In Review Force of the Future
By LT Mike "Bubbles" Short, USN
E
steemed Readership, NHA Symposium 2021 is in the books, and what an event it was! First, let me thank the team of volunteers who worked relentlessly in the months leading up to Symposium and throughout the week-long event. I was immediately impressed by the level of buy-in from the volunteer staff at Viejas, predominantly composed of members of HSC-3’s JOPA. The Merlin Instructor Pilots were the driving force behind an incredibly smooth and well-organized operation; we all appreciate your efforts! The theme of this issue, coinciding with that of NHA Symposium 2021, is “Force of the Future.” In his keynote address which kicked off Symposium, ADM Bill Lescher posed the following question: How can we, as a Rotary Force, work together to drive the development of the Force of the Future? ADM Lescher, the first Rotary Wing Aviator to hold the position of Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO), reminded attendees that our force needs to execute differently, experiment more, and learn faster. The increasingly complex geopolitical environment presents us with an opportunity--and frankly, a necessity--to shift from the status quo and solve problems more rapidly than ever before. Success in this endeavor hinges upon accountable leadership and “fascination with root cause.” Leaders must be quick to identify and remove barriers to growth, learning, and production whenever they arise. Our Navy boasts a strong fundamental culture, but within that culture, it’s our behaviors that must improve to enable readiness for the future fight. Closed-mindedness is not an option. There truly is no room for “it’s the way we’ve always done things.” The onus is squarely on the shoulders of the leaders in our community and our squadrons to drive attitude and behavior improvement when archaic thinking rears its head. Shortly after attending the NHA Symposium, I had the opportunity to travel back to San Diego for the Naval Aviation Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Summit. At this event, hosted by Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF), I was confronted with some glaring areas for behavior and attitude improvement in Naval Aviation. A litany of speakers delivered briefs on the lack of diversity in our Navy, and the destructive effects that follow an organization’s failure to take equity and inclusion of its minority populations seriously. From a demographic standpoint, Naval Aviation is overwhelmingly homogeneous, particularly when it comes to our population of officers. Compared against the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the American workforce, Naval Aviation’s officer corps leans even more heavily toward white males. Our minority populations (people of color, women, LGBTQ+ aviators, etc.) are critically underrepresented. Variety in lived experience is an asset to any organization’s ability to learn, grow, and accomplish a mission. A lack of diversity, such as that within our organization, can and will severely degrade our problemsolving abilities and unit cohesion. Moreover, a lack of appreciation and respect, however subliminal, for minority populations in our ranks perpetuates an uphill battle that does not exist for the vast majority of naval aviators. It is easy to say that we are “getting better” in our value of DE&I, or that “it’s not really a problem in my wardroom.” But “getting better” is not good enough. “It’s not a problem here” is unacceptable if we are not actually listening to the people who have something to say. I am someone who has always considered myself an ally to the minority populations in our Nation and in our Navy. I don’t believe this is a groundbreaking statement. But attending this conference allowed me to realize that, as a white male, I have been a passive ally at best. Genuine improvement in behavior and attitudes in an organization is fully dependent on leadership and culture. VCNO tells us that accountable leaders identify and remove barriers to progress. Strong culture in a community allows for trust, openness, and growth. Open communication coupled with a genuine will to listen turns passive support into focused action. With that, the theme of our Winter 2022 Issue (Rotor Review 155) is “Leadership & Culture.” My hope is that this theme will enable submissions that strive to address what our community is doing correctly, and how it can improve on these essential fronts. I challenge you to think critically about how these topics apply in your squadrons and in your communities. Our staff is excited to hear your perspective. More to follow on DE&I. In the meantime, please enjoy RR 154. Thanks for reading. We’ll see you in 2022! Very respectfully, LT Mike “Bubbles” Short Editor-in-Chief, Rotor Review michael.v.short.mil@us.navy.mil Rotor Review #154 Fall '21
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