A few years ago, I wrote this letter to the editor of my local paper, the Valley News, but never submitted it. I was probably too shy to contradict one of their regular columnists.

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I was amazed at Steve Nelson’s column on January 21, 2018. He states that he was an officer, and that “military training is in many ways the antithesis of preparation for civilian leadership…a career military person is less suited to public office than a civilian. The military insists on obedience and conformity…”

My experience in the Navy was the direct opposite of what Nelson describes, and I wasn’t even an officer. The military did not teach me “obedience and conformity” which seems to be all that Nelson learned. It taught me to take responsibility, for my own work and for those who reported to me.

The Navy sent me to electronics school, and I eventually became a petty officer, serving for two and a half years on a destroyer. As the lead electronics technician, I was responsible for the maintenance of most of the ship’s electronic gear. I was also responsible for assigning work to the men who served under me and for the quality of their work. Moreover, when you are steaming between Hawaii and Guam, you cannot send out for spare parts or expert assistance. You have to figure out how to solve the problem with the men and equipment you have.

The Navy gave me lot of responsibility at a young age, and not only to me. Every man on the ship was expected to take responsibility for his own work and often for the work of others. Although I later got a Ph.D. and worked in several high-tech companies, I did not reach levels of responsibility similar to my Navy experience until 15 years into my civilian career.

And yet, Nelson claims that “obedience and conformity” are the lessons of the military path? I know many military men, and this describes none of them. In fact, my experience is that, in a group of men, the military veterans generally show more initiative, integrity, and discipline than those who have not served. If “obedience and conformity” describes Nelson’s own service, I fear he was not a very effective officer. He should not judge others by his own failings.

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Sunday, November 28, 2021

Crescat scientia, vita excolatur.