Posted on Apr 14, 2015
What are your thoughts on Anna Granville's (a Navy officer) reasons for resigning?
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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
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
Culture
Commission
Officers
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 53
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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MAJ (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) Agree with your points 1 and 3. Disagree on point 2 somewhat. Yes, it's great that you're like Stephen Colbert and you don't "see" race/color/gender/ethnicity/etc and that you respect service and sacrifice, period. But even the institutions (DoD, the Services) acknowledge they have a serious problem with lack of diversity and have instituted serious programs to address the issue.
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LTC (Join to see)
Respectfully Sir, I applaud all efforts to eradicate prejudice in all its forms. I have always acted in a manner to stamp out intolerance wherever I have witnessed it. As an Officer I have always practiced a zero tolerance policy towards discrimination of any sort. I have also gone out of my way to recruit, groom ,develop and retain soldiers to increase the diversity and cultural depth of my soldiers. But Sir, I take exception to your reference to Stephen Colbert. My ideas are my own. I have prayed and meditated upon them and stiven to base them on sound moral principles and have them rooted in Army Regulation as well. I embrace the principles enshrined by our founding fathers and believe all humanity has unalienable rights. If there is to be a fair criteria it should be socioeconomic standing for it is equal for all. I agree that the Army should represent the populace it serves and support the laws of that Nation. Never again can we as a Nation permit laws that institutionalize prejudice and discrimination towards anyone because of their race, gender, religion etc.. These Civil Rights apply to all regardless of their numerical representation. I believe all should have equal opportunity under the law. I never said the solution was easy but it must be just.
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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.
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.
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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/
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.
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MAJ (Join to see)
SPC David S. Actually, doesn't Adm Howard being one of three female four-stars provide evidence directly supporting the author's argument that the military lacks or struggles with diversity? In February, there were 37 four-stars, and 883 GO/FO. There were 3 female four-stars (one Navy, two Air Force) and 60 total female GO/FO. 3/37 = 8%. 60/883 = 7%. And this, 38 years after women were first admitted to the military academies. 16.7% of the officer corps is female. The only grade at which females represent more than 20% of the population is O-1 and cadets--and even here just barely. The data is at: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/dwp/dwp_reports.jsp. I can't find data on race/ethnicity for the military population, but I'd assess the numbers are equally as skewed. Even the recent articles about 29/31 Army infantry O-6 commands being held by "middle-aged white guys" don't present the other side of the data: across the Army, what is the data on O-6 and O-5 commands? Are all of these 94% filled by "middle-aged white guys"? If so, and I suspect the numbers are slightly lower (but only slightly), then the data supports the author's argument. If somebody has the data, I'd be interested to see it (and I don't think the Army or DoD would release such numbers, frankly, as they would run so counter to efforts to increase diversity).
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SPC David S.
Yes sir, It does show the disparity but also shows the possibility as well. It all depends on how you internalize the information. I think women not being allowed into combat arms plays a part in the disproportionate demography of senior ranks. Additional a number of other factors such as affordability of education in regards to socioeconomic factors, recruiting pool for officers and so on. I agree that there is an opportunity within the senior ranks to support a more diversified composition. However quitting is not the way to lead from the front. This unfortunately for me is something I learned through personal experience in resigning my appointment. I have learned when you focus on changing the impossible the results become impossible. Focus on opportunities and amazingly the possibilities become boundless. Not saying it wont require hard work, determination, or perseverance. Quite the contrary as usually anything of any merit inevitably will require such efforts. I'm not saying that there isn't any truth in the data. The data however only illuminates the variance in what is desired and what is achieved. It does not rectify on its own. So as to the LT resigning I say again how does that help in changing what she wants to see changed. Her attitude is not what I would expect out of myself or anyone in a leadership position.
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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."
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."
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LCDR Jamie Galus
The officer is the photo is Shaina Hogan and this is what she had to say:
This is a picture of me. I do not know why Anna Granville’s editor chose to use a picture of me, but I did ask him if he would remove the image. His compromise was removing my name from the image. I think Anna would have wanted a picture of herself with her views, but for some reason it was decided to use a picture of me. I did not want the publicity – especially all of the negative publicity. Thank you to http://www.askskipper.com and http://www.duffelblog.com for removing my picture or making it extremely clear that the views were not mine in your responses to Anna.
These are a few of the reasons I’m staying Navy:
1. I’m having a lot of fun
2. The people are (for the most part) pretty fabulous
3. The opportunities are endless
4. I don’t have to pick out an outfit every morning
5. I have and continue to travel the world
6. I’ve been selected to promote
7. I get time to work out – thank you CNO
8. I get to serve my country
A number of people have recommended that I seek legal advice regarding any defamation of my character and the invasion of my privacy based on the use of the above public domain photo. However, I have exactly 45 days until I deploy and leave my family for 6 months, so I once again respectfully request that people stop using the photo for personal profit, I prefer to spend my time in peace with my family, not explaining to my Mom why she is reading mean comments about me because of something I didn’t even write.
This is a picture of me. I do not know why Anna Granville’s editor chose to use a picture of me, but I did ask him if he would remove the image. His compromise was removing my name from the image. I think Anna would have wanted a picture of herself with her views, but for some reason it was decided to use a picture of me. I did not want the publicity – especially all of the negative publicity. Thank you to http://www.askskipper.com and http://www.duffelblog.com for removing my picture or making it extremely clear that the views were not mine in your responses to Anna.
These are a few of the reasons I’m staying Navy:
1. I’m having a lot of fun
2. The people are (for the most part) pretty fabulous
3. The opportunities are endless
4. I don’t have to pick out an outfit every morning
5. I have and continue to travel the world
6. I’ve been selected to promote
7. I get time to work out – thank you CNO
8. I get to serve my country
A number of people have recommended that I seek legal advice regarding any defamation of my character and the invasion of my privacy based on the use of the above public domain photo. However, I have exactly 45 days until I deploy and leave my family for 6 months, so I once again respectfully request that people stop using the photo for personal profit, I prefer to spend my time in peace with my family, not explaining to my Mom why she is reading mean comments about me because of something I didn’t even write.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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