The Arora Group’s Post

What the Baton means to those who carry it, on this occasion by HMS Astute for 8 weeks during sea trials. Thought provoking and posted by a good friend and former Submariner on another SM platform - the 'Silent Service' always on patrol... " Only those who have served will understand. When the hatch shuts over your head, the OOW says last man down and the Ship Controller says green board, you understand the meaning of adventure. When the only thing between you and millions of gallons of seawater is a steel hull and some closed valves, you understand the meaning of courage. When sonar calls out to the conn “high speed screws in the water” in hostile waters, you understand the meaning of fear. When the messenger passes out the only family grams the satellite could catch and yours isn’t one, you learn the meaning of loneliness. When hissing water in the overhead turns from a slight annoyance to a terrifying rushing cascade bouncing off the hull and equipment, you understand the meaning of survival. When you hear the quick sound that a curtain makes on your rack that indicates your watch is about to begin, you understand the meaning of irritation. When you see a brother stand to attention while the Captain passes him his Tot with the Dolphins he worked so hard to earn, you understand the meaning of pride. When you retire and they pipe you over the side for the very last time, you learn the meaning of great sadness. When your eyes grow dim and your strength ebbs with age, you understand the meaning of envy every time you see a submarine getting underway. When a shipmate from a time so long ago passes on and people say so many things they wish they had said before they departed, you understand regret. Once a Submariner, always a Submariner." Royal Navy #SubmarineService #SilentService

The petition to get a boat named after Medal of Honor recipient Henry Breault has reached 1000 signatures! That may not seem like much, when you hear of petitions reaching hundreds of thousands in the news, but submariners and the communities that support them are relatively small ones. Why is 1000 so special? The average crew size on an S-Boat (1919-1947) was around 35, meaning we have well over 30 S-Boats who have signed. The average crew size of a Fleet-boat (1937-still in service in Taiwan) was about 65, meaning we have over 15 who have signed. The average crew size of a Virginia (2004- still in service) is about 120, meaning we have over 8 who have signed. The average crew size of our largest boats, the Ohios (1976-still in service) is about 180, meaning we have over 4 who have signed (or 2 combined gold and blue crews). That's what 1000 means and why it's such a high milestone! https://lnkd.in/es6FrrWQ

On this September 4th, comes to my mind the well-known story published in the U.S. Naval Institute Magazine (also mentioned by Stephen Covey in his Seven Habits book), in which a navy officer tells what happened while he was on the bridge of the largest battleship of the fleet with its captain, one dark and stormy night... ///…Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported _"Light, bearing on the starboard bow"_ _"Is it steady or moving astern?"_ the captain called out. Lookout replied _"Steady, captain"_ which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain then called to the signal man _"Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees"_ Back came a signal _"Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees"_ The captain said _"Send: I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees"_ _"I'm a seaman second class"_ came the reply _"You had better change course 20 degrees"_ By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out _"Send: I'm a battleship. Change course 20 degrees"_ Back came the flashing light _"I'm a lighthouse"_ We changed course.../// Just like in the story of the lighthouse, there are fundamental principles that should never be ignored: trust, commitment, and dedication. These values are the lighthouse that guides each of our daily decisions and actions. No matter how turbulent the waters, we must always honor these principles so that our work contributes to the success and harmony of the team. Being a secretary is much more than coordinating a meeting or managing an agenda, it is being the support point that everyone trusts, it is having the humility to change course when necessary and to stay firmly towards our goals. On Secretary's Day, I celebrate the importance of these unbreakable values and the positive impact they have on our organization and on the lives of people we work with every day.

🇺🇸 Over the past week, General Dynamics Electric Boat has launched the eighth of the U.S. Navy's new Virginia-class Block IV nuclear-powered attack submarines, designated #USSIdahoSSN-799). This milestone took place at the company’s shipyard in Connecticut, where the submarine will remain as it undergoes final equipment and systems installations before beginning its sea trials. The future USS Idaho will be the eighth submarine configured to Block IV, but it will be the twenty-sixth Virginia-class submarine in the U.S. Navy. The Navy invested approximately $17.8 billion to construct it, following the contract signing in 2014. Construction began in 2017, with the submarine named after the former battleship BB-42, which entered service in 1919. It’s important to note that the construction of this submarine was delayed due to several factors, most notably the shortage of materials and skilled personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the U.S. Naval Institute, the current production rate stands at 1.4 submarines per year, with efforts divided between Newport News Shipbuilding (a division of Huntington Ingalls) and General Dynamics Electric Boat.

United States Marine Corps USMC Special Operations Force Recon Association repost; Just TWO things to think about today: 1. If it makes you happy, do it. 2. If it doesn’t, then don’t. Life can be so simple when you let it <3

A value proposition can be thought of as a concise statement of why an organization exists. (My definition…) When I was a young Sailor Senior Chief (later Master Chief) Sherman Biffle would come by my workstation at 0600 every morning and ask what I’d done today for the United States Navy. Regardless of the answer he’d say something like, you’d better get started…the fleet is always underway, and what we do matters… This week I was reminded of Big Sherm when talking to two different groups of Warrior-Scholars of Team NAVO (Naval Oceanographic Office). One team designs and deploys sensors for measuring optical properties of the ocean at depth. Another group analyzes vast holdings (pedabytes) of bathymetric and gravity anomaly data. These two teams have very different missions, functions and tasks. Yet their value proposition is the same - employ our exquisite capabilities to guarantee access in contested waters, increase flexibility in fleet maneuvers, and maximize the lethality of our Naval combat power. In answer to Master Chief Sherman Biffle: This week, We set the conditions for success in Naval Combat. “The fleet is underway, and what we do matters” Not a bad way to spend the week! What is your value proposition? Happy Friday y’all! Lead well and finish strong!

Douglas SBD Dauntless Divebomber. This was a workhorse of the US Navy in the Pacific Theater during WWII. Like many other naval aviation aircraft (P-3, P2V, Catalina, others) the Dauntless found a second career in the world of Aerial Firefighting due to its robust design and stout construction. Learn more about this in my new book about the history of Aerial Firefighting; Mudslingers. 100% of proceeds go to benefit the Aerial Firefighting community https://a.co/d/1ameTsJ

As I reflect on my training days with Naval Special Warfare, I can't help but remember a crucial lesson that resonates with all of us: the significance of rest and recovery. Despite my unwavering dedication to preparing for the physical tests, I should have noticed the importance of scheduling rest days, which led to unforeseen setbacks, i.e., I was getting weaker and slower.  It's a lesson that translates seamlessly into our daily lives. Pause momentarily and ask yourself, how often do I embrace stillness amidst the constant hustle? Prioritizing moments of rest and reflection can profoundly impact our professional and personal performance. Remember to build moments of stillness into your routines, nurturing well-being and optimizing potential. #RestAndReflect #OptimizePerformance #LifeLessons

Daily Professional Journaling 📕 Day 248- September 25, 2024 Upskilling Tasks: 1. Read the book: "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant" by Eric Jorgenson CAT Journey- Tasks of the Day: 1. Give one complete mock test 2. Take topic tests of QA- Arithmetic 3. Practice solving VARC questions 4. Practice solving DILR sets 5. Read one Aeon essay Yesterday's Update: Tasks Accomplished: 1. Took topic tests of QA- Arithmetic 2. Performed mock analysis 3. Read one Aeon essay Tasks Failed: 1. Read the book: "The Almanack of Naval Ravikant" by Eric Jorgenson (PS: A little initiative towards staying consistent on this upskilling journey.) #dontwaitstarttoday #dailyprofessionaljournaling #upskillingjourney

If you know (or are!) an ex-matelot then to read the below 👇