Urgent Fury: The Operational Leadership Of Vice Admiral Joseph P. Metcalf, III by Samuel D. Ward

Author:Samuel D. Ward [Ward, Samuel D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, Iraq War (2003-2011), Persian Gulf War (1991), United States, Aviation
ISBN: 9781782897811
Google: FR9vCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Published: 2014-08-15T05:01:55+00:00

METCALF’S PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE

The third theoretical requirement of successful operational leadership is professional knowledge and experience. Dr. Vego states, “all great captains in history…were known for constantly working to improve their professional knowledge.” Also, “the operational commander should possess a thorough knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of operational art” and “must be physically and mentally strong” to “withstand the hardships of extended field duty and set an example.” Vego continues by writing, “Success will come because of weighing, judging, and balancing ends, ways, and means.”{41}

Joseph Metcalf loved technology and was constantly teaching himself about the newest gadget and military capability. He “led...a naval renaissance, an enormous leap forward in technology and tactics that brought [the U.S. Navy] the Aegis weapons system, the ARLEIGH BURKE-class destroyer and a 600-ship Navy.”{42} Metcalf also “fully embraced the computer driven U.S. Navy.” He was proud of the “very first email in the Pentagon” and he “wanted integration and total information sharing.” In addition to looking forward, Metcalf never forgot the past. He “honored American history” and “paid special attention to his predecessors in Naval history,” including World War II-era Admirals Burke, Wright, Ramage, and Vice Admiral Bulkeley. Metcalf saw it as his duty to educate others about these great leaders and was known to banish people to the Pentagon Library until a sufficient amount of naval history was memorized. {43} Metcalf appreciated the value of learning (he was a graduate of the Army War College and the Naval Postgraduate School) and was a strong proponent for joint professional military education. The New York Times reported “Admiral Metcalf rarely spoke about his Grenada experiences,” apparently unaware that Metcalf would regularly meet with military officers at the Joint Forces Staff College specifically to discuss and field direct questions about his leadership during Operation URGENT FURY.{44} According to the Dean of the College’s Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Metcalf always responded bluntly and honestly to questions and never gave the impression of pursuing a hidden agenda designed to shape a particular legacy. Metcalf would end every student discussion with his favorite saying: “When you are in command, COMMAND!”{45} What happened on Grenada happened, and he was proud of it.

On October 25, 1983 at 5:00 p.m. Metcalf held a running estimate of the overall situation with Schwarzkopf. At the end of the invasion’s initial twelve hours, the airfields and the students at the True Blue campus were secure, but resistance was heavier than expected and continuing, the Governor General was protected but not yet safe, and there were still more American students to secure at other locations. Metcalf decided to extend the press ban another day “until the initial objectives had been secured.”{46} Then, in a display of self-awareness and raw honesty, Metcalf confessed his lack of knowledge about ground operations and asked Schwarzkopf to create the following day’s plans.{47}Schwarzkopf agreed and Metcalf, who had worked for thirty-six hours straight, left the command center to get a few hours of sleep.

The first day of URGENT FURY did not go as well as hoped, but October 26 was a completely different story.

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