If I had a nickle every time I have been told to prepare myself, to take advantage of the opportunities and training here, for we are entering a profession of arms, I would be a rich man. Is the Naval Academy really developing leaders of a winning force? I would have to say that they are training us to win, but by teaching us how to accept defeat first. For Midshipman, it often feels as if it is a “them versus us” mentality. The Academy and the system are the victors, and we as Midshipman are the defeated. I believe that this is by design, for it is preparing us to be stronger men and women in the fleet, and better prepare ourselves for victory in warfare. Midshipman are intentionally given too many tasks in a day. The system bombards us with random briefs, a heavily loaded academic schedule, rigorous fitness standards, parades, formations, and leadership billets to top everything off. The idea is to teach us how to prioritize, manage time, and ultimately to be ready for the unexpected and be able to adapt. Sun Tzu preaches that you must confuse and overwhelm an enemy, and this is often time how the Academy feels. He also teaches that a strong leadership of officers must be in place to have an effective force.
The majority of small unit leadership and day to day activities are run by fellow Midshipman. It is commonly known that peer leadership is the most difficult of all leadership roles. Having an inexperienced leader that dictates the daily battle rhythm of the day is a difficult place to be, and is not necessarily the best system to lead us to success. This is useful though, for a multitude of reasons. For one, it teaches that leader the most effective leadership style for themselves. Some Midshipman are naturally great leaders and thrive in a billet position, while others need this time to develop before going to the fleet. Secondly, this experience of being led by individuals who may have not found their style yet allows the rest of the brigade to learn from their mistakes. This often makes for confusion amongst the ranks, just as Sun Tzu speaks of, but in the end we will all be stronger leaders for it.
To many, it may seem as if the day to day trials that we deal with as Midshipman is busy work or useless, and at the end of the day, the system will always win. In the grander picture, the hardships we face here that are posed to us by the “system” are developing into warriors who will be ready to face hardships, know our leadership style, and know how to defeat the enemy, as often times we feel the Academy does to us.
LaRue: 468
The West in the Pre-Modern World 