As a Platoon Commander Petty Officer in 2007, I was responsible for 26 midshipmen, of which several were from varied ethic backgrounds. Furthermore, some come from vastly different backgrounds from my own.
This experience was enhanced during my work as Company Honor Board Chairman Petty Office in 2007. I was responsible in that role for instilling values of honor for over 150 midshipmen. In this group were represented not only a wide range of ethnic groups but socioeconomic groups as well. Given that my role involved instilling a common set of values in such a disparate group, I gained extensive experience in handling individuals with different backgrounds and therefore different philosophies with regards to the concept of honor. Many individuals required one-on-one training because their backgrounds were so different from the concept of honor that I was trying to instill. This gave me an amazing amount of direct experience dealing with some of the specific issues that come into play when working with people from different backgrounds. We each need to work towards a common goal on a ship, and therefore we must overcome our differences. To do this requires substantial leadership and communication skills, which I feel that I developed as a result of this experience.
In addition to this direct experience, I worked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. The workers there come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including Cuban, Haitian, African-American and a range of Latin American groups. Some of these workers have difficulty with English, which was a significant challenge in that role. However, it did not take long for me to adjust to the diversity of that workforce and I came to enjoy the dynamics of working in such a multicultural setting. If one is to work on board ships in today's world, it is...
After my experiences at Port Everglades and as a leader trying to work with 150 midshipmen of a variety of backgrounds, I feel that I am fully capable of operating in a rich, diverse environment.
4. My Officer training aboard the four vessels on which I have served provided me with experience in all aspects of the ship's operations. As Third Officer, I will bring experience in ship's operations.
I am particularly strong with personnel issues, having experience as Company Honor Chairman Petty Officer. This role taught me how to instill strong values in the crew and how to work with difficult crewmen to improve their disciplinary performance. Those midshipmen who struggled with the honor concepts I was responsible for training were subject to various discipline. I found that minor and constructive discipline was best for training purposes but I fully understand that more drastic measures are sometimes needed. However, I also learned how to evaluate conflict between crewmen and how to negotiate solutions that work for all stakeholders, including necessary disciplinary measures.
My work on the four vessels gave me direct experience with fundamental management issues of budgeting, ordering and stowage. I was able to work with the other officers to gain an understanding of the best practices in each of these disciplines. I was responsible for record maintenance as well, a task well-suited to my rank and experience on these vessels. These fundamentals of onboard ship management are critical to ensuring a smoothly-operating vessel. While I did not specifically perform requests for leave, I was able to witness the techniques used by personnel officers and I look forward to improving my skills in this area of ship management.
