"Having The Big Picture"

Way back in 1963 when I was a very young Sailor onboard the USS Ranger (CVA-61) I was assigned to work in the Operations Office as a clerk. Admittedly the Navy had a different name for the task and I was a Yeoman Striker. For those who do not know what a CVA is let me inform you that it was an attack aircraft carrier. We carried a mix of fighters and bombers.

The Operations Officer was a survivor of the Bataan Death March and was always keeping us informed about what was going to happen next during our deployment to the Western Pacific Ocean. As a Yeoman Striker I was assigned the night shift which commenced at 1800 hours (6:00 P.M.) to 0600 hours (6:00 A.M.) and we had the task of scrubbing and waxing the deck each night when were at sea. Additionally we had to type up the daily flight schedule, run it off on a mimeograph machine, assemble it and carry it to the stateroom of every pilot on board the Carrier.

The task of distributing the "Daily Flight Schedule" was quite an undertaking. As anyone who has every served in the U. S. Navy knows, once Taps is sounded at 10:00 P.M. all passageways and berthing areas are lite with small red lights. Therefore the task of delivering the flight schedules was a challenge because you almost had to know the ship without the benefit of effective lighting.

However, that is not the purpose of this Blog Entry. At one time we had an Assistant Operations Officer who thought that it was his duty to micro manage us low pay grade personnel. This went on for several weeks and one day the Operations Officer called a meeting of the Operations Office Staff which included the Assistant Operations Officer. He delivered a brief story about his marching in the Bataan Death March and then went on to inform us all that he trusted that our Boot Camp Training was sufficient in regard to how to swab a deck and to polish it to a magnificant shine. We used paste wax and buffed it with an electric buffer. It always looked good each morning when the Officers arrived to conduct their daily task. The Operations Officer used very effective language to let us all know that he trusted us and during the conclusion of the Meeting he informed the worrysome Assistant Operations Officer that he needed to be concerned and also focused on the Big Picture and to let the Enlisted Personnal perform their assigned duties. That stated he also told all of us that if we ever failed in the execution of our duties that he, The Operations Officer expected his Assistant to then become involved in addressing our shortcomings.

For the past eight months I have witnessed our President and his Leadership style. To be brief and to the point it is my impression that at times he is focused on the small items and has lost his focus on the "Big Picture." We have an established Staff System of Department Heads that should be conducting their own affairs. For example the "Secretary of State" needs to run the State Department, etc.

As it is I have witnessed a President that is focused on so many small things that he can not effective lead on the important things. I trust that as our Commander in Chief he should be focused on the Safety of our Country and working to support the various treaties that we as a County have obligations to be a part of. As regards Health Care, if it is to be the center piece of his Presidency as I often hear, then he should focus on Health Care Reform/Health Care Insurance Reform and let the respective Department Heads perform thier constitutional duties.

I would not expect to see a long list of Czars appointed who have as their sole duty to advise the President. We have Department Heads for this purpose.

I am currently witnessing a Federal Government that is so self centered that it might not be very easy to comprehend or even see "The Big Picture." I will never forget the words of the Bataan Death March Survivor - Work With The Big Picture.

I would respectfully suggest that our President, our Congress, both the House and Senate work/labor to function within the confines of our Approved Constitution and always keeping the "Big Picture" foremost in their minds. We The People deserve no less.