USS Hornet blog

[Albany Rifles]

So can you go to a USN ombudsman and have them look at the poor leadership? USN could put some pressure on the board of trustees and get her ousted.

[Battleship IOWA]

One thing everyone needs to understand is the complexity of managing and overseeing the management of a Historic Naval ship, and the bigger the ship the more complex it is.
3 years ago when I had the distinct honor to be asked to join the Board of Directors of the USS Iowa I came in with no Navy experience no museum experience and very little fundraising experience (Except for all the fund raising dinners and golf tournaments I have done over the last 35 years). In fact except for RADM Gerald E. Gneckow, USN no board members had any military experience at all. But what I brought to the organization was a career in business in and around the San Pedro area and 35 years of non-profit experience from being Chair of my family's foundation. We all need to remember is although the Iowa looks like a Battleship it still needs to be run like a business because we will not survive as a static museum or memorial.

If you are a crew, volunteer, customer or just a fan, it's your duty to report any issues that threaten the viability, integrity, reputation or safety of your ship. The Iowa has a written "Whistle blower policy" and everyone is encouraged to report problematic issues of any kind. When I talk to crew and volunteers I tell them they can always come to me with any issue. The Chair of our audit committee operates independently of the board and senior management to deal with these issues. If the Hornet does not have such a policy it's a huge red flag. But my point is try to use the built in mechanisms first to address your concerns. Now on the other hand our whistle blower policy has also been abused when it gets used to settle personal disputes between grown men acting like children so please don't waste their time either.
The board, senior staff, volunteers and anyone else actively involved with a museum ship knows how much work it is to operate and unless you are the USS Missouri at Pearl with 500k attendance every year, because the rest of us have to operate on shoestring budgets with dept hanging over our heads like the "sword of Damocles".
I am not trying to defend the management of the Hornet; I know nothing about how it is run. But if gross negligence is involved you do have recourse if you can form a consensus among crew and volunteers then you can go to your Board and senior Staff in mass. As a last resort and if enough people quit that will send a huge message to the community and local politics who can then apply pressure. And like Albany Rifles said the Navy could be interested. Also I know that in the Navy contract with the Iowa we also come under the scrutiny of the California State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) now this deals mostly with historic modifications but if the Navy can't help you might try them.

Board of Directors.

Now one knows why I am not a big fan of most CEO people whether private or public institutions.

tbm3fan please consider, CEO's are people too and we are not all bad people but we are all big targets.

[tbm3fan]

If you are a crew, volunteer, customer or just a fan, it's your duty to report any issues that threaten the viability, integrity, reputation or safety of your ship. The Iowa has a written "Whistle blower policy" and everyone is encouraged to report problematic issues of any kind. When I talk to crew and volunteers I tell them they can always come to me with any issue. The Chair of our audit committee operates independently of the board and senior management to deal with these issues. If the Hornet does not have such a policy it's a huge red flag. But my point is try to use the built in mechanisms first to address your concerns. Now on the other hand our whistle blower policy has also been abused when it gets used to settle personal disputes between grown men acting like children so please don't waste their time either.

No such system on our ship at all. All I hear is volunteers saying what can I do which is what I heard from Security when I started asking questions. I do agree there should be something that is untouchable by senior management. However, nothing in place and very few ways to get in contact with the Board. There are going ons behind the scene now quietly. All those could be booted by the CEO if so desired.

The board, senior staff, volunteers and anyone else actively involved with a museum ship knows how much work it is to operate and unless you are the USS Missouri at Pearl with 500k attendance every year, because the rest of us have to operate on shoestring budgets with dept hanging over our heads like the "sword of Damocles".
I am not trying to defend the management of the Hornet; I know nothing about how it is run. But if gross negligence is involved you do have recourse if you can form a consensus among crew and volunteers then you can go to your Board and senior Staff in mass. As a last resort and if enough people quit that will send a huge message to the community and local politics who can then apply pressure. And like Albany Rifles said the Navy could be interested. Also I know that in the Navy contract with the Iowa we also come under the scrutiny of the California State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) now this deals mostly with historic modifications but if the Navy can't help you might try them.



tbm3fan please consider, CEO's are people too and we are not all bad people but we are all big targets.

I have lived through five CEOs now. The first was a ex-Navy, and a nice guy, but out of his league for that position. The second almost bankrupt the ship, many think intentionally, drawing our reserve down to nothing on nothing. The third was definitely up for the job. The fourth, current Navy, was also up for the job for the most part. The fifth I understand was hired for her money raising capabilities. Yet we see attempts to modify the ship, disposing of USS Hornet/Navy property into the dumpster, diverting restoration to creating new offices on the O2 level for who knows who, bloating the payroll (biggest monthly cost) with new hires while allowing the extremely valuable ship electrician to leave, going PC so that now the Navy Wave Exhibit is no longer Navy Waves but instead Military Nurses. The only thing worse would be a Starbucks kiosk selling coffee and deserts on the hanger deck. Wait, it's called Peet's Coffee.

With 15,000 hours of free time into the ship I have little tolerance for those who can't carry their load properly while being paid.

[Battleship IOWA]

I did find this.
https://www.uss-hornet.org/visit-hornet/about/

No such system on our ship at all. All I hear is volunteers saying what can I do which is what I heard from Security when I started asking questions. I do agree there should be something that is untouchable by senior management. However, nothing in place and very few ways to get in contact with the Board. There are going ons behind the scene now quietly. All those could be booted by the CEO if so desired.

It's hard to believe that an organization the size of yours would not have the appropriate governance documents to include a "Whistle Blower policy".
The power of your CEO and board will all be spelled out in the by-laws of the "Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation"; you should ask them if they can give you a copy. It's also important to remember that 501(c)3's in California are looked at like other regular C & S corporations when it comes to public scrutiny. It would be imposable to get anything get done if we had to be held accountable to every complaint lodged by the public. And you need to remember the Hornet is in the San Francisco Bay area the same bay that said it did not want anything to do with a weapon of war to the USS Iowa. Perhaps I should thank them because if the Iowa was in the bay area I would not be having the time of my life.

With 15,000 hours of free time into the ship I have little tolerance for those who can't carry their load properly while being paid.

Wow 15,000 hours, on the Iowa I think you get a gold watch for that.
And at the national average wage scale that equals $375,000 contribution on your part so "Well Done Sir, Well Done".

[tbm3fan]

I did find this.
https://www.uss-hornet.org/visit-hornet/about/

There are maybe only three people on that list who I could actually trust. One is away on deployment, one I am in contact with and one I haven't seen yet as he was away on vacation and is very vocal when things aren't right.

As far as being told the ship is broke tonight, and then you look back to 2014 below while 2011, 2012, and 2013 all show a + cash flow, one has to wonder what is going on.

[tbm3fan]

Down at the ship this Sunday to talk with Tom about some projects. Learn the ship might be missing some financial controls one would think would be in place to make government grant money for flight deck repair non-divertable.

Did get some new pictures from the foward gun tub starboard side. They are using a needle gun to remove all the paint around the entire gun tub. Quite a project. In doing so a couple of shipyard drawings were found under all the paint on original steel. Now and then there are numbers but this one was of two cartoon characters. Now who are they? We are wondering in these are circa 1943 or around the early 50's. This part of the ship is original and unmodified.

[Battleship IOWA]

The one on the left looks a little like Beetle Bailey.

[tbm3fan]

The one on the left looks a little like Beetle Bailey.

Or this guy...

[youngtiger1]

I've been on the few times and I must say it's an awesome ship. The museum is great with several great looking aircrafts...Avenger, Corsair, Crusader, Phantom, Sea King, and Skyhawk. I'll see if I can share some photos here. Also, couple of years ago they opened up the museum for a model show, which was a great place for such event, and I hope the museum folks will allow that again someday. Its a fun place to visit. :)

Mike

[tbm3fan]

Least one forget how dangerous our ships are we had an accident on May 15th. One of our Security guys, who I know from the ship and from outside the ship, was leading a new Security recruit below decks. So they are heading down to 4th Deck below Chief Petty Officer country at the stern. Storage area on 4th Deck has some nice aircraft pieces stored down there. Well, he forgot that the light switch is on 2nd Deck, so he heads down using his flashlight. At the bottom of the ladder he apparently was stepping back to allow the other fellow down. Behind him was another hatch which is rarely open as it goes to a 20'x20' compartment and nothing else. No combing around the hatch and no chains either. Who goes down there anyway.

Well, he is about 6'4" to 6'5", and he stepped back right into the void. Down he went through the hatch hitting the ladder all the way down. Now we have a man down on 5th Deck and it is quickly apparent he will not be able to walk. Fire Rescue comes aboard and they have conducted some training on the ship from the hanger deck. The injured man had been suggesting that they might want to come down and conduct training from below decks and from up in the Island. He has worked for a hospital for 28 years and was well versed in how important training for an event is. The guy running the rescue introduces himself and so forth when the two realize they talked on the phone about said training. Naturally the Rescue Chief said this was a hell of a way to get them to come down.

To get him out they had to use a Stokes litter along with a chain fall. Some decks also needed the whole 250lbs. to be lifted by man to get around the landings as some ladders required you to walk around as they went down the trunk. Took them 2 hours, double the golden hour, to get him out and to the closest trauma hospital. I knew which one it was in Oakland and while they are quite experienced with gunshots this was different. He did say when the firemen moved him from the lift, that goes between L3 and the pier, they used a sling to move into the ambulance and the pain was tremendously intense right then.

At the hospital X-rays showed the the head of the left femur was driven right through the illium and the superior ramus of the pubis. On top of that a large hematoma containing around 2-3 pints of blood had formed surrounded by bone fragments. They wanted to do surgery immediately and he wanted to go to the hospital where he knew the doctors. The trauma chief of the other hospital refused to take him for fear of the hematoma rupturing from a bone fragment during the trip causing him to bleed out. So he stayed 24 hours to stabilize and then made the transfer.

Today I stopped by the hospital on the way home from my office to help him with something. Soon as I walk in he hands me the X-ray showing the work done. Lots of titanium and 13 screws. Also had a long screw put through his femur just behind the knee to create traction to pull the ball out of the socket. Great work from my point of view. Then 24 hours after surgery he feels pretty good but his leg is very swollen. Blood clots! Quickly a filter was put in behind the pubis area. However a CT scan showed a pulmonary embolism had formed. On to blood thinners immediately. At that point he figured he might not make it as there had already been 3 close brushes with death and exactly how many lives does a man have? Yet, he made it and will not be allowed to stand on his leg until July 4th. He also no longer weighs 240lbs. either as he is confined to bed or a wheelchair.

[Stitch]

As you said, it just goes to show how dangerous a ship can be, even when you're NOT doing something stupid!

I took a picture a few years ago (which I cannot find now, of course) aboard the Hornet of one of the hatches that was open a full deck below me (I think it was 3rd or 4th deck), and the hatch below that was open, too; I couldn't even SEE the bottom of the hole, I can't imagine falling down a hole like that! Admittedly, as usual, there were no lights on the 4th and 5th deck (assuming the hole went down that far), but it was still pretty spooky looking straight down into a "black hole" and not being able to see the bottom.

[tbm3fan]

Today the restored wings for the FM-2 Wildcat came back on board from the shop of one of the volunteers. Naturally a perfect day as we had high winds and whitecaps on the bay around the ship.

Then I get on board and I hear the quiet rumblings of dissension. Some hearing the ship is broke which I tend to believe and that after five years of a positive balance sheet at the end of the year. Heritage Fund the possible target which held money raised through donations expressly for flight deck work. Which is why I never donate. Some resigned in that they think there is nothing they can do. Tell them that the volunteers are who really run the ship and not 10 people in Admin. No volunteers means no Security, no Docents and no Ship restoration. Next learn two guys who were here for several years quit their position since January. One was Director of Maintenance now along with our 18 year electrician. The other was Director of Development, overseeing full fundraising and stewardship operation of the ship, for it's first time. Both in place under our previous museum director. Speaking of which he is due back from his tour of duty around the end of summer.

Positive news was that the Army Reserves are on board the ship again for two weeks from Louisiana after talking to a few. Asked how they liked the cool and windy 70 degree weather and of course they said they weren't used to it. Told them not to worry as their second week will see temps in the high 70's for Alameda although that might still be too cold for them.

[tbm3fan]

One of our Ready Rooms which I have never posted a picture of. This is a nice one to sit back, relax and watch Navy movies regarding carrier operations on the TV.

[tbm3fan]

I will be contacting NavSea, as a concerned individual, now that I have been given the proof that I need. Things are worse than I even thought now that I talked to the one person who could be trusted on the inside. The Grant money was touched for payroll and supposedly returned later. Maybe or maybe not. Took a little digging but I turned up the name of the Foundation and one exclusion is operating expenses for staff or Board. The Heritage Fund , rather than being for ship restoration projects, seems to be a kitty for everyone to dip into other than restoration. The ship's material that was sold off was approved by the CEO despite saying no. In fact it was referred to the "scrap the ship to meet payroll" program on the inside. Seems the museum is really a welfare program for a bunch of people with zero Navy background or knowledge. Dare I say concern for the long term well being of the USS Hornet.

As for the Board it turns out the Board is split despite the obvious. The Chairman, who hired the CEO, appears to be sticking by his decision. Once again we are back to the small man complex that we once had in the first four years. That person did move on to the Midway and it didn't take them long to come to their senses. I have also learned the reason there is no whistle blower policy or means to contact the Board regarding the integrity of the ship was intentional. Administration didn't want it and this new civilian administration believes the ship runs because of them and not because of all the volunteers. So while the ship is showing deterioration on the flight deck the rot inside is worse.

[surfgun]

Hopefully, NavSea will lay waste to those A-holes! Best wishes for those that actually give a damn about Hornet.