Lessons Not learned: The U.S. Navy's Status Quo Culture - Hardcover

Thompson, Roger

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1591148650 ISBN 13: 9781591148654

Publisher: Naval Institute Press, 2013

Synopsis

Despite its reputation as the most impressive naval force in the world, the U.S. Navy is in trouble, according to the author of this book, and systemic weaknesses could be its undoing. Here, military sociologist Roger Thompson provides a compelling, often scathing, assessment of the U.S. Navy and its learning disabilities and then presents a convincing argument for reform. Thompson points to the U.S. Navy's "up or out" promotion system, massive personnel turnover, inexperienced crews, and drug and alcohol abuse as problems that make it difficult for the Navy to build cohesive, well-trained fighting units. In a review of the Navy's recent history, he finds that its ships, submarines, and aircraft are often outperformed in competitions and exercises with other navies--and its failures are either denied altogether or perfunctorily excused. Diesel submarines--so quiet that they are rarely detected until it's too late to prevent an attack--routinely surpass expensive U.S. nuclear subs and put U.S. aircraft carriers in danger. American naval pilots, whose weapons are often improperly tested, are frequently bested by military pilots from other countries. Because the U.S. Navy doesn't have enough surface ships to protect its capital ships, American carrier strike groups now use Canadian ships as escorts. Shortcomings like these, Thompson argues, undermine the Navy's potential and should be cause for national concern. In presenting a side of the U.S. Navy that's rarely discussed, this book spells out lessons the Navy must learn if it is going to succeed in an era of asymmetrical warfare--of David-versus-Goliath conflicts. In his conclusion, the author puts forth a twelve-step program that calls on the U.S. Navy to rethink its naval strategy, to lose some weight, and to focus on the fundamentals.

About this title

About the Author

Roger Thompson is an internationally recognized authority on combat motivation, military sociology, and military bureaucratic politics whose work has drawn praise worldwide, including an Admiral s Medallion from the chief of staff of the Italian navy. His book Brown Shoes, Black Shoes and Felt Slippers: Parochialism and the Evolution of the Post-War U.S. Navy was called "essential reading" by Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. and is now considered a classic. Many of his essays have been published in leading journals and his papers presented at international conferences. Currently Thompson lectures at Kyung Hee University in South Korea.

Review

"The US Navy is among the most powerful fighting forces in the world, yet it has repeatedly been embarrassed in exercises with smaller and less technologically equipped forces. In Lessons Not Learned, respected military scholar Roger Thompson discusses the institutional biases, the outmoded strategic thinking, the use of the wrong technology at the wrong times, and much more. This book is a scholarly and perceptive study that delves into all of this, and more, and helps the reader understand why such a formidable force is not living up to its potential. This is a must-read for naval scholars, strategists, or anyone who really cares about the Navy and its sailors." --Dr. Andrew Karam, author of Rig Ship For Ultra Quiet

"Lessons Not Learned is more than a brilliant book. It's an irrefutable case for reform and change in the United States Navy, a service that maintains itself almost exclusively to fight. In the aftermath of America's misguided occupation of Iraq, the United States will rely more than ever on the reach and effectiveness of its naval power. Thompson points the way ahead. The question is will anyone in the Navy Staff listen?" --Douglas Macgregor, PhD, Colonel (Ret.) US Army, author of Transformation Under Fire and Breaking the Phalanx

For nearly a century, the U.S. Navy has been plagued by a self-imposed albatross, an approach to personnel management known as the individual replacement system and the up or out promotion system, also hampered by a force structure developed for warfare of the past and an out-of-date doctrine of mobilization. This has created a culture where only the positive is seen, thus no learning takes place. It encourages a culture of corruption, where only yes-men survive, and adaptation only exists on power point slides. Roger Thompson has conducted a masterpiece of research. Lessons Not Learned tells the story of this self-inflicted wound how it prevents the Navy as well as the entire U.S. military from evolving and being prepared to fight in the 21st Century. True leaders of our Republic, if there are any, need to take this as the beginning blue print toward revolutionary reform. --Donald E. Vandergriff, author of Raising the Bar: Creating and Nurturing Adaptability to Deal with the Changing Face of War

Edition details

• Publisher: Naval Institute Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1591148650
• ISBN 13: 9781591148654
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272