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Resilient Leadership: “Pound the Table”

Operationalizing Navy Medicine Series #1

ח  פְּתַח-פִּיךָ לְאִלֵּם;    אֶל-דִּין, כָּל-בְּנֵי חֲלוֹף

“Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction”

Ancient Hebrew Proverb

USS Jack H. Lucas
U.S. Navy “Arleigh Burke Class” Destroyer

Leaders, want to share a good word on courageous candor from Admiral Arleigh Burke.

This month MAJ General Richard Johnson of FORSCOM said “It’s Ready or Not” speaking at Fort Jackson of the necessary posture of his Forces in light of the threats by Enemies of the U.S., aggressive peer competitor states, & the possibility in near future of Large Scale Combat Operations.

https://www.army.mil/article/282020/forces_command_forum_focuses_on_building_spiritual_readiness

Our storied Admiral, Arleigh Burke, adds insight to such preparation, declaring there are crucial times to “pound the table” as leaders.

ADM Burke, Chief of Naval Operations, 1955-61, “In the Zone”.

“There was not enough checking by anybody including the Chiefs. We didn’t insist upon knowing . . . we were not tough enough. Our big fault was standing in awe of the Presidency instead of pounding the table and demanding and being real rough, we were not. We set down our case and then we shut up and that was a mistake.”

ADM Burke’s above words taken from a 1961 interview given in the wake of the disastrous Bay of Pigs operations off Cuba’s coast

To his credit, he “pounded the table” with JFK. Burke wanted to forcefully support the anti-Communist Cuban invaders,“Let me take two jets & shoot down the enemy aircraft,” But President Kennedy said “No,” and reminded them that he had said “over and over again” that he would not commit U.S. forces to combat.

Burke watches the flight of Mercury-Redstone 3 with President Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy & Arthur Schlesinger. White House, May 5, 1961.

May God grant us courage & tact to honor our teammates and leaders and SPEAK for the betterment of the future and the protection of our United States now, with Navy Medicine, and in all our Leadership & serving roles to come.

Ukrainian firefighters work to extinguish a fire after a deadly Russian rocket attack that killed 40 people in the village of Hroza, Kharkiv, Ukraine, 5 OCT 2023. (Ukrainian Pres. Press Office via AP)

Navy Medicine Leaders are briefed on Command Programs, NMTSC, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX

About the Author:

Kit Carlson is a Navy Chaplain. He has served alongside Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, & Special Forces, and has completed three deployments. In 2020, the Navy sent him to Duke University to earn a specialized Master’s Degree, ThM, in Pastoral Care, where he focused his studies on challenges facing Active Duty personnel, Veterans and their families. His specific areas of interest include care for persons with Complex Trauma, strategies for healing from PTSD, Moral Injury, & mild TBI. A key personal mission of his is to leverage the strengths of faith-based Veteran Service Organizations as strategic partners to chaplains, the VA, and the DoD in their ongoing resiliency & suicide prevention initiatives. He is married to his Chilean sweetheart, Damaris. They have two young children, who are the delight of their hearts.