I had the privilege of briefing an Admiral last week, which is something I haven’t done for quite a while. She was awesome.
She also was about the same age as me, and has accomplished more in her career than I could have ever dreamed of while I was in uniform. Not only was she incredibly sharp (she knew as much about our program as I did), but she was also friendly.
There. I said it. The Admiral was friendly.
Shocking, I know. But she impressed me as the type of person I would like to hang out with, which is something most of us don’t associate with Admirals. (Maybe my predisposition to fear Flag Officers it is because early in my career I got sand blasted by a couple of them.)
As I think about it, most of the Admirals I have met have been real decent. In fact, some of the officers who were buddies of mine a few years ago have gone on to make Flag. They still have the same qualities that appealed to me in the first place, back when we were fresh faced junior officers. They are (and were) great leaders, accomplished officers, and had cordial personalities that attracted friends.
They were, when you get right down to it, real people.
Real people with Court Martial convening authority, but still.
