[Kazuaki Shimazaki II]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead Nuke

I have read about this CO all over the net and I think she is being singled out unfairly.

She swears. And? She is a SAILOR. Sailors swear. If they do not they are lying. She says she uses foul language to intentionally pressurize a situation. I for one AGREE with her usage. She was the CO on a COMBAT ship, not a cruise ship. Combat is STRESSFUL. There is an old saying Train Hard, Fight easy.

I find it amazing you just swallow her pathetic defense whole. It reeks of the 1930s era Imperial Japanese military (and probably other cases) where they beat the subordinate for minor perceived errors and then claim it is all for their own good...

The correct method to achieve appropriate pressurization is by realistic drilling and high standards, not the excessive insertion of swear words or yelling. That just makes you look out of control and lowers your own prestige.

She intimidated her crew by yelling at them. And? She is the CAPTAIN. Is she supposed to comfort them and make them feel good because they can not do their jobs? No, She jumps them and let them know that they have messed up. People DIE because you mess up.
She intimidated her department heads by tell them to not bring their problems to her and yelled at them. And?? Well, she is the CO. She EXPECTS those who have been promoted to a position to take a leadership role and DO THEIR JOBS. In todays Navy you can not easily fire someone. You have a choice. You MAKE them do their jobs or you do it FOR them. I applaud her making them do what they are supposed to. They make decisions. If they make the wrong one the lets them know. What are they gonna do when the command structure is DEAD due to a missile hit? Call Washington for advice?

I find it amazing that you just assume that all her officers and crew are dumbasses, on THREE ships (she had a XO tour, a destroyer command and a captain's command and got the same comments from all 3 groups), and she is correct.

Of course, one can never know the whole story. However, since apparently at least some of her crews got very high marks on inspection (probably a reason why she lasted so long), it suggests her crew probably ain't dumbasses and probably didn't deserve quite that much flak. Which leaves her.

As the CO, guaranteeing the completion of the preparation of her department heads for their responsibilities, and then guaranteeing the start of their preparation for higher ones, is her job. She can (and must) delegate some of the execution to the XO, more senior department heads and the CPOs, but some of which she has to do personally, and we all know delegation doesn't mean transferring the responsibility.

Also, while of course any superior wants their subordinate leaders to work independently, there will always be times when they need guidance or support, when they need to "upchannel". If you are a routine centralizer or control freak, there would likely be more of these times. The day they don't is probably the one they are sitting in your chair.

Both of these should be expected, and calmly treated as part of the job, not some extra burden to be pushed off by random yelling.

She had a race with her ship? SO? It take TWO ships to have a race. Why isn't the OTHER CO in hot water? Have you heard anything about that ships CO? On this topic, if you are foolish enough to think that this sort of stuff does NOT happen you are a fool. Sailors take PRIDE in their ships, boats, targets. They WANT bragging rights. You dang RIGHT they had a drag race. I can bet you this happens ALL the time. I know that if you knew what we did with our sub at odd times you would think that we wee irresponsible as well. We did it to have FUN and to have a bragging right.

Yes, and you also know should anything happen, all the immature acts your ship conducted in the name of "fun" will likely be held against you.

Anyway, as I understand it, people object not so much to the drag race, but the way she maneuvered in the drag race. That's probably why the other CO doesn't seem to be in so much hot water. It also does not help that her opponent was IIRC a destroyer or frigate. Thus, the other commander can use the "senior officer" clause as a shield.

In any case, from the commentary on the blogs, if the goal is to raise spirit or any such crap, it didn't work, which makes it a pure dumb maneuver.

It is SO easy to armchair quarterback this story and make sexist remarks. When MALE CO's do it they are showing Command Ability. When a woman does it she is a Bly?

In fact, the accusations are all the opposite, more on the side that she lasted so long because nobody wants to look unPC and fire this Captain Bligh (actually, Bligh is too nice for her because as I understand it, Bligh was competent, and apparently this Graf wasn't).

Besides, even if it is true that this command style might have been tolerated had she been a male, well, then that's the reality that any woman aspiring to command has to adjust to.