Case Study of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet Project (NMCI)

Abstract

This case study involves study of the largest government undertaking: NMCI (Navy and Marines Intranet) project, undertaken by EDS and analysis of whether it turned out to be a success or failure. NMCI aims to provide a seamless network to the Navy and Marine Corps, replacing the old legacy applications with new secured architecture.

Preliminary Scope Statement

The purpose of this case study is to analyze whether the Navy Marine Corps Intranet project undertaken by the EDS, which is a business unit of HP’s Technology Solutions Group (Electronic Data Systems), was a success or failure.

Project Objective- The chief objective of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet project (NMCI), undertaken by EDS, is to provide a seamless network to the US Navy and Marine Corps by replacement of about 200 Navy and Marine Corps Network with a single network (Verton, Huge Navy IT Outsourcing Deal Passes First Hurdle, 2002).

Project Constraints- One of the biggest constraints faced by NMCI is the establishment of a centralized control and integration of the old legacy systems with the new and more secure NMCI architecture.

Assumptions- The project makes a 20% assumption of unforeseen requirements. As per, Joseph Cipriano, the DON’s (Department of Navy) Program Executive Officer for Information Technology, the contract was designed to be 80% solution. This enables cooperation among both the parties. The project also assumes that the current connectivity requirements and operations are maintained throughout the transition and migration periods and in the NMCI environment (Clarke, 2001).

Project Requirements- The project undertakes a budget of $ 6.9 billion, for creation of a seamless network. The shipboard infrastructure, networking gear, network required for the project are provided by Microsoft, Cisco and MCI WorldCom and WAM!NET respectively.

Project Organization- EDS picked up Navy’s idea of having one single contractor for computers, server, networks etc. in order to make the project more economical, thus enabling a saving worth $1 billion.

Deliverables- The project assumes responsibility of establishing 26 sites across United States and aims to cover more than 400,000 desktops. The legacy applications are expected to go down from over 60,000 to less than 10,000, with a goal of less than 1000  (Verton, Huge Navy IT Outsourcing Deal Passes First Hurdle, 2002). Read also introduction for online reservation system

Early Risks- The greatest concerns of the navy officials and officials is integration of the old legacy systems with the new centralized one and the change management (Verton, Huge Navy IT Outsourcing Deal Passes First Hurdle, 2002).

Authority and Accountability- Raytheon, the defense specialist, is the subcontractor for the project. The navy is of the view that having one contractor responsible for entire system serves very well economically.

Cost Estimates- The entire project is worth about $9 billion. It got an additional $3.12 billion for an extension for 3 years from 2007 to 2010. The delays caused due to the several reasons, led to expensive setbacks.

Phase II

Analysis and Critique

The Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) project, undertaken by Electronic Data Communications (EDC) is the biggest government undertaking of its kind. It aims to provide a single seamless network which would provide a centralized communication to the Navy and Marine. It also aims to integrate the legacy systems with the new secured environment. The NMCI project aimed to connect about 400,000 desktops into a common network, which would provide a unified communication to all Navy and Marine bases (Calbreath, 2004).

Due to the magnitude of the project, it has been subject to much speculation. Despite of initial claims by the EDS, there have been serious issues. EDS aimed to have 160,000 seats by 2002 fall, where in reality only 60,000 seats were likely to be in place by the end of year, as per EDS’s program director for Navy Operating Forces (Verton, Huge Navy IT Outsourcing Deal Passes First Hurdle, 2002).

According to Lt. Gen. Edward Hanlon of the Marine Corps, EDS was not fully prepared to implement the contract. The reason could have been lack of insight or not understanding the process. He also observed that the network services were not always available to the users due to which the rate of progress is very slow, which is extremely frustrating for everyone. This slow rate also poses the danger of reduction in workforce. “’We will lose the government workforce if we don’t very soon start to produce the same level of efficiencies that they’ve had before,’ Lengerich said.  ‘They will leave and you would leave too, if you worked for a business that no longer had efficient processes.’  (Onley & McLaughlin, NMCI offcials press for big changes, 2004)”

The delays have been due to several reasons, due to which it has not been an easy ride for the EDS. EDS claimed to have lost about $171 million in the integration process for the U.S. Navy and Marines during the earlier parts of 2004. The project ultimately became more complicated than was earlier anticipated. This is mainly due to the fact that the establishment of the secured network was a challenging task. The replacement of legacy applications proved to be an expensive task due to dismantling of legacy applications and migration of the applications from the Navy inventory and establishment of enterprise hosting system (Rufolo, 2004). The NMCI had not anticipated this. This process of reduction in the number of legacy applications is proved to be a tedious task. Around 100,000 legacy applications had to be rationalized, validated and migrated if Navy’s cost saving goal had to be achieved. In order to enhance the business practices of the Navy and leverage NMCI’s leveraging capabilities, the application hosting was an essential task. In order to achieve this, the NMCI contract has been modified by the Navy. This would enable EDS to accept orders for server and network management, security, storage, hardware/software and application hosting services. This would ultimately lead to cost savings (Rufolo, 2004).

There was a reported net loss of about $126 million in the first quarter. However, a profit of $354 million was declared during the previous year, which helped raise revenue of 8%, thus enabling growth of IT outsourcing services (Perez, 2004). NMCI made some adjustments, like a reorganized account team, which would report directly to the president of EDS and better communication with the Navy.

The results of end user satisfaction surveys, conducted by GAO (U.S. Government Accountability Office), showed that the average satisfaction for the customers, who were end users, commanders and network operators, was 74%, far below the average of 85% (DOD Needs to Ensure That Navy Marine Corps Intranet Program Is Meeting Goals and Satisfying Customers, 2006). Without customer satisfaction, the Navy would face a very difficult challenge of meeting its goals.

Despite the delays, the end result is highly desirable in terms of management of IT and budget.

Recommendations/Remedies

GAO’s report, prepared under the authority of the Comptroller General, reviewed the following: “(1) whether the program is meeting its strategic goals, (2) the extent to which the contractor is meeting service level agreements, (3) whether customers are satisfied with the program, and (4) what is being done to improve customer satisfaction” (DOD Needs to Ensure That Navy Marine Corps Intranet Program Is Meeting Goals and Satisfying Customers, 2006).

The Navy also developed a performance plan in order to measure and report the success of the NMCI project. GAO’s analysis further showed that the Navy had met only 15% of the performance targets. A careful study of these results shows that if the Navy doesn’t implement its performance plan, then effective result and management cannot be achieved. The GAO analysis also reveals that the service level agreements of the NMCI is of a mixed nature, with some agreements met, others not consistently met, while still others not met at all.

GAO’s analysis also gives suggestions for the Department of Defense, in order to adopt effective practice. By adhering to the suggestions given by GAO, the Department of Defense is more like to get a detailed understanding of significant issues, which will prove beneficial while making outsourcing decisions, along with suggestions to be kept in mind while making such decisions  (Information Technology: DOD Needs to Leverage Lessons Learned from Its Outsourcing Projects, 2003).

In order to achieve satisfactory results, effective management practices have to be adopted. The satisfaction agreement must be analyzed from multiple perspectives, must be reduced in number and must be made to a manageable number.  Careful evaluation of the original plan has to be done and alterations have to be made and the plan has to be carried out on a priority basis in order to achieve the goal.  The officials at EDS informed that the Navy had not anticipated the amount of work involved in the undertaking of the project, due to which it found itself in a vexing position of having to adjust with 2 systems, one which had hosting environment and the other which ran the legacy application, which didn’t run on windows 2000 (Verton, Delays, technical problems plague Navys intranet program , 2002). To avoid such situations in future, a common means of communication must be established which would make both Navy and Marine aware of the mistakes and issues raised by the EDS, and also educate them about the nature of the project. Substantial information must be gathered through intensive research in order to avoid such expensive tasks. The areas of dissatisfaction must be made aware to the decision makers and appropriate steps must be taken to improve customer satisfaction. Care should also be taken to allow modifications which would enable better communication and produce quality work in terms of efficient utilization of budget and cost estimation.

Phase III

NMCI Project in terms of risk identification and management

The NMCI project undertaken by EDC is the biggest government undertaking in the field of outsourcing, with the aim of providing a centralized network, which would provide efficient communication across video, voice and data information exchange, for the Navy and the Marine Corps.

One of the major risks for the project was the replacement of local control with that of a centralized hosting system, in an ongoing transition. This replacement of the old legacy system with the new safer architecture caused concern to the Navy, which took some time to get in terms of the project and see its benefits. “‘There are a ton of legacy systems and thousands of applications,’ said Grkavac. ‘More than even the Navy anticipated.’ (Verton, Huge Navy IT Outsourcing Deal Passes First Hurdle, 2002)” The Navy even brought a two star admiral to run the program, in order to ensure that the cultural change occurred. The plan to waive off the pre installation security certification, led to intense criticism from the Navy as they had to wait for days and sometimes weeks because of remote access failure and security related issues.

            However, despite all the planning, the project suffered major setbacks due to technical problems and delay. Instead of replacing 160,000 seats by the end of 2002 fall, only 60,000 seats were likely to actually get replaced. Another factor which added to the setback was the CIO’s decision to stop deployment until all problems were fixed. The lack of legacy system integration, failure of remote access and security related delays caused further criticism. The authorization to connect to the NMCI sometimes caused delays of weeks. About two thirds of the organization’s users were forced to use two separate computers to do their jobs. This is because any application that didn’t run on windows 2000 or didn’t pass security evaluations would be installed in kiosks that were not connected to the NMCI network. The high cost of the NMCI was also cause of great concern. Due to all this, EDS fell far behind in its schedule to test delays. Due to such large number of legacy applications, the financial situation did not look very good. These delays became the main risk factors in the project as it would eventually cause huge financial loss, delayed timelines and loss of jobs.

NMCI Project in terms of scheduling

The project was launched in October 2000 and was estimated to complete by 2005. But due to the complicated and costly undertaking of the project involving linking of military’s complex computer systems, the initially envisioned five year project was extended for two years till 2007.

The integration of the legacy systems took more time as it required more work than was anticipated in the beginning, due to which EDS expected future losses to be wider than previously forecast. “Instead of working to smooth over the differences between 3,000 computer applications, he said, the contract has grown to 70,000 applications” (EDS cites losses on military contract: Project costing, 2004).

NMCI Project in terms of budgeting

The project rolled out with a budget of $6.9 billion. Due to delays, the project faced a loss of $126 million in the first quarter, which was mainly due to a decline in the average seat price (Joyce, 2003). The strategic review of the contract and its balance sheets lead to the belief that the contract might never be profitable for EDS. “EDS “had fallen so far behind due to the testing delays as well as with the increasing number of [legacy] applications found that their financial situation was very rocky,” the lobbyist said. ‘It is essential for their business case to see these seats roll out as soon as possible. The delays were killing this contract.’  (Verton, Delays, technical problems plague Navys intranet program , 2002)”

In 2006, EDS further received $3.12 billion in addition to the previous contract and would in addition exercise an option for three additional years of NMCI, which would cause an extension to the period of performance from October 2007 to September 2010  (EDS Gets $3.12B for USMC Navy Intranet Services, 2006).

NMCI Project in terms of project execution

Since the problems were not anticipated at the beginning, timelines were not met. This caused huge financial losses. There were efforts to cover up these setbacks. EDS claimed that the project was undergoing changes but was not in real trouble. “A report published in Computerworld interpreted the e-mail message as indicating the program was in trouble. Not true, said Rick Rosenberg, EDS’ program executive for NMCI. ‘It was an overzealously written e-mail in an attempt to motivate employees who were going into a 48- to 56-hour work time frame,’ Rosenberg said. ‘It was an overstated attempt to rally troops.’ (Onley, EDS: Despite report, NMCI project’s on track, 2002) ”

Due to all this mess up, there were huge cuts in the number of people that had been supporting the project. “ ‘Cutting back 10 people might not sound like much to some people, but in a company with just 65 people, that kind of number has a major impact,’ he said. ‘We’ve enjoyed a good relationship with EDS, and we’d like it to continue, but next time we go into a huge job like this, we’ll go into it with a little more reservation than we did this time.’ (Calbreath, 2004)” Many aspects have to be kept in view while taking a decision on the result of execution of the project. The project execution could have been more efficient, avoiding the painful losses.

Success/Failure

The project was rolled out with great pomp and show with a huge budget entailing several services. However, EDS suffered great losses and delays. The delays were mainly due to unforeseen complicated work, involved in the integration of about 100,000 legacy applications. The Navy was not aware of the huge magnitude of work involved in this process. Apart from this, independent subcontractors who were involved with the project jobs due to financial overburden. Despite all the criticism, mess-ups and heavy financial losses, EDS had plans to counter failures with rock solid plans: “Only last month EDS chairman and chief executive officer Michael Jordan said that although the contract was “a mess”, the company had a solid plan to take it forward.  (Pruitt, 2004)” Thus EDS managed to achieve milestones and success.

According to EDS’s official website, it has managed to achieve AOR (Assumption of Responsibility) at more than 1000 networked sites; NMCI has more than 700,000 users, transitioned more than 351,000 seats to end state NMCI environment. NMCI and EDS operate nearly 50 classified and unclassified server farms, 3000 enterprise wide servers etc. The list is nearly endless. Thus, after overcoming the initial disasters, EDS has been more or less successful in its undertaking of the NMCI project.

References

(n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2009, from Electronic Data Systems: www.eds.com

Calbreath, D. (2004, June 29). EDS cites losses on military contract. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from signonsandiego: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040729/news_1b29eds.html

Clarke, K. (2001, April 2). EDS NMCI News Release. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from chips.navy.mil: http://www.chips.navy.mil/archives/01_nmci/nmci_information_strike_force__a.htm

DOD Needs to Ensure That Navy Marine Corps Intranet Program Is Meeting Goals and Satisfying Customers. (2006, December 8). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from U.S. Government Accountability Office: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-51

EDS Gets $3.12B for USMC-Navy Intranet Services. (2006, March 27). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from defenseindustrydaily: http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/eds-gets-312b-for-usmcnavy-intranet-services-02067/

Information Technology: DOD Needs to Leverage Lessons Learned from Its Outsourcing Projects. (2003, April 25). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from U.S. Government Accountability Office: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-03-371

Joyce, E. (2003, May 16). SEC Checking EDS Navy Contract. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from internetnews: http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/2208171

Lettic, J. (2008, October 9). Dell, MS big winners in EDS $9 bn US Navy Contract. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from theregister: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/10/09/dell_ms_big_winners/

Onley, D. S. (2002, May 16). EDS: Despite report, NMCI project’s on track. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from washingtontechnology: http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/18259-1.html

Onley, D. S., & McLaughlin, M. (2004, June 25). NMCI offcials press for big changes. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from Government Computer News: http://gcn.com/articles/2004/06/25/nmci-officials-press-for-big-changes.aspx

Perez, J. C. (2004, February 5). EDS Posts Q4 loss, blames U.S. Navy Contract. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from networkworld: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2004/0205edsposts.html

Pruitt, S. (2004, March 3). SEC Probes US Navy Deal. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from computerweekly: http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2004/03/03/200709/sec-probes-eds-us-navy-deal.htm

Rufolo, S. (2004, September 16). U.S. Navy, EDS Modify NMCI Contract. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from channelweb: http://www.crn.com/government/47900114;jsessionid=FAIBK4PENZ1SGQSNDLPSKHSCJUNN2JVN

Verton, D. (2002, May 13). Huge Navy IT Outsourcing Deal Passes First Hurdle. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from computerworld: http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/outsourcing/story/0,10801,71098,00.html

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Isokoru Yamamoto

Isokoru Yamamoto

I.                   Introduction:

After World War I, Japan’s industrial and military power increased, but the modernization of Japanese society caused political conflict. Labor unions, leftists and liberal political parties called for reforms in government and the economic system. Conservatives feared that such dissent was dangerous to the nation. Ultranationalists and the military scorned Japan’s limited democracy, which had been created by the constitution of 1889, and demanded that people give total obedience to the Japanese emperor. Political tensions were made worse by a faltering economy, which neared collapse after the Great Depression began in 1929.

By the early 1930’s, Japanese politics and government had become dominated by aggressive militarists who crushed all political opposition. They believed that Japan’s future as a military, economic, and political power required territorial expansion in the countries of the western Pacific, especially China. They hoped to establish an empire that would supply the natural resources Japan needed for further industrial; development. They also hoped to challenge the dominance of the Western colonial powers in the Far East.

In October, 1941, General Tojo Hideki became premier of Japan. Soon after, Japan demanded international recognition of its conquests in China and the right to buy oil in the Netherlands East Indies which is now Indonesia. Saburu Kurusu was sent to the United States in November as a special envoy to conduct negotiations between Japan and the American government. At the same time, convinced that negotiations would achieve nothing, Japan was secretly preparing for war against the United States.

      The United States pressed for an end to Japanese aggression in China and Japan’s withdrawal from French Indochina. Japan, however, issued a declaration of war, which was not delivered until after the surprise attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.

American military planners realized that despite its military buildup, the United States was weak and overextended in the Pacific. In the event of war, the Philippines were expected to be lost, and the American fleet was to fall back to the Netherlands East Indies.  After the United States entered the war, the general strategy adopted by the British, Dutch, and Americans was to fight a holding war against Germany. After Germany surrendered, the full strength of the Allies would be turned against Japan. The second part of the plan was never fully applied, because by the time Germany was defeated, Japan was also near collapse. In the meantime, the United States planned to concentrate its efforts in the Pacific on seizing island bases from which to attack and blockade the Japanese mainland.

Japan intended to extend its empire, which it called the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, over most of the Pacific, and made haste to seize islands to uses as bases to protect its conquests. The Japanese expected to fight a limited war. Once they and won the territory they wanted, they intended to defend it until the Allies were worn out and willing to negotiate for peace.

      Japan had a large, well- trained, experienced army of 120 divisions. Its troops were courageous, highly skilled in tactical operations, and ably led. The Japanese navy, immediately after Pearl Harbor, was much stringer than the United States Pacific Fleet. The quality of Japanese weapons was good.  Japan was not prepared to fight a prolonged war. It had accumulated stocks of vital raw materials, but once the war began, replenishing them became difficult. Japan’s manufacturing output could not be increased greatly. The supply system was poorly organized, and supply problems sometimes become acute. Japan’s occupation of eastern China became a great drain upon Japanese resources. Other serious shortcomings were lack of an adequate program tot train pilots and lack of modern anti- submarine equipment. Japanese military effectiveness was also hindered by extreme rivalry between the army and the navy, which led to inefficiency in the planning and execution of operations.

II.                Discussion:

o   Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, an inlet of the southern coast of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, six miles west of Honolulu. It is landlocked and has a depth of from 50 to 60 feet, but there was a bar at the entrance with only 10 feet of water, thus making the harbor useless for large vessels. In 1887, the United States obtained from the Hawaiian king the exclusive right to establish a coaling and repair station at this harbor. With the ownership of the islands an assured fact, the United States government proceeded to make of Pearl Harbor a first class naval base. A channel four and a half miles in length was dredged from the sea across the bar and coral reef, to the yard site, with a depth throughout of 35 feet, with a width through the bar of 600 feet. This makes the harbor available for the largest vessels now afloat. The east and west locks provide ample pier accommodations for the discharging and the loading of naval stores and supplies; Pearl harbor is not intended to enter into commercial competition with Honolulu. The dredging of Pearl Harbor bar was completed toward the close of 1911; and an official entry into the locks was made by Rear Admiral Chauncey Thomas in the flagship California on December 14, 1911.

After the outbreak of World war in 1939, the Navy Department began to develop Pearl Harbor Navy Yard’s dry dock and repair facilities with large appropriations, made available by Congress. But when the Pacific Fleet began using the harbor as an operating base in 1940 deficiencies were revealed inconsistent with its reputation as the “Gibraltar of the Pacific”. These were in process of being remedied when, on December 7, 1941, at about 7:55 a.m., Japanese aircraft consisting of an estimated 150 to 200 fighting, bombing and torpedo planes launched from three or four carriers, made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Among the 86 naval vessels moored there at the time and consisting of the entire pacific Fleet, excepting two surface ship task forces carrying out assigned missions at sea, were eight battleships, seven cruisers, 28 destroyers, and five submarines. Of the 19 vessels sunk or severely damaged by Japanese bombs and torpedoes, the 26 year old battleship Arizona was the only one totally and permanently lost, the others being salvaged and most of them restored to active service. The Arizona was destroyed and the Oklahoma capsized. The West Virginia and California were sunk in shallow water and the Nevada was beached. Three cruisers and three destroyers were damaged. The fleet’s carriers, by a stroke of good fortune, were at sea and escaped the attack.

The Pearl Harbor attack put the United States Pacific fleet temporarily out of action- most of the ships were eventually refloated and repaired- allowing Japan to proceed with its conquests with comparative ease. But Pearl Harbor also had a harmful effect on Japan- it instantly united the American people behind the war effort, dashing all Japanese hopes for a negotiated peace.

Investigations of the Pearl Harbor disaster showed that the United States government was aware of the possibility of a Japanese attack, but had not considered Hawaii a probable target and had not definitely warned the command there. A radar warning on the spot was ignored.

The Japanese made simultaneous attacks at many other points. Guam fell on December 10. Wake Island, heroically defended by its Marine garrison, was taken on December 23. The British surrendered Hong Kong on Christmas Day. Air attacks on the Philippines severely damaged the defending force. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the immediate cause of the United States entrance in the World War II.

o   Isokoru Yamamoto

Isokoru Yamamoto, Japanese Naval officer. He was born in Nagaoka, Honshu, Japan, April 4, 1884. Of the Samurai descent, he graduated from the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1904 and served aboard the battleship Nisshin, at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905. After serving as assistant naval attaché in the United States from 1919- 1921, he became executive officer and instructor at the Kasumigaura Naval Air Station in 1924. From December 1925 to November 1927 he was naval attaché in the United States in 1928- 1929 commanded the aircraft carrier Akagi.   He was then head of the Bureau of Naval Aviation of the Naval General Staff and in October 1933 became commander of Carrier Division One. During his various assignments on the Naval General Staff, he made tours of Europe and America to examine naval facilities.  Appointed vice minister of the navy in December 1935 and commander in chief of the First Fleet in August 1938, he was commissioned admiral in November 1940 and was given command of the Combined Fleet in August 1941, a few months before Japan entered World War II.

The Japanese war plan in 1941 was first to seize the rich areas of Southeast Asia and then prepare to meet a United States movement from overseas. This strategy had been successful in the Russo- Japanese war, but Yamamoto claimed that the United States Fleet would have to be destroyed first, before that country’s full potential could be brought against Japan. He forced his Pearl Harbor plan on the Naval General Staff, and it was a major success. His campaign against Midway six months later, however, took his country into divergent efforts; a defeat there enabled the United States to seize the initiative in the Solomons in August 1942. Near the end of the desperate struggle for these islands, Yamamoto was shot down in an air ambush over the Shortland Islands. He was granted the title of admiral of the fleet as of the day of his death on April 18, 1943 at Solomon Islands. Yamamoto was a brilliant, devoted, confident man with a dynamic personality, but complete trust in his genius was one of the major causes of the Japanese defeat.

o   The Surrender of Japan

A plan to invade Japan in the autumn of 1945, followed in the spring by a larger invasion with troops released in Europe, did not have to be carried out. The Japanese navy had been destroyed in Leyte Gulf. Japan could no longer import the grain, coal, oil, and vital raw materials needed to sustain its war effort because a large part of its merchant marine had been destroyed and because it was under a tight air and sea blockade. The Soviet Union declared war on Japan on August 8 and immediately attacked Japanese in Manchuria. The two atomic bombs underlined the hopelessness of Japan’s position.

  On August 14 Emperor Hirohito announced that Japan would surrender unconditionally. The surrender took place September 2 aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Japan was reduced to its home islands and occupied by American forces.

References:

1.      Churchill, Winston. The Second World War (6 Volumes; Houghton Mifflin, 1948- 53).

2.      Graff, Stewart. The Story of World War II. (Dutton, 1977).

3.      Taylor, Theodore. Air Raid Pearl Harbor: the Story of December 7, 1941 (Crowell, 1971).

4.      Theobold, Robert Alfred. The Final Secret of Pearl Harbor.( New York: Devin-Adair, 1954)

5.      World War II (15 volumes; Time Life Books, 1976- 79).

 

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Abstract Views on Military Retention

The words “material” and “personnel” are abstractions, but the weapons systems and the devoted human beings organized to make and use them are real. Reducing the size of the military also means ending jobs and forcing career changes on many people who deserve better from their nation. However, it has become apparent that many of today’s military members separate voluntarily. This research project seeks to inform the debate on military retention by examining the evidence for separations from military service into civilian community.

The objective is to identify what factors have the most weight in separation decisions, as well as the factors that have the most weight for those deciding not to separate from the service. Over the past year, members of the armed services have been separating at an alarming rate. In an effort to combat the mass exodus of people from the uniformed ranks, the government has turned to the use of re-enlistment and extension bonuses, increased pay, and numerous other incentives, but has had little success.

A common response from people leaving the armed forces is that the decision to leave has nothing to do with money, but rather other “quality of life” issues. What then are some of the major factors influencing people”s decisions to leave? For those who have decided to stay, is it because of the incentives recently offered, or would they have stayed anyway? There are several different factors involving the economy that may possibly have an effect for the status of the military population.

The job shortfall in the lagging U. S. economy is now some 8 to 10 million; cuts in the military services will contribute an additional half million job seekers a year by the year 2000, substantially increasing the need for job creation. Has the military encouraged career-minded personnel in overstaffed job specialties to leave voluntarily (thus minimizing the lump-sum severance payment or a long-term annuity)? Are the programs as generous as the pay and benefits that military personnel are eligible for if they retire after 20 years of service?

Because the Pentagon has announced that no one with 15 years or more of service would be dismissed before hitting the 20-year mark, few people with 15 years to 20 years of service have opted to leave. The 15-20 year group includes 225,000 officers and senior enlisted personnel – 12 percent of the active-duty force. Active-duty military personnel are not vested with retirement benefits until they have served for 20 years. Once vested, they can draw sizable annuities for life, often starting in their mid-40s, while they begin second careers.

Can this be yet another reason for low retention rates? Are there differences between different service departments? Differences between officers and enlisted personnel, male/female, rank, education level, or the number of dependents of member has? All of these areas will be explored and discussed within the text. After combining personal experiences and views of our group, conducting a group survey, and analyzed the results of our research, it was not difficult to conclude that military retention is a growing problem.

There are many reasons for this, but the most stressed issues have been those which impact quality of life. The quality of life issues have become so well known that it affects recruiting efforts of all branches of the military. The following will discuss some recent literary reviews and government statements concerning retention in the military, along with the problem of retention, some reasons for the problem, and some possible solutions that are now being established. As stated earlier, issues concerning quality of life seem to be the most important when it comes to retention in the military.

For those members of the military who complete their first term successfully and whose performance warrants retention consideration, quality of life factors are important. Surveys have been able to document links between retention and quality of life. In January 1999, Maj. Gen. Donald A. Lamontagne, from Peterson Air Force Base, Co. , addressed the Air Force Space Command Public Affairs in saying that “We”ve been trying to fix pilot retention with more money, but that”s not the problem.

It”s going back and forth to the desert that”s causing the problems, and what”s happening is we are losing pilots faster than we can train them. Last year we lost out pilots at a rate of two every day. Somehow we have to stabilize this. ” Military personnel are tired of being deployed for months at a time with very little notice and also want benefits and retirements enhanced and secured. Although compensation was not the leading factor in decisions to leave the military, there is a significant gap between military and civilian compensation that needs to be addressed, as this will aid in recruitment and retention.

Government budget cutbacks are also a problem, not only for reasons such as personnel benefits and retirements; for example, the Air Force alone has a $5 billion shortfall in their budget for spare-parts. This makes it very difficult to accomplish and build a world-class Air Force for the future, and lowers the morale of its members. Recruiting and retention issues are not just active duty issues. The National Guard and reserve forces also face these same challenges. Yet, here again, these members face a continuing challenge to benefits.

The AFSA (Air Force Sergeants Association), is trying to preserve one guard/reserve benefit that has paid good dividends: the current practice of providing 15 days of fully paid “military leave” to federal civil servants who are also in the guard or reserve. One administration proposal will, in effect, cost most members their military pay by limiting the total compensation to the higher of civilian pay or military pay, versus the current practice of paying both. It is believed that any such limitation will significantly harm recruiting and retention of those who are civil servants.

In particular, former (already trained) military members who become civil servants would lose a major incentive to serve in a reserve capacity. Those civil servants with no prior military service will lose a major incentive to join the reserves. Equally as important is the unknown effect this change will have on civilian employers” support that is currently provided to guard and reserve personnel. Eliminating this program clearly sends the wrong message. The decision to leave or not to join one of the services has been determined in a large part on the perceived steady decline in the quality of life and benefits.

To keep a fit, fighting force for the twenty-first century, we as a nation should find the money to pay for it. With so many problems, there is a need for many solutions. All branches of the military are establishing solutions, which in time will tell if they will be successful. The following describes some positive steps for the military, which should be helpful to many areas, and many people. According to Gen. Dick Hawley, Commander, Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, VA, a huge step concerning the quality of life issue has been made by the Air Force.

Currently, in Air Combat Command, they are giving almost 80 percent of their people four months notice of lengthy deployments, and almost never has anyone deployed from Air Combat Command with less than a month”s notice. In the past it was not unusual to get a one-week notice for a four-month deployment. This will significantly improve the stability and predictability of personal schedules so people can manage both their professional and personal lives. People can plan educational programs and family events more adequately.

Another method used by the Air Force is team basing. Individuals being deployed to certain areas are deployed in teams. This method shows support and should be positive for the morale of their people. The Air Force also is trying to combat the retention problem through assignments, especially with the home-basing concept. With overseas assignments, their people are moving earlier than they would like. With the home-basing concept, this would give the opportunity to elect a home-base location after four to six years on active duty.

The concept will allow members to remain at the base they choose for an extended number of years, possibly even until retirement. This doesn”t mean people would never leave. They may have to pull a short tour or go for training, but then they would return to the same base. This would allow families to build equity in homes, children could remain in the same schools, and spouses could keep their own jobs and careers. The longer notices of deployment would also give members time to complete or make arrangements for their continued education.

The military strives on professional military education and provides excellent reimbursements for those who choose to further their education. It has become almost mandatory to have a master”s degree to make Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, with approximately 98 percent of those selected having a master”s degree. The medical issues concerning Tricare are being looked at for possible changes for the better, along with increasing retirement benefits. The military is trying to improve Tricare to match the level of care authorized by the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP).

If done, the cost share should cost the military beneficiary no more than those insured by FEHBP and should include, as a minimum, preventative care, dental care, and a universal (including mail-order) prescription drug service. The military retirement system has changed three times, and each time decreasing the benefit. It was last changed in 1986 and now only provides retirement pay based on 40 percent of the high three years of base pay. The issue is still in debate as whether or not to increase the retirement benefit back to 50 percent of base pay.

This is a major issue in deciding whether to leave the military or to stay in longer and is also an issue when recruiting. In 1981, by way of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, U. S. Congress mandated that the Military Services, at least annually, provide each member a meaningful statement of total compensation, so that the member fully considers total compensation when making career decisions. The Department of the Navy, in particular, has established the Personal Statement of Military Compensation (PSMC).

PSMC is a long term Navy project to give members, at least once a year, a summary of total earnings as an active duty member of the U. S. Navy. The total is made up of cash pays, allowances, and bonuses. The allowances include such things as on-base housing and meals, and benefits include commissaries, exchanges, and hospitals, as well as future benefits such as retirement pay and social security payments. Navy leaders support wholeheartedly the effort to get the full compensation story out to current and potential Navy members thereby contributing to the success of Navy retention and recruiting programs.

With technological advancements growing, the military faces another problem with retention. Retention is necessary for essential positions of the military, in which members may choose to leave for whatever reason. One remedy put in place by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management is the Y2K Assistance for Agencies. This plan deals with recruiting and retaining Information Technology Professionals. The Office of Personnel Management states in their bulletin under agency-based flexibility, the procedure for retention allowances. It is stated that agencies have discretionary authority to make continuing (i. . , biweekly) payments of up to 25 percent of basic pay to individual employees and of up to 10 percent of basic pay to a group or category of employees based upon a determination by the agency that: (1) the unusually high or unique qualifications of the employees or a special need of the agency for the employees” services makes it essential to retain the employees; and (2) the employee or a significant number of employees in the targeted category would be likely to leave the Federal Government (for any reason, including retirement) in the absence of a retention allowance.

Retention allowances must be paid in accordance with the agency”s previously established retention allowance plan and must be reviewed and certified annually. Retention allowances are subject to the aggregate limitation on total pay, which is currently $151,800. Another retention technique, and also a way to increase overall morale, is by distributing performance and incentive awards.

Agencies within the military have discretionary authority to grant an employee a lump-sum cash award based on a “Fully Successful” or better rating of record or in recognition of accomplishments that contribute to the efficiency, economy, or other improvement of Government operations. Awards can be tied to specific achievements such as meeting milestones that are identified as part of the work needed to achieve Year 2000 conversion goals. Cash awards do not increase an employee”s basic pay.

Awards based on the rating of record can be up to 10 percent of salary, or up to 20 percent for exceptional performance, provided the award does not exceed $10,000 per employee. On January 5, 1999, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael E. Ryan called for an additional $30 billion more in Air Force spending dedicated to the readiness program over the next five years. This was in addition to the President”s already proposed injection of $110 billion into the Pentagon”s budget for the readiness program to boost mission capability rates.

The service chiefs also urged Congress to press ahead with the President”s previously announced FY 2000 overall 4. 4 percent pay raises, additional targeted pay raises for mid-grade officers and noncommissioned officers and restoration of retirement benefits to 50 percent of base pay for 20 years of service. This confirms to current and potential members of the military that programs are in place to upgrade overall qualities of the military life. According to the U. S.

General Accounting Office, more than 30 percent of first term sailors and Marines do not complete the first term of service, many for reasons that relate to poor screening rather than quality of life issues. Although quality of life issues are still considered among the most important when discussing retention, the most useful future research on quality of life issues should connect both objective and subjective variables to militarily relevant outcomes. Issues such as actual retention, on-the-job performance, and overall duty performance, and ultimately readiness and combat performance need to be looked at.

Currently, only a fraction of the quality of life research makes the connection between the inputs and these outcomes. Most of this research has focused only on retention. Researchers need to use or to develop metrics that indicate the fighting effectiveness of the military, and then to identify which quality of life programs influence these measures of effectiveness. This, along with more funding, and awareness of military life and its qualities will enhance the future of the military. The data collected came from a simple survey (Appendix A). In all, 114 surveys were collected over a period of 12 days.

There was not a particular target group, as the retention problem appears to be spread among service members of all ranks. The only criterion was that individuals had to be at least half way through his/her first enlistment or period of obligated service. This would have given them ample time to be exposed to military life and form an opinion as to whether they would continue serving in the military. Some of the individuals answering the survey seemed reluctant to provide their name, especially when they read the portion of the survey concerning dissatisfying aspects of military service.

Many questioned who would see the survey, and only filled it out after they were assured that the information would not be seen by anyone outside the research group. Once the data was collected, it was categorized based on branch of service and whether the individual was on officer or enlisted. Due to the proximity of bases in the area, members of the United States Navy and Marine Corps filled out the majority of surveys. Members of the United States Air Force filled out the remainder of the surveys. The Army was not represented. The results of the survey can be found in Appendix B.

While the total number of surveys collected represents less than one tenth of one percent of the total number of people currently on active duty, it does provide some useful data in terms of why there is a growing amount of dissatisfaction among military members. Respondents were put into one of four categories: Navy/Marine Officer; Navy/Marine Enlisted; Air Force Officer; and Air Force Enlisted. Most categories balanced as expected with the exception of two – average age and average time in service for Air Force enlisted members. Both were higher than expected due to a relatively large number of senior-enlisted within the group.

When asked what the primary reason for joining the military was, sixty-two percent (62%) answered “to serve my country” or some variation of that statement. Eleven percent (11%) responded that they joined to have a job or career. Ten percent (10%) answered that they joined because of the opportunity to travel, while an additional ten percent (10%) said they joined as a means toward receiving a higher education. Relating these responses to Maslow”s Need Hierarchy, it can be said that military service, in some way, for some people, satisfies one or more of those needs.

Service to country, making what they feel is a meaningful contribution, satisfies the inner need for self-actualization. The military is often viewed as a log-term commitment or even life-long career, with a high degree of job security. Although there have been numerous reductions-in-force (RIFs) over the years due to a steadily declining budget, the military is still seen as an organization where its members can stay for as long as they desire. This, according to Maslow, would satisfy the need for security.

The opportunity to further one”s education and to travel fulfills the need for self-esteem. Ever since the Gulf War, the public”s opinion of those in the military has risen significantly in the favorable direction. All of these contribute to positive feelings by military members and help satisfy the need for self-esteem. When asked which aspects of military service were most satisfying, the most common answer, by far, was making friends. Again, when relating this to the Need Hierarchy, the social need is the only one that cannot be met by an individual.

It is reasonable to assume that this need is important because of the unique type of demands military service puts on a family. The majority of service members have to re-locate, on average, every three years. This equates to a new home, new jobs, and new schools for everyone. Even though a service member might choose to serve 20 years, he has more than likely moved at least 6 times, unlike his civilian counterpart, who in 20 years may have never moved once. The second most common response regarding satisfying aspects was the opportunity to travel.

Again, moving every 3 years, gives personnel ample opportunity to live in a variety of locations both stateside and abroad. There are many bases throughout the world. Getting stationed in some of the more desirable areas certainly makes the idea of relocating easier. If an individual is assigned to a deploying unit, he/she can expect to go to different areas, as required, for duration of a few days to as long as six months. This is not always seen as a satisfying aspect and the negative side of this will be discussed later.

Also, certain “perks” such as the use of Air Mobility Command (AMC), provides the ability to travel all over the world on a space available basis with little or no cost to personnel. We also asked military personnel what the three most dissatisfying aspects of being in the military were. Due to the differences in military branch, rank, time in service, and age, we received a variety of reasons. Like any other survey we received some questionable responses, such as not being able to smoke pot (marijuana) and having to wear a uniform everyday. At times it was hard to distinguish whether these responses were serious.

On the other hand, we also received many valid reasons. From the results of the 114 surveys we got back, it was determined that the three most common dissatisfying aspects of being in the military were: family separation, poor leadership, and eroding benefits. Family separation is of great concern for the majority of military members, particularly those who are married. Military members can be assigned permanent change of station (PCS) orders unaccompanied (without spouse or other dependents) for up to 15 months or they can be sent to numerous short notice deployments.

Whether they are Navy, Marines, or Air Force, they are sent away from their families an average of 40% to 50% percent of the year. Some examples of these separations were provided on the additional comments section. For Navy personnel, they had to be away from their families for approximately 6 months in order to fulfill their ship/sea duty as required by the Navy. In some instances, such as for pilots, they were re-deployed from the carriers to different locations for unspecified lengths of time. For Marines, they were also tasked for numerous deployments through out the year without knowing how long they would be gone.

The Marine pilots were also in the same position as the Navy pilots, as they usually train together on aircraft carriers. For Air Force personnel, the situation was similar. Numerous deployments throughout the year to different bases, such as Southwest Asia, which are at least 4 months long, seem to be very unpopular among military members. These deployments are usually to remote places half way around the world where living conditions are very poor. Some locations don”t even provide individuals a way to communicate back to their families. These situations take a toll on marriages.

Several surveys indicated that these types of constant deployments contributed to military members being divorced at least two or three times throughout their military careers. For single military members, being away from their home stations also made it impossible for them to go home on leave to visit their families. Many of the young, single enlisted members said it was difficult not to be able to go home for holidays, but rather having to spend them alone at deployed locations. In some instances, it was impossible for military members to go home at times of emergency, such as severe illness or death of an immediate family member.

These situations are hard enough and family separation only makes them more difficult. There are numerous reasons why deployments or unaccompanied permanent change of stations (PCS”s) can cause hardships on military members but the main dissatisfaction is family separation. Poor Leadership is another popular dissatisfying aspect of being in the military. Just like any organization, you are going to have a few managers/leaders that are not very popular among employees. In the military, managers or leaders are appointed differently than in traditional civilian organizations. Supervisors or leaders are appointed according to rank.

For example, if somebody is newly appointed to your section and he or she is the highest- ranking person there, they are usually the ones in charge of the section. For this reason, you might get a good leader that knows how to treat people and take care of business, or you might get the “micro-managing” leader that is just looking out for him/herself in order to get a promotion or favorable evaluation. This type of leadership is found in every position throughout the military. It can range from one”s immediate supervisor, to shop chief, flight chief, section commander, squadron commander and so on.

Since one of the main goals of every military member is to achieve the highest rank possible, criticizing or speaking out against poor leadership can be detrimental to one”s career advancement. One of the main complaints about leadership, according to those answering the survey, is that leadership does not remain constant. People, usually those in leadership positions that are trying to “get a check in the block” for the next promotion, can be assigned to a duty station or duty section anywhere from one to three or more years. These leaders usually try to quick-fix existing problems or they leave them for the person replacing them.

This results in work sections getting a mix of management styles. The assigned personnel that remain are the ones that have to endure this. They might get good leaders for short periods of time and then have them replaced by bad leaders and so on throughout their assignment. Yet another example of poor leadership, according to surveyees, are those who “brown-nose” or “suck-up” to leaders in the organizations. These are leaders that are afraid or not willing to make suggestions to superiors on how to fix organizational problems. They would rather blindly do as their superiors tell them.

These leaders or “politicians”, as stated before, are just looking out for themselves. Eroding benefits was the third most common dissatisfying aspect of being in the military. According to those “career” military members that have been in over ten years, military benefits have been cut back drastically over the past few years. Those members that joined the military within the last few years do not have the same benefits that those that joined over ten years ago do. For example, the amount of retirement pay after 20 years of service is 50% of base pay for those that joined prior to 1986 and 40% for those that have joined since.

Another major complaint is that medical benefits and the quality of medical care have been decreasing every year. Another source of dissatisfaction is that training opportunities or assignment preferences are not available anymore. Some personnel feel stuck in certain locations, and it denies them one of the major reasons for joining in the first place – an opportunity to travel. While some personnel enjoy the stability of not having to move as much, there are many who like to move at the end of their tour and move on to another location.

Military members see cutbacks as the major reason for increased family separation, decreasing benefits, and the development and advancement of poor leaders. Over the last several years, the military has gone through a massive downsizing. This resulted in having to continuously do more with less. The operations tempo of many flying squadrons increased and due to under-manning, assigned personnel has to constantly go on deployments. Promotions are now harder to come by because now there are many people competing for fewer positions. The cutbacks in the military budget have caused the closing of many military installations around the world.

Military members viewed many of these installations as benefits because they were considered popular assignment preferences. These assignments were in popular spots around the world that were, for some members, reason to join the military in order to get there. There are various reasons individuals are deciding to voluntarily leave the military. Despite relatively high job security and increasing monetary incentives, many do not feel this is compensation enough to have to endure the increasing hardships put upon them. What can the military do to retain personnel?

The government must start by addressing the numerous quality of life issues that military members currently face. Merely offering more money to people will entice some to stay, but the reason most people joined in the first place had nothing to do with money. It is a well-known fact, verified by numerous studies, that a pay gap exists between military members and what would be considered their equivalent civilian counterpart. Until these issues are addressed and personnel start to see a real change in operations and personnel tempo, the military is going to continue to see good people leave its ranks.

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Cost Effectiveness and Intensity of BUD/S Navy SEAL Training

Cost Effectiveness and Intensity of BUD/S Navy SEAL Training

        The U.S. Navy’s Sea-Air-Land Soldiers Teams encompass the service’s primary special operations capability.  The selection criteria for SEALs, are like those of U.S. Army Special Forces, although the endurance swimming constraints are much more rigorous.  SEALs were once drawn for the most part from the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams, but as time passed these teams were redesignated as SEAL Teams or SEAL Delivery Vehicle teams.  Nowadays, most volunteers are usually Navy personnel.  (Douglas 28)

        Intensity Of BUD/S Navy SEAL Training

        To enter BUD/S, you can’t be more than 28 years old.  BUD/S volunteers are put through  25 weeks of  backbreaking training, fore the most part, at the Naval Special Warfare Center at Coronado, California.  With out a doubt, BUD/S is the toughest  program  available to U.S. soldiers.  Before attendees even get into BUD/S, they must first complete a two-week physical training module, just to prepare them for the arduous pressure that they will go through in BUD/S.

        The first eight weeks of training concentrates on physical conditioning, which includes: running, speed and endurance swimming, confidence and obstacle courses, calisthenics, along with small boat seamanship.  Then comes the infamous “Hell Week”, which takes place in the sixth week of BUD/S.  For the duration of this time, of extreme physical training, applicants are only allowed 4 hours of sleep.  The next seven weeks of  BUD/S  comprises of advanced instruction in sea navigation, open-and closed-circuit scuba, deep–sea diving, and underwater  demolition.  This segment is followed by 10 weeks of instruction in surface demolition, combat engineering, amphibious operations, land navigation, hand-to-hand combat, weapons familiarization, reconnaissance techniques and small unit tactics training at San Clemente Island.  After completing BUD/S, the volunteers are sent to Fort Benning to attend the Army’s three-week Airborne Basic Course.

        Why Should The Navy Not Lower Its Standards Because Of The High Attrition Rate?

To be considered the elite, it’s without a doubt, crucial that BUD/S volunteers be put through the laborious training that the program involves.  To support my argument, let’s put it into perspective.  Let’s say that an individual has just been diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Would you want some wet behind the ears intern, just out of med school to remove the growth; the answer would definitely be no.  This line of thought, applies to the military as well.  If there is a war, or terrorist situation, where innocent lives are at stake, you want the best to handle the crisis.  It’s imperative that SEALs go through the regimen that the BUD/S program offers.

        The Cost Effectivness Of BUD/S And Why It’s Worth The Cost?

The question in this portion of my paper is, BUD/S worth the cost?  The Pentagon said it would begin offering bonuses of up to $150,000 for long serving Army, Airforce and Navy special operation troops who agree to stay in the military for up to six more years.  The bonuses are the largest ever paid to enlisted troops.  They reflect the difficulty in replacing highly valued troops such as Army Green Berets and Navy SEALs, whose training takes years and costs about $300,000 per person.  (Moniz 2)  $300,000 dollars a person is chump change when you think of all the lives that Navy SEALs have saved.  Once again, the question is, BUD/S cost-effective?  To stipulate, can we as taxpayers put a currency value on human lives?  Whether you’re a doctor, lawyer or stockbroker, to be the best at your chosen profession costs money.  No ifs ands or butts, SEALs deal with death every time they go out on a mission.  Unlike the professions that I just mentioned, not only are Navy SEALs safeguarding others, they to, are putting themselves in harm’s way.  If it costs $300,000 to put a would be SEAL through the BUD/S program, well then so be it.

        Why Do Some Individuals Criticize The Intensity Of The Training, And Say That

        It Is A Waste Of Money?

        The majority of those who criticize the intensity of the training, are for the most part, individuals who did not complete BUD/S.  In other words, I’d have to say that we’re dealing with sour grapes.  The other detractors are usually bureaucrats, or government officials who have never served time in the military; all they see is the bottom-line;

        According to an article in USA Today: The Army, Navy and Airforce, shortages of elite special operations forces that are playing a leading role in the war against terrorism, military records show.  The shortfall of  Army special operations, Navy SEALs and Air Force combat controllers persists as the Pentagon seeks to expand the forces by 15% over the next four years to bolster the anti-terrorism campaign.  One reason for the shortage is the intense training.  The Navy says only 35 of 166 candidates will qualify as SEALs.  (Vanden 1)  Another critic states: Officially, the first phase of the nearly year-long regimen for becoming a Navy SEAL is called Basic Conditioning.  That’s an understatement if ever there was one.  During those eight weeks recruits endure “self torture” (immersion in 60F water), “drown proofing” (a series of underwater exercises with hands and feet tied), and the infamous “Hell Week,” 5 ½ days of sheer agony during which trainees sleep for a total of four hours.  No wonder just 25% of those chosen to enter the harrowing process actually finish.  (Business Week 104-105)

You may also be interested in Old Navy mission statement

        In conclusion, as MLA format dictates, I must give my personal opinion on the topic of this paper.  At the risk of sounding redundant, I have to state that the intense training that BUD/S offers is a necessity.  SEALs are without a doubt, the most conditioned soldiers that the world has to offer.  Without giving it a second thought, I would put them in the same category as world class athletes.  They are put through the arduous training for a reason; to save lives.  As far as being cost effective, how can you put a dollar sign on a human life?  If you want the best, it’s going to cost money.  In hindsight, as one SEAL so eloquently put it, “BUD/S is the closest thing to hell I’ve ever been through.  By the sixth week you pray that a shark gets you, just to get some peace; but when you get on the job you understand why it was the way it was.”

Works Cited

“Navy SEALs Don’t Mess With These Guys.”  Business Week  2006:  104-105

Moniz.  Dave.  “Military offering more, and bigger bonuses.”  USA Today  2005:  22

Douglas.  Walter.  C.  “Hell Week.”  News Week:  28

Kreisher.  Otto.  “In The Fore Front Of The War On Terror.”  Sea Power  2002:  41

“The Men At War… And Their Gear.”  News Week:  2001:  20

Vanden.  Tom.  “U.S. elite forces face shortfall.”  USA Today:  1a

 

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Military Operations

The role of the officer in the armed forces is to provide leadership for all operational commands. Military officers are expected to command the managerial, executive, scientific and technical centers of high-level military operations. In the U. S. Army, the officer will command a fort or a brigade. In the Navy, he or she will command a ship, submarine, or aircraft squadron. In the Air Force, officers command space shuttles or engineering, airlift wing, medical staff, or logistics centers.

In the Marines, they command operations and training, plans and budget, or enlisted processing stations. In the Coast Guard, they can be chief of training, executive officers, or public affairs; or commanding officer of a cutter. Being all that you can be means performing any number of tasks. Whichever of the five branches of the United States Armed forces (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Forces, or Coast Guard) you choose to join, prepare yourself for more than a buzz-cut and target practice.

Officers are leaders, organizers, strategists, and managers whose duties entail enormous responsibilities. Each branch of the armed forces has particular tasks. The Army is in charge of land-based defense initiatives. The Air Force supervises space and air defense. While the Navy flies the flag upon the seas, the Marine Corps provides them with land support. The Coast Guard plays a dual role. In peacetime, it works for the Department of Transportation, controlling access to American shores. The moment war breaks out, the Coast Guard works alongside of the Navy.

Some of the responsibilities inherent in a chosen military career are obvious, such as running a nuclear submarine or commanding a platoon of demolition specialists. Less obvious, but just as important, are he various clerical and managerial tasks that are essential to the smooth operation of our national defense and international peacekeeping. Because of military officers’ versatility, training, and skills, they are valued in the civilian world. Many former officers find themselves in great demand at some of America’s largest corporation.

Department of Transportation, controlling access to American shores. The moment war breaks out, the Coast Guard works alongside of the Navy. Some of the responsibilities inherent in a chosen military career are obvious, such as running a nuclear ubmarine or commanding a platoon of demolition specialists. Less obvious, but just as important, are the various clerical and managerial tasks that are essential to the smooth operation of our national defense and international peacekeeping.

Because of military officers’ versatility, training, and skills, they are valued in the civilian world. Many former officers find themselves in great demand at some of America’s largest corporation Pay and benefits are based on rank and cumulative years of service. For example, the newly commissioned Second Lieutenant or Ensign can expect on average a base salary of 26,000 per year. Further, this salary is augmented by allowances for living quarters, subsistence, and various hazardous duty incentives.

For example, in the U. S. Navy an officer’s salary can be supplemented by either sea pay, submarine pay, or aviation pay, depending on the career path. Overall, the armed forces offer a salary structure that is competitive with private industry. The perks include extensive travel and health-care benefits, as well as family-oriented services like day care, job security, and a decent pension after a relatively short career. Of ourse, the gratitude our nation shows its soldiers cannot be left out of the package.

Benefits available to members of the armed forces compare favorably to those in the civilian work force. Some examples are opportunities for highly advanced training and education with full salary, early high-level management responsibilities, medical and dental care, 30 days of paid yearly vacation, moving allowances, shopping privileges at exchanges and commissaries, membership affiliation with officer clubs, a dynamic retirement program, and fringe benefits that offer long-range security for both career.

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On Sale at Old Navy Summary

When Cave states “Their low prices and hip-but-wholesome branding strategy are supposed to present a healthy alternative to the conspicuous consumption of a Calvin Klein,” (68) the connotation of the statement is negative because of the fact that simple, cheap-but-stylish stores like Old Navy are selling clothes to the middle class so they are able to feel special and in coordination with the world’s genre of clothing.

Cave almost defends the critics like Thomas Frank that have a problem with people that aren’t financially stable enough to go out and nonchalantly spend $500 on designer clothes labeled with tags of flamboyancy; so instead, they use their resources to buy articles of value and style.

But Joel Reichart’s statement that “They provide remarkable value,” (69) and “They’re truly satisfying people’s needs,” (69) gives the defendant side that in the jungle of popular culture, there is still room to let people of lesser income to insert stylish and attractive possessions in their lives in order to present their selves in a way that doesn’t allow profiling to be strictly based on clothes. In the world, people were, and still are, being judged greatly or lightly by materialistic ideas like what type of jeans they wore on a normal weekday.

For example: if someone were to display their income through a nicer shirt than the person standing beside them, the chances of social success was generally greater. The sad but twisted perception of what is “hot”, “popular”, or “cool” that today’s popular culture has relies on two things — how to show off and boast and the immorally laced idea of sexiness regarding age. But now that there are stores like Old Navy and Ikea, the thought of how “cool” someone is based on their appearance has almost vanished.

People are starting to step into the realization that every outfit worn or every cool shirt advertised by movie stars or their favorite basketball player in the league will not be an attribute to success or reflect them as a person they are not. In the media world, style is what the actors want people to see them as (or in simpler terms: a mask). But, in the real world, style is simply what a person wants to wear. It is a decision. Decisions by others are worth complete and total respect no matter what the choice is.

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Greco-Persian Navy War

During the Greco-Persian war (500 B. C. – 449 B. C), many battles took place in this bloody war. Battles were fought on land and at sea. Sea battles played a major role during the war. The Athenian Fleet was among the most sophisticated and powerful navies to date that time. The Persian Armada seemed […]

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