Letter to My Former Self: ENS Elizabeth Miller ('14)

In the "Letter to My Former Self" series, USNA graduates lay out the advice they would give themselves as midshipmen based on their experiences as junior officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. This week's letter was written by ENS Elizabeth Miller, a surface warfare officer and 2014 graduate. 

Dear MIDN Miller,

It might seem like it's a long way away, but commissioning will be here before you know it and the next thing you know you'll be nearly six months into your first division officer tour! As excited as you are to leave Mother B behind and begin your new life as a big, bad ensign take some time to enjoy what you have while you can. The friends (and maybe not-so-friends) you've made over the last four years won't be a quick chop away, and you'll go from getting the plebes to do your bidding to having a real say in what your Sailors do and accomplish on any given day.

Hang on to pro-know, and try and get as much out of your Luce Hall classes as you can because you'll wish you had later on. Stop by the laundry center, and get any uniform items you might be missing while they are still free, and if you need anything hemmed or altered take it over to 7th Wing!

Spend a little extra time with your sponsor family and if you've never made the 45 minute drive into DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival make it a point to get out there at least once before you go.

Some things I've learned that you might not realize at first but really mean a lot:

- Your guys work really hard, and no matter what else you might have going on, make time to spend some time with them, see what they do, and get to know them. If you come in early and stay late, it may take time but it doesn't go unnoticed.

- Make friends with Supply. As a new Divo (especially if you get put in Engineering, like I did) you'll spend a lot of time routing and running CASREPS, checking on parts, and getting everything together for your work centers' 3M, and Supply can make or break you with a lot of that.

- Be genuine. If you're not being true to yourself or your Sailors and showing a genuine interest in their wellbeing, you're not doing your job.

Enjoy what time you have left because you'll never get it back! We spend so much time looking forward to what's ahead we forget to enjoy the now, even if it doesn't seem that enjoyable at the time. You might not think that you'd ever find yourself down in the pit, several decks below the rest of the sleeping crew at 0200 wiping oil off the engines, running on 5 hours of sleep in the last 3 days, for an inspection that determines the fate of the ship (and loving every minute of it), but just wait; it's coming.

Best wishes,
ENS Elizabeth Miller
Main Propulsion Officer, USS ASHLAND

Letter to my Former Self: ENS Alexa Ciarolla ('14)

In the "Letter to My Former Self" series, USNA graduates lay out the advice they would give themselves as midshipmen based on their experiences as junior officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. This week's letter was written by ENS Alexa Ciarolla, a 2014 graduate and submariner who is currently attending Power School.

I know that as I write this, second semester is well under way at the Naval Academy. Though right now is traditionally considered the “Dark Ages”, it’s an exciting time for firsties especially - community dinners are taking place, Ship Selection night is right around the corner, people are getting fitted for new Marine Corps uniforms and flight suits, and others are selecting the date in which they will start their careers as officers. In short, the finish line is in sight. For those entering the nuclear community, whether surface or subs, I’ll share some of my experiences and what I learned from them, in the hopes that you can start off with that advice.

ENS Alexa Ciarolla (center) at graduation.

First off, a little about myself - I graduated May 23, 2014, with the greatest class to attend USNA. I was a member of 16th company, and was on the Offshore Sailing Team for four years. I also worked as a member of the Honor Staff for two years. I graduated as a History major with a 3.6 CQPR - decent, but not good enough to ever come close to top 100. It was for this reason that I originally early selected nuke SWO in the spring of my 2/C class - the number of slots for female submariners is limited, and my rank wasn’t high enough to make me competitive enough for one of them. However, I went back my firstie fall and made it known if a submarine spot opened up, I was still very much interested in being a submariner. I got lucky, and I went back for a second interview with ADM Richardson to earn my spot as a submariner. I was TAD with the Offshore Sailing team during the summer after graduation, and reported for preschool (which I was required to do as a Humanities major) in October 2014.

Here’s just a few of things I’ve learned since that happened:

1. Learn how to study as early as possible.

Studying at Nuclear Power School is something of a unique experience. Firstly, everything you study, even if it is basic calculus, is considered confidential. This is to train everyone to get used to handling confidential material. However, as a result, you cannot take any of the material out of the building. To study after school ends - which you must do in order to pass - you must come back to the Rickover Center. Second, there are no personal electronic devices allowed in the building. You cannot bring a phone or a iPod into the building; there are even restrictions on the kind of watch you can wear. Basically, if it transmits a signal or can store information, it is not allowed. In a way, this almost a good thing, since you no longer have distractions like music or texts from friends.

Very quickly, you are expected to find a way to study that maximizes your learning, whether that is to go to quiet study and review note cards, or to work out problems with a group. Your first exam will occur a week after you class up, and it basically asks you to memorize fifty pages verbatim.  Although it is a rough transition at first, you’ll find that you can absorb and retain information much faster than you ever thought possible.

It helps to go in with the right mindset. I remember being a midshipman, and putting in the minimum amount of effort required to do fairly well in classes that I thought didn’t matter. However, I started Power School with the idea that I was a History major who originally didn’t earn a submarine spot. So not only was I worried that I would be technically behind the engineers, but I felt like I had to prove that I earned that spot. I started off working hard and putting in extra hours, and so far it’s worked out really well for me. Even if you’re an engineer about to start Power School, never assume that you know something well because you studied it in college. Usually the material you’re expected to know at Power School is extremely specific, and chances are what you were taught at the Academy is not what they want to see on your exam. Everyone has to work hard to get through Power School, regardless of their background. If you start Power School while keeping that in mind, then you’ll be miles ahead of some of your classmates.

2. Retain what you learned at the Academy

As a former midshipman, I know there’s a tendency to blow off classes that are not well liked, or that you believe you will never use in your community. Ironically, as a nuke, you’ll probably use at least a little bit of every core technical course you took as a midshipmen. If you did forget everything you ever learned in plebe chemistry, calculus, physics, or thermodynamics, you’ll probably be fine, since they usually teach everything at Power School assuming that people don’t have a background in it. However, the pace is so fast that it would massively help to remember those courses and understand them prior to starting here. Some of my classmates here went to universities where taking heat transfer or fluid dynamics was not required, even if they were an engineer. Though I was a Group 3 major and only ever took EM300, that helped tremendously in keeping up with the fast pace and I feel more prepared. Those technical courses can come in handy.

3. Take time off from the job.

At Power School, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the material and spend almost every waking hour at the Rickover Center studying, especially when you have two extremely difficult exams in one week. That makes it doubly important to take time off on the weekend, if only for half a day, and do something you love that relaxes you. Mental issues are not uncommon in the nuclear pipeline, and it is important that you find a way to maintain your sanity. For some people, that means volunteering at an animal shelter, or paddle boarding in Charleston’s many rivers and waterways, or just exploring downtown Charleston. Finding a good balance in Nuclear Power School is important, and will be an important habit for the rest of your time in the pipeline.

4. Reach out to officers from other commissioning sources.

Sometimes after leaving USNA, Academy grads can be a bit clique-y, especially if they are going to a training where there are large amounts of other Academy grads. However, officers from other commissioning sources bring something new to the table. They have different perspectives on the fleet from their experiences, and have different strengths than you might have. In fact, at Power School, there are civilians from the Bettis and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) reactors (part of the Bechtel Marine Propulsion) in training alongside you, sharing the same pipeline, so they can go on to design and maintain the Navy reactors. Get to know them. Just like not every Academy grad is an arrogant ring-knocker, not every NROTC grad is overly motivated and not every OCS grad is completely clueless. Look past the stereotypes and you’ll find yourself making good friends.

5. Keep in touch with classmates from other communities.

Just like the children’s song tells us, maintain your old friendships as well. I still talk to friends who went to Flight School in Pensacola, or TBS in Quantico. When you’re sitting there hating the nuclear community because both of your exams that past week were difficult, it can give you some much needed perspective to call up a buddy in Quantico who just got back from a FEX and couldn’t feel his feet the entire week because of the cold. Your friends will help you maintain that much needed balance, and can keep you motivated when all of your Power School classmates are getting cynical and bitter about their jobs.

6. Keep the ultimate goal in mind.

Like I said before, at Power School, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the academics and studying. However, the experience of being an officer on a boat is completely different. Here we’re expected to memorize everything and be able to repeat it back verbatim. Our only responsibility is really to ourselves, and making sure we are prepared to take exams and pass. Your job on the boat is not all the same. In case of a casualty, you’re expected to look up the procedure so that way you’re absolutely sure that you’re not making a mistake. While you are expected to learn a lot in a short amount of time in order to get qualified, you’re also expected to stand whatever watch you’re qualified for and to take care of a division. Leading sailors is the ultimate goal, not being number one in Power School. You still have to be able to interact with your people, and take care of them, and react to crises under pressure. Pure intelligence can only get so far - you still have to lead.

Good luck to the Brigade in your future careers, and especially to the Class of 2015 as you all near Commissioning.

Letter to My Former Self: 2nd Lt Colleen E. Randolph

In the "Letter to My Former Self" series, USNA graduates lay out the advice they would give themselves as midshipmen based on their experiences as junior officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. This week's letter was written by 2nd Lt. Colleen Randolph, a 2014 graduate who is currently attending the Basic School.

If someone would have told me, on Induction Day July 1, 2010, that I, Colleen Randolph would graduate and earn a Commission as a 2nd Lt in the United States Marine Corps, I would have told them that they were out of their mind. Not because I was against joining the Marine Corps, but because at that point, I had never given any thought to becoming a Marine. It sounds a bit cliche, but hindsight is always 20/20, and I wouldn’t change one thing about my Naval Academy experience and journey to become a Marine. I hope that this letter provides, if nothing else, a bit of advice to those of you who wish to wear the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. In addition to providing a bit of perspective to those of you who have never considered the Marine Corps as an option.

My name is 2nd Lt Colleen Randolph and I graduated on May 23 with the great class of 2014. While at the Academy I was a member of the 20th Company, 4 year member of the Women’s Varsity Swimming Team, 3 year member of the Club Triathlon Team and an English major. Following tossing my cover into the air, I had the opportunity to join the Marine Corps Triathlon team at Naval Base Point Mugu for the Armed Forces Triathlon Championships and then proceeded on Basket Leave. I was stationed at the Academy, TAD with the Physical Education department during the summer and reported to The Basic School on September 2nd as a member of Golf Company. While I am still very much at the dawn of my journey as a Marine Corps officer, I feel as though I already have countless lessons to share.

1. The Naval Academy isn’t just a great place to be from; it’s a great place to be. This is one thing that I wish I learned a lot earlier on in my Academy experience. I’ve heard this phrase multiple times even prior to accepting my appointment. But the fact of the matter is, while the Academy will have days where it is challenging, emotional and frustrating, you will never again be able to walk to 7th wing to visit your best friends, head out to downtown Annapolis for post-practice breakfasts or have your meals prepared and laundry done for you. I spent a lot of time saying, “as soon as I make it to youngster year” or “I can’t wait to get out of this place” before I realized that right where I was was the best place to be. Don’t become cognizant of that fact too late.

2. The Marine Corps shouldn’t be a mystery. For a good amount of my time at the Naval Academy I never considered the Marine Corps as an option because I truly had no idea what selection as a Marine Corps officer entailed. All the professional knowledge in the world can’t teach you more than a Marine Corps officer. Reach out! Make contact with that Marine Corps instructor who teaches Spanish, or Company Officer you’ve seen roaming around on OOW. They would love to talk to you about their Marine Corps experience and what it could mean for you. Luckily for me, a Marine Corps officer happened to be my Officer Rep for the Triathlon team and inspired me to look into it a little more. Reach out to that 1/C squad leader from Plebe summer and ask them what their experience has been. As a midshipman I tended to think that it was the Academy’s job to provide me with that information, but in truth it is your responsibility to look at all of your service selection options, make an informed decision, and talk to officers on both the Navy and Marine Corps side. That being said, if you’re still unsure, go to Leatherneck and learn for yourself! Leatherneck is a fantastic tool for both preparation and introduction to the Basic School. You’ve already been on your fleet cruise and exposed to surface warfare, submarines and aviation on Protramid. If you’re unsure, give Leatherneck a try. However, Leatherneck will not provide an all-encompassing view of being a Marine Corps officer. That’s when a supplementary MAGTF cruise or contacting your Marine Corps mentor will come into play.

3. There is no Marine Corps mold. Sometimes I get funny looks when I tell people I’m a Marine or when I was still at the Academy and told someone I selected Marine Corps. There are stereotypes for every service. Normally this comes from your very first interaction with a Marine or what you’ve seen on those awesome Marine Corps commercials in between touchdowns at Navy games. I fell into this trap all too quickly. At 5’8, 130, with a mess of blonde hair and a permanent smile, I’m far from the rigid jaw line and barrel-chested Chesty Puller.  I didn’t believe I fit the mold. The fact of the matter is, there is no mold. When they say the Marine Corps is a people-based organization, they mean it. While you must have certain characteristics to be a Marine - those being honor, courage and commitment in addition to being physically fit - there are so many different types of people in the Marine Corps, and that is what makes the organization so great. As soon as you begin to realize that you have a slew of personal talents to contribute and make the organization better, you will thrive. Don’t discount the Marine Corps because “you’re not that type of person”. Marines are some of the highest caliber of people I have ever had the opportunity to work with, but no one fits into a mold. Additionally, the Marine Corps will give you a multitude of options.  This is a huge part of what drew me to make my decision. My first choice was not to drive ships or fly planes. I wanted to be a Marine first and then work in a specific field. Look into all of the MOS (military occupational specialty) options, perhaps they will suit your strengths and talents better and in turn you will be able to serve more effectively.

4. Enjoy basket leave, while remembering what lies ahead. Do something incredible with your basket leave, but don’t be the guy that comes back and can’t pass the PFT because you lost sight of what the ultimate goal is. You have a whole new set of physical standards as a Marine Corps Officer, don’t let basket leave or TAD let you get lazy. Take the opportunity to get back in shape after grad week and before TBS. First impressions, especially your physical fitness, are incredibly important in the Marine Corps. On a separate note, make sure you use your savings wisely! Be prepared to spend upward of $1000 on additional uniform items, boots, food and gear within your first month at The Basic School.

5. Don’t just “embrace the suck,” soak everything in. “Embrace the suck” is a widely used motto to describe life at The Basic School. And while I do think it is important to embrace all things that come with training to be a Marine Corps officer, I have also heard a quote that I think is much more prevalent. “Prepare as though you are about to meet your Platoon tomorrow.” The Basic School, much like the Academy, will present challenges for everyone. From confusion, to monotomy, to physical boundaries, to academic endeavors and peer leadership, it is meant to challenge everyone in order to prepare you for the challenge of leading Marines. Every aspect is designed to test you. But the instructors, the Staff Platoon Commanders and Enlisted Staff advisors are not only 100% invested in your development as an officer, they are 110% invested in the young men and women you are about to lead. They will be tough on you because the situations you are about to face will be tough and you will have to rise above those situations. What you invest in TBS has resounding effects on people’s lives. Begin each day with the thought of your Marines in mind and you won’t have to “embrace the suck.” You’ll thrive in it for them.

6. Use the tools you were given. There are many avenues to becoming a Marine Corps officer. The Naval Academy only graduates 273 Marine Corps officers,  about 1/7th of the officers that will go through The Basic School each year. Chances are, you will be one of the few officers that is a Naval Academy graduate in your platoon. I made the mistake early on in thinking I was less prepared than my OCS, PLC and OCC counterparts. The truth was that I had just been prepared differently and for a longer period of time. The Naval Academy gives you an incredible amount of tools to be a successful Marine Corps officer, but you actually have to use them! For example, you know how to work well under pressure, push others to achieve their goals and balance social, physical, academic and military aspects. Don’t be boastful or ashamed of your commissioning source. At first it will be the only thing your platoon has in common and at times it will feel as though you’re the odd one out of those bonding conversations. Much like “during Plebe Summer” stories, you’ll hear a lot of “during OCS” stories because people search for commonalities and shared experiences. Listen in! But in the end, we’re all Marine Corps officers. We are all training to be leaders of Marines. When the day comes for you to meet your Platoon, they couldn’t care less about where you came from, but they will wonder if you are competent, fair and if you are going to take care of them. That is what you will get out of The Basic School, regardless of your commissioning source.

7. What goes around comes around. I once heard a phrase tossed around by my peers that NAVY stands for “Never Again Volunteer Yourself.” This is not true in any aspect of the Marine Corps. Be the one that steps up to take the watch, carry the heavier load or buy the guy next you a coffee. It goes a long way. Just like no one gets through the Academy alone, no one gets through The Basic School alone. Your platoon is a team and you will have at least six months, if not a whole career, working together. The Marine Corps is a very small organization and you’re likely to work with someone from your platoon or someone like them again. You’ll find that “on the strength of one link in the cable” comes into play in all aspects of your experience.

8. Learn the language. Remember when you came for Plebe Summer, and you didn’t know what “hitting a bulkhead” or “rack races” were? Be prepared to feel the same way about all of the acronyms the Marine Corps uses. Adding to your confusion will be all of your new uniforms.  Instead of being “just a plebe," you’ll be “just a boot lieutenant” with a whole slew of responsibilities and new regulations to upkeep. Acquire this knowledge through two pathways. The first is to read. Commandant's reading list, Marine Corps times and all of the publications you were given in practicum classes. I wish that I had payed more attention and started reading earlier on to avoid simple mistakes. The second is to lean on those in your platoon who are prior enlisted. Pick their brains about the fleet and how the Marine Corps really works. In addition, ask them about their families, how balancing life in the Marine Corps works and ask for their critiques. They are quite literally the best of the best and are dedicated to becoming leaders of Marines. The prior’s know what types of officers they would have liked to have had lead them. Become one of those officers.  (Note to self, no one in the Marine Corps likes the term “shipmate” or “hooyah.”)

9. Don’t sweat the small stuff; you normally can’t control it anyway. This is something I find myself and my peers doing a lot at The Basic School. Where will I be stationed? What will I be doing? What will my job be? These are all questions that rise in the back of my mind prior to every evolution. The fact of the matter is, I can’t control where I’m stationed or how many slots are available for each MOS. Thinking about it all the time is stifling. Do your very best, challenge yourself and bring others along with you. The needs of the Marine Corps change with every new conflict, effort and policy. You have no control over external factors, but you do have the ultimate task of controlling how you react to them. You will make mistakes. But, making mistakes at The Basic School and learning from them will be infinitely better than failing when you have Marines under you.

10. Take pride in your appearance. Rolling out to 0515 practice and throwing on your uniform with major bed head won’t work anymore. I am so thankful that I received advice on hair prior to The Basic School because I was definitely a culprit of the “midshipman messy bun” at the Academy. Marines are expected to be squared away 100% of the time and appearance will matter! Make sure you are physically fit and prepared to spend a little more time on your hair and shave in the morning. Look the part and act the part, because you will be expecting your junior Marines to do the same.

Semper Fi, BEAT ARMY!

2nd Lt Colleen E. Randolph, USMC

Letter to My Former Self: LTJG Dave Galluch

In the "Letter to My Former Self" series, USNA graduates lay out the advice they would give themselves as midshipmen based on their experiences as junior officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. This week's letter was written by LTJG Dave Galluch, an explosive ordnance disposal officer who and 2012 graduate. 

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope this letter finds all of you well and that this semester is shaping up to be a successful one.  Congratulations Firsties!  You have just a few months left.  Congratulations Plebes!  You are almost done with your very first semester.  Time will fly by, so value this opportunity. All, this is not your normal Officer-to-Midshipman edification on what the Fleet is like or why honor, courage, and commitment are virtues you must possess as a leader.  This is meant to be a bit deeper.  My intent is to open your eyes to some issues and philosophical topics that are essential to an officer but are rarely emphasized as openly as they should be at the Academy.

First off, a bit about me.  I graduated in 2012 as a member of 18th Company.  I was an Honors Economics major and service selected Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).  Before beginning my training pipeline, however, I worked at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) in Washington, D.C., where I was a research associate on a team that analyzed the Joint IED Defeat Organization's impact on the counter-IED fight in Iraq.  After completing my time there, I went overseas to Cambridge University in the United Kingdom where I completed an MPhil in Development Economics.  I began Dive School in August 2013 and moved on to EOD school after that.  I recently received my warfare pin on September 19, 2014, and have since completed Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia.  I will report to EOD Mobile Unit Two in Little Creek, Virginia this winter where I will begin my tour as OIC of an EOD Platoon.  The last two and a half years have brought me a lot of change and have taught me some valuable lessons.  I'd like to focus on the ones that apply across service selections and have a direct bearing on the most important task you will all have upon graduating: LEADING.

1. A Naval Officer's first job is to lead and manage the application of violence.  This is something the Naval Academy does not focus on enough.  It is easy to forget, amidst the Versailles-like landscape of the Yard, of how violent the places you will be deployed to truly are.  It is easy to lose track of how uncomfortable you may be in cold water, an engine room, or flying 30,000 feet above the ground when you're cozy in your SDB's at a NAFAC or Leadership Conference dinner party.  Make no mistake that no matter your service selection, you are a leader whose task it may be to take human lives.  Realize that the Naval Academy does not typify the world around you; prepare yourself accordingly.  I encourage everyone to participate in the SEAL and EOD screeners, as well as other physically challenging events that will tax you to the extreme.  Speak with the officers and SELs on the Yard that have seen combat.  Pick their brains and truly understand what you are getting yourself into.  As Aristotle suggests, virtue and character are built through habit.  You cannot flip a switch after graduation that will make you an effective combat leader.  Only you can do this, and it is done through repeated reflection, challenge, and moral growth.

2. Do not base your service selection decision off the social pressures of the Academy or superficial conceptions of what a job requires.  Let's be honest.  Everyone has seen Lone Survivor, Hurt Locker, Act of Valor, and the HBO series The Pacific.  Being a "doorkicker" is glamorous and it gets you major "street cred" in Bancroft Hall (even though you haven't even begun a training pipeline or graduated college).  Choose your service selection only after deep moral introspection and a full investigation of what each community offers.  Ensure that you are ethically able to carry out the tasks that you may be given, e.g. shooting a child that picks up a rifle or launching an ICBM that will obliterate cities.  If your main reason for selecting SEAL or EOD is that you're in shape and are good at swimming, think again.  Your motivation must be deeper than that to connect with your people and to be an effective leader.  Look past the stereotypes of the warfare communities that abound at USNA.  Take advantage of your summer cruises and truly explore whatever unit you are sent to.  Most importantly, get to know the Sailors there closely.  Spend time doing their job with them to get a feel of the quality of individual you might be leading.  This will provide invaluable insight into what service selection is right for you.

3.  Drink the Kool-Aid, but only a little bit.  You're in the military and you're going to have to conform.  This is easy to forget at the Academy.  Good news: in the Fleet you cannot get "fried."  Bad news: you can get a lot worse.  That said, maintain your independence and don't be afraid to ask why.  Do not blindly follow every rule and regulation simply because they exist.  Good officers know the rules and know them well; that way, when they have to break them, they can justify why and protect those under them.  I'm not telling you to destroy good order and discipline.  What I am saying is that leaders that make positive change oftentimes buck tradition, orthodoxy, or the system and adapt to circumstances that policy or regulation is ill-suited to deal with.  The military does not need automatons that look, act, and think the same.  Find a way to remain unique and maintain a healthy separation between work and who you are.  What helps me do this?  Honestly, it's keeping my hair just on the right side of regulations.  It sounds silly, but this allows me to preserve just enough independence from the majority and helps me retain the ability to think critically and question things that don't make sense.

4. You must be willing to sacrifice yourself for those under you.  Do not hide behind the authority you have.  Be an active officer that works alongside your subordinates.  Take an active interest in their personal lives and show them you are more than just "Sir" or "Ma'am."  Be willing to make decisions that may get you in trouble but that will improve the quality of life of those under you.  For example, don't make people stay later than they have to until you don't have a choice.  If a task is completed by 1400, let your team or division go early if that's all that needs to be done for the day.  If you get in trouble for letting everyone go prior to the official end of the workday at 1600, so be it.  What is important is that your subordinates will realize that you care about them and are willing to endure a bit of hardship on their behalf.  They will repay you tenfold.  Conversely, however, taking care of those under you may also require you to be a disciplinarian.  Be clear and consistent from your first day on what your expectations are.  Work closely with your Chief or SEL on delineating your left and right limits and trust him or her to effectively enforce them.  Realize that any punishment should be designed to remediate and rebuild a Sailor that has gone astray.  Do not abuse your power.  Remain level-headed, especially when you're most upset.  Do not allow emotion, bias, or outside influence to interfere with making the decision that is in the best interest of your subordinate.

5. Live life slowly.  Achievement is not everything.  Since graduating, it has become apparent to me that life is about the journey, not the destination. This is easy to forget at the Academy, where there is relentless pressure to achieve at a high level in a multitude of activities.  Take time to enjoy your friends and company mates.  Trust me, you will never be closer to another group of people.  Value those friends and family members that provide the love and support you oftentimes never recognize. Chill out from time to time. Sometimes work can wait. Set goals but temper them with introspection and a healthy appreciation for the role others play in aiding you to get where you're going.  Feel only your own pressure.  Your own is sufficient.  Take on various opportunities calmly and collectedly.  Don't get so caught up in where you are going that you miss all of the fun along the way.

In closing, I want to emphasize how enjoyable life at the Academy is and what a chance it provides for moral, academic, and professional growth.  Remember, take each day as it comes and always reflect each night on what the day brought and how it relates to your ultimate goal: graduating and becoming a leader of Sailors or Marines.  At the end of the day, you, with support from your friends and loved ones, determine the type and quality of leader you will be after leaving Annapolis.  Take this responsibility seriously, but not so seriously that your responsibility becomes the sole end for which you wake up in the morning.  Take a walk around the Yard from time to time.  Appreciate its beauty, those individuals you are there with, and the tranquility of life that will be replaced with the hustle and bustle of Fleet life upon graduation.

Go Navy! Beat Army!

Letter to My Former Self: ENS Kellie Hall

In the "Letter to My Former Self" series, USNA graduates lay out the advice they would give themselves as midshipmen based on their experiences as junior officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. This week's letter was written by ENS Kellie Hall, who is serving on board USS Pinckney (DDG-91), based in San Diego, California.

Let me be frank:  there is in fact life after the Naval Academy. I am writing this letter from a coffee shop one block from my townhouse and only three blocks from the beach, as I sit and overlook the palm trees that are highlighted by the beautiful San Diego sunset.

While at the Academy I was too distracted by six-week exams, noon meal formations, sports period, company events, and downtown Annapolis to truly reflect on the idea that I would graduate and eventually join thousands of Naval Academy alumni to serve as an officer in the fleet. Being officer is not a myth; it is not some outlandish idea that may or may not happen—it will happen, I promise—and everything that happens after Induction Day truly affects how you will react to it.

I found out two weeks before graduation that I would be meeting my ship for the remainder of its deployment in the Pacific. I read my orders as I was studying for my last final, thinking “deployment will be like an extended midshipman cruise, it’ll be fine.” Little did I know I’d be thrown into USS Pinckney's peak of operations out in 7th Fleet.  On July 4th, I packed my sea bag to the brim and caught a ride to San Diego International Airport to be flown to Guam to meet my ship for her remaining seven weeks out at sea. Welcome to the Navy.

It was this experience that served as the biggest “reality check” in my life and in result, generate these words of wisdom from my short naval career thus far:

You cannot always use the excuse “I’m an Ensign.”

A multitude of officers and mentors at the Academy told me “don’t worry, you’re not expected to know anything as a brand new Ensign.” Within the first twenty-four hours of being on my ship, I was expected to conn. Not just conn from point A to point B, I would be driving the ship during “Guamex,” an exercise with eight Japanese vessels used to help increase interoperability. I quickly realized that I was being trusted as an Ensign to drive the ship (with the help of my Officer of the Deck) and that my role was completely imperative to make “Guamex” a successful exercise. No longer was I conning just an afternoon YP exercise on the Severn before sports period—this was the real thing. The bridge watch team, standard commands, and the Japanese Maritime Defense Force were my harsh, new reality and I was expected to know how to do my job.

Retain the information you learned at the Naval Academy – and keep your notes!

After four years of sitting in a classroom, thinking “When am I ever going to need this information?” I wish I could turn back time and hit myself over the head with a textbook and say, “learn and understand this! You’ll need to know it to look like a competent Surface Warfare Officer!”

I didn’t take my weapons class seriously; I thought it was another check-in-the-box course I needed to get through in the Naval Academy’s curriculum. Navigation was often my last course before the start of my weekend, so my attention span was at its most minimal level. Then there was Thermodynamics, my last real hurdle to jump before graduation. Little did I know that these three classes are the foundation to everything a Surface Warfare Officer will need to know. Nothing is worse than trying to qualify for your SWO pin and realizing that you’ve seen all the information before, you just didn’t retain it the first time. I had many palm-to-forehead moments during my deployment when I was asked questions about radar, the AC cycle, or how to calculate “PIM” that I legitimately couldn’t remember but at one point—before the final exam at the Academy—I did. Don’t let this be you.

My commanding officer often reminded me the reason why those two gold bars set me apart from the rest of the ship. He said, “There’s a reason why you make the big bucks. You’re not paid to listen, you’re paid to think. And you must think about what’s best for the ship.” I was motivated to learn and relearn what I once forgot because my lack of experience and knowledge was only hurting our ship’s mission.

Play to your strengths.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the best Surface Warfare officer there is. I find myself flustered when the OOD asks me what sound signal I should utilize or what day shapes need to be up during an underway replenishment. I’m not the fastest to learn and at 5’2 and 100lbs I can’t necessarily pull off the intimidating-authority figure persona. But at the end of the day I know I can do one thing right: utilize my experience in public affairs to publicize the ship’s successes.

My assignment as my ship’s Public Affairs Officer has been a true blessing so far because it has given me an opportunity to showcase my biggest strengths to my Commanding and Executive officers, as well as the rest of the wardroom and crew. There is no task I am assigned as PAO that is too big or too small that I won’t try to knock out of the park. I write articles, take pictures, organize media events, and even orchestrated my ship’s participation in Fleet Week San Diego. Even though I struggle as a SWO, at least I have one way to prove I’m still competent.

If you are good at something, showcase it. It will help give you the confidence boost you need to push through the stress of being a new ensign.

Be ready to juggle personal and professional issues.

From the Academy I moved to San Diego and quickly realized I needed to take out my own trash, cook my own food, and pay bills. I still struggle to scramble eggs yet I’m trusted by the Navy to drive a multi-billion dollar warship.

Everything since graduation day has been a challenge, whether it was putting together IKEA furniture or conning behind an aircraft carrier at night in the rain. Even though I may not have retained the physics, calculus, or rules-of-the-road knowledge from the Academy I did learn how to multi-task, be disciplined, and stay organized. For this, I will forever be grateful for the Academy and the harsh lessons I had to learn then in order survive in the fleet now.

Luckily, the Navy does not foster a “sink or swim” atmosphere. But, if you find yourself sinking and your stress flowing overboard, I promise you there will be someone to sound those five short blasts and order an Anderson turn to help get you back on course.

Letter to My Former Self: ENS Logan Wilk (USNA '14)

In the "Letter to My Former Self" series, USNA graduates lay out the advice they would give themselves as midshipmen based on their experiences as junior officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. This week's letter was written by ENS Logan Wilk, who is serving on board USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53), which recently moved homeports from San Diego, California, to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The one thing that nobody ever prepares you for when you graduate the Academy is this: TAPS only exists at the Academy! Trust me. You don’t need to go wandering around the ship at 2200 after hearing the announcement for TAPS. There is no paper for you to sign.

Prior to that embarrassing scenario and after graduating the academy, I spent my basket leave at home with family and exploring the Riviera Maya with my boyfriend. Soon the weeks of leave I had turned to days and then days to hours.

On 23 June 2014 at 0615 I reported to the Starbucks at Pier 3 in San Diego, California, in my summer whites. Now if you thought it was easy to recognize a female plebe by their short hair, imagine walking on board your new home in whites while everyone else is in NWUs. There is no hiding.

But, contrary to popular belief, SWOs do not eat their young. Instead I found myself welcomed with open arms handing me CASREPs, EVALs, Energized Work Chits, 8 O’clock Reports, and other confusing documents. Lucky for me behind those documents were friendly faces willing to explain every single acronym that came my way, and the old phrase “I’m a plebe, sir!” came out of my mouth once more, except this time it was “I’m an ensign, sir!”

Since that fateful Monday morning, I have now had my two-month anniversary on board USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53). And while I’m still just a baby ensign, here are a few tips I’m glad I knew and some I’ve picked up along the way.

It’s ok to say you don’t know the answer. Humility is the biggest piece of advice I can give any young officer. While it may seem hard or embarrassing to say you don’t know – for instance, the load of one of the ten shore power cables –admit it, and then find out the answer. The people around you will respect you a lot more if you admit your lack of knowledge, then search for the answer. There is a reason we learned the phrase “Sir, I’ll find out and report back.”

There is a huge difference between interacting with a LT at the Academy and a LT on the ship. Due to the high number of LTs at the Academy I became incredibly desensitized to the two silver bars. On the ship there are only five. Every now and then I need to remind myself that my Department Head is not my Company Officer. He is not here to help me decide my service selection or do well academically. He is here to do his job and make sure I do mine. Do not desensitize yourself to the two silver bars!

Learn the Rules of the Road. You roll your eyes now, but you will be tested, and they are important. Especially when you have the 0000-0400 watch and you see that the white, red, and green lights are getting bigger. As my CO said, “There are only two tests I have been scared to fail my entire Navy career: Rules of the Road and the PFA.”

Get to know the other JOs. These people are your family now. While it may seem familiar and comfortable to hang out with only Academy friends, you will find that ship life is very similar to Academy life. You eat together, live together, and work together. No matter how much you try to avoid it, these JOs will play a huge part in your life.

Learn to cook. If you already know how to cook, great! If you don’t, learn pronto. Eating out every night will get expensive and you want to save some of your money. Plus now is the time when you finally get to decide for yourself what you are going to eat every night. Cherish the freedom!

Lastly, don’t shy away from your mistakes. Embrace them and learn from them. The last night of our transit to Pearl Harbor, I was conning during DLQs (Deck landing Qualifications for helicopters.) The whole situation was a mess. The pilots had been given the true winds as relative winds. There was a miscommunication regarding the number of DLQs that the pilots were going to do. The ship was at trail shaft and needed to come up to split shaft (go from one running propeller to two), and basically the entire exercise was a huge flop. The CO told me to order starboard engine ahead, indicate 1 PCL. I gave the order; the helm repeated it back, lost control of the rudder and put his port engine ahead 1 PCL. The Captain took the conn. Rather than become embarrassed by the entire situation, I learned so much from those ten seconds. I learned how quickly the bridge can turn to chaos and how loud the bridge can become when those on the bridge are allowed to chat. I learned that I need to sound off when giving conning orders. Failing is not a career-ending event. Allowing your failures to control you is what ends your career. But I chose not to, and five minutes later I took the conn again. I look forward to my next mistake because it will show me how I can improve.

Take from this what you will. I don’t have all the answers, nor do I pretend to. But if I could go back and write a letter to myself this is what I would have said.

Letter to My Former Self: ENS Gee Gee Greene (USNA '13)

In the "Letter to My Former Self" series, USNA graduates lay out the advice they would give themselves as midshipmen based on their experiences as junior officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. This week's letter was written by ENS Gee Gee Greene, who is serving on board USS Gettysburg (CG-64), based out of Norfolk, Va.

After tossing my midshipman cover at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in May of 2013, I immediately drove down to my hometown of Columbia, S.C., and spent my basket leave at home with family and friends in relief after four tough years at USNA.

Basket leave quickly flew by and I prepared myself to report to my first duty station as an adolescent Ensign. My path was quite different from many of my classmates as I was temporarily assigned to NAPS before reporting to my ship.

After complaining for several years at the academy I soon realized how much I took for granted. You do not have the luxury of free housing in Bancroft Hall, three free meals a day are no longer served, laundry becomes self-service, and respect is not given, but earned.

Responsibility is earned as well. Standards increase tremendously, and you are expected to be on time and execute your job. Nevertheless, you will enjoy the freedom of going home after a long work day, as opposed to being confined within the walls of the Yard. 

After coaching football and standing CDO for a few months with midshipman candidates, I was notified that I would be flying to Bahrain to join my ship, USS Gettysburg (CG-64), in the midst of their nine-month deployment. After having a great experience at NAPS, I knew the real work was about to begin as I started my journey to become a qualified Surface Warfare Officer (SWO).

On Nov. 28, 2013, I found myself in Norfolk, Va., proceeding to my flight to the Middle East. Reporting to USNA was the first time I had left my home state, and four years later I was flying out of the country. I felt as if my life had changed so much in so little time.

I was very nervous, and did not know what to expect once I reported to my ship. All I could think about was all of the terrible SWO stories I had heard, and pictured myself on the negative end.  I was flown over to my ship in which I was surprisingly greeted by smiling faces. To top off the hospitality and encouraging nature of the crew, I soon realized that the great command climate was a direct reflection of my inspiring Captain.

After meeting Captain Cooper and expressing my goals and aspirations, a plan was put in place to obtain my SWO pin, and it was time to put in the necessary work. The academy helped me quickly adjust to my ship’s schedule, from early reveille to standing watch throughout the night. The biggest difference was the fact that I was no longer reading my general orders and protecting the p-way of 8-0 in 26^th Company. Instead, I was conning a 9,600-ton U.S. warship.

As an example of the responsibility you will quickly assume, on just my third night standing watch, I was ordered to position our ship at 3,000 yards and 170 degrees relative to an aircraft carrier for HRU (Horizon Reference Unit).

I have seen, experienced, or have been a part of almost every surface evolution the Navy has to offer in such a short period of time. I am grateful to have had this opportunity. I stayed the course and studied hard day in and day out until I received my SWO pin in a remarkable eight months, two of which were in Norfolk at the Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC).  

Although I have my pin, I am still learning everyday. Listed below are a few qualities that helped me on my long road to becoming a SWO:

ATTITUDE: Having a positive attitude is very essential to getting through the day aboard a ship. With so much going on, people being away from their families, and conflicting interest amongst peers, a positive attitude is the only way to avoid frustration. If you start the day off with a bad attitude, I can assure you it will carry you throughout the day. Having a negative attitude forces you to lose focus and limits your ability to act coherently and lead.

HUMILITY: You will not know all the answers, and it necessary to ask questions if you are ever in doubt. In most cases you will be leading Sailors that have been doing their job for several years, and it is completely fine to ask, “What is going on?”  Leaders, as well as subordinates, gain more respect and trust for you if you ask a question as opposed to assuming that you know -- when in reality, you don’t. It shows that you are interested and eager to learn what is going on. Having humility early on will definitely help you in the long run. Embarrassing moments will come as a SWO. Handling humiliation will only make you stronger. Humility builds character.

SELFLESSNESS: Realize that we joined the armed services for a greater purpose. Family, the ship and the well-being of our Sailors are far more important than you. Keeping this in mind and instilling this mindset throughout your day will encourage you to be a noble person and, more importantly, an encouraging leader. 

TEAMWORK: In most cases you will join your ship with several other ensigns, and it is important that you all work together. If you acquire information, it is imperative that you share this information with your peers, and you should expect the same from them. This will only make you as well as them better. You will gain their trust and build sustainable relationships throughout the command. Your teamwork will transfer over to important evolutions and watch standing and eventually become a true friendship.

COMPETITOR: Along with being a team player, a competitive edge is also important. Being a competitive person, I want to be better than the next guy. You must set yourself apart from the others and aspire to be the best.

REFERENCES: It is good to be a technical expert in a certain area or for a particular system, but it is more important to know where to reference. In many cases I don’t have all the answers, but I do know what pub or reference to use. Utilize Rules of the Road and know your CO’s Standing Orders (“they are written in blood.”) Also, sometimes, it’s just good to know which person to talk to.

RESPECT: Treat everyone as you would want to be treated. Despite rank or status you should treat everyone with respect, and in turn they will reciprocate. In addition, you have to respect the process and realize you are only facing what others have met.

GOALS: It sounds so cliché, but set short term, intermediate, and long term goals. You will never accomplish anything if you don’t challenge yourself let alone finish a race if you don’t know where you’re going.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Hold yourself as well as your Sailors accountable for their actions. We are all grown and should act as such. Unlike USNA, you will not receive a slap on the wrist for committing an offense. You will be charged in accordance with the UCMJ. The MIDSYSTEM no longer exists, and you will be held responsible.

ORGANIZATION: With so much going on within the Plan of the Day and the ship’s long term schedule, it is necessary to purchase a calendar planner and keep track of daily, monthly, and even yearly events. Do not allow events or tasking to sneak up on you. Be on top of everything. Know your limitations and capabilities, as well as utilizing your personnel to accomplish goals.

HARD WORK: Some may feel this is self-explanatory, but it is not. Hard work is the foundation of every successful person I know. Many feel like they are working hard, but there is always someone working harder. I measure hard work based upon my peers, and whatever they are doing, I try to be two steps ahead. No one can coach, train, or teach hard work. It is about you looking within yourself to put in extra time and ethic to accomplish specific tasks or goals.

I hope my experience has put things in perspective or given you guidance to help you excel as an officer in the near future. Before I got to my ship, I was convinced that my time aboard Gettysburg (now a recipient of the Carrier Strike Group 10 Battle ‘E’ and 2013 Battenburg Cup for “Best Ship in the Fleet”) would suck – but it has been the complete opposite.

With that being said, it is tough, but anything worthwhile requires perseverance. I’ve had my ups-and-downs as a SWO, but overall it has been a great experience – words or feelings I believed I would never personally express. After reflecting on the last few years of my life and career, if I could go back in time, this is what a letter to myself would have said.