Admiral Michael Mullen: A Navy Man Looks Out for the Army

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I was assigned to the Fox in March 1979. Sea trials were fun. We left Bremerton and arrived in San Diego a week later. We were in port about one week. On Tuesday morning, the 25th LCDR Mullen had just entered the engine room to check plant status for getting underway at 0800 and left. At 0610, the main circ pump in engine room #2 exploded. I happened to be standing nearly in the center where the turbine casing came up through the structural member and deck plates. Dave Perry saved us by closing the bulkhead stop and exited the space. LCDR Mullen was the first person to enter the steam filled space where he found me. He directed MM2 Perry to carry me out of the space. LCDR Mullen was cool under a terrible explosion. He was not hesitant at all in entering a space filled with steam. He did not lose his cool when he saw a burned and bloodied person. I want to think Admiral Mullen for all he did for me. Best wishes.

William Larsen of IN 11:29PM April 21, 2011

This is about an article that ran in the Orlando Sentinel in February, 2011. My wife and I both had fathers that served in wars. My father came home a quadriplegic; my wife’s father suffered from PTSD all of his life. Today, they are both gone. The men and women who gave their lives, limbs, futures, etc. in Iraq deserve more from the people of Iraq than to demand an apology and money from the people of America and more so from the families of the many WONDERFUL military individuals who fought so they could freely make a demand as such. For we are confident if they were still under the rule of Saddam Hussein and his tyrant family these people wouldn’t be demanding ANYTHING from ANYONE. The American people have not even heard a THANK YOU from the Iraq people for their freedom that they did little to help themselves gain like we did 200+ years ago or as Egypt just recently did.
As it was stated before FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. We find it totally disrespectful and insulting to all veterans, their families and their country, that these Iraq people are making and saying these ridiculous statements. They just don’t get it nor do they know what is truly important and real. Our guess is that the Afghanistan people will behave much the same way. Again, they just don’t get it. The hurt, suffering, sacrifices, loss, etc. other people go through and endure. We at home here just did not wake up in a republic, but had some GREAT-BRAVE men and women who fought and died for it. WHY DO WE ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO BE SO INSULTING TO OUR GREAT ARMED FORCES, THEIR FAMILIES AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE????
Also, if they are not going to sacrifice and give of themselves, why do we? All they appear to do is complain and insult others who are helping them (as illustrated in this article attached).

John and Teri of FL 4:32PM March 15, 2011

My friend at Coronado NAB in CA (home of the SEAL teams on the West coast) told me that Mrs. Mullen visited with SEAL team wives and Ombudsmen (Family liaisons) very recently. She said that Mrs. Mullen was exceedingly kind and said that if any of the women had concerns or needed help with anything that they were welcome to contact her. She gave out her business card as well. I think this is lovely of her and as a Surviving Spouse (my Husband was in 7th Special Forces Group) and tragically did not survive his injuries sustained in Afghanistan. There was a GREAT amount of insensitivity that I experienced after my Husband had his life taken from him...from, surprising his own ODA team members, women who I thought were my friends, supervisors who were grossly callous etc. So, for a woman of such stature and from the Navy family, I am thankful that she extended her kind and thoughtful sentiments and offer to help. "My own family" here at Fort Bragg was not kind at all for a very long time. Only now, because of my persistent efforts to regain my good name have some officials been kind to me. The idea of "family" is very important to me and the Special Forces Family can be caring and supportive - the trick and challenge is to find those very few individuals who are kind hearted, well-meaning, and understanding. I suppose my point is that I think we should be more fair to Admiral Mullen. I am sure he is also thankful to the Marines and other services. This particular article just dealt with the Army, that's all. My (late) Husband was a Marine Corps Scout Sniper and then went to Special Forces - so he was in both Services. There are wonderful people in all the Services. I am heartened by the fact that Admiral and Mrs. Mullen spend quite a bit of their time with Families to extend their sentiments of appreciation and caring. I have not seen this effort (to this extent) from other leaders, unfortunately - that is not to say that they do not care, perhaps their efforts are not as visible for some reason.

Mrs. Connie Moralez-Piper of NC 6:53PM June 11, 2010

Admiral,
You have you forgotten the Marines have accomplished more and are only a fraction of the size of the Army you so praise?
Being that you never commanded an Amphibious ship apparently don't know about the Navy-Marine Corps team. Even Army Generals have praised and realized the accomplishments of the Marine Corps, take off your blinders an knowledge the service that has accomplished more in Iraq and now in Afghanistan in less time than your Army you so admire.
If the Army is so great as you praise them, then why is the Marine Corps doing a mission that was meant for the Army?
Enough said. Admiral, give praise to all service members (i.e. Navy, Air Force and Marines) for all have sacrificed equally or more than your precious Army.

Mike Flores MGySgt Retired of TX 2:32PM March 25, 2010

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hotel turkei of 2:34AM February 04, 2010

Admiral:
You have lowered youself to the miserable level of Barack Obama. You say you will not enforce the law as it is. If you had any honor you would resign and get out of this corrupt administration. I have never seen such a poor excuse for a Commander in Chief. He is a disgrace and you know it.
Thomas P. Giusti
Veteran of the US Army 1965--1967

Thomas P. Giusti of OH 10:14PM February 02, 2010

Good Admiral Mike has combat experience in that he sailed 50 milem the action in viet during the iran hostage crisis. He has flown over Iraq. I'm glad they have someone with combat experience to lead the Army during these wars. Increasingly the Navy, Marines and to lesser extent the Air Force do not have a Mission... except to tell the Army how to do it's job. The Defense dept has been led down the primrose path of Naval and Airforces ever since Hiroshima .. Now we realize that these Naval and Air Forces are almost useless in Warfare as Nuclear weapons are really not an option.
The American Military and Naval forces are in need of a real reorganizatin giving emphasis to missions rather than equipment which appears flashy but has little combat role.

vanwahlgren of TX 7:08AM April 24, 2009

http://www.realjewnews.com /?p=238
tells about how Larry Silverstein made money 11/9

alpo rautanen of MO 4:11PM March 08, 2009

I served with both Admiral Mullen and Rear Admiral Cobb aboard the USS Fox CG-33 when they were both LCDR's and department heads (Mullen - Engineering, Cobb - Weapons). I came on board in Bremerton, WA at the beginning of a regular overhaul. The USS Fox was one of the best Cruisers in the fleet and both these men served under a exceptional CO, Captain Robert Steele (Who retired as a Rear Admiral as well).
LCDR Mullen was a hands on guy. He was right down in the engineering spaces with the snipes during the rip out phase and many a day he came out with more soot on his face and clothing as any enlisted man. He expected 100% and gave the same. He operated with the highest of standards, and we came out of the overhaul with an engineering plant that was flawless. We passed OPPE and all the other engineering sea trials dead nuts and depoloyed to WESTPAC but ended up relieving the USS Leahy CG-16 in the Persian Gulf during the hostage crisis and stayed there during the Iran-Iraq War to protect the straits and the Saudi/Kuwait oil terminals.
When I qualified as the first enlisted surface warfare specialist on the USS Fox, LCDR Mullen grilled me on every aspect of the engineering plant as I was a weapons type (FTM1). We all knew back then that LCDR Mullen would go far, and he made it to the top because he was mission oriented, takes no BS, doesn't accept excuses, and wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty and master what he was doing.
That is why he is focused on the Army and its needs vs being partial to the Navy. Adm. Mullen is our nation's top military commander and not just another Navy Admiral. He is not afraid to make tough decisions and showed thios when he relieved Adm Joe Sestak for being a poor leader/commander (Sestak is now in Congress).
Admiral Mullen is a dying breed who served during Vietnam and Iraq. He knows the cost of defeat.
We are very fortunate that both Mullen and Petraeus are guiding our military strategy in the middle east.

Bulldog of NY 8:27PM July 23, 2008

Before we go all ga-ga about how an Admiral is "protecting" the US Army. let's take a reality break. Since the beginning of the first Bush admin. the Army has had it budget raped repeatedly for everything except ongoing ground operations. Rumsfeld, and to a lessor extent Gates, has decided that the entire US Army should be 'special ops' troops. Somebodyhas sold them a bill of goods. There are artillery units all over the Army who havn't seen their guns(no less fired them)in YEARS. They remain "stored" somwhere while whole artillery units rotate personnel without ever having fired a shell.This is just one example, the situation is the same over all the combat arms branches except special operations. So while the good Admiral's concern for the troops is laudible, I am left wondering who worries about the Army as a complete fighting force? If Kim il Sung decides to go for broke in South Korea what trained up and equipped heavy divisions will the Army have to throw back at him? The 2nd Infrantry (half in Korea and half in the US) has the responsibility but the US half has been scavenged for Iraq service and disconnected from their equipment. The real answer, I'm afraid, will only come in the multitude of congresssional investigations after the US is forced to withdraw from the Korean peninsula and South Korea is forced to make a bad "peace" with the nuclear armed North Korea.

Doug W of OR 5:41PM July 02, 2008