Submarine Junior Officers - Stay the Course

I successfully transitioned, and owe a great debt to the many mentors and others who helped me get hired in a non-defense industry.  I’m not going to talk about my current role, because I have not actually accomplished anything to date.

Rather, I’d like to encourage junior officers to stay in the submarine force. During my junior officer tour, I wrote my wife a letter from WESTPAC. Summarized, it said – if I ever want to stay in submarines, have me read this. She never showed me the letter. And we did stay Navy and had simply an amazing adventure. Not an easy career, but honestly an epic adventure. 

When I retired, I found myself at a loss for how I seemingly defied the peter principle again and again. In the mirror, I see Ensign Tolliver (with way less hair) every day. In my remarks, I framed the answer of my success in the form of a second letter to myself delivered across space and time. 

My message for submarine junior officers is this: Be yourself, know yourself, develop, lead, and be enthusiastic. You will have an amazing adventure in the submarine force. There is no finer job than Commanding a submarine at sea. If I could get there 12 years after I left my first submarine – you certainly can. Now the letter, no doubt sent by a time machine invented by a bright submarine JO some time in the future.

Dear Ensign Tolliver,

I’d like to pass on some advice for your naval career. You escaped officer candidate school by the grace of a single thrown out celestial navigation final question. As you are not a natural fit for submarine service, you need this advice. 

Your parents raised you well with a strong work ethic. They also taught you how to fix things ranging from electronics to cars to wood chippers. They nurtured your scientific curiosity. These are all advantages for submarine service.

Your girlfriend is amazing. You don’t know this, but if you are to survive in the Navy – you must marry her. At this point in your life, you have the emotional intelligence of a hermit crab. She is strong in every area that you are weak in. Her love and support will change you for the better. Her parents will also provide amazing support and perspective.

You will have incredible children. They will make you a better officer, and leading Sailors will make you a better parent.   Your family will share the hardships of Submarine service – 12 deployments and 16 moves. You owe your family all the time you can give them during your demanding career, and more later.

It will take time before you experience a truly great commanding officer. Be patient. Learn from every CO good and bad. You will eventually work for Mark Breor, Dave Kriete, Kerry Ingalls, Chas Richard, Bob Hennegan, Frank Caldwell, Tim Giardina, and Terry Benedict. Each one a brilliant leader – learn from them.

On Memphis, you will quickly reach a point where there is more for you to do as Engineer than you can do.  As I said, you are just not a natural.  You must focus on developing and enabling your subordinates. This is the only way you will survive, much less succeed.

On Rhode Island, put your passion for teaching and mentoring to work and transform the crew. Truly develop the ward room and the chief’s quarters. Now, at this point – you will still be inept at operating the tactical fire control system. This will only really be seen as the Fire Control Coordinator. This will frustrate your CO on the range during a torpedo firing exercise, but you will survive.

A few years later, you will be foundering in the submarine command course. You will find yourself back on underway on Rhode Island. You will prove yourself again to be not the master of the fire control system by matching sonar bearings and missing. That’s ok, the energy given to you by Rhode Island will get you through the course and on to the Maine. 

 On Maine, use the examples of past great COs to be one. Rather than asking yourself what the commodore wants – ask yourself what is right? You will sometimes frustrate your commodore, and he will tell you this in writing. Don’t take it personally, just take the feedback to heart and improve. Cherish every day of your 36 months in command. Learn, develop, and be inspired by your great crew. Command will develop you more than any other job ever. Your future success can all be blamed on the great work of your people onboard the Maine.

As Commodore, put your commanding officers on a pedestal – and help them succeed in their extraordinary responsibilities. Be direct in your feedback, you owe them your unvarnished advice. Get them all through Command.

Ok, now a few bits of random advice.

Be yourself. I know that you have many quirks, odd pauses, and just weird mannerisms. That’s OK, as long as you are a competent submariner.  And you will never be competent trying to be someone else. And you are not funny – but people will laugh at what you say because you are senior. Just know that you are not actually funny.

You will have some odd additional duties. Legal Officer. Whale Boy. Parking Improvement Officer. Halfway night Food Service Attendant (4 times). Written examination skittle delivery man. Espresso delivery officer. Enjoy them.

Always line up a competent relief for yourself. As you are not perfect, you will leave problems. Find great officers to handily fill the gaps and make it look like you achieved a lasting legacy.

Focus more on your Sailors than your boss. This may ultimately limit your promotions, but remember how this letter started. You need your Sailors supporting you to be successful. 

In closing, if you stay navy – you will have an amazing career where you will see the world, live all over the country, and have a new challenging job every 1 to 3 years. And most importantly listen to your wife.

                                                           Signed, John Tolliver

I’d like to thank a few people who really helped me think through and complete my transition. Terry Benedict, Tim Giardina, Bob Hennegan, Vern Kemper, Mike Heier, Sam Potterf, Gunnar Galsgaard, and Lee Hankins are most worth mentioning – but there are many others.  

Finally, for those Nucs who really study the picture - you will note that I am missing my Command at sea pin. I passed it on to a former junior officer during the 'relieve the watch' portion of the ceremony. He will need it and be great in Command. I'm sure you can be great as well.