Tactical Interrogation: Explained
Tactical Interrogation is a case study where we consider balancing the rights and interests of three stake-holding groups: service members, their clients (i.e. inhabitants of the US), and non-clients (foreign enemy combatants and foreign non-combatants). Torture is grossly immoral when considered from any of these perspectives. Torturers tend to sustain moral and psychological injury. They […]
Artificial Intelligence: Explained
This is a different kind of case study in that it is a primer on Artificial Intelligence, and how it can be understood by naval officers. We go through several situations where a young naval officer is challenged by a fact set, and she has to deal with what information she is being given, her […]
Cultural Competence: Explained
This is a case study where a group of Midshipmen on a semester abroad run into trouble. You’re the protagonist in a fictitious eastern European country. You’re out with your buddies. A local guide has been showing you around, and he bids adieu, after calling for a taxi. So far so good. You have a […]
Leave No One Behind: Explained
Leave No One Behind is a classic case that we have used for years at the Naval Academy. An interactive version of this case is available for individual and classroom use online. You are the OIC of a helicopter detachment that has already lost an airplane during a search and rescue mission, in bad weather […]
Research in an Undersea Habitat
While thousands of climbers have successfully scaled Mount Everest, less than a handful of people have descended to the planet’s deepest point, the Mariana Trench. The sea is the Navy’s domain. Dr. Joseph Dituri, Ph.D., DMT, CDR – US Navy (ret) enlisted in the Navy. He made his way up through the ranks after earning […]
Becoming Blue & Gold
One could ask, what makes the US Naval Academy a special place? Isn’t it just a college with a lot of rules and uniforms? We talk with Jeff Webb, the new President and CEO of the USNA Alumni Association and Foundation, about what makes USNA a special place. He likens USNA as a unique incubator […]
Practical Wisdom
For Aristotle, wisdom was not just an abstract idea. Aristotle called this different kind of wisdom, “prudence”, and we discuss another translation, “practical wisdom.” Practical wisdom is knowing what is good, right, or best, given a particular set of circumstances. It is not about book smarts, or knowing general rules. Thomas Aquinas helps us better […]
USS Quail, and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape
Perseverance is a strength within the virtue category of courage. Courage describes strengths that help you exercise your will and face adversity. The story of the USS Quail is a story of perseverance and grit. The crew evaded capture by the Japanese during World War II. What extent did formal training play in the Quail […]
The Flat Spin and Resilience
What does leadership have to do with your gut, and taking risks? What goes through your head (and gut) when you need to get back to task, after you had a major failure. What can you learn about yourself after a flat spin?
Can you be a leader if you don
Returned With Honor Program
The Returned with Honor program recognizes the sacrifice of the Vietnam Era POWs and their families. We’ve been celebrating these men and women on the Yard in several ways this academic year.
We start our podcast with VADM Sean Buck, the Superintenden