The Stand Down - Tom McAbee and Mickey Kappes

Post date: Nov 15, 2016 6:13:23 PM

For those of you who were not at Homecoming, just prior to our march on, Bill Leigh unfurled the "Send Them Back To Sea" banner (see picture below) which he and Gary Vaughan held hidden until we were well in place in our position on the football field and all the Classes were on the football field as well, the National Anthem was performed and the other important stuff was completed. When Bill and Gary raised the banner (see attached photo) the Midshipman in the stands went crazy with applause as well as the others in the stands. Bill and Gary then moved around in our space on the football field to show the banner to the other Classes near us. They all erupted into applause as well. Soon and I believe in a somewhat stealth manner, Captain Bill Fell ( http://www.usmmasports.com/information/directory/bios/BillFell?view=bio) (USNA '78 and a 20 year retired Marine) who is the Deputy Director of Physical Education and Athletics in a very aggressive way ripped the banner away from Bill and Gary and took it and dumped it into a trash can in front of the stands. Needless to say it caused an uproar both on the field and in the stands. Soon thereafter the Classes were making their way to man the stands so a lot of alumni descended all at once onto the few accesses to the stands. In all the confusion and hustle Bill Leigh was able to get to the trash can to rescue the banner. He rolled it up and by then a bold Midshipman asked Bill for the banner and Bill gave it to the Midshipman. I saw the Midshipman walk away with it and inside my heart I was singing. Now fast forward to the below email that was sent to me today.

If we take a 30,000' view of just these two incidents (the one mentioned above and the one addressed below), it is incredibly appalling, and it is undeniably clear that the culture change that is so desperately needed and spoken of by the USMMA leadership needs to start at the very top in Washington, DC and with the Superintendent and his staff. If there is a Midshipman problem at all, it is because of the lack of integrity, honesty, transparency and true leadership at the top. I believe "culture trumps everything". The Academy's leadership culture will trump anything that they say.

After you read the below email and you look at Nick's FB page, he comes across as being very narcissistic. He forgot that he represents both the Superintendent and the Maritime Administrator, so I would have assumed that his choice of words and his attitude would be drastically different (but then again look at the culture he operates in). If he was working for me, he would be fired. They are totally inappropriate comments for a government employee to express. I can't imagine that this guy would have the job as Director of the Office of Student Activities as he is slamming the very people (the Midshipman) that he serves as well as the generous alumni who support the Academy. The culture change needs to start at the top and this guy needs to be third in line behind the Administrator and the Superintendent, then fourth in line should be Captain Fell.

It is with just these two data points in just the past two days that we see and experience first hand that the the leadership culture is one that is destroying the Midshipman, not building them up. These are the leaders that the Midshipman are supposed to emulate?

Let me close by quoting Warren Buffett: “Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you."

The most important thing we need to be is people of integrity and there is a severe shortage of leadership integrity at the Academy. Contrary to the newer Mission of the Academy, we are not "licensed mariners", we are licensed United States Merchant Marine Officers, and just like you, I will act like one with integrity whether I am aboard a ship or not. How can we produce "leaders of exemplary character" as the Mission states when many of those mentoring our Midshipman do not genuinely demonstrate it themselves.