Jacob Muchenberger’s Post

Program management can be a long and arduous team effort. The payoff is when you meet the strategic execution plan, and goals are realized. That is when synergy is priceless.

Where will they find the crews for all the new builds? Will it be like all other government identities promoting those who look good on paper only, but not in actuality. The answer to the question of where they will find the crews for all the new builds depends on a number of factors, including the specific skills and experience required for the positions, the availability of qualified candidates, and the willingness of companies and organizations to invest in training and development. In some cases, companies may be able to find qualified candidates by poaching them from other companies or industries. However, this can be a risky strategy, as it can lead to resentment and a loss of institutional knowledge. In other cases, companies may need to invest in training and development programs to create a pipeline of qualified candidates. This can be a time-consuming and expensive process, but it can be a worthwhile investment in the long run. One way to ensure that companies are finding the best possible candidates for their new builds is to focus on the skills and experience that are actually required for the positions. This means going beyond simply looking at resumes and considering other factors, such as soft skills, adaptability, and willingness to learn. It also means being open to candidates from nontraditional backgrounds. Another important consideration is the availability of qualified candidates. In some industries, there is a shortage of skilled workers. This can make it difficult for companies to find the crews they need. However, there are a number of things that companies can do to attract and retain qualified talent, such as offering competitive salaries and benefits, providing opportunities for training and development, and creating a positive work environment. Ultimately, the success of any company in finding the crews it needs for its new builds will depend on its willingness to invest in its people. This includes investing in training and development, creating a positive work environment, and being open to candidates from nontraditional backgrounds. As for the second part of your question, it is certainly possible that some companies and organizations will promote people who look good on paper but who do not actually have the skills and experience that are required for their positions. However, this is not a sustainable practice in the long run. Companies that promote people based on their looks or political connections are likely to experience problems with productivity, morale, and customer service. In order to avoid these problems, companies need to have a fair and transparent hiring process that is based on merit. This means clearly defining the skills and experience that are required for each position and then assessing candidates based on their actual overall KSA's By following these practices, companies can ensure that they have a highly skilled workforce that is prepared for the challenges of the future.

Definitely would love to see some of the recommendations on detailing proposed here in CIMSEC: Center for International Maritime Security . I might also add the Anti-Submarine Warfare Coordinator (ASWC) in the point consideration, though likely on the tier with ATTWO; as it’s an important watch function though simpler than the ASWE role. In general, I think we need to work creatively to employ our many unqualified SWOs detailed to ships, and this helps stratify those we could send through Engineering, Deck, or Combat pipelines en-route to ultimate SWO qualification. I’d go one step further ahead of time though, and argue that SWOs should be like aviators and submariners, who get TS-clearances initiated coming out of their commissioning sources. All that costs money - but money well spent in my opinion; I have a January 2024 U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings Professional Note coming out on this topic.

This latest article in CIMSEC: Center for International Maritime Security argues that, "... every American Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) knows that the community spends less time on tactics than it should....The lowest-hanging fruit is in the junior officer detailing process. The fleet is missing a major opportunity to incentivize junior officers to be more lethal, but reform would be relatively simple." I'm not savvy enough on SWO world to assess this argument - what do the US Navy readers out there thing? #PME #WriteFightWin #ReadFightWin

https://lnkd.in/gRjebHk2 Time for the Navy to get back to basics ... As a surface warfare officer (SWO) for 30 years with three at-sea commands, I witnessed firsthand the surface navy’s waning emphasis on basic warfighting skills and crews’ ability to fight their ships. Unfortunately, in an effort to save resources, the Navy has relied too heavily on simulators rather than hands-on training. As a destroyer executive officer, I was dumbfounded when, as a result of political pressure, my ship was not permitted to conduct a live-fire naval gunfire support qualification, but our combat systems team was “qualified” using a land-based simulator. There is no substitute for the sound of real gunfire and the adrenaline that comes with live ammunition. In addition, in a career spent at sea, I saw basic shiphandling skills erode. Where once ships maneuvered at close quarters, over time this was discouraged by Navy leaders, and younger commanding officers became timid and risk averse as a consequence. This occurred to the detriment of the core pride of being a SWO: being able to maneuver your ship to the edge of the envelope so that in combat or in extremis you were confident you could steam into harm’s way and return safely. As a commanding officer, I would tell the crew their quality of life was not the number of in-port duty sections they were in but rather their ability to fight the ship and survive. I believe we have strayed from this most basic requirement of being a sailor. A practice I learned from my second commanding officer, Captain Ralph K. Martin, an expert mentor in the USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23), was having the ship’s in-port duty section get the ship underway while the rest of the crew was mustered on the fantail. This built their confidence, and they knew that in an emergency sortie, they could steam the ship out of harm’s way without the commanding officer or executive officer embarked. One day when we set the special sea and anchor detail. Captain Martin had the 1JV sound-powered phone talker (a personnelman first class) get the ship underway from pierside in San Diego without coaching—talk about a confidence-building measure for both him and the crew! In our minds, we were invincible. Two of the surface warfare maxims that were drilled into my head as a young ensign by commanding officers who had seen combat were “You get what you inspect” and “Never do in wartime what you have not done in peacetime.” It appears, based on the collisions at sea and other preventable accidents, that surface warfare as a community has lost touch with its roots in an effort to embrace other programs and issues that are not critical to sailors’ survival. One can only hope the Navy will do a course correction and get back on track soonest.

Representatives from various warfare communities and Marine Corps recently gathered at the Naval Safety Command to review and propose updates for the Fall Protection Program. With falls from height being the second-leading cause of fatal workplace events, the importance of this working group's efforts cannot be overstated. The group's goal is to merge two chapters, OPNAV M-5100.23 and OPNAVINST 5100.19F, into one comprehensive chapter that covers all fall protection requirements across all warfare areas. This consolidation will make it easier to access policy information and ensure consistency and uniformity. Stay tuned for the release of the updated Fall Protection Guide in September 2023 and the revised Chapter 13 of OPNAV M-5100.23 next year. https://bit.ly/4521vTb #FallProtection #SafetyMatters

Since 1775, the U.S. Navy has been ready to respond to and effectively deter rising threats. We celebrate all those who have served. ⚓ #happybirthday #realestate #realestateagent #realestateexpert #realtor #kandicefoglerealtor #katyrealestate #katyrealtor #kandicefogleproperties #katytx #houstontx

As a former Fire Control Officer on Mighty Monterey CG 61, I can attest to the importance of tactical qualifications for junior officers. The TAO and subsequent warfare coordinators are entrusted by the CO to keep the ship safe in a fight, and recent events only reinforce the need for competent warfighters. This article sheds light on how we can provide better incentives to enhance the tactical skills of officers. While WTI is filling some gaps, we need to do more to make our officers deadlier warfighters. Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/eDFYHMpV.

Great article and agree that warfare coordinator qualifications should come with points toward a junior officers (JO) detail journey. On my first ship, JOs didn’t stand CICWO (combat information center watch officer) and instead we were standing SUWC (surface warfare coordinator) or AAWC (anti-air warfare coordinator) and this benefitted us greatly while serving in 7th fleet. I learned way more standing SUWC than standing CICWO, interfacing with TAO (tactical action officer) , learning C&D (command and decisions) and ADS (Aegis display system) vabology vice just Mako chat, diving in to more tactical references and reporting off ship to the Sea Combat Commander watchstander. I proposed this concept at other commands I joined but most weren’t interested, especially since the focus for most JO’s are finishing up EOOW and managing bridge watchstander proficiency (45 days). But that can be easily fixed with alternating watches to maintain bridge proficiency (standing OOD on even days and CIC watch on even days, while another JO has the opposite). Not to mention a lot of JO’s struggle with rapidly getting OOD, CICWO and then hopefully their EOOW on their first tour. All in all, standing a warfare coordinator spot, even if it comes in your second tour, should be the goal for all JO’s. Additionally, I think it’s a huge mistake removing ATTWO from the overall SWO qualification process and like the idea of adding it here as an incentive. It’s a disadvantage for junior officers and their progression as warfighters. It also negatively affects the ship for watchbill writing purposes and maintaining a healthy 6 section duty (if you can obtain that with all other requirements of writing an import duty section watchbill).

Types of Deployment Learn the different types of deployments for Marines. Read more at MPBOD.com/202 Marines are always the first to fight, but combat deployments are not the only deployments that your Marine could be a part of. The deployment section of our website goes over each deployment type to prepare you and your Marine for what could be ahead. Learn about each deployment type at MarineParents.com! https://lnkd.in/gsKg-kTj