Editor’s Note: It was a couple cycle of advertising slogans ago for the recruiters, but one of the ones that resonated with me long ago was “Join the Navy and see the world!” We did, in grand style. But we were also seen by the world we visited. CDR Gilmore has a thoughtful appreciation of that fact. We are all Ambassadors.

– Ed

We are all Ambassadors:
Reflections of a Navy Intelligence Officer on the Importance of Serving Overseas
By CDR T. J. Gilmore, USN

Eighteen years in the Navy has afforded me the opportunity to visit various countries around the world. From standing transfixed at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park to indulging in a food tour of Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood, each country offered a culturally enriching and informative experience. As a junior officer I lived in both Yokosuka, Japan, and La Maddalena, Italy, where obvious social, religious, and geographic differences separate these former Axis countries. Nonetheless, my experience as an American living abroad illustrated the dichotomy in diplomatic and military relations between the United States and Japan and the United States and Italy, and these differences taught me several invaluable lessons.

Most notably, overseas assignments play an important role in an officer’s professional development, and individuals serving overseas can make a significant impact on the country in which they are living. My overseas experiences also convinced me to pursue a career in Naval Intelligence, and over a decade and a half later I remain convinced of our ambassadorial role in the Navy and the value in Intelligence Officers serving abroad.

I witnessed things on a routine basis during my time in Japan that indicated Japanese people have enduring affection and respect for Americans, likely stemming from the post-World War II security and reconstruction support the U.S. provided. Interacting with locals on the subway, paying my rent, or pursuing a quest for the finest yakitori grill in Honshu all left me with a positive impression of how the host nation viewed its American guests. Yet one particular event occurred which I believe truly captured the prosperous U.S. – Japanese relationship.

On September 13, 2001, the KITTY HAWK Carrier Strike Group deployed from Yokosuka in response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and three Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyers escorted the U.S. ships off the coast of Japan. I was the officer of the deck on USS CUSHING (DD 985) for the outbound transit, and upon reaching 10 nautical miles from land, the Japanese ships began to turn around and return to port in accordance with the overall Strike Group scheme of maneuver. Before CUSHING’s sister ship in the JMSDF executed her turn, she transmitted a flashing light signal that spelled, “Good luck, get victory.”

In contrast, my personal experience in Italy was comparatively different as the result of growing anti-American sentiment among the governments of several European nations prior to the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was the navigator and operations officer on USS EMORY S. LAND (AS 39), a 1,200-person tender that sustained 70 percent of the local economy on an annual basis. Despite this lopsided financial arrangement, several local establishments preferred not to deal with U.S. Sailors, and a vocal minority seemed to regard Americans as a sordid bunch and the presence of a U.S. Navy ship in the Sardinian archipelago as an unattractive hindrance to tourism.

Through various bureaucratic requirements, the Italian Coast Guard often made entering and exiting port a near Sisyphean task. Finally, each summer the crew of EMORY S. LAND would host a 4th of July party in Palau, Italy, a coastal town with a large beach near where the ship was moored and many Americans lived. Italian nationals were not only invited but encouraged to attend as part of a larger outreach program, and the ship’s leadership considered previous parties a success with a positive impact on host-nation relations. Nevertheless, in 2003 the mayor of Palau cancelled the party because of a “lack of support from the local community.”

These unfavorable details aside, my wife and I immensely enjoyed our time in Sardinia and traveling throughout the country. We made several life-long friends while living there, and the overall experience was immensely positive and gratifying. Despite one Italian community’s apparent rejection of Americans, there was not a larger repudiation of the European security order, especially given Italy’s continued, long-standing membership in NATO and support for on-going U.S. military operations around the globe. However, the stark difference in reaction to the U.S. between Japan and Italy, two fully industrialized and democratic nations, that I observed fascinated me and engendered my interest in the art of intelligence.

After my tour in Italy I began the process of requesting a lateral transfer to Naval Intelligence and reported to my first assignment at the Office of Naval Intelligence in 2006.

Fourteen years later in July of 2017, my wife and I returned to La Maddalena, along with another Navy family from our time in Sardinia, for a vacation to show our children (ages nine and 12) where we lived before they were born. I had just completed my commander milestone tour as the senior intelligence officer in USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH (CVN 77), and for the previous six months was deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. While other locations throughout Italy continue to maintain U.S. bases, the U.S. Naval Support Activity La Maddalena closed in 2008. I was particularly curious to observe life in La Maddalena following the Navy’s departure, and return to the location where I first began to consider a transition to intelligence.

One evening my family and another U.S. Navy family dined at Roby’s Pizzeria, a local restaurant and reliable favorite of Americans stationed in La Maddalena. Roby – the proprietor – was overjoyed to have two Navy families return to his restaurant. He greeted us with a warm embrace, stating in near perfect English, “Americans, my friends and the guardians of freedom, have returned.” We could not have asked for a more satisfying homecoming. Roby’s friendly response and overtly positive view of both Americans and the United States of America was a strong reminder of the role we play as ambassadors in representing our nation while serving overseas. The impression we make can be a powerful tool to influence foreign populations. Understanding the response to American presence around the globe also serves as an important indicator of our standing among the local populace.

Where we are welcome and where we need to carefully consider how we trend with a local populace is an information finding that can only be gained by interacting with the local community. I strongly encourage fellow 1830 officers to consider the full range of overseas assignments, including forward deployed fleet staffs, joint assignments, and attaché duty. Being immersed in another culture and first hand exposure to a foreign country improves our analytic tradecraft and ability to appreciate the ways in which another country may think, act, or decide differently.

Conclusion

Violent extremism and the spread of Islamic jihad, fueled by widely available digital technology, remains the seminal national security concern in the post 9/11 world. Therefore, America’s diplomatic relationship with every nation is important, not just our Allies. As the Sea Service Chiefs made clear in 2015 with A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Sea Power, forward naval presence remains the centerpiece of our maritime strategy and drives what makes the sea services unique. Forward presence, strong alliances, and overseas access remain vital to our ability to address global security concerns and are not possible without a functioning relationship with the host nation in key areas. America’s leadership role in the world is only enhanced when we all act as ambassadors and maintain the eyes and ears of the nation around the globe.

Commander Gilmore was the Senior Intelligence Officer on USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH (CVN 77) for its 2017 Operation Inherent Resolve deployment. He is currently a Federal Executive Fellow at RAND. The views expressed here do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy or RAND.