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Z-Gram #41; dated 12 October 1970

Command Excellence Forum

R 121935Z OCT 70
FM CNO (Z-41)

TO NAVOP

UNCLAS //N05390//
COMMAND EXCELLENCE FORUM

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMAND TO AN INDIVIDUAL AND THE IMPACT OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER ON HIS CREW HAVE LONG BEEN WELL KNOWN. WE HAVE ALL KNOWN COMMANDING OFFICERS POSSESSING THAT CERTAIN SPARK WHICH SET THEM APART, WHOSE SHIPS OR SQUADRON EXCELLED AND WHOSE CREWS EVIDENCE ZEST AND ENTHUSIASM FOR ANY TASK ASSIGNED. IT WOULD BE HIGHLY ADVANTAGEOUS IF THESE SUPERIOR COMMANDING OFFICERS CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND BROUGHT TOGETHER IN AN EFFORT TO DISTILL SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO COMMAND EXCELLENCE.

2. IN AN ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY, DISCUSS, AND PROMULGATE THE IDEAS AND COMMAND LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL COMMANDING OFFICERS AND THUS ENHANCE OVERALL COMMAND EXCELLENCE, I HAVE REQUESTED THE PRESIDENT OF THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE TO HOST A FORUM ON COMMAND EXCELLENCE.

3. THERE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AT THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE A MILITARY CHAIR OF SURFACE STRIKE WARFARE TO BE FILLED BY A SENIOR COMMANDER OR CAPTAIN WITH A RECORD OF OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN COMMAND. THE OFFICER SELECTED TO BE THE INITIAL OCCUPANT OF THE CHAIR WILL BE THE LEADER OF THE COMMAND EXCELLENCE FORUM. HE WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE WAR COLLEGE STAFF FOR A ONE YEAR TOUR DURING WHICH TIME HE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO THINK AND WRITE ON SURFACE TACTICS, AND LECTURE AT THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, DESTROYER SCHOOL, AND OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL. THE OFFICER SELECTED WILL BE IN A POSITION TO EXERT WIDESPREAD INFLUENCE ON SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND JUNIOR OFFICERS. SIMILAR CHAIRS IN AIR STRIKE AND SUBMARINE WARFARE ARE ALSO PLANNED AND WILL INJECT INTO COMMAND EXCELLENCE FORUM SPECIFIC FACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE AREAS.

4. I HAVE ASKED THE PRESIDENT, NAVAL WAR COLLEGE TO DETERMINE A CONVENIENT DATE FOR THE FORUM. ONCE THIS HAS BEEN DONE, I WILL ASK TYPE COMMANDERS TO NOMINATE COMMANDING OFFICERS TO ATTEND WHO IN THEIR AND THEIR UNIT COMMANDERS VIEW TRULY ARE THE BEST IN THEIR FORCE. TYPE COMMANDER COMMENTS OR RECOMMENDATION ON THE PROPOSED FORUM WOULD BE WELCOMED BY MYSELF AND THE PRESIDENT, NAVAL WAR COLLEGE. E. R. ZUMWALT, JR., ADMIRAL, U.S. NAVY, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.
BT

[END]
Published: Tue Sep 20 06:21:29 EDT 2016