7 minute read
CNAF Legacy Summit
By LT Andrew "Gonzo" Gregory, USN
Ona cool and brisk November morning, Officers and Sailors from all across the Naval Aviation Enterprise gathered in Pensacola to attend the Chief of Naval Air Forces’ Leadership, Education, Growth, Advocacy, Culture and Youth Outreach (LEGACY) Summit, recognized in previous iterations as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity (DEI) Summit.
The year of 2023 witnessed multiple landmarks for historical changes in Naval Aviation and the U.S. military as a whole, including the 75th anniversary of racial desegregation in the armed forces, the 50th anniversary of women serving as Naval Aviators, and the 30th anniversary of women flying in a combat role.
Day 1
Held at the Naval Aviation Museum on NAS Pensacola, the summit began with opening remarks from ADM Lisa Franchetti and VADM Sara Joyner who spoke to the audience via a live video call from the Pentagon. Both Admirals spoke to the fact that our Navy derives its power from its people. They implored us to seek excellence on a daily basis in support of each other and in support of our country as it undergoes the challenges of the future. ADM Franchetti summed it up into a memorable quote: “Warfighting. Warfighers. Winning. If you win every day, you’re always going to win.”
It was fitting that during a celebration of firsts in Naval Aviation, just one day later ADM Franchetti would become the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and first woman in the Department of Defense to reside on the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff after confirmation from the U.S. Senate.
The first speaker to take the stage was Dr. Chaveso Cook, an active duty Lt. Col. in the Army and co-founder of Military Mentors, who spoke about how listening and learning is essential to good mentorship, an apt beginning to a gathering meant to celebrate the differences and reinforce the bonds that tie Naval Aviation’s diverse population together.
The attendees then had the good fortune of seeing multiple legends of Naval Aviation take the stage. First was RADM Larry Chambers, USN (Ret.) the first African American to serve as a CVN Commanding Officer and be promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Next was a trio of retired female pilots composed of: CAPT Joellen Oslund, USNR (Ret.), one of the “first six” female Naval Aviators and the first assigned to flying duty on a U.S. Navy vessel; CAPT Mary Louise Griffin, USN (Ret.), a member of the second class of female Naval Aviators and the second female to be assigned to fly in tactical jet aircraft and CAPT Kay Hire, USN (Ret.), the first woman to be assigned as part of a combat aircrew in the Department of Defense who later became an astronaut. These four legends regaled the attendees with sea stories both fun and challenging. They touched upon much of the discrimination and barriers they faced during their careers and how they repeatedly had to prove they belonged in a Navy almost entirely made up of people that did not look like them.
Day 1 concluded with a brief from NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams and Astronaut Candidate Jessica Wittner, both of whom started their careers as Naval Aviators. They walked attendees through NASA’s ambitious plan to once again land astronauts on the moon, a mission that Wittner is currently training for and Suni is championing. This mission is vital to our longevity in space as it will serve as a stepping stone to eventually put the first humans on Mars. This opportunity to meet and greet with aviators-turned-astronauts reinforced to younger attendees that there is no limit to what can be accomplished during a career in Naval Aviation.
Day 2
Whereas the first day was primarily focused on celebrating achievements of the past, Day 2 of the summit looked forward to issues that still need to be addressed. Dr. Olenda Johnson, Professor of Strategic Leadership & Leader Development at the U.S. Naval War College, began the conversation by emphasizing the need to embrace new ideas as times change so that our warfighting culture can continue to evolve. Reinforcing the importance of discussing new ideas, CAPT Chandra Newman, Director of the LEGACY Program, then took the stage and briefed attendees on updates to the medical section of CNAF 3710 regarding pregnant individuals in a flying status. Big changes in the pregnancy section include the fact that it is now easier for pregnant aviators to fly in an instructor capacity, it should be easier for them to quickly procure medical clearance to continue flying, and that it is possible for pregnant aviators to get an extension of their NASTP qualification. These concerns were addressed after being mentioned in conversations about pregnancy-related healthcare at the previous year’s DEI Summit, demonstrating how this forum can lead to real improvements on policy.
The summit continued with a career timeline brief from PERS-43 and a panel of senior Naval Aviators who have taken non-traditional career paths, demonstrating to the junior officer attendees that there are more ways to serve as Naval Aviators than by just following the “golden path.” One tool at the disposal of Naval Aviators seeking a non-traditional career path, the Career Intermission Program (CIP), in which a servicemember may pause their career timing for a period of time and leave active duty (with the obligation to return for at least the amount of time taken off) was discussed in a panel of its own. Many issues with the program were brought to senior leadership’s attention including the fact that both Navy HR and Navy Medical resources are unprepared to properly assist with Naval Aviators on CIP, since it is a relatively new and unknown program. Leadership welcomed this previously unheard feedback directly from users of the CIP, and the discussion that ensued led to multiple proposals to make this program better for future users.
The final panel of the afternoon focused on mental and spiritual health and led to discussions about improving our tools for suicide prevention and improving medical care specifically tailored to Naval Aviators in the LGBT+ Community. A particularly notable moment came when the most senior transgender Naval Aviator, and first to receive her flying status back after transitioning, beseeched the medical representatives at the summit to codify the process in which transgender service members are able to return to work after they transition.
The summit concluded with RADM Wikoff (CNAF) and RADM Verissimo (CNAL) hosting a town hall meeting in which they fielded questions and concerns from Naval Aviators on a wide spectrum of topics, including how they can encourage O-5/O-6 leadership to be more creative and empower JOs and Sailors, how we can better communicate about deaths of shipmates from suicide, how we can still address matters relating to diversity, inclusivity and equity without politicizing them, and how we can regain trust in a nation that is losing faith in its military.
Conclusion
In summary, the LEGACY Summit brought together legends of the past, present, and future to celebrate the power of relentlessly pushing for progress and how it leads to a stronger and more cohesive warfighting force. Many barriers to change within the Navy were brought to light, and action items created for senior and junior leaders to address in the coming year. Hopefully, some who read this will be compelled to attend next year’s summit to continue to help contribute to building upon a legacy of positive change and improve Naval Aviation in the future.
Attendees discuss mental health issues on Day 2. Photo by LT Taylor, Holland USN.
