Knowing When to Stand Down

 "USS <redacted>, this is Comphibron 6. Since you can't seem to get your directions straight, we'll do it for you! Now get your head out of your ass and come to course 350 and rejoin the formation! Comphibron 6 out!"

This was an actual transmission to our ship from Commander Amphibious Squadron Six. He said this to us after my 2nd captain, a total racist, refused to listen to and acknowledge my initial recommendation to rejoin the squadron. Let me set the scene.

Several months prior, our great captain rotated out. He started as a Commander (05) by rank but make Captain (06) when he left. Note: Captain refers to anyone in charge of a ship, regardless of rank. Commander refers to the Executive Officer of a ship, regardless of rank. However, they are also ranks in the Navy.

My first captain, I'll refer to him as Capt A going forth, was a straight shooter, mentor, and knew how to handle a ship. He passed these skills down to his officer. Our second captain, Capt B, was a racist, divisive, captain and a bad ship driver who rarely listened to his minority officers. More to come.

To give an idea, Capt B's orders were often contradictory to good ship driving practices. There were several times we were ordered to move through a formation instead of behind it, which is good practice. I was once ordered to drive in front of a formation, then make a ridiculously large loop, instead of come up from the back of the formation and go to our station that way. He was directly responsible for no less that five near collisions at sea. I say that because I was on the bridge when those happened. I can't vouch for the ones (and I'm sure there were ones) when I wasn't there. This day, his poor skills decided to show up again. It doesn't help that I am and he had a penchant for not listening to black officers, especially me. 

We are on course 270. It was scheduled in the Plan of the Day that the formation would be carrying out a Man Overboard drill. Basically, a helo would fly out, drop a marker and a ship would be designated to go to that marker and report their time to the Commodore. The main helo carrier was conducting flight ops. Looking at the formation as me and the Officer of the Deck (OOD) came on shift (also black; he put all the black officers on the same shift) we knew we would be the ship designated. About an hour into the watch we see a helicopter take off and head away from the group. "Here it comes" we say. Sure enough, the marker is dropped and we're the designated ship.

I immediately start maneuvering toward the marker, bumping us up from 2/3 thirds to flank. The OOD informs the captain. In about 5 minutes, we're at the marker (pretty good time). Now we need to start heading back. Note, the formation has been continuing to move on course 270 the whole time. The course I took to get to the marker was 225. I take a bearing to the fleet and using a sheet of maneuvering board paper, come to course 330. The people down in Combat-Information- Center (CIC) concur. I put us on that course at Standard speed, roughly 15 knots. 

The captain is immensely uncomfortable with the call and says we need to come to a reciprocal course, 045. I inform him what I calculated, that CIC concurred, as well as the OOD, and you can see the formation in front of us. Still he isn't happy and keeps wanting to come to course 045. At first I don't relent. I know I'm right and if he'd just shut up and listen, everything would be fine. But still he persist. I  and the OOD just look at each other and shake our heads. I order, "Right standard rudder, come to course 045" The helmsman repeats it back and we go. "Steady on course 045, check course 047" he says when we get there. "Very well" is all I can reply.

About 30 seconds later, Comphibron 6 comes on the line and states the opening paragraph. We come to course 350. 

Now, the point is, while I knew I was right, I didn't have the power to change the captain's mind. No matter what anyone told him, he refused to listen. It was only when he got the proverbial "thump on the back of the head" from someone higher up did he relent. That's part of leadership, especially in the military or the corporate world. Stand your ground when you know your right but relent to higher authority when you have to. Also, take as a lesson when you do become someone in higher authority. Just because someone doesn't have as much experience as you doesn't mean they're wrong. Training means something. Training helps with confidence, because I knew he was wrong, regardless of how much he outranked me. 

Once we were back in formation, the commodore told us to go to flight quarters. When he arrived, he had the following passed over the 1-MC (ship wide address)L "Commanding Officer, your presence is requested in your stateroom."