Rebuttal to a Navy LT's resignation open letter

COL Vincent Stoneking — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 08:47:06 -0400

Yesterday, or maybe the day before, Navy LT Anna Granville posted an open letter giving her reasons for resigning from the Active Navy at Task and Purpose. (posted in another thread here) Below is one well-reasoned response to that letter.

My personal opinion is that her letter shows a great deal of professional immaturity. This does NOT mean that LT Granville is immature. It means that she is not yet seasoned enough to understand the system that she is leaving. It reminds me a the lyrics to a Jim Croce song:
But no matter how smooth I talked
They wouldn't listen to the fact that I was a genius
The man say, "We got all that we can use"

http://www.askskipper.com/2015/04/15/a-response-to-ms-anna-granville-guest-post/

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2015 11:21 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 11:21:16 -0400

LTC Stoneking-
Sir, you are right on the money with posting your thoughts and the link to the response to her letter. With time and experience come wisdom and it seems this particular leader lacked enough time and experience to have gained enough wisdom to fully articulate the truth of why she was/is leaving the Navy. As the response stated, she did list her opinions and "her" reasons and they were clearly from her point of view. That point of view seemed a bit skewed to me and maybe a little narrow.

I do think that it is a great idea to draft such thoughts if you are planning to separate. Soldiers and Leaders should take the time to spell out their thoughts and then, rather than just post online, present these thoughts to their commanders so they can receive counsel from those that may actually have a little more experience to speak from. The value that could be gained in such a counseling/mentorship session may end up increasing the retention rates of all of these top performers that she claims the system is pushing out. But then again, these are just the rambling opinions of a senior enlisted Soldier.

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Apr 16 at 2015 11:37 AM

PO2 Mark Saffell — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 11:37:23 -0400

My issue with her is she was complaining about the number of middle aged white males in the upper ranks yet her leaving helps to contribute to that. If women and minorities aren't willing to stay in long enough to make it to those ranks and to help change the mix then it will remain middle aged white males. The Navy should not be Blaine's because white men decide to make the Navy there life. I was enlisted because I didn't want to wait to be an officer. I had an appointment to The Naval Accademy and decided to go in as enlisted instead because I wanted to be UDT. Spent my life regretting that. Trust me. She will regret her choice.

Response by PO3 John Jeter made Apr 16 at 2015 12:13 PM

PO3 John Jeter — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 12:13:59 -0400

"You're a better man than I Gunga Din!"
I read your response to Ms. Granville with avid interest. Not having seen her original posting I was intrigued. Some of the points you had to address were those I would never have expected to come from an officers complaints. I had to do a bit of back-tracking to find the original excerpt that Ms Granville offered. The only thing that keeps running through my mind is the question "Where did you get the concept that the Navy should be structured to accommodate you and your desires?" I was not an officer when I served. I understood that as an enlisted man I was there to "fit into the machine" as best as I could. After all, I ASKED to be a part of it. The more I read of her letter, the more distressed I became. Forgive me for being blunt, but in the back of my mind I hear a little girl singing the old chant "Nobody loves me, everybody hates me. I guess I'll go eat some worms....."
I guess I'm not as gracious as LTC Stoneking. My rebuttal would have been much more.........abrupt, shall we say? I do feel relieved that Ms Granville will not be responsible for the health and welfare of any of my fellow enlisted personnel. Somewhere in her fundamental education she exchanged obligation and duty for entitlement and comfort. In deck parlance "She just don't get it."
I wish her well in her new endeavors and her continuing search for an organization which will consider her needs first.

Response by LT Tim Foley made May 4 at 2015 11:23 PM

LT Tim Foley — Mon, 04 May 2015 23:23:32 -0400

As someone who resigned after one tour, some of the challenges LT Granville encountered really resonated with me. But LCDR Curtis' response actually resonated with me even more. What I found was that the further removed I became from my service, the more I appreciated the positives that I was able to bring with me to my civilian career. I hope the majority of veterans will ultimately come to the same realization.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2015 11:19 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 May 2015 23:19:24 -0400

Not yet an officer back then, but after my first Active Duty tour, right after Desert Storm, I had decided that the military wasn't for me (or so I thought). But I did realized, back then and now, that institutions are placed to serve as part of the foundation for systems, society, civilization, etc, and as such, they must be solid and firm in what they do and believe. Unfortunately, we live in times where people think the universe revolves around them. As an officer now, I do my best to serve my Command and the Soldiers within my reach. That is all I can do, and I am 100% sure God had taken note of that, which is enough for me.