars.
Only in the Navy do you have middle-level managers who are practically immune from any real consequence of sucking at their jobs, who publicly deride their people, and who think good leadership is tasking a PO2 or unknowing Ensign with their jobs and drinking coffee with the COB until after 1600 hours when he can switch to beer. Glad I got out and don't have to deal with those drains on our society anymore.
11/26/2012 4:56 PM
Simply stated, your whining is infantile!
11/26/2012 6:35 PM
anon @ 11/26/2012 6:35 PM,
When one has nothing valuable to add, they name call and denigrate. A tactic used heavily in adoloscence....
11/26/2012 7:21 PM
The point is.... A star is not made by one stop in a career, however, it can be lost by one mistake... The DANT position is one that is a challenge to get.. Meaning, your community has to nominate you to even interview... The present DANT has always had his retention and has been a positive role model.. That is what put him where he is. Whether he was first selected then delselected or whatever happened.. The two who DID get selected... Well that just goes to show you something about politics... Anyway, good luck to those that are up this time...
11/27/2012 7:00 AM
anon @ 11/26/2012 4:56 PM
I see a lot of excuses. The blended family and staffing people per boat is, as you say, a "get what you get" situation. However that's the role of officers to deal with that and come up with an inclusive department that rallies the troops.
If you want to blame the chiefs, well that's quiote funny since they report to their divions officer. If the Div-O is a push over and let's the chief act like an entitled beast, then fix it.
But, the turnover serves to make this situation worse.
There are ways to make things better. Automation is absolutely one part of the equation but that just means they ramp down the staffing level and it still has people burned out.
Take the list of crappy things about the sub service and actually DO SOMETHING to address them.
That has to come from the upper management of the Navy as they are in the position to make changes.
Staffing levels, education, advancement, lower the sea:shore ratio, etc.
It is going to take someone with a spine to do it but once guys get to Admiral level, they don't care and become more poltician than a real manager.
11/27/2012 8:52 AM
??? Once they get to O-7 they Become politicians? (he clears his throat)... I would say late O-5 and O-6 they are just as political...
11/27/2012 10:17 AM
Sorry to interrupt this apparently pointless bitch-fest about the best guys making it to O-7 and not being able to fix everything instantly with a magic want, but I saw this video on YouTube about the (virtual) relationship aftermath of military deployments, and just had to share.
I'm still laughing. Oh and...Uh..and with you guys...not at you. After all, I am you. ;-)
After you've finished laughing at yourselves a bit, go back to the discussion on the non-Merlin O-7s, and come up with some good ideas on how they should straighten their caps, throw down some chicken bones and, dammit, fix the impact of multi-year 3-6 month deployments on family life. There just has to be a magical incantation here somewhere...
11/27/2012 10:27 AM
"...wand"...not "want" -- though the latter clearly applies as well. ;-)
11/27/2012 10:30 AM
If you want to blame the chiefs, well that's quiote funny since they report to their divions officer. If the Div-O is a push over and let's the chief act like an entitled beast, then fix it.
You ever serve on a submarine? Div-Os don't write CPO fitreps and aren't invited to the table when the DHs, XO, and CO rank them. There is simply no penalty for a CPO who ignores a Div-O, and the only penalty to a CPO who ignores anyone in the CoC is possibly not making SCPO.
11/27/2012 6:15 PM
Are major problem lies within the enlisted CPO,SCPO, and MCPO board itself. We do not place enough supervision on the panels and the O ganger who sets the board with the Master Chiefs needs to control the members more. It needs to be revamped, maybe with a MCPO as a technical advisor only. I think if we got continuity and non-bias in the procedure there would be less issues with todays board and todays CPOs. Band wagon is leaving who wants a ride.
11/27/2012 6:37 PM
And this has what to do with the
O-7 Boards how??
11/28/2012 5:52 AM
I thought we were talking about the Deleware?
11/28/2012 3:08 PM
Both enlisted and Officer promotion boards could use improvement. Sometimes the system gets it right, but it frequently gets it wrong, too.
For starters, why are there no advancement exams for Officer, SCPO, and MCPO advancement? A CO, XO, or DH who lacks the LOK required for his job could be extremely detrimental to the crew, up to and including colliding with stationary objects or other ships. There are more than a few CPOs who don't know all the requirements of their jobs as divisional Chiefs and don't really care to learn them, since it'll just come down to the wardroom to write all the root causes and C/A's.
Second, you take two COs: one who has the balls to tell a Commodore when he's asking too much and refuse to put his crew through hell to get the ship out of an availability ahead of time, and a second CO who works his crew on weekends, holidays, etc. to deliver the ship early, and the second CO will get ranked higher every time. Yet all else being equal, the first one is the better leader -- he recognizes the human limitations of his crew and the big-picture importance of keeping guys proud of their jobs and able to take care of the home front. There's no urgency in a peacetime submarine force that warrants sacrificing any semblance of a personal life. The second one is a balless yes-man who only cares about his own advancement, but his fitrep will read about how his expert planning led to delivering a ship 6 months early... there might even be an award citation for it, too.
11/28/2012 4:55 PM
Nuke Related
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/11/27/faulty-carrier-part-has-deployment-domino-effect.html?ESRC=eb.nl
11/28/2012 6:23 PM
Anyone wanna bet the decision to keep more carriers in-port was a political reminder to POTUS that he ought to keep up defense spending, particularly to the DON?
"Mr. President, we only have one battle group capable of leveling a small continent to rubble patrolling the Persian Gulf. If we don't have at least three over there, Iran might get froggy again and we'll be helpless! We need more funding and more carriers!"
11/28/2012 6:56 PM
^^^ Not buying that line of bullshit (yours). Call the Navy as many names as you like, and some of them definitely fit, but they extend deployments such as they have been for one reason and one reason only: lack of resources for the demands being made.
Excerpt:
"The average carrier deployment is seven months, but multiple operations in the Middle East and Pacific have seen sailors' time at sea inch toward nine to 10 months in recent years. Navy officials said they are aware of the extended sacrifice sailors are making, but describe the additional sea time as unavoidable as the Navy's resources continue to shrink."
That strikes me as being the plain truth. If it doesn't fit your "the Navy is scamming Dear Leader" narrative, then tough shit.
11/29/2012 8:30 AM
So, I guess Merz lying to the Naval Inspector General during an Investigation doesn't get reflected as a negative mark on his O-7 board. Interesting.
11/29/2012 6:15 PM
Well I guess we don't know yet since the board hasn't convened. But why don't you go ahead and spread more unconfirmed anonymous rumors, preferably about the other candidates to at least level the playing field.
11/29/2012 7:28 PM
What? Officers are infallible! It's always those damn enlisted guys fault making us look bad. How could anyone say anything bad about another officer, ever! Say it ain't so....
11/30/2012 4:49 AM
More info? Level playing field? Tall demands. Memphis. Merz. CO. Cheating scandal. Swept under rug.
Enough?
Probably not. Hah!
11/30/2012 5:45 PM
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12/03/2012 2:52 AM
Crickets. No surprise. The address of reality starts and the players lock up.
12/03/2012 8:55 PM
Chirp
12/03/2012 9:01 PM
I'm sure Admiral Richardson and Admiral Tofalo had HONESTY and INTEGRITY in mind when they directed the CO of the USS RHODE ISLAND to reinstate the ENG after he e-mailed the ORSE EXAM questions to the wardroom this past Spring.
But hey, Merz is only bucking for their position, so why would he do any different?
Of course, that "investigation" report was not allowed for release under the Freedom of Information Act. I wonder why?
O-6's protect the O-7's and Above because they want their jobs.
12/03/2012 9:16 PM
With regards to the public transport system, the GPS tracking system are fitted on terminals to give passengers on the expected arrival times which can ease up crowded stations. We should also have fleet maintenance management software installed to our mainframes.
12/04/2012 12:27 AM
Joel,
Are you doing anything about these random posts that kill the threads? (i.e. the previous GPS post)
12/07/2012 6:48 PM
heard the 0-7 surface list was unofficial.. but out...any unofficial 1120 list out yet (rumor).. Thanks
12/20/2012 1:46 PM
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