The Rise and Fall of Captain Holly Graf (USN)

[Guest Jack Tripper]

I think it was the combination of f-bombs, tirades, time-outs, what have you and...the fact that she was a chick (sort of). Let's face it, no dude wants some butch-ass, bulldog, wannabe man going off on them. That's gotta hit a nerve. I don't care what you say about equality of the sexes, blah, blah, blah. We've all served with females before and I think (not to oversimplify, but here goes) that there are two types of women in the military today. There are the ones who are cool, go with the flow, can bullshit with the dudes but still retain some female qualities. And then there are the freaks like this lady. The ones that try to become a dude to succeed in a "man's world", who just try too damn hard to smother every ounce of whatever it is that makes them female for fear of it being seen as weakness. I think this chick was an extreme example of the latter category and, dammit Bobby, it's just not natural! Call me a backwards caveman, but I just don't think that whole "leadership style" works for women - it carries an entirely different perception (for me at least).

[Guest]

Your tale of screaming at the SNCO

He was a Lt Col and the FS/CC.

I never screamed at any enlisted person.

Got it, you said the "f-bomb" once and now you wish you hadn't because you like to keep your military bearing and that one event spoiled you perfect record. Whatever.

[Mephisto]

Like the senior leaders I served with, I want my bosses, crews, staff, airmen, and peer officers I work with to believe I keep my cool under pressure, use rational, dispassionate reasoning to reach the right decision, and never get "ruffled" or "out-of-control." I think indiscriminate use of the f-bomb destroys that image and does not instill in them confidence in my ability to lead my troops or my crews, in combat or back at the home-drome.

Exactly right.

Yes you can get people to do stuff by screaming obscenities at them, but its not very effective. The people who fly off the handle all the time quickly develop the motivation among their subordinates to only do the minimum work necessary to avoid being the latest target of the bosses personality disorder. Perfectly natural, as every problem that is going to come up is likely to be met with the boss melting down. Hardly good leadership.

Like you said, a persons indiscriminate use of the f-bomb quickly loses its effect. However, when someone who never swears uses it, they will quickly gain the attention of all around them that something important is going on and people need to pay attention.

Edited March 14, 2010 by Mephisto

[Guest Rubber_Side_Down]

He was a Lt Col and the FS/CC.

I never screamed at any enlisted person.

Got it, you said the "f-bomb" once and now you wish you hadn't because you like to keep your military bearing and that one event spoiled you perfect record. Whatever.

[Guest]

Like you said, a persons indiscriminate use of the f-bomb quickly loses its effect.

It depends.

[PapaJu]

It depends.

Sure makes for a great movie scene.

[Toro]

‘Cruelty’ skipper fights to stay Navy

The former cruiser skipper who was relieved of command in January after years of “cruelty and maltreatment” toward her crew will be required to show a Navy board why she should continue her career, a Navy spokesman said Thursday.

Capt. Holly Graf, who was fired as commanding officer of the Yokosuka, Japan-based cruiser Cowpens on Jan 13, will go before a “show-cause board” within the next few months to make her case for staying, said Cmdr. Danny Hernandez, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon.

<<snip>>

[Guest Crew Report]

Good news!

[Murph]

Military bearing is exactly right. You gotta wonder about a chick who can't keep it together when a dude forgets to dot a lower case "j" on an efficiency report. Is she going to be able to stay cool during surface warfare with China? Especially when part of her crew is playing the piano or walking her dogs.

[Kaman]

She sounds like an idiot.

I used the F-Bomb on approx 69 million occasions. So what.

I had the CFACC give me this order "Rainman, I am sending you in there on the ground to un###### this situation. Don't ###### this up." Loud and clear.

I have screamed at the Top 3 (outside the combat ops tent so there was absolutely no way anyone 6.9 feet away inside the tent could hear) "You get on the ######ing radio and tell those goddamn pussies to quite worrying about a stupid ######ing band 3 fault on their ECM pod and put those ######ing machines in the air and get them over the ######ing enemy where they ######ing belong right ######ing now!" and no one quit or fired me. In fact, we laugh our asses off about that when we get together now.

She got whacked because she was shitty.

I think you're quite correct that she was relieved of her command because she was an ineffective leader that lost the confidence of her superiors. She had command of a ship with more firepower than some nation's entire navy, and that kind of responsibility demands more than what she brought to it. I wasn't there, but based on my own personal experiences I'd say that the best officers were the one's that maintained a professional, friendly and open-minded relationship with their subordinates. I have flown with HACs (Helicopter Aircraft Comamander) that would sometimes get pissed about something, but RARELY if ever berate anyone in the aircraft during a mission. We all realized that the only way we were going to be successful in our mission was to work together as a team. When you are really clicking during a CSAR or USW mission or even the more mundane utility missions we did, it's a beautiful thing.

Given how much I love the Navy (I am Air Force brat, so always a VERY big place in my heart for the USAF), it really pissed me off that someone of this caliber made it that far. Being politically connected in the Pentagon appears to be more important than being a competent Surface Warfare Officer that can conn their ship and fight her in combat means so little. The warrior in me is disgusted, because being a warrior means more than war-fighting. A real warrior is considerate and has the interests of the people and material in their charge. This person (I will not call her an "officer") failed in that and when you lose your credibility as a leader of men/women...How can you possibly trust them in combat?

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead and son of a retired USAF LCOL

Edited July 7, 2010 by Kaman

[Stitch]

He was a Lt Col and the FS/CC.

That wouldn’t be the same guy that that a semi-drunk Santa presented a package of Depends at a certain SQ X-Mas party due to an in-flight “incident” during an ORI would it? Because it wouldn’t be a reach for that guy from what I had personally observed (provided it’s the same dude). Rumor control said he felt there were fighter pilots, other pilots, nonrated officers, civilians, small woodland creatures, lower life forms and only then were enlisted “persons” looked [down]upon.

Just asking.

[Toro]

The latest from the AF Enquirer - it's not her fault

Graf inherited a bad wardroom

[Vandal]

She seems to be following the standard political formula, deny, deny when all else fails, counter-accuse.

[Dubs]

She seems to be following the standard political formula, deny, deny when all else fails, counter-accuse.

*chaff* *chaff* *chaff*

Works every time

[brickhistory]

In legal terms, it's called a "Blame Bush Bravado." Everything is your predecessor's fault.

I hope the Navy upholds their tradition of the captain of a ship is responsible for everything, all the time.

Inherited a crappy staff? Tough. You took responsibility for it when you assumed command.

[Hacker]

And, of course, when all else fails, drop the sexual harassment/discrimination/etc charge.

[Guest]

She seems to be following the standard political formula, deny, deny when all else fails, counter-accuse.

Are you talkoing about the Fighter Pilot (post TDY) Creed...?

1. Act surprised

2. Deny, deny, deny

3. Counter-accuse

4. Demand an apology

Don't tell me you're saying something's wrong with that. It has been handed down since the Wright Brothers and has been working like a charm 69% of the time.

[Vandal]

Well played sir, well played. I was never a fighter pilot so I was looking at things from a business and political side.

[08Dawg]

If I were an officer on that ship, I think I would be mighty pissed if some hotshot civilian lawyer tried to shift the blame to me by calling me incompetent. That's slander.

[Learjetter]

If I were an officer on that ship, I think I would be mighty pissed if some hotshot civilian lawyer tried to shift the blame to me by calling me incompetent. That's slander.

Wouldn't work in my command. I have my share of incompetents--it's my job to get them to perform like superstars. If I'm the boss, I get to take credit and MUST take the blame for performance.

[Bergman]

it's not her fault

It never is.

Another empty kitchen. WTF.

[ExBoneOSO]

Looks like she's on her way out...

Linky

Partial quote from the story:

A panel of three flag officers Friday announced their recommendation that Capt. Holly Graf leave the Navy with a general discharge.

Graf showed little emotion as she listened to the findings of the board of inquiry at the Washington Navy Yard: By a vote of 2-1, the board found she had committed misconduct; by unanimous vote, it found she had committed conduct unbecoming of an officer for the maltreatment and cruelty toward her crew as commanding officer of the Yokosuka, Japan-based cruiser Cowpens....

[Vandal]

On her way out, but still allowed to retire as a Capt.

[AZwildcat]

"He argued that Graf's leadership style was stern, but that it was poorly received by men."

Big surprise, she looks like a huge rug muncher with a chip on her shoulder. But who am I to judge, I'm just imagining her replacement...

vs.

[OverTQ]

This ship is forever cursed to have insane leadership.

The cruiser Cowpens was halfway through its Western Pacific cruise earlier this yearwhen the commanding officer got sick.

Capt. Greg Gombert came down with flu-like symptoms in January that confined him to his cabin for about a week.

As he was recovering, he contracted something more unusual: temporary facial paralysis. The non-life threatening disorder makes it difficult to move certain facial muscles and initially can feel like a minor stroke.

Gombert holed up in his cabin to recuperate and began to push responsibilities down to the next most senior officer, a department head with 11 years in uniform with whom the Navy alleges Gombert carried on an “unduly familiar relationship,” according to a report obtained by Navy Times.

It gets better or worse depending on your mental status.