Capt. Vernon R. Bush, USN (Ret)
305 Woodberry Drive
Great Bridge, Virginia 23322

(757) 547-5042   (Voice & FAX)
VRBush@home.com

25 August 2000
Admiral Leighton W. Smith, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
U. S. Naval Academy Alumni Association
Annapolis, Maryland

Dear Admiral Smith:

I have read your 20 July letter to the alumni. Methinks thou protesteth too much.
 

"We all love the Academy and what it stands for. We all want it to be all that we think it should be. We all want to see 'warrior graduates' who reflect the sense of honor, commitment and courage that we saw in our classmates and ourselves. … "

This strikes me as another demonstration of the "wagon circling" mentality extant in Crabtown and from within the E-Ring. It is more accurate to say: ". . . love the Academy and what it used to stand for." Sadly, it is very different from that today.

The past several years has been marked by adverse publicity over several Naval Academy scandals and a growing alumni concern the Naval Academy has lost its focus. Responses to the scandals have too often been public relations blitzes worthy of Madison Avenue; you have even managed to co-opt The Annapolis Capitol to slavishly march to your drummers. Those of us with a legitimate interest and who even seem to be attempting to challenge the new philosophy have been treated as enemies.

Typically, attempts to obtain information are stonewalled, letters are ignored, telephone calls are not returned and we are forced to submit requests pursuant to the FOIA even for the most innocuous data. Dissent has been suppressed to the extent that alumni and others attempting to air proposals for change have been effectively silenced. For instance, in 1997, an excellent article by RAdm Van Orden ('45), who developed some compelling proposals, was published in the Strategic Review, which hasn't the broad Naval constituency of The Naval Institute Proceedings. Why -- why not in Shipmate or the USNIP? Because those guarding the palace are arrogantly muzzling all opposition!

The new standard at the Proceedings was established following the DiRita essay, when the Executive Director came near to being fired, and the Office of CNO (Adm. LaPlante) gave The Proceedings management and staff 'guidelines' for future articles!

If the present approach to the Naval Academy's structure is truly the best, why do you fear open discussion/opposition and why do you feel compelled to step in to defend the Superintendent?

Precipitated by the onset of several scandals involving moral turpitude, months of intellectual effort were expended agonizing over the concept of honor. The result was two pieces of wordsmithed literature entitled The Honor Concept of the Brigade of Midshipmen and Honor Treatise of the Brigade of Midshipmen replacing a straightforward enjoinder not to lie, cheat or steal, which had endured for over 150 years.

A growing body of us have, for some time, been interested in returning the essence of the Academy to that of the fifties, reflecting naval/military training concepts that withstood the test of time for more than 100 years. The new/current methods have failed miserably and each regression from old standards drives another stake into the heart of the Naval Academy.

Much is being made of the Strategic Plan, a glitzy slide show and management tool for planning. Unfortunately, the plan managers failed to address this core problem: the Naval Academy is no longer producing the cadre of truly professional officers the fleet sorely needs. Despite this ever more obvious shortcoming, the plan has nothing to reflect any reforms -- such as those often proposed by men like James Webb (who has been studiously ignored) and RAdm M. D. Van Orden (whose essay has barely seen the light of day).

After all the public relations, all the wordsmithing, all the studies, panels and boards, nothing material has been improved. More and more training emphasis is devoted to ethical and character issues, which should have been part and parcel of the Midshipman's psyche prior to entry. It's akin to remedial reading for inner city entrants to a Community College. The Naval Academy is not a Community College and should not be accepting students who need remedial indoctrination.

Clearly, the Naval Academy has been rudderless for a generation. How else can the current general mess be explained? How else can the fact that officer retention is too low and, overwhelmingly, poor leadership is cited as a major source of discontent and, ultimately, departure from Naval Service? How else can one explain a recent poll which reveals only ten percent of Naval Officers aspire to command? Admiral, you and the present generation of Flag Officers stand indicted. You have let the Navy, the Naval Academy and the Nation down by de-emphasizing its military and professional aspects and toadying to those who abhor or do not understand the Armed Forces -- or wish to make them an element of social engineering projects.

"Where principle is involved, be deaf to expediency." This quote of Maury should be familiar to you. Where are the naval leaders today willing to observe that principle -- to stand up and be counted? In posing that question, I feel a kinship with Diogenes who lighted a candle in the daytime whilst ". . . looking for a man."

Gone is the former core curriculum which, with singleness of purpose, prepared Midshipmen to be Naval Officers, not specialists, managers and bean counters. The new totem is diversity - codified by the diverse curriculum and expressed by the totally new collegiate environment. This is contrary to the military ethic, which demands teamwork and singleness of purpose. In the past, Midshipmen's lives were constantly directed toward the things Naval Officers should be interested or conversant in - national and foreign affairs, world events, etc. Looking at the present curriculum, it is difficult to see much difference from a civilian university with an ROTC program. Where is the intense training in professional Naval and military subjects that defines and justifies maintenance of a separate school by the US Government?

Except that all of its students are wearing uniforms, there is little to set the Naval Academy aside from well-endowed universities in the civilian sector. It is ever more widely observed that the differences between the Naval Academy and other colleges and universities are essentially nonexistent. It is the ultimate insult that USNA graduates no longer receive Regular Commissions -- and the meek Navy leadership squeaked not one bit! The natural intellectual sequel to this event is: ergo, we no longer need a Naval Academy! Is that soon to come?

No longer a school dedicated to training professionals in a structured environment, no longer a highly regarded source of committed officers so demonstrably needed in the fleet today, the Naval Academy has become another socially engineered government institution. Rather than a commitment to service, all too many Midshipmen are seemingly interested only in a free education and the 'deals' they can engineer; this attitude is encouraged by many aspects of recruitment and by the current Academy curriculum. Offering several academic majors is antithetical to the purpose of the Naval Academy, which was not established for and has no obligation to train students for civilian pursuits.

Once was, Academy men did not get a truly 'free' education -- they paid for every bit of it in commitment, sweat, self-discipline, self-denial and steadfast resolution. Upon graduation, both officers and enlisted men of the fleet expected us to manifest the highest sense of honor, as well as a working knowledge of professional skills -- just because we were USNA graduates! No longer -- in fact there are those who believe some ROTC colleges have superior graduates; I have in hand a communication from one officer whose fitness reports on four Lieutenants puts the sole Naval Academy graduate 4 out of 4 -- a situation he finds to be more typical than atypical. That's a terrible indictment of the Academy!

The many recent scandals have been 'handled' by media blitzes emanating from the Yard, King George Street and the Annapolis Capitol. These blitzes are truly ludicrous and demonstrate that the diseases of spin, political correctness and general media control have taken a firm grip.  An old Artilleryman (a General Officer and ROTC product) recently asked me: "Vern, what the hell's the matter down there? Can't you control your people?" He related his concurrence with the widely held view that Academy Men should be trained and looked to as the hard core of professionalism in the services. How would Jack Fellowes, McCain and the others have fared in Hanoi if indoctrinated in today's touchie-feelie environment? From whence will come future Halseys, Nimitzes and Burkes? If they come from the Academy, only by happenstance -- not by training, unless a drastic course change is made.

The spinners and apologists from Crabtown and the Yard have wrongly accepted a premise that the Naval Academy student body is but a microcosm of the population, thus we must expect and accept a concomitant reflection of the general population's frailties. Better, we graduate 200 truly professional and dedicated Naval Officers than 1000 uniformed intellectuals, managers and bean counters! I question the legality of this move, but of greater concern is that valuable Prep School spaces are taken from candidates truly from the fleet. Historically, appointees from the fleet have been a most valuable resource at the Naval Academy; they have been especially helpful assisting greener classmates through the rigors of Plebe Summer. Typically, these men come aboard with open eyes, maturity and a firm commitment. Formerly, motivated men from the fleet were actively sought; I understand this to no longer be the case. Another poor decision! Lock the Gates, plug the chinks in the wall and keep the mommies out! Take away the liberty, booze, automobiles and company wardrooms. The Midshipmen will then be relatively safe, substantially sober, weaned, on their way to self-reliance and disabused of the idea they have earned treatment as officers. Finally, killing the damned Parent's Club and the Plebe Sponsor Program may put an important stake in the heart of the demon. Particularly disturbing are the consistent references to Plebe Summer and academic year formalized indoctrination marked by "screaming" in the Plebe's face. This is absolutely UNSAT! While our antiquated indoctrination system became "in the face" at times, "screaming" was not a desirable or approved feature of indoctrination. From all quarters, one hears of the 'bobbing heads' and crooked lines of Midshipman marching units seen at game march-on's. This is the first thing that went down with the onslaught of the new (lenient) wave; it is the first thing that should be restored -- NOW! Restore marching to, from and between classes, as was in place until circa 1958. That, along with strategically placed staff and 'Bow-wows' will alleviate the bobbing heads so prevalent wherever Midshipersons are now seen marching. Throw in weekly Pee-rades to complete the course. These, along with daily meal formations accompanied by The Thunderer and other great martial music, creates positive public relations and images which have withstood the tests of time and require no updating. Meanwhile, something substantive has been accomplished in that the Midshipmen are being constantly reminded they are part and parcel of a military organization that functions effectively only when all march and respond appropriately to a single drummer. I see "fry" defined in Reef Points but that's the only place demerits seem to be mentioned. Is there a broad system of demerits with appropriate punishment (10/2 - 15/3 - 20/4, etc.)? I have found absolutely no reference to marching off demerits and must, therefore, assume punishment takes a different tack these days. It is too bad, because there's nothing more attention getting than wasting time marching to and fro when there are many productive activities to pursue. Yes, such demands were often unreasonable -- even 'too demanding' at times. Of course they detracted from academic performance and sometimes caused potentially good students to bilge out of the Naval Academy. That was exactly the purpose -- to build character; to cull the field; to thin the herd; to separate the best from the near best. We wanted only the best. That system wasn't perfect but it rose head and shoulders above today's standard, which, according to fleet feedback, has not been producing the desired product. Once a norm of the Academy Experience, apparently gone are the 'baby', the 'goo,' the 'redeye' and most of the colorful vernacular of yesteryear's Annapolis Man; Reef Points now reflects a rather sterile array. I recently "wiped it off'" on a graduate (from the 70's); he had no idea what I was talking about! Is there no more 'Wild Man?' Do Plebes no longer 'come about' in the dining hall? Was all that adjudged too silly or of otherwise doubtful value? Apparently, not for the likes of Halsey, Nimitz, Kidd and others; yet the new (improved) system has produced nothing akin to those men! Moreover, I detect more and more civilianization of terminology throughout the Academy. For instance, bulkhead, deck, overhead, ladder and yard appear to be generally replaced by their civilian counterparts. Professions have professional languages and professional men use the language of their profession naturally and as a matter of course. An element of camaraderie, in this training environment, these professional languages (USNA and Navy) should be used religiously and by all hands. Plebes, in many ways, have as much personal freedom as my day's First Classmen. For all, there is too much town liberty, too many overnights and too much freedom in general. There are "broads, booze, civilian clothes and bingo;" there are even some Officer's Club and Faculty Club (and, as I recall Alumni House?) privileges. In addition, there is automobile riding, driving, ownership and parking in the Yard as well as paid parking for Segundos at the Naval Station! All of this permissiveness affords too much freedom that detracts from the Mission of building character and inner strength. To date there is much evidence this permissiveness has resulted in mischief as well as death and injury in highway accidents. That old seven-mile radius from the Chapel Dome worked well for years; it should be returned -- with all the attendant restraints. Abolishing the Youngster and First Class cruises aboard active ships is among the worst decisions made. Short of all out war, there should be nothing so important as to preclude Midshipman training with the fleet. It is imperative that Youngsters actually experience the shipboard working environment which cannot be learned from books and lectures. Equally important is the First Class cruise, wherein by performing tasks of and associating more closely with junior officers, they can experience at first hand, something of what will be expected of them.

YP's are a wonderful asset that should be used at every opportunity throughout the 4-year curriculum. YP Cruises are absolutely great and present opportunities for overnight weekends for all classes, while true training objectives are also achieved. Perhaps, in addition to required training cruises, there could also be an incentive cruise package that takes the trainees to the more desirable ports on the Chesapeake. No matter how much the YP program is fleshed out, the YP Cruise will never be an adequate substitute for the training value of real ships manned by real people with real missions and real problems.

Academy leadership has been nurturing Midshipman participation in civic projects in the surrounding community and as far away as Washington, DC; it milks public affairs benefits from the outcome. These touchie-feelie activities out in Crabtown and environs accomplish no useful USNA objective other than to boost the Superintendent's public image. This is symptomatic of what is wrong with the Academy today and beyond that, the Navy; it foretells the product we may anticipate. We are graduating social-minded case workers and managers, instead of Naval Officers trained to be leaders -- leaders who will instill in their subordinates the warrior ethic along with concepts of honor, duty, discipline and commitment to service.

There is too damned much interest in public image in today's Navy and insufficient interest in fostering toughness and professionalism. While doing one's civic duty may be necessary in character development, participation in civic affairs is an undesirable distraction for Midshipmen who should be, as we were, so academically and professionally challenged as to not have the time to pursue such activities. The type candidates we are looking for will be from a group already community minded and they will have time to perform their civic duties again -- as they build their nests during shore duty.

The abysmal performance of Naval Academy athletics, personified by Navy Football, is not insignificant. A truly competitive Navy team is noticed by and attracts winners -- men of high ability and character; recent teams have been woefully wanting in this respect. A Naval Academy that cannot consistently produce strongly competitive football teams, as has been the case over most of the past thirty years, is doing something wrong. The "Team Named Desire" of the mid-50's, though smaller in stature than any of its opponents' 'hired' teams, arose from a Brigade imbued with a warrior's lust for the kill. Where is that Brigade today? These symbols and proofs of strength are, without exception, no longer apparent. No favorable comparison can be made between the Brigade 'now' and 'then.' None! I am not suggesting that we recruit football teams -- but I am convinced that out of a strong Brigade a strong team will naturally develop. In many ways, the football team is a mirror of the student body. First rate, well-rounded Naval Officers, not experts in various specialties, should again be the product of the Naval Academy education; that is why it was founded. As we did in the past, today's Midshipmen should report to their first commands being schooled in and totally familiar (not expert) with the engineering plants or weapons systems to which assigned.

While civilians must have a broad range of academic disciplines, a Naval Academy has a single purpose and should focus on a single discipline. Ensigns/2nd Lt.'s do not need specialties, majors or advanced academic work; they can concentrate on them in postgraduate training. Replace the Steam Building's (if there is one - or, did that evaporate with 1200# Superheat?) Fletcher Class plant with a Burke Class or some generic plant -- then steam on!

Today, I dare no more than think of suggesting an all male organization -- maybe next year. Meanwhile, isolate a wing, with appropriate "moats and minefields," for the Midshipwomen. Entrench a totally female staff, including female civilian cleaning, maintenance and repair personnel and supervisors. You will never get rid of the thought of hanky-panky but actions will be easier to thwart if there are totally separate living accommodations. Furthermore, the old tap-tap <Enter> routine can be reinstated, giving full and immediate access to rooms without concern as to states of dress or other male-female issues. Privacy concerns notwithstanding, much skullduggery is obviated with the constant threat of unannounced entrants in authority.

Au fin, "The spoiled and pampered pets of Uncle Sam" is no longer a humorous song line; it is reality!

The Band of Brothers has become a Rabble. It's time to take a strain and heave 'round to get the Naval Academy back on its former course and to leave the specialties and graduate level work to the civilian universities.

    1. Tender your resignation immediately.
    2. Call for the remainder of the Board to do likewise.
    3. Institute a broad and open colloquy on governance of the Alumni Association.
    4. Call for nominations of a new Board, publish platforms of the nominees and, finally, vote.
    1. Appointment of James Webb as Secretary of the Navy.
    2. Replacement of the Naval Academy leadership -- at least down to the Department Head Level -- with officers in tune with the objectives and requirements of a more rigorous professional naval education. General Zinni would be a good choice; he should have a 'chop' on the other selectees.
    3. Reinstatement of a single basic course of instruction which focuses on requirements of the fleet and which leads to a simple Bachelor of Science degree -- much the same as that prior to establishment of the various majors programs.
    4. Reestablishment of the body of behavioral standards reflecting the essentials of those which began in 1845 and served well for 110 years.
Sincerely,

Vernon R. Bush '56

Ed: C. Gendell
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Class of 1956 & Misc. Alumni