Command At Sea: 'Foreword Presence'

Review by Bill Doughty

One hundred years ago, in 1917, Rear Adm. Harley F. Cope was midway through his studies at the U.S. Naval Academy. He would go on to serve 30 years in the Navy aboard submarines, destroyers, auxiliary ships and battleships. He commanded fleet oiler USS Salinas (AO 19) at the beginning of World War II and commanded USS Tennessee (BB 43) when the war ended.

In the middle of WWII, he published a book which has been a foundation for Navy leaders for generations: "Command at Sea" (United States Naval Institute, 1943).

This "how to" book for officers in command describes the roles and responsibilities of officers and crew, maintenance and administration of the ship, safety at sea, taking command, and combat operations, among other chapters.

I picked up a copy of the third edition, published during the Cold War (1966) and edited by Capt. Howard Bucknell III. Among the fascinating topic headings are "The Value of Admitting a Mistake," "Otherwise Hold Your Peace," and "Good Sea Manners."

Interestingly, the foreword for the third edition is by Adm. John S. "Jack" McCain, written just over a year before his son, naval aviator Lt. John S. McCain III, the future senior senator of Arizona, would be captured and imprisoned in Hanoi.

In the foreword, then-Vice Adm. "Jack" McCain, writing more than a half century ago in July 1966, lauds "Command At Sea" for setting guidelines and formulating a "working philosophy." Here's a good part of Adm. McCain's well-written and powerful foreword:

"The key words in this publication are mission, readiness, goals and personnel. Mission is the purpose, or the reason for being. Readiness is the preparation or training to accomplish the objective. The ultimate goal is victory. None is possible without dedicated personnel, both officers and bluejackets.
"That which makes a professional naval officer or petty officer competent can be acquired. Leadership and skills are more accomplishments than endowments. The secret to the attainment of both is effort and application. Pride, loyalty, and discipline are byproducts stemming from the proper exercise of command leadership. In all professions, but most of all in the naval profession, leadership is man's greatest achievement. By simple definition, leadership is the ability to inspire the officers and men of one's command to maximum effort under all conditions.
"The path to success in command is predicated on understanding. To perform, a man must first understand. It is most important that each officer and bluejacket understand: first, the Navy's overall objectives and mission; then, the particular goals and mission of his own ship. A commanding officer is wise to accentuate the wide range of opportunities and activities that are open to his men in a Navy career. Today's Navy represents the widest variety of possible activities of any profession. The Navy, in close concert with the Marine Corps, engages in all aspects of modern warfare – land, sea, and air."

Adm. John S. "Jack" McCain Jr.

Adm. McCain shows the challenges of a multi-ocean naval presence. He notes that "leadership applies to all echelons" in the chain of command, and he describes life at sea, where accountability and responsibility weigh heavily for everyone in leadership positions:

"Life at sea is a constant conflict of man against the elements. Endless struggle with winds, tides, currents, and storms at sea is everyday routine to the seaman. At sea, a man's entire mode of living changes. A ship is a world unto itself.
"Working hours are subject to all of the vagaries of life at sea, such as weather, enemy action, navigation, operation of machinery, and many other factors. Life is a never-ending round of watches, drills, work routines, meals, reveille, and taps that occupy twenty-four hours of every day, seven days a week.
"A naval officer does not commute to his work, he lives with it. It takes years of exposure and experience before the Navy many completely adjusts to this way of life. Life at sea is a frame of mind, an acquired attitude.
"At sea, the burdens of accountability and responsibility for lives and equipment are secure only when entrusted to those who have qualified for command at sea by virtue of performance. Indeed, the responsibilities are great. The ever-present cloak of responsibility, though seemingly intangible, is never light; and, once accepted, can never be cast off. The commanding officer is mindful of this responsibility in his every challenge and decision every moment of the day and night."

Cmdr. Allen Maxwell Jr., commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), addresses members of the crew during an operational stand-down aboard the ship. Preble is underway conducting a composite training unit exercise with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group in preparation for an upcoming deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Morgan K. Nall)

The captain of a navy ship literally "has the conn," responsible and accountable – the final decision maker at sea. But the wise CO communicates  and consults with his Sailors and ensures there is a strong "working relationship between officers and subordinates based on mutual confidence and respect." In this insightful foreword McCain concludes:

"Command at sea assumes an even greater significance as the seas themselves grow in importance. There is no single factor of greater consequence to the security of the United States – economic, political, and military – in the years to come than sea power, with all of its ramifications. This power not only includes the surface of the oceans, the skies above, and the depths below, but also a new and major task: the projection of power inland."

Today, he would include space and cyberspace as domains of consideration.

McCain's writing is fresh-sounding in contrast with Cope's and Bucknell's formal and sometimes technical prose outlining codes, regs and "thou-shalts."

"Command at Sea" is filled with advice about morale, "tone," loyalty, communication, standards, etiquette, practices, procedures, boldness and integrity.

The writing in 1943 and 1966 may be stiff and dated and white male-centric (no mention of women at sea, three sentences about "minority groups" in 500+ pages, and several references to "Navy Wives"), but the foundation for good leaderships still rings solid. In a way, the old-fashioned writing accentuates the strength of the foundation: despite how society and the Navy has evolved over the years it's important to be brilliant on the basics at the deckplates.