BY MATTHEW KNOWLES,USN RETIRED
Cmdr. Mikael A. Rockstad, commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS DEWEY (DDG 105), speaks to the First Class Petty Officer Association about the results of the command’s climate survey. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class James Vazquez)
I
woke this morning to the radio reporting, “24 inches of snow with 30 degrees in the eastern part of the county.” I didn’t think much of that; it was 50 degrees at my house with light rain and drizzle. My base is in San Diego, Calif! Snow in San Diego! You mean Shamu, surfers and that world-famous zoo! San Diego has a very diverse climate; from desert to mountains to coastal beaches the temperature extreme can be as much as a 30 to 40 degree differences across the county on any given day. Perception of climate versus reality can be very different. However, I am not talking about meteorological climate; I am talking about your bases operational and safety climate. An aviation organization spends a lot of time and resources fostering a safe and effective operational climate. My point here
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is what is your base climate? Through positional authority the pilots at your base tend to set the climate, by following the prescribed policies, regulations, procedures and directives. The aircraft commander is the pilot-in-command (PIC), and through that positional authority, has a greater visibility demonstrating the safety management system (SMS). No one single member can shoulder the role of the SMS manager, it is a collaborative effort. I am asking each member at a base to reflect on the climate that you foster. For the purpose of this article I am asking the pilots to examine that very concept of “climate” What climate do you set? A position of authority, in this case the PIC, fosters a positive climate and sets the tone for all the members at the base. I am not only discussing the operational or safety climate but also the overall prevailing attitudes, standards and environ-
Approach-MECH
