Andrew Podolsky’s Post

To understand the rank of Fleet Admiral, one needs to consider the context of World War II. The United States was working alongside Allies who had higher ranks like Field Marshals and Fleet Admirals, which were superior to American ranks. To ensure American senior officers were not outranked, the United States established the ranks of Fleet Admiral and General of the Army, both five-star ranks. In total, nine men held these ranks. For the Navy, they were Nimitz, Halsey, King, and Leahy. In the Army, the five-star generals were Arnold, Eisenhower, Marshall, MacArthur, and Bradley.

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What does an elite soldier look like? #soldierathlete #warriorfitness #crossfit #hybridathlete  Is mental fitness more important that muscles?  Do we just need good all rounders that are "fit enough" and maybe more importantly "robust enough"?  #performance #humanperformance #optimisation #resilience #research #prevention 

The mighty 7th Fleet, in all her vastness... in manpower, in capability, and in cost! *And yes, that's the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth II on point ;) The current, and ongoing, conversations on adapting DOD acquisitions from large, capital-intensive, multiple-decade behemoths have overburdened the services, none more than the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY with her combination of both her own, and the United States Marine Corps' budget. This has led to a rampant bogging down of expendable budget capital, and ultimately the ill-adaptability of innovation and technology that'll be needed for the free world going forward. This does not have to be the case. We're rightfully focusing on taking larger programs of record, and adapting them for smaller, more attritable, and more efficient & economical options. After all, there's no sense rebuilding our fleet forces in the image of the 20th century when her enemies have moved on in both tactics & strategy. Openly, we're ignoring the 800lb. Gorilla in the room, the carrier strike groups, and their attached air wings. They're the single most capital heavy lines items in the military, they're powered by the universe, and they're generally considered to the largest air and naval forces in whatever given part of the globe they deploy into. Why exclude them from discussions finding ways to innovate through more economical means? (Hint- they shouldn't be!) The Carrier-Capitol Ship theory isn't going anywhere, but it can certainly use a makeover, and there's something on the horizon I think that is going to be bringing this to the forefront. Stay tuned. Have a great weekend! 🇺🇸 Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) NavalX FLEETWERX Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory I Futures Directorate Office of Naval Research Naval Postgraduate School

These sessions seem valuable for senior leaders, I am a little curious how well this type of thing is percolating down into the lower ranks. I think the greatest positive or negative recruiting impact for the military in general is not coming from high ranking leaders - - it is coming from our veteran E-4s, E-5s and E-6s, going back to their families and their hometowns, in person and on social media, and talking about their experiences. Talking about how the military has helped them grow professionally, how the military has helped them build relationships. Sadly, I believe the recently reported shortfalls in recruiting, for the Navy in particular, are the fruits of at least 20 years of doing more with less. Sailors are getting burned out and they are not feeling cared for by the bureaucracy. There is only so much encouragement that a leader can offer when you do not have confidence that the broader organization will take care of you. And a poor leader will exacerbate the issues, making things worse. And much of this does start at the end, with how we support those who choose to separate from the military before reaching retirement. Many commands are hesitant to give time to prepare for what comes after, because of a false urgency to get the current mission done with the already and adequate amount of personnel. I have seen sailors denied their full terminal leave, because a squadron couldn't get a replacement until the actual separation date. So instead they stayed on deployment, upset and bitter at their treatment, feeling like they were not being allowed to use benefits that they had earned, and impacting the attitudes of other sailors who now felt the command was no longer on their side. And when does sailors go home, the story they share of their time in the Navy is going to be tainted by that out the door experience.. This particular issue is a policy problem that could be solved at the flag level. Encouraging and promoting the SkillBridge program is another issue that can be solved by policy; but instead recent changes have made it harder to use that program. I got a lot out of my career in the Navy, and I would love to see the organization improve and succeed moving forward, but I fear there are some big challenges to come.

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Something to think about

Something to think about

The mission of the American Legion is to enhance the well-being of America's veterans, their families, our military, and our communities by our devotion to mutual helpfulness.[3] The key pillars of the American Legion's mission are: 1. Veterans: Providing services and support to veterans such as VA benefits claims counseling, advocacy for the VA healthcare system, education benefits, career services, and support for homeless veterans. 2. Defense: Supporting active military personnel, reserve components, and advocating for national security, quality of life, and benefits for service members. 3. Children & Youth: Offering youth programs like American Legion Baseball, scholarships, oratorical contests, Boys State/Nation, and support for children in need. 4. Americanism: Promoting patriotism, respect for the flag, National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, and good citizenship. The American Legion is devoted to upholding the U.S. Constitution, maintaining law and order, preserving memories of military service, and consecrating comradeship through mutual helpfulness. Its motto is "Veterans Strengthening America."