Review - Naval Postgraduate School

►DOMINANCE CONT. FROM PAGE 13
to execute. For this reason, officers from a
number of communities attend the program.
Ellis defines four “pillars of undersea
warfare” … Submarine warfare, anti-submarine
warfare, mine warfare, and sub-sea
warfare, a collective for unmanned systems,
deep sea infrastructures and certain weapons
systems. And all of them require air, surface
and undersea to dominate.
“We have aviation officers, surface warriors,
and of course, submarine officers, because
USW is a team game,” said Ellis. “Take
anti-submarine warfare, for example, which
requires ships, submarines, air assets — and
officers that are educated to lead them.
“Anti-submarine warfare is probably one
of the most important subjects we teach,
and it is truly a joint effort. The days where
we can use a single surface ship, or a single
submarine or aircraft to find and track a
submarine are long gone. We have to work
together as a team, and when we do, it’s
pretty powerful,” Ellis noted.
Lt. Ryan Hilger is a submariner in his first
year of studies in the mechanical engineering
curriculum. Hilger, however, is capitalizing
on his time at the university by completing
USWAG’s
anti-submarine
warfare certificate
program, and plans
on completing a
second certificate
in national security
studies as well.
“I believe, as a
submariner, that
spending the additional
time to
learn the theoretical
foundations of my
systems, procedures,
tactics, etc., is
crucial for my professionaldevelopment
and will help
me better execute
my role in the “Design
for Undersea
Warfare” and live up to the expectations set
for me, and all submariners,” Hilger said.
“I am doing here what the fleet wants
me to do, and that is to use my education
to think creatively and critically about realworld
problems facing the fleet,” he added.
And he was just recently recognized for that
critical thinking, honored with a Fleet Literary
Award at the Naval Submarine League’s
“ANTI-SUBMARINE WAR-
FARE IS PROBABLY ONE
OF THE MOST IMPOR-
TANT SUBJECTS WE
TEACH, AND IT IS TRULY
A JOINT EFFORT. THE
DAYS WHERE WE CAN
USE A SINGLE SURFACE
SHIP, OR A SINGLE SUB-
MARINE OR AIRCRAFT
TO FIND AND TRACK A
SUBMARINE ARE LONG
GONE. WE HAVE TO WORK
TOGETHER AS A TEAM,
AND WHEN WE DO, IT’S
PRETTY POWERFUL.”
RETIRED REAR ADM. JERRY ELLIS
USW CHAIR AND DIRECTOR
USW RESEARCH CENTER
Annual Symposium for his article, “Spurring
Innovation at the Deckplate Level in the
Submarine Force.”
In addition to the interdisciplinary course
matrix, research in USWAG is just as critical
to the success of the program, and enables
students to apply the intricacies of their
chosen degrees to USW. Research topics are
not in short supply … In fact, an overflowing
binder of fleet-relevant topics awaits NPS
students from all programs outside Ellis’ office.
“I’m adding to it all the time,” he notes.
Thesis research in the applied sciences and
engineering curricula is challenging and technical,
and honors the graduate-level coursework
students are required to complete.
For example, Yang’s research into acoustic
attraction examined the theoretically-predicted
acoustic radiation force on a body that
is small compared to the wavelength of the
sound. Yang’s work is not only excellent science,
but may result in significant improvements
for the fleet.
“Applications include the use of highintensity
ultrasound to separate unwanted
particles from a liquid,” Yang explained.
“This research and experimentation lays
down the groundwork for future oil, water
separation machin-
ery that could replace
the antiquated
machinery on ships
today.”
Another recent
graduate, Lt.
Michael Mowry,
focused his mechanical
engineering
studies into a different
area, but one
that he says is a critical
issue across the
Navy and beyond.
“When I was
looking for a
research topic, I
sought after a topic
dealing with the
energy storage problem,
as I feel that
energy storage and energy generation is arguably
the most important challenge facing
the Navy, military, and nation as a whole,”
Mowry noted. “It was very exciting to work
on this topic during my time at NPS and I’m
proud of the research that we accomplished.”
Mowry focused his efforts on studying
the formation of nitrogen-doped graphene at
an industrial level. “Graphene is a relatively
newly-studied material that has such a high
potential all through electronics,” Mowry
noted. “But my research was focused on
graphene production more suited for energy
storage … as a bulk commercial production
method for use in energy storage applications.”
And in spite of the drastic differences
between Mowry’s research and that of Yang,
he echoes much of the same sentiments as
his peers in the program.
“The USW program does add a lot of
extra course work, in addition to the degree
requirements, but I feel as though it is time
well spent,” Mowry said. “The additional
classes required by the program exposed me
to different areas of study than I would have
received from just the mechanical engineering
requirements, which helped me understand
more advanced concepts in physics
and acoustics than I would have otherwise.
This better understanding in several different
disciplines, I believe, will help make me
a better submariner and Naval officer, and
although I was quite challenged at times I
was never overwhelmed.”
The final piece to the USW puzzle is a
close relationship with the USW leadership.
Recent campus visits by Rear Adm. Rick
Breckenridge, Sub Group Two Commander
and an NPS alumnus, as well as Vice Adm.
John Richardson, Commander, Submarine
Forces, provides a direct link between the
students’ work and operational leadership.
But it’s the connection between USW
leaders in the Pentagon that drive the program.
A constant flow of communication
between Ellis, Mine Warfare Chair retired
Rear Adm. Rick Williams, and USWAG faculty
with leadership in the Navy’s Undersea
Warfare Division infuses the education with
the needs of the forces.
Director of Undersea Warfare for the
CNO (OPNAV N97), currently Rear Adm.
Barry Bruner, travels to the university annually
for a detailed review of the curriculum,
its research, and its students. Bruner is
himself an NPS graduate, and expressed his
own thoughts on not only the program, but
on the larger value of an education at NPS.
“The two years that I spent here were two
of the best years of my life, and it’s great to
see how this great institution continues to
get better,” Bruner noted. “The lessons that
are learned here at the Naval Postgraduate
School put the officers in great step for the
future … It teaches them how to think and
how to approach problems and it’s going to
provide a phenomenal return on investment
for the Navy and for the country both.”
Dr. Paul N. Stockton addresses NPS students, faculty and staff during a Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture, Sept. 25. Stockton left a significant
mark on the university during his 15-plus years on campus, founding both the School of International Graduate Studies, and the Center for
Homeland Defense and Security.
SIGS, CHDS Founder Paul Stockton
Returns to NPS for Briefings, SGL
By Amanda D. Stein
A FAMILIAR FACE returned to campus, Sept. 25, as NPS welcomed
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’
Security Affairs Dr. Paul Stockton for a campus visit, meetings with faculty
and students, and a special Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture (SGL).
Stockton is familiar with NPS, joining the institution’s faculty in 1990
in the national security affairs department. Stockton would later serve as
founder and acting dean of the School of International Graduate Studies
(SIGS), and established the Center for Homeland Defense and Security
(CHDS) in 2002.
“I’ve had a chance to talk with many students and faculty over the last
couple of days,” Stockton said. “It’s so impressive how NPS is staying at
the cutting edge of emerging security challenges for the United States,
both in terms of having the curricula that the nation needs for its future
leaders and the kind of research that you absolutely have to conduct in
order to know what to teach these students.
“The thing that impresses me most after having been away for many
years is not the NPS that used to exist, but the NPS that exists today,” he
added. “Being on the leading edge of emerging security challenges where
the nation most needs us.”
The idea of readiness was at the heart of his message to NPS students
and faculty as he delivered the SGL. He hoped to convey the importance
of being prepared, not only for the kinds of natural disasters that our
country has faced before, but also to be prepared for the unknown.
“We need to start rethinking the severity of the catastrophes for which
the nation needs to be prepared,” Stockton said. “We are, I think, much
more prepared now for a Hurricane Katrina-scale event, but it could be
worse. We could face much greater challenges.
“It’s going to require thinking by the military, and collaborative part-
nerships above and beyond what we have ever had in the past. There
are hazards to the security of the electric power grid, for example,” he
continued. “If the grid goes down, due to an earthquake, other natural
disaster, or a cyber attack on the United States, we need to do a lot to
build resilience for such events before they occur. And then if they occur,
when they occur, be in a much better position to save lives.”
Stockton explained that one of his primary goals since being confirmed
for his current position in 2009 is to ensure resilience, meaning that even
in the event of a natural or manmade catastrophe that disables critical
infrastructure, the missions of the department can still be executed.
“At the end of the day, that’s my focus. It’s part of my responsibility
for homeland defense to ensure that no matter what, the Department of
Defense can execute the missions that the president assigns to it, even if,
for example, the electric grid goes down.”
Amid campus meetings and department briefings, Stockton was particularly
pleased with the work being done in the university’s defense
analysis and homeland security programs.
“[The Naval Postgraduate School] has a national treasure, here in the
defense analysis curriculum, that supports the special operations and
low intensity conflict community,” Stockton said. “It’s absolutely first rate
what is being done here, both in research and education.
“Also, especially important to me, is the homeland security curriculum
here, sponsored by FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security,”
he added. “It has students from across the nation as well as many
state and local students from fire, police and other professions that are
going to be on the cutting edge of saving lives. That program is thriving.
It’s an example of how the faculty here make it possible to meet emerging
security challenges. That’s what makes NPS a national treasure.”
16 In Review • October 2012 naval postgraduate school naval postgraduate school In Review • October 2012 17