You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to ME?

I never really thought about what it meant to be “An American” until just the last few years. In this context, “An American” equates to my status as a United States Citizen. I had the flawed understanding for a long time that the Constitution granted me that status. I later realized that no where in […]

Dereliction of Duty

One of the worst things I can imagine a service member doing is being guilty of dereliction of duty. We all take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. When we are derelict in our duties, there are military laws which judge us and rightly so. People depend on us to defend them […]

Day Two in Hell

The Naval bombardment at Peleliu had gone on since September 12th. The invasion on the 15th was literally hell on earth for the invaders and defenders. Day two was even worse. The battleships Pennsylvania, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee and Idaho, heavy cruisers Indianapolis, Louisville, Minneapolis and Portland, light cruisers Columbia, Cleveland, Denver and Honolulu, and three […]

Does anyone have a Liberty Pole I can borrow?

I will have to admit that as much as I love history, and particularly American history, I was not aware of the significance of the Liberty Pole or the red Phrygian cap that often sits atop the pole. Maybe it’s because I am originally from Western Pennsylvania and those particular symbols probably left a bad […]

He was the best there ever was (just ask him)

Once upon a time there was a young Machinist Mate serving on a ballistic missile submarine who inherited the job of Repair Parts Petty Officer (RPPO). I am pretty sure he did not know what he had been volunteered for but as in other collateral duties, there really weren’t a lot of choices. The guy […]

If you want jobs, quit b!tching and join the 21st century

The name of this blog is the lean submariner. Most of the stories I write are based on leadership and submarines because those are my passions. But I am afraid for my country. Without embracing new strategies and new methods, we will lose the rest of our manufacturing capability at the very time we may […]

The Ultimate Irony

On August 31, 1911 the USS Utah was commissioned. This battleship was a Florida class ship and the only one named after the state of Utah. The Captain of the ship at commissioning was William S. Benson, a Battleship sailor to the core. He later went on to become the first Chief of Naval Operations […]

If you are going to lead, LEAD!

You and your team are standing outside of a burning building. The fire isn’t very big yet but its obvious that it has the potential to become a major conflagration. Time is a key element in any damage control situation. Yes, it’s important to understand the threat in order to apply the right resources and […]

The Royal Order of the Duck

I like ducks. Specifically, I like Mallard ducks. I have no particular problem with other types of ducks and have been known to dine on a few domesticated members of the duck family, but Mallards are my favorite because they are wild and live a relatively unstructured life. They have some characteristics that make them […]

Are you ready? Are you sure?

Preparing after a Disaster strikes is like trying to learn how to swim after you find yourself in the middle of the ocean with no life jacket With the recent storms in Florida and the south, I was reminded about another large storm and it’s impacts. We are praying for the folks in the South […]