Posted on Apr 16, 2015
COL Vincent Stoneking
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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/
Edited 9 y ago
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Responses: 5
PO2 Mark Saffell
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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.
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PO2 Frances Smart
PO2 Frances Smart
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I got out after ten years because I felt like if one more man had made a "broken nail" comment, I would have "broken" something for sure! LOL! I, like you, spent my life regretting that decision, but I understand her frustration. I got tired of beating my head against the same darn brick wall. I'm sure she did too.
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LT Tim Foley
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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.
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PO3 John Jeter
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Edited 9 y ago
"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.
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