Fitness Reports

My performance aboard USS Biddle (DLG-34), at least according to the officers to whom I reported, was not much to write home about. They wrote about it though, in the “Report on the Fitness of Officers” (FITREP) submitted on me three times.

If Biddle followed the practice with which I became familiar later in the Reserves, officers that oversaw other officers drafted fitness reports on their juniors and submitted them up the chain to be signed by the Commanding Officer. Mine were all signed by CAPT Olsen, but I don’t know to what extent he changed any grades or comments.

My first fitness report from Biddle officially covered 15 February-31 July 1969, but that period also included my leave following commissioning at OCS, travel to Norfolk, and several weeks of Intelligence and CIC courses. I officially reported to Biddle on 3 May 1969, so the initial report was only for three months.

Overall, my performance was rated Excellent and I got the same grade in the categories of my specialty (Intelligence) and watch duty (CIC). I was “Not observed” in shiphandling and airmanship. In terms of desirability (not my studliness, but “your attitude toward having this officer under your command”), I was rated “Prefer to most,” not “Particularly desire.”

I also learned later than officer fitness reports are skewed, in the sense that it seems performance is inferred more by how far the officer is considered less than perfect, rather than an objective evaluation. Thus, my “Excellent” performance, not considered “Outstanding,” was really “meh.”

Regarding the 15 “personal characteristics” on which officers are rated, I was “Above the majority,” third highest rating, in all but two. For “Force” (“The positive and enthusiastic manner with which he fulfills his responsibilities”) and “Military Bearing” (“His military carriage, correctness of uniform, smartness of appearance and physical fitness”), I was rated just one rung lower, “Equal to the majority.”

Damned by faint praise!

The comments section read:

“ENS McDonald has been aboard only a short time and has not yet been fully challenged. He is quiet, reserved, somewhat shy, but desirous of doing a good job. As he has been finding his way, he has not exhibited a great deal of zeal toward acquiring more responsibility than that already assigned. He has been tasked to present several briefings on intelligence matters, all of which he made with poise and confidence.

“When the ship arrived in WestPac, he was one of the Advance Team, which proceeded to the Gulf of Tonkin, where he firmed up his plans for forming BIDDLE’s own Intelligence Team. Under his direction this group has maintained order of battle plots, published a daily bulletin of pertinent information for the embarked Squadron Commander, the command and key watchstanders, and briefed helicopter pilots daily on potential areas of operation.

“ENS McDonald is thoughtful, intelligent, and responsive. He has demonstrated potential for growth.”

I don’t know. It kinda reminded me of a grade school report card.

In my second fitness report, covering 1 August 1969- 31 January 1970, my grades in “Performance of duties” and “Desirability” had moved smartly . . .  nowhere. Exactly the same grades as my first FITREP.

I had improved slightly in the grades for my personal characteristics. Most were in the “Above the majority” category, with “Force” remaining in the “equal to the majority” category. “Military Bearing” moved up one grade. Into the “One of the top few” category were “Imagination” (“Resourcefulness, creativeness, and capacity to plan constructively”), “Self-expression (oral),” and “Self-expression (written).”

The comments were a little more extensive:

“ENS McDONALD is intelligent, well-spoken, thoughtful, congenial, and sincere. He is quiet, with a good sense of humor. Although small in stature and lacking in force, he is exceptionally poised. In matters concerned with leadership of men, he is occasionally unsure of himself, reflecting inexperience and an unaggressive nature. However, in those areas in which he is interested, such as intelligence, writing and briefing, he has demonstrated capacity for original and clear thinking and excellent execution.

“During most of this reporting period, the BIDDLE was on-the-line in the Gulf of Tonkin as the PIRAZ or strike support ship. As the OinC of the ship’s intelligence team, ENS McDONALD was responsible for maintaining friendly and enemy order of battle plots, preparing the daily intelligence summary, and briefing embarked helicopter pilots on the reconnaissance missions of the day. He carried out these duties in a superior manner and was awarded a Letter of Commendation from COMSEVENTHFLT for his performance.

“As an intelligence specialist, ENS McDONALD has had a unique opportunity to serve with the operating forces in a war theater. He has used the various intelligence publications available to the shipboard officer. He is well-prepared to serve on a major Fleet staff.”

My final FITREP from CAPT Olsen, and first as a Lieutenant Junior Grade, covered the period 1 February-22 May 1970, his final day as Commanding Officer. I guess you could say that in performance and desirability, I was consistent. The grades for performance and desirability in the final FITREP were the same as in the first and second.

My “low” grade in Personal Characteristics — “Equal to the majority” in “Force” — also stayed in place. I did, however, achieve the top grade — “Is not exceeded” — in “Self-expression (written).” And I added two more in the “One of the top few” category — “Judgment” (“His ability to develop correct and logical conclusions”) and “Analytical ability” (“Logical incisiveness which discriminates between assumption, fact, and hypothesis”).

Comments:

“LTJG  MCDONALD is perceptive, erudite, tactful and quiet. Assigned tasks in areas in which he is interested, he is creative, resourceful, enthusiastic, and meticulous. Tasks which fall outside these areas are executed in summary fashion.

“He has refined his administrative skills during this period, but still is not at ease managing men and organizations. During this reporting period the BIDDLE received an Annual Administrative Inspection. Both the ship and areas for which LTJG MCDONALD was responsible, Intelligence and Public Affairs, were adjudged OUTSTANDING (96.7).

“LTJG MCDONALD is self-effacing, good-natured, and considerate of others. He does not seek out responsibility, but when it is assigned, he will give a good account of himself.”

“. . . [S]till is not at ease managing men . . . .” I remember CAPT Olsen talking to me at some point about being too friendly with enlisted men on Biddle. I arrived on Biddle when I was 23 and left at 24. Many of the enlisted crew with whom I had contact were close in age to me. And, because of Vietnam and the draft, many of them were also college graduates who chose to be Navy enlisted rather than Army grunt. I did find it difficult not to engage them in conversation about matters outside the ship, etc. It probably didn’t help, though, when one of the enlisted DJs on the ship’s internal “radio station” played an antiwar song (of which there were many at the time) and dedicated it to me.

I actually had another FITREP on Biddle, from CAPT Collister, covering the period 23 May-30 June 1970, the end being my last day on the ship. Due to the brevity of the time period, however, he listed all the categories as “not observed.” His comments did say that I was “quiet, sincere, genial, and well-read,” but added that he was unable to make a more definitive evaluation.