I find it ironic that Fox is using that term "sinking" WRT to Former Secretary Lehman since there was a book about his time as SECNAV that uses the same term... The Men Who Sank the U.S. Navy
I checked out your link and read about this far: "From the prizewinning journalist who broke the Tailhook scandal comes a..." before I threw up in my mouth a little. "Tactically irrelevant spending," we did win the cold war, didn't we? I don't know much about Lehman, but I sure as hell am not going to get my facts about him from a writer who started the great witch hunt.
The book is a critique of the 600 ship Navy, the directed intel findings to support the 600 ship Navy and some incredible cronyism involved with SECNAV's office during the Reagan administations. So, you don't want to read a book from a Pullitzer Prize winning reporter, fine. Here's another: According to Hedrick Smith, in his book ''The Power Game'', Lehman, after losing a fight at the Pentagon with Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Thayer over lowering the number of aircraft carriers planned, played the Washington power game. He immediately went to the White House where they were unaware of Thayer's decision, then obtained a press release declaring President Reagan had named two of the ships and , thereby endorsing the "600 ship fleet" and protecting Lehman. http://wn.com/john_lehman?orderby=relevance&upload_time=today While I think Secretary did some good things as SECNAV like giving us our brown shoes and leathers back, BUT the man has some baggage. Whether you care or not may be irrelavant, but blaming a reporter for Tailhook is a bridge too far and is a different discussion.
Thanks for the second link. I will check that book out. I wonder what kind of books the Russians wrote about the end of the cold war. For the record, I also refuse to read anything by Noam Chomsky, Ann Coulter, or anyone else that I think is an idiot.
There is a possibility, however remote, that they might have some good ideas in there. That being said, reading Coulter was simply infuriating, as it was designed to be.
Lehman himself was a JO protege of Zumwalt. He transferred into the Naval Reserve from the AF Reserve. Successful career for sure. Warrior? Not so sure.
Just for the sake of "balance" from one who served during the Lehman days...there was much, much GOOD in that time...and a recipe for the disaster that happened in 1991. I never served under a more dynamic or personable SECNAV...and I think every Sailor could have come up with his name if asked at inspection: "Who's the Secretary of the Navy?" I really doubt that's been true since. He was obviously a HUGE proponent (and a member of...) Naval Aviation who genuinely thought that the morale of Naval Aviators was a vital weapon to be forged, honed, and kept well-oiled. That was the good part...it was fun...it was a dynamic time of a fleet build-up and new airplanes...MiG kills near Libya, "TOP GUN" (the movie), the creation of NSAWC, and rocking Officers' Clubs that were a "safe haven" for all of the "informal and unabridged learning" that he speaks of in his print article. The "downside" of being perhaps too permissive in some of that was the creation of a culture of "We're special...and we're bulletproof" that did not serve us well after DESERT STORM. There were definite warning signs that were ignored by all save a few of Naval Aviation leadership, starting in about 1985. Yes, I think the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction since then, but it was probably a pendulum that needed to swing some distance. To all of you who serve TODAY...all I can say is that your continued and sustained professional excellence during the past decade is really the result that was intended. Secretary Lehman, I'm sure, is very proud of all of you, as am I. I truly regard today's Naval Aviators as more professional and better prepared, in many ways, to go in harm's way than were those of my generation. I don't know how to quantify the "JO morale and fun" aspects of today's fleet..I hope you're getting and creating your own "fair share" in a manner that's less likely to make the front page than in my day. If so...we're a better Navy, despite all there is to grouse about. God Speed.
Wait until the first breathalyzers get inflicted on folks reporting for duty. Then SECNAV will be a household name, although not for the same reasons.
But the SECNAV just stated that he hasn't seen any negative feedback on this coming from the fleet. Obviously he's not a member of this forum.
Yeah, I saw that too, a reminder of how many layers there are to the big bosses and how they don't get (want or choose?) to hear some of the stuff from the more common folk.
Just the old monkey tree. Those at the top look down and see nothing but smiling monkey faces. Those near the bottom look up and see - -- well, you know the rest.
We (I'm one too...) surely think so, but I'm sure that earlier guys thought the Navy we were in was going to the dogs...and we were all pussies compared to "back in their day". Be it ever thus, I guess. I'm pretty sure LT "Spuds" Ellyson opined about 5 years after being designated "Naval Aviator Number 1" ..."These kids today...they just don't know what it was like!"
