Navy Training Hosts Retired Flag Officers

By Steve Vanderwerff, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Retired flag officers from the Pensacola area gathered at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola conference center Oct. 26, for insight on ground operations and diplomacy in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rear Adm. Joseph Kilkenny, commander, Naval Education and Training Command hosted the bi-annual event to keep retired officers in touch with current military operations.

Discussions included Seabee and Marine operations, and religious leader engagement.

"The discussions provided insight into the ground and diplomatic portion over in Iraq and Afghanistan," Kilkenny said. "We clearly don't have a shortage of topics, and in the future I'd like to get somebody from the Air Force and the Army to speak. Many of our retired flag and general officers are from the different services, and even though I'm hosting, I do run a lot of joint schools. I think it would be pretty interesting for the retired flag officers to see a joint perspective," said Kilkenny.

Kilkenny said the conference attendees spent most of their lives in the military, planning and carrying out operations, just like those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The general/flag officers eat, live and sleep military operations," Kilkenny said. "They see this stuff, day in and day out, in the news and want to be kept informed about what's going on. They are also active members of the community's business and civic groups, and if someone asks a question about military operations, they have a little different perspective because they've heard it from people who have been boots on the ground."

Guest speakers at the event were Capt. Lou Cariello, commanding officer, Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Miss.; Navy Chaplain Capt. Michael Langston, commanding officer, Naval Chaplaincy School and Center; and retired Marine Colonel William McLaughlin, who served as chief of staff, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

"My brief about the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade's activities last year at Camp Leatherneck, the main Marine base in the Helmand Province, gave an overview of what's going on in Afghanistan as far as U.S. activities," said Mclaughlin. "We have such a great group of retired folks in the community. It's great to keep them engaged."

Langston's brief, called "Religion and Diplomacy - Cleric to Cleric Religious Engagement," gave insight into his experience as the theater chaplain with Combined Forces Command Afghanistan.

"One of the key things I wanted them to take away from my brief was that the chaplain is an asset available to the military leaders," said Langston. "In this religious world that we live in, they have a subject matter expert on their staff that is trained and can be used to help them better understand the arena which they have to fight.

"These general officers, once they retire, still have tremendous influence and relationships with the men and women of our active force. I hope my brief helped them understand the dynamics of how a chaplain can be used, that was a little different than in their day. Hopefully, they'll go back and be able to mentor, shape and provide a foundation for our future leaders," said Langston.

A veteran of many retired flag officer conferences, Rear Adm. Bill Mathis said the conferences really helped those attending to better understand current operations.

"Each of these conferences is different," said Mathis. "They renew the knowledge level of the guys who used to do this for a living. We know operations in Afghanistan are very difficult, but until you get somebody like the colonel explaining what he's been doing the last five years in Iraq and Afghanistan, you have no idea of what is taking place over there."