Command Philosophy
- Vision Statement:
Commission Navy and Marine Corps Officers of the highest character and quality.
- Mission Statement:
To develop Midshipmen, Officer Candidates and Marines morally, mentally, and physically; to imbue them with the Naval Service core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment, and with the highest ideals of duty, responsibility, and loyalty in order to prepare and commission college graduates as U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Officers.
- Philosophy: Each component of our mission – the moral, mental, and physical development of the leaders of tomorrow – is equally important as we prepare future Officers to lead Sailors and Marines! We will achieve this by adhering to the following tenets:
- CHARACTER: As men and women of character, we will always do the right thing by serving with professionalism and integrity in every aspect of our lives. As role models for our students and fellow staff, we must always be guided by our Core Values – Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
- EXCELLENCE: We will always strive for excellence in every aspect of our lives. By valuing innovation and improvement, encouraging initiative and rewarding superior performance, we will foster an atmosphere of excellence. Preparation, planning, practice, and perseverance are key ingredients of the attainment of excellence. The foundation on which excellence is built, effective communication occurs in all directions: Horizontally (between fellow staff members); vertically (to and from supervisors and subordinates); externally (among Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), universities, and other supporting and supported organizations); and internally (within the battalion and unit). I have never observed a failure resulting from “over communication.”
- TEAMWORK: As part of the Navy and Marine Corps Team, we will work together, respecting differences, and focusing on what we can learn from each other. By maintaining clear, timely and honest communication with each other, we will continually foster teamwork within the Battalion.
- RESPONSIVENESS: By actively soliciting feedback from fellow instructors, students and others, we will improve and update our courses of instruction.
- TREATMENT OF OTHERS: We will achieve a command climate which emphasizes fairness, courtesy, dignity and mutual respect. Always mindful that everyone has a right to work and learn in a fraternization, threat and harassment-free environment in order to pursue his/her goals, we will be courteous to juniors and seniors alike, treating others as we wish to be treated. A degrading and negative leadership style may get results in the short run, but is totally counter-productive and won’t be tolerated. We must uphold the utmost professional conduct between staff members and between staff members and students, as such fraternization is inappropriate.
- PHYSICAL WELLNESS: Young military leaders must have the physical strength and stamina to excel in demanding combat or emergency situations; therefore, we will improve our physical fitness and thus our mental fitness.
- PRIDE AND PROFESSIONALISM: As members of a military organization, our demeanor, bearing and behavior, both in and out of uniform, will be observed by our students. We can expect them to emulate what we demonstrate. For active duty members our uniforms and grooming must be impeccable, our exchange of military courtesies sharp, and our behavior above reproach.
- GROWTH: We will strive constantly to grow both professionally and personally, and to help others do so. While the development of our future Officers must come first, I expect you to set, and achieve, goals for your own personal growth. If you don’t have an undergraduate degree, you should get one; if you have an undergraduate degree, work toward a graduate degree; if you have a graduate degree, then set another goal; this will ensure life-long employability. It is absolutely essential that active duty officers have or get a graduate degree in order to remain competitive for promotion and selection for command.
- OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT (ORM): Mishaps cost our Navy 724 lives and three billion dollars over the past five years, a staggering toll and a trend that must be reversed. A proven process, ORM minimizes the risks to life and valuable systems. While risks can not be eliminated, they can be minimized and mitigated though the ORM process. As we hone our leadership skills and those of the future officers entrusted to us, we have an obligation to assess any and all risks before we decide to execute a task or activity and to teach this process to our charges.
- PERSONAL READINESS. All active duty members are eligible for assignment as an Individual Augmentee (IA) in support of ongoing operations in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Toward this end we need to be ready to deploy on short notice. This means our personal affairs (wills, monetary obligations, dependent support plans, etc.) must be in order. We must also be ready to support the fellow staff members that deploy and to assume greater responsibility and duties in their absence.
- Priorities: Mission first, people always. Nice bumper sticker…but what do I mean by this? While the mission comes first, it can only come first if we take care of our people...always. This includes assigned Midshipmen, Officer Candidates and Marines, our fellow staff members, our families and our selves. Our house must be in order if we are to be effective at work. Do the important family things, take leave, take time for you.
- Conclusion: We have an immensely important task at the NROTC Unit: creating Leaders of the mightiest military in the world, most of which will participate in the GWOT. I expect you to take your jobs seriously. Teach like you would like to be taught! Lead like you would like to be led! You have a chance to make a difference! Take pride in your contribution to the development of the Officers of the Navy/Marine Corps Team; imbue them with the best qualities of the best leaders that you have observed in your career and make them the best that our country has to offer.
M.S. WOOLLEY
CAPT USN
