What are your thoughts on Anna Granville's (a Navy officer) reasons for resigning?

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 01:13:38 -0400

NOTE: The photo of the Naval Officer attached to the original taskandpurpose blog post is not a photograph of the author of the taskandpurpose blog post, as is noted on the photo at taskandpurpose. This has been brought to my attention by a colleague of the officer in the photo, who is currently serving. I can't seem to get RallyPoint to remove the photo except by removing the URL to the blog, so I'm removing the URL. The photo does not add anything to this discussion, so I'm removing it.

This young Navy officer's reasons for resigning seem applicable across the Services.

1. Promotions are based more on “hitting the wickets” than exemplary performance.
2. Unsustainable strain on your personal relationships.
3. The military is a homogeneous, anti-intellectual organization.
4. Ownership of self.

On point 3, she writes: "When I was a week into my first deployment, I was preparing my slides for a watch turnover brief as the assistant chiefs of staff all filed in. A fellow junior officer, whose watch station was adjacent to mine, muttered, “Man, the Navy has a never-ending supply of middle-aged white men.” And she was absolutely right. The majority of senior military leaders are white, Christian, conservative men with engineering degrees from a service academy, masters’ degrees from a war college, who grew up middle-class or privileged and whose wives do not have a career outside the home. There is nothing wrong with any of this — indeed, this is probably the profile of most executives in America. But this also means there’s a lack of diversity of ideas, a resistance to alternative ways of thinking, and the lethality of group think."

How do those she describes here (senior officers) respond? Is Service homogeneity a problem, and does it create a "lethality of group think" and a "resistance to alternate ways of thinking"?

You can find the article at taskandpurpose; it is titled "4 Reasons I Am Resigning My Commission As A Naval Officer."

http://taskandpurpose.com

Task & Purpose

Task & Purpose is a news site for veterans, by veterans. Read articles on all aspects of veteran lifestyle including news, education, careers, culture & more.

Response by LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2015 7:42 PM

LT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 19:42:28 -0400

It seems that she feels she is quitting and trying to justify it to the reader. I cannot speak well for officers who never served enlisted time, but for Mustangs, we see the commission as a chance to change things we do not agree with or could do better. Unfortunately it takes time and seniority to be able to do that, which requires the willingness to play the game long enough to get to the point where you can change the rules. In short, I agree those problems exist to some extent in the Navy, but are only reasons to leave if a person singularly decides to leave.

Response by LCDR Jamie Galus made Apr 13 at 2015 9:05 PM

LCDR Jamie Galus — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 21:05:06 -0400

First of all, I am no "Joe Navy," but I do have a few issues with her article. The following is from my perspective as a Post-DH card carrying 1110/SWO.

Let's start with this statement:

"There are four major, tangible, common reasons I am resigning that I did not include in the letter."

Why not? This was her opportunity to tell the Navy exactly why she has decided to resign.

Reason 1: Hitting the Wickets.
The wickets are there to ensure that officers progress in their core competencies, such as OOD U/W, Warfare Qualification, EOOW and TAO. As SWOs the only job we are training for is to eventually become a Commanding Officer of a warship. I had great tours as an Engineering Division Officer and 1st Lieutenant and would have been happy if they were longer tours, but I had to learn and move on. If an officer can't obtain one of these "wickets" then they probably aren't going to cut it further on down the road. Are these "wickets" difficult to obtain? Some harder than others, but they are a good place for the Navy to start thinning the flock.
In regards to the part of about brand new LTs competing with LTs serving as Department Heads. They are going to get rated lower....because they aren't carrying the load as a Department Head. Regardless, second tour DivOs leaving their ships as LTs, should be rewarded with a 1 of 1 EP.

Reason 2: Strain on your personal relationships
The Navy isn't any different from any of the other services. This is part of the sacrifice that we and our families freely take on to serve our nation.

Reason 3: The military is a homogeneous, anti-intellectual organization
Officers of color and women of all colors have thrived in the Navy over the course of the last 20 years. At one time I found myself working of a female Captain, who was taking orders from a female two star Admiral, both who were exceptional Officers and Leaders. Female SWOs are thriving in our community commanding on all levels, to include LT Commands, and still being able to raise a family. It takes a lot more work, but aren't all worthwhile things in life.

Reason 4: Ownership of self.
For this reason I commend LT Granville. Leaving the security of the Navy, any branch for that matter, is a huge step and for this reason alone she is resigning for the right reason. If your heart isn't in it then you should leave. I am sure that all of us who have been around a few years have seen a number of folks who have overstayed their productivity. So I say bravo to her for making this very difficult decision and wish her well in next career.

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member , thanks for posting this Shipmate.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Apr 13 at 2015 10:30 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 22:30:50 -0400

The anti-intellectualism was spot on though... Definitely not an environment for critical thinkers..

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Apr 13 at 2015 11:07 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 23:07:33 -0400

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member, I only hope that in the future this young officer doesn't look back on the way she handled her departure from the Navy and wished she'd handled it in a more discreet way. This action has "regret" written all over it.

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member, I guess your discussion got rolled up with another? Last I saw, I thought this was LCDR Private RallyPoint Member's discussion thread!

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2015 1:41 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:41:21 -0400

I think homogeneity is needed in a military organization. There is no way in any force size to know all your team mates good enough to work as a homogeneous multi-unit task force without it. Now her accusation that the senior leadership of the Navy is all “middle age white men” and that the Navy lacks diversity is not what I experience. I was honored to serve with both a female CO and a female Admiral in my time. Both were the best leaders I had the privilege to work for. I found them to be much more even keel in a crisis where some of my previous COs were screamers and chokers. I think if she would have had the opportunity to do her DH tours and spend some time at a Staff College she would have experienced more of this “alternative ways of thinking and the lethality of group think” in some of those settings.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Apr 14 at 2015 2:07 PM

SCPO David Lockwood — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:07:07 -0400

In my 26 years I saw this. It's a shame that the senior personnel, officer and enlisted, would rather have a bunch of robots instead of sailors who are able to think out of the box individually as well as within a group. To be able to come up with ideas and present them is a plus, however I had seen so many get shot down because it did not fall along the norm. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the norm is a bad thing but the senior leadership must encourage the individual to think and be more creative and be able to do this without fear of being ridiculed or made inferior. My thoughts.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Apr 14 at 2015 2:18 PM

COL Charles Williams — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:18:47 -0400

I disagree with 3. I agree with 1 and 2. Not 4. I think she was not cut out for the military, and a applaud her service and candor.

I can't speak for the Navy, but in the Army encourage initiative, and creative solutions, but we also need Leaders to use the tools and systems that we use, teach and train, and that have stood the test of time.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2015 2:32 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:32:54 -0400

While her reasons are just that, they do bring up an interesting topic that needs addressing. One book I have found that takes a good look at the issue of why the military is losing so many good leaders is Tim Kane's Bleeding Talent. It dispels a lot of the myths, and while it doesn't have all the answers, it is a good starting place for a discussion and has some interesting proposals that are doomed because they make too much sense.

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Apr 14 at 2015 2:37 PM

LTC Paul Labrador — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:37:15 -0400

What I find a bit amusing is if she expects corporate America to be any different, she is in for a rude awakening. The grass is not greener and the civilian world (and particularly corporate Amercia) has it own share of "-isms" that would rival anything you find in the military.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Apr 14 at 2015 2:46 PM

Capt Richard I P. — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:46:07 -0400

Smoke and fire.

Most good "JO's" I know are competing to go to special communities or special assignments or getting out.

Lots of smoke out there. Most J.O.'s getting out cite the lack of ability to control their own destiny and the incentives for mediocrity as a push factor.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/01/why-our-best-officers-are-leaving/308346/
http://www.amazon.com/Bleeding-Talent-Military-Mismanages-Revolution/dp/ [login to see]
http://www.dodretention.org/

It doesn't seem like as an institution we have even the most basic statistics as to the quality of our separating members, NCOs, JOs or above. Are we tracking whether we're losing more from the top third, middle third or bottom third of the peer groups? Shouldn't we be? If we won't even frame the problem or do our "JIPOE" how can we hope to address a challenge?

Why Our Best Officers Are Leaving

Why are so many of the most talented officers now abandoning military life for the private sector? An exclusive survey of West Point graduates shows that it’s not just money. Increasingly, the military is creating a command structure that rewards conformism and ignores merit. As a result, it’s losing its vaunted ability to cultivate entrepreneurs in uniform.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2015 2:58 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:58:53 -0400

If she doesnt want to serve, then she should get out.

Response by PO2 Glenn Altschuld made Apr 14 at 2015 3:02 PM

PO2 Glenn Altschuld — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:02:24 -0400

i wasn't an officer but i resent her attitude about commissioned white men. it is a positive reflection upon white males that so many of us sign up to serve our country and an even better reflection that so many can serve as officers. if we're the ones signing up in numbers then we deserve credit for it, not the judgement or condemnation of a person who can't read beyond the optics of a situation. shame on her. and glad she's out. i'd give a lot to have had the opportunities she had and is throwing away.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Apr 14 at 2015 3:10 PM

Cpl Jeff N. — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:10:25 -0400

In a word, this is lame.

1. Promotions - Unless you are setting the world on fire in some way there is likely a lot you have to learn as a JMO (hitting the wickets). She sounds like a lot of the mid 20's crowd that show up in corporate America and think they should be running the place in a few years. She will have an agonizing reappraisal coming up should she ever work in corporate America. My guess is she will end up in a government job somewhere.

2. Strain on your relationships - I hope that wasn't a surprise. She signed up for duty in the US Navy. They operate on these big things called ships, all over the world. You should expect to be gone, a lot. If you are trying to date anyone it will be a strain due to deployments. If you are trying to date another JMO you need your head examined. You will both likely go different directions. And those lucky white men that have a wife and kids at home, they just have it made in the shade being gone for a year at a time.

3. Homogeneous and anti-intellectual - Of course it is. She might want to recall this is an all volunteer force. If there are not enough non white, non Christian men in it (BTW, those remarks could be considered racist or misandry), they should sign up. The anti-intellectual statement is the hallmark of the millienial whiner. Always the smartest person in the room. She is the real intellectual, they just need to listen to her more. They must not know that she was given a trophy every season for soccer/band/softball/etc.

4. Ownership of self: The military requires you to give up a lot of yourself for the greater good of the nation. If yoiu cannot deal with that reality it is time to move on. She seems to have made that realization and rather than leave quietly, she wanted to take a few shots.

I'm glad she is leaving, she would have been unhappy and would have made those around her unhappy. It is not for everyone, fair wind and following seas.

Response by CW2 Joseph Evans made Apr 14 at 2015 3:24 PM

CW2 Joseph Evans — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:24:11 -0400

I'm saying spot on. We really need to shatter the group think mentality of the zero-defect mediocrity that has infected the DoD.

There is very rarely a challenge to the status quo that is taken seriously. We do not promote on an individuals ability to solve problems, but on their ability to follow orders. Which also makes for a convenient scapegoat when a senior is promoted beyond their level of competence...

We no longer support improvement (if we ever did), and continue to reinforce the bureaucracy. Leaders that make mistakes and learn are lost in the shuffle because of unsat fitreps to individuals without imagination.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Apr 14 at 2015 3:49 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:49:40 -0400

MAJ Jeff Jager, This letter resounds with the same theme and sub-themes of; 'Bleeding Talent' written by Tim Kane, a resigned 1990 USAF Academy graduate. The sub-title is, 'How the US Military Mismanages Great Leaders and Why It's Time for a Revolution"

When USAF Intel officer Tim Kane requested 'branch' to allow him to pursue a PhD in Economics so he could teach at the Academy, his branch office said, "I am calling your bluff, we need Intel officers"

Mr. Kane subsequently resigned the USAF and became a successful civilian. He cared enough about the military to survey the opinions of serving and resigned military academy graduates as material for his book.

From that book, and other readings, to my continuing chagrin; one must conclude that hierarchy of the Army - Navy - Air Force - USMC have a reluctance to change similar to aged granite.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 14 at 2015 4:50 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 16:50:28 -0400

Thank you for you time.....and goodbye.

Nice thing about being an officer you can leave when you want (for the most part). There is obviously other things going on in the young lady's life that are more important to her than continuing service to her country. Fortunately she (we) live in a country where you can opt out service. Another great thing about our country is there is no shortage of those who want to serve....Now let's find someone who wants to be in that position.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Apr 14 at 2015 11:56 PM

SrA Edward Vong — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 23:56:53 -0400

I feel the ones who are going to change the system aren't the leaders who are in office now. It is up to the young officers and enlisted members to stay true to their beliefs and the way they want to lead, make their way to the top and change the way things are done. The problem is, how many are there that are strong enough to stick around for that long.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2015 12:16 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 00:16:37 -0400

Honestly it sounds like a lot of whining on her part. Here's my thoughts:

1. I think she was somewhat of a point on this. If seniority is more important than performance in the Navy then there needs to be a change. While the Army system has it's own flaws, this is not an issue we deal with. As an Army Officer, you're ranked against all of your peers within your formation regardless of duty position. In other words it is very possible for a junior 1LT in an XO position to get a better overall rating than a senior 1LT Mortar PL. The Navy could easily transition to such a system.

2. She joined the Navy, which is arguably the hardest on personal relationships. There's a reason it's called service, not employment. It's hard for me to feel sorry for her on this.

3. This reeks of political correctness. While there is certainly a disproportionate representation of some demographics within our force, diversity for diversity's sake alone does not increase our effectiveness or lethality. Furthermore, as opportunities for ethnic minorities and females continue to improve this perceived "problem" will likely address itself. It will just take time. Until then we need the best person for the job, even if that creates a force led largely by white males. I agree the other issues are a problem, but they're arguably just as prevalent in corporate America as well.

4. Sounds like the military wasn't for her. I'm glad she moved on.

Response by MSgt Bill Milligan made Apr 15 at 2015 12:44 AM

MSgt Bill Milligan — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 00:44:00 -0400

With this attitude I wonder how she thinks she will make it in corporate America?

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2015 1:48 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 01:48:01 -0400

An example of letting someone's observations getting the best of them. NOT TAKING PERSONAL INITIATIVE AS A COMMISSIONED OFFICER to bring positive changes and diverse ideas makes her a detrimental liability.

Is/was she really that ignorant to the OPPORTUNITIES in the Navy [with all due respect]? Would hate to be part of her chain of command. Good riddance. LITERALLY!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2015 5:22 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 05:22:56 -0400

Now she is going to find out how much that intellectual aspect is overstated in the civilian world. LTC Stephen C. 1LT L S

Response by SSG Donald Mceuen made Apr 15 at 2015 8:30 AM

SSG Donald Mceuen — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 08:30:55 -0400

Well we all now we can't fix it. But if we stay and work at it we could help make it better.
But you got to want it to get better. She has given up. And that don't fly in the real world
ether.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2015 8:48 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 08:48:50 -0400

It does seem that the officer track is certainly more "political," and controlled in a more centralized manner. That is one of the reasons that, though having a Bachelor's degree, I elected to enlist rather than commission. Of course her having the option to resign (unlike us) could be a decided advantage, once the downside of the military culture (or rather "subculture" technically) became apparent to her.

Response by 1SG Scott MacGregor made Apr 15 at 2015 9:13 AM

1SG Scott MacGregor — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 09:13:38 -0400

So rather then stay the course and try to change "think tank" mentality within her sphere of influence, she "opted out" and allowed the status quo to continue. Change takes time and patience.

At least she recognized that the service is not for everyone and she made a smart choice to leave and follow other options. However, it has been my experience no matter what you do, your opinions don't change and every new opportunity will have some echo of why you left the previous employer.

Hopefully she wont have a trail of employers and the same list for leaving them.

Response by PO2 Mark Saffell made Apr 15 at 2015 9:16 AM

PO2 Mark Saffell — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 09:16:48 -0400

I diss agree with her on point 3. She acts like it's the Navy's fault that white middle aged males decide to make the Navy there life at the same time she is doing the same thing that causes that. If more women or minorities made the Navy there lives it would change the mix. There is no other way to change the mix than to have more women and minorities decide to stay. She complains about it. My question to her is how would she suggest it be changed.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 15 at 2015 9:22 AM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 09:22:18 -0400

Read her 4 reasons carefully. The Navy will be just fine without her.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2015 11:01 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 11:01:08 -0400

I agree with her completely. I'm pretty sure the ones she put on blast don't, but she's not the only one who thinks they're out of touch with the pulse.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Apr 15 at 2015 12:09 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:09:30 -0400

My take is we hear the same shopping list all the time. However, in my experience there's always other things percolating underneath, many times a self confidence issue. For the most part it's a job/person fit issue or they want to make it one because they don't want to work on the "person".

I'm on the staff side (engineers) and sat a number of boards at Millington both on promotion and continuation. In the coffee mess where you mix with the other designator boards, general discussion reveals all deal with the same issues.

My board experience is obviously dated. Some things haven't changed though. We send a number of good officers home merely due to the shrinking numbers of billets as you move up. Officers leaving early for whatever reason only means we send fewer top performers home. In addition to a minority representative on the boards, there are subsequent special review procedures for every minority and woman who wind up below the line. We've seen every trick in the book on improper Eval/Fitrep reporting either way and collectively push through it.

In our staff corps, there are wickets too. Warfare pin, Masters Degree, Professional Registration, and Contracting Warrant. Decorations too (hate semiautomatic EOTs). A reviewing officer takes about 30 seconds to review, make an annotation, and then take 95% of the time sorting out all the performance, reviewing senior scoring behavior, etc. to get ready for a brief in the "tank" for voting. Subsequent rounds of a different reviewing officer and vote ultimately determines the full result. Reviewing for "Third Crunch" (usually the last) takes the most time because you are looking for hairs that need to be split. Seldom have I ever felt so mentally drained. Is the system perfect? Far from it. However it is far fairer to to an employee than commercial sector whims on promotion. If you shine, there are people who are required to promote you because you're likely to do a better job keeping people alive.

We spend a lot of money training up a functional service member. Various programs in the past like Stop-Loss is what some complain is throwing money at the problem. This is an easy and cheap overall fix (compared to others) that has worked for the most part. As long as it does, I don't expect substantial change.

Response by LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2015 12:13 PM

LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:13:07 -0400

my thoughts...I bet this officer did not complain when the navy paid for her education. She got out because she could not handle it; it is as simple as that.

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Apr 15 at 2015 12:21 PM

Col Joseph Lenertz — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:21:18 -0400

First, I was a bit surprised it was so self-centered. I would think someone who has volunteered to serve would have, well, a little more service to offer.
Then, I was surprised she was surprised by deployments, and how they make your love-life difficult. Cheese with your whine?
But then, I am a middle-aged white guy, so by her definition, part of the problem. How rude of me to have been born that way.
Finally, I am pleased she is seeking to discover and "own" herself. Hippies and dreamers everywhere are rejoicing. Too harsh?

Response by MAJ Jim Steven made Apr 15 at 2015 1:29 PM

MAJ Jim Steven — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 13:29:16 -0400

I am going to go against the grain here...
I read her write up as "here are a few things I noticed about the Navy, and have decided to try something else..." If the Navy wants to make changes, it will, or, as indicated here, can tell her to pound sand...

1. These are HER reasons...I find it funny that you dont like her reasons, or..that you dont like HER for her reasons.
2. If she wants to have her own life and make her own career and life decisions, who can argue with that?? Some people get tired of the lifestyle.
3. Groupthink - how many times are we told something along the lines of "dont question regulations/policies, just follow them?? Was the black beret or the ACU a good idea??

Response by MAJ David Vermillion made Apr 15 at 2015 2:11 PM

MAJ David Vermillion — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 14:11:50 -0400

We all have reasons for doing what we do and remember we do want we want to do. If this Navy Officer chooses to resign, I say thank you for your service and welcome to civilian life.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2015 2:16 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 14:16:06 -0400

To each their own I suppose. Can't really hold her against her opinion, but not going to spend anytime debating it either. We got other Servicemen and women to lead!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2015 3:58 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 03:58:32 -0400

I completely understand what she is referring to. I have seen a number of things in my army career and my previous career as a contractor for the usaf. I think the examples she gives and way she goes about explaining them leave a little to be desired, though.

For those who think homogeneous thought is good, is that not the cause of, that's what we've always done? If you don't have a person to challenge you always think you have the best plan. I blew the minds of several civ and s/g-6 personnel when I told them a plausible way to remove classified data via 2 different methods, neither of which would be detected. There is still no fix. But hey, why fix it when there hasn't actually been any removal this way. Well, at least not known.

For the white middle aged man remark, I have watched black females who have large bust and butt fail pushups on the apft because their arms physically could not get parallel to the ground without lifting them off the ground. The opposite can also be true. The politicians have fostered an environment where people are afraid to correct or challenge a person of a different race or sex on hair regs or shaving profiles or a number of other issues.

The relationship thing, eh, you know that going in. The services all have their own programs for those that have been in a bit to allow family accommodations.

I know of at least 1 col and 1 MG that have no business leading any troops. One used to call cpts fatty and yell at them come on fatty. Hurry up fatty.

One of the most discouraging things is trying to get simple things done. Processes have caused things to become so convaluted that people don't bother. I was told the other day that I am going to be formally counseled for theft because our 3 shop was out of toner despite 4 months of requesting more. When I was at the company for something else I asked someone about toner and they led me to 3 cases that the supply guy knew nothing about. I took what our shop needed and when I was back 48 hours later, told the supply folks I took it. Apparently, not telling them is the right thing to do, since they didn't even know it existed.

Working with gs civ can be a terrible, ok, or great experience. Once they get past probation some don't care. I interact with 2 that think they are my boss. They aren't even close. There are 2 that work with them that will do my job for me if I simply ask. I don't, but still.

I know this may seem like a rant, but I'm not unhappy. There are problems in the institution and the senior leadership knows. They want to fix it, but either don't know how or are unable for one reason or another. I have been changing things and Implemented several changes to processes in the 5 months I've been in my new section. Things are improving by others as well. It really takes the effort of the whole. One person can sink the ship of they are allowed
For

Response by LCDR Jamie Galus made Apr 16 at 2015 8:55 AM

LCDR Jamie Galus — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 08:55:58 -0400

In posting my last two comments, I have tried to keep my emotions in check and refrain from making a personal attack on LT "Granville," due to my emotional connection to the Navy.

Although, I am left scratching my head by it, I received information that I believe may further this discussion.

She wrote this article under a pseudonym, which, I assume, explains why she didn't include her thoughts in her resignation letter.

Additionally, I was informed that she intends to continue serving in the Navy Reserve. This is the tidbit that really has me confused.

Aside from this information, I feel that she should have had the thoughtfulness to recommend to "taskandpurpose" not to use a photo of another female officer to ensure that the woman in the photo isn't erroneously presumed to be the article's author.

For some reason I thought of the words of one of my Drill Instructors, Sgt. Acosta, who said, "When you get to the Fleet, you are going to run into people who will bad mouth the service all the time with the exception of the 1st and 15th."

Response by 1SG Michael Hargis made Apr 16 at 2015 1:50 PM

1SG Michael Hargis — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 13:50:44 -0400

When I was a younger lad, I had conversations with other Soldiers in reference to how CSM _____ or LTC _____ got (noticed I didn't use the word achieve) their rank. Whether the general thought was because she's a female, he's someone's son, etc. And until the Army takes away photos, names, sex, and the first three numbers of the Soldier's SSN there will always be that view. Here's the fix:
1. No picture necessary! A person of rank (CSM in the case of senior enlisted promotion boards) from another unit "certifies" that the Soldier is fit and their uniform is squared away.
2. Instead of a name or first three numbers of a SSN being on any of the paperwork, the promotion packet gets a number. Ensure there’s no reference to her or him on any of the evaluations.
3. The board is given explicit instructions on what kind of Soldier that particular branch wants to promote, i.e., Soldier’s with 24 months of Squad Leader time, 100 hours of volunteer service, at least 30 hours of college complete, etc.
I know that this also isn’t the perfect system (CSM’s talk and one could ‘hook up’ the other’s Soldiers) but it would alleviate some of the possible misconceptions.

Response by SPC David S. made Apr 16 at 2015 2:02 PM

SPC David S. — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 14:02:28 -0400

Sounds like she has a beef with "privileged" more so than so with the military or senior leaders. This is coming from a middle-aged white guy with an MBA who just so happened to have received an appointment to a service academy. However to me this is more about entitlement as if change to the way things are, as she see's it, are going to change and become more diversified resigning is the least of things that will help transpire the change she is seeking. All I can say is Adm. Michelle Howard, other than being a service academy grad, and yes while rare is counter to her narrative.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/07/meet-the-us-militarys-three-four-star-women/

Meet the US Military's Three Four-Star Women

Adm. Michelle Howard is now a member of a tiny, elite group in the military.

Response by 1SG Michael Hargis made Apr 16 at 2015 2:02 PM

1SG Michael Hargis — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 14:02:47 -0400

I’ve never been in the Navy, but I think what the young officer was trying to get at is also a perception problem in the Army too.
When I was a younger lad, I had conversations with other Soldiers in reference to how CSM _____ or LTC _____ got (noticed I didn't use the word achieve) their rank. Whether the general thought was because she's a female, he's someone's son, etc. And until the Army takes away photos, names, sex, and the first three numbers of the Soldier's SSN there will always be that view. Here's the fix:
1. No picture necessary! A person of rank (CSM in the case of senior enlisted promotion boards) from another unit "certifies" that the Soldier is fit and their uniform is squared away.
2. Instead of a name or first three numbers of a SSN being on any of the paperwork, the promotion packet gets a number. Ensure there’s no reference to her or him on any of the evaluations.
3. The board is given explicit instructions on what kind of Soldier that particular branch wants to promote, i.e., Soldier’s with 24 months of Squad Leader time, 100 hours of volunteer service, at least 30 hours of college complete, etc.
I know that this also isn’t the perfect system (CSM’s talk and one could ‘hook up’ the other’s Soldiers) but it would alleviate some of the possible misconceptions.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2015 7:24 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 19:24:13 -0400

1. Perhaps she should have been a little more through in her investigation of her future career? She has some points but she discovered nothing new.

2. And instead of criticize what the race, gender and economic standing of the majority" of naval (military) servicemen, perhaps she should ask herself what makes this group of people so patriotic and willing to sacrifice so much to become the 1% who serve particularly if her assumption is correct that they are white, middle classed and educated. Personally I only see them as Blue, Green, Tan etc. I don't care what color /race gender etc, they are. I respect their service and sacrifice, period.

3. Could she have been able to more good by staying and being part of a better future for the military? That opportunity was lost when she walked out.

Response by BG David Fleming III made Apr 16 at 2015 9:22 PM

BG David Fleming III — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 21:22:25 -0400

Bye!

Response by PO1 Todd Cousins made Apr 16 at 2015 9:59 PM

PO1 Todd Cousins — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 21:59:13 -0400

I have read her letter a number of times now and find many of the points on which I agree. I wish she had found another way to get it across but what is done is done. That said the navy does need to look at how it promotes and evaluates its personnel. The good old boy, trying to help a guy out, etc stuff needs to become a thing of the past. Promoting an officer or enlisted service member for the wrong reasons will lead to much larger issues in our ever shrinking forces.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2015 11:06 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 23:06:04 -0400

In the end, I wish her the best. I had to separate nearly 100 Soldiers from Army AIT in only one and a half years and I shook every one of their hands and wished them the most life had to give. With time comes experience and with experience comes wisdom.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Apr 17 at 2015 2:28 AM

PO1 John Miller — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 02:28:31 -0400

All of the points she hit on are nothing new. This is simply how the Navy in particular and the military in general is!

1. Promotions - while we all probably agree that the promotion system can and should be improved, there are many parts of it that have been tried and true over the years. It works so it should remain the same.

2. Personal relationships - of course you're going to be apart from your loved ones. It's the military where we go on these things called deployments! In my experience, trust and communication are key. I made it a point of calling my wife at least once a week, and multiple daily emails (when operations permitted of course).

3. Anti-intellectual - I have to disagree here. The Navy in my experience was always pushing education. However, there are many times when what the book says to do and what real world experience dictates to do conflict.

4. Ownership of self - The military is not like civilian life where what you do outside of work is no one else's business. We're in the military 24/7. We also all have someone we answer to. Even the Chief of Naval Operations has a boss.

All in all, it sounds to me like she is getting out because she can't handle the Navy way of life. That's not a bad thing, not everyone it cut out for the Navy. At the end of the day though I'm glad she realized this fairly early on in her career and decided to get out before she became bitter or toxic, and opened up some room for that junior officer who DOES want to make the Navy his or her life.

Response by Cpl Tou Lee Yang made Apr 17 at 2015 2:34 AM

Cpl Tou Lee Yang — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 02:34:19 -0400

She's fairly accurate in her opinion. Officers from O1-O10 should be promoted based on merit. However, dirt bag officer have the privileged to get promoted from O1 to O3 before any real evaluation is given that determines their fate.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 17 at 2015 4:29 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 04:29:53 -0400

It read to me like a lot of self-worship, admonishing senior leadership for not being smart enough to realize she's just the best naval officer ever. I don't think she ever considered that even though she probably performs her job quite well, her peers are pretty great at what they do also. The whole piece was wrought with entitlement.

Her comment on group think due to demographics blew my mind a bit. There's a reason that senior officers have held nearly every subordinate position within their command by the time they climb to the top of the ladder. Their experience in those jobs is the kind of alternate thinking we want, not a random idea from an inexperienced 26-year-old based on answers in a demographic questionnaire. So, if I'm a white male but neither conservative nor Christian, am I allowed to hold a leadership billet in her Navy? What a crock.

Response by COL Herbert Holeman made Apr 17 at 2015 3:13 PM

COL Herbert Holeman — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 15:13:48 -0400

I don't deny Anna's right to express her moue. But speaking for the Army Team, she is off base in her assertion of "a lack of diversity of ideas, a resistance to alternative ways of thinking, and the lethality of group think."

Response by PO1 Glenn Boucher made Apr 17 at 2015 8:59 PM

PO1 Glenn Boucher — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 20:59:39 -0400

We all have our reasons for leaving the service and if they are her reasons and she believes in what she wrote then all I can say is fair winds and following seas, best of luck in your future endeavors.
I think that the Navy is better off not having an officer, who would surely promote at the proper time, that does not have the Navy's best interest at hand.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2015 5:03 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 05:03:36 -0400

https://medium.com/@Doctrine_Man/a-reality-check-ce863ffffa79

A solid response from a veteran, who writes: "First, it is never a good idea to insult your audience."

Anna Granville's blog post has gone viral and sparked an enormous response, probably for a couple reasons, outlined below.

I put the conclusion and lessons learned up-front, as many of you might not read to the end of this:

Conclusion: Granville would have been better served to cite some data. However, I’d conclude that she purposefully targeted her audience. But it would be a stretch to say she purposefully “insulted” her audience; after all, it is not her fault that the demographic that the audience represents feels “insulted” by a blog post that points out the issues with a lack of diversity in the military.

Two lessons learned: 1) those in the officer corps and the military who respond emotionally and defensively to Granville’s post might want to spend some time considering why they are so thin-skinned (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin-skinned) and 2) if you want to reach an audience and initiate a serious discussion on a topic, knowing your audience is key; by the volume of responses to her piece, Granville clearly knows her audience well, and has accomplished a great deal by once again highlighting the issues she addresses.

1) Generational. As you'll read in the comments on this thread, there is quite a backlash against the "entitlement generation" that many assert Granville so adequately represents.

2) She's a female company grade military officer, one of 20,000 or so female company grade officers in DoD out of an officer corps of 230,000, and the military has yet to really accept females serving in the military (reference the outrage about women starting Ranger school on Monday, the surveys about how Special Operations vastly oppose women serving in their units, the numerous Navy scandals involving sexual harassment/assault/covert photography of female submarine officers in the shower, etc, etc).

3) She identifies faults/inefficiencies/problems with the system, in which such a vast swathe of serving military members are so heavily invested.

4) She's resigning, which is so often interpreted as "quitting" and couched in negative terms. At least Bryan Shaw and some commentators on this thread acknowledge that resigning one's commission is not tantamount to disloyalty. I’ve watched as countless peers tendered their resignations, and observed first-hand the negative reaction of senior officers that so often seemed stunned that one would be so “disloyal” as to decide to leave the military, even if the resigning officer well and fully performed assigned duties throughout their initial commitment. It still seems odd to me that so many interpret resigning as disloyal to the organization, when such a large percentage of officers resign their commissions after their initial commitment.

5) She directly and purposefully targets her piece at an intended audience. The intended audience of Granville’s blog post is the “majority of senior military leaders (who) are white, Christian, conservative men with engineering degrees from a service academy, masters’ degrees from a war college, who grew up middle-class or privileged and whose wives do not have a career outside the home.” She clearly understands that the officer corps, especially at the GO/FO level, and decreasingly so as one goes down the ranks, exactly fit or fit most of the descriptors here, in no certain order: 1) white; 2) Christian; 3) conservative; 4) men; 5) academy graduates with engineering degrees; 6) war college graduates; 7) middle-class or privileged backgrounds; 8) married; 9) with wives that do not have their own careers.

We can argue about statistics all day, and many have already done so on this topic. The DoD, transparent as it tries to be, does publically release full demographic statistics (http://prhome.defense.gov/portals/52/Documents/POPREP/poprep2011/appendixb/appendixb.pdf and https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/dwp/dwp_reports.jsp). Other entities also release studies on the data. Here’s a good one: http://www.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Reports/2013-Demographics-Report.pdf.

Point 1: In 2013, 30.7% of active duty military members were minorities. Per the DMDC data, in 2011, 78.1 percent of the officer corps was white. So Granville’s point 1 is spot-on.

Point 2: also spot-on: about 77 percent of active duty military are Christian, with about 20 percent having no religious preference and 3 percent being Jewish, Pagan, or Muslim: http://secular.org/files/mldc-ripsdemographics_0.pdf.

Point 3: also spot on: http://www.gallup.com/poll/118684/military-veterans-ages-tend-republican.aspx shows that 34 percent of veterans are Republicans (29 percent are Democrats, 33 percent are Independents) and a solid series by Military Times (http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2014/12/21/americas-military-a-conservative-militarys-cultural-evolution/18959975/) clearly demonstrates the conservative credentials of the Active Duty population; http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/25/military-no-less-conservative-less-republican-surv/, based on the Military Times data, shows that 41 percent, a plurality, of active duty military members identify as conservatives.

Point 4: The veracity of Point 4 is clear: men comprise 85 percent of the military, women 15 percent.

Point 5: truer the higher up the rank structure one goes; https://bulk.resource.org/gpo.gov/gao/reports/d07372r.html, for example, clearly shows that at academy graduates represent something like 15 percent of officers commissioned each year. But as one looks at Academy grad representation at the higher ranks, the percentage of Academy graduates at each rank increases (see my rant at https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/would-you-be-in-favor-of-repurposing-our-service-academies for more on this). I do concede, though, that Granville’s argument would be more accurate if she had written “bachelor of science degrees” versus “engineering degrees,” as the range of academic majors at the Academies has grown substantially over the years.

Point 6: almost 100 percent true: almost all O-6 and above will have graduated from a war college; a select few go to other, non-war college programs for senior service colleges; here’s the Army example: http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/careers/army/officer/2015/03/19/assignments-officers-resident-schooling/25015731/.

Point 7: also accurate: see http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2008/08/who-serves-in-the-us-military-the-demographics-of-enlisted-troops-and-officers for a snapshot.

Point 8: 72 percent of the officer corps is married (page 46 of http://prhome.defense.gov/portals/52/Documents/POPREP/poprep2011/appendixb/appendixb.pdf for 2011); again, spot on.

Point 9: I had some trouble finding data, but here it is: http://vets.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/MilitarySpouseEmploymentReport_2013.pdf. See page 27-28: in 2012, something like 96 percent of military spouses 45 years old and older were unemployed, and 85 percent of military spouses 25 to 44 years old were unemployed. One assumption I’m making: most spouses of senior military officers are older than 25 years old. One issue with the data: it isn’t broken out neatly into officer versus enlisted.

Conclusion: Granville would have been better served to cite some data. However, I’d conclude that she purposefully targeted her audience. But it would be a stretch to say she purposefully “insulted” her audience; after all, it is not her fault that the demographic that the audience represents feels “insulted” by a blog post that points out the issues with a lack of diversity in the military.

Two lessons learned: 1) those in the officer corps and the military who respond emotionally and defensively to Granville’s post might want to spend some time considering why they are so thin-skinned (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thin-skinned) and 2) if you want to reach an audience and initiate a serious discussion on a topic, knowing your audience is key; by the volume of responses to her piece, Granville clearly knows her audience well, and has accomplished a great deal by once again highlighting the issues she addresses.

A Reality Check

One Veteran’s Views on Driving Positive Change

Response by SN Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2015 12:24 PM

SN Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 12:24:57 -0400

Sounds like it was best for her to resign and I am happy that she did.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2015 12:01 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 00:01:09 -0400

Task and Purpose responds.

http://taskandpurpose.com/from-the-editor-a-response-to-criticism-on-4-reasons-i-am-resigning-my-commission-as-a-naval-officer/

From The Editor: A Response To Criticism On ‘4 Reasons I Am Resigning My Commission As A Naval...

One of our latest stories generated intense attention, and some criticism. We'll always explain editorial decisions, whenever they draw critical questions.

Response by TSgt Christopher D. made May 6 at 2015 2:31 PM

TSgt Christopher D. — Wed, 06 May 2015 14:31:37 -0400

Echoing some of the other comments I've read, I think she will look back on this with regret.

My only real contention is her #3 reason. Did she compare the ethnic/racial and religious demographics of the US population to those of the Armed Forces? If, for example African Americans make up 14% of the US population, would she expect that the percentage of African Americans in leadership positions in the Armed Forces would somehow be higher? Did she consider that perhaps more women choose to not enter military service than do enter military service, and that their reasoning behind this choice isn't necessarily rampant gender discrimination?

I mean, I'm sorry... but if 80% of the US population identify as Christian, then I would expect somewhere around 80% of my brothers and sisters in arms would probably identify as Christians as well. Is that the DoD's fault?

Some people's kids...

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2016 11:30 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 20 May 2016 23:30:05 -0400

A lot of what she said is true. Leadership does not want to change there ways and continues to promote on meeting the wickets; not on leadership qualities or good judgment. There are too many people I have seen get promoted who lacked both the leadership, attitude and competence to be in the position they were placed in. Leadership as a whole in the military is going down hill and I've seen it time and time again from the officers and cacky use the JR enlisted side for there advancement and career with no care to moral or degradation to the cmd. Secondly as I stated above with competence, the ignorance allowed in the military now is just as bad. It almost seems from what I've seen they want ignorant and incompetent people in the military so they cant for them selves or ask the questions from the BS that goes on that I've seen time and time again as well. to include trainings on the same thing month after month when it should be trained once let go, were wasting time and money on that as well. I could go on and on about how the military is slowly degrading its personnel and efficiency! But she is wrong on white privilege. I did not grow up with a lot of money and we got by your life is a choice and what you do with it, not white privilege. On a final note if there weren't things I still wanted to do in the military and serve my country I would be resigning as well due to these reasons and a lot more.

Response by 1stSgt Eugene Harless made Aug 31 at 2016 3:12 PM

1stSgt Eugene Harless — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 15:12:44 -0400

She was a square peg trying to fit in a round hole.Being in the military profession is a calling, not just a job. I had a salty old SSgt when I was a young man tell me that being a lifer was like being a priest, you have to give up a lot of things, among them "easy" relationships, self-gratification and the idea that things will always be done the way you think they should.