To be or not to be, a captain? john.denham Total Views: 62 July 19, 2010 To be or not to be, a captain? By John G. Denham It is safe to assume that most sea farers at one time or another have wanted to be a captain; command a ship, boat or vessel at sea. If this goal is pursued in government service it is achieved by committees in a selection and promotion process and in the private sector, a license is required followed by a less complicated purpose-biased process. Being a product of both processes, two essential elements are recalled: 1.Except in rare circumstances noone becomes a ship’s captain without expressing the desire. 2. In preparation one must display interest, knowledge and ability and be recommended. As a youngster at sea, command was beyond my thoughts. I was involved in a great war in which survival was primary. By 1944 the drudgery of deck seamanship and hours of boredom with occasional periods of excitements created a yearning to move up. Standing around in a cool, well ventilated pilot house for four hours seemed ideal. Many shipmates had become officers as opportunities were available for experienced seaman. By wars end I was an officer with experience, along with some thousands of others. Shortly after, jobs at sea were a matter of luck; one day a shortage next day a surplus. However, the government needed experienced sea going officers in both the Navy and USCG. The academies and programs did not satisfy the fluctuating need. The U.S. Merchant Marine Naval Reserve (DML) served two purposes: provided the merchant marine with naval knowledgeable mariners and the Navy with a resource of experienced mariners if needed; a corollary to the concept with medical persons. The secret to succeeding is not alone in the seeker, but also in the finder; the one who recognizes the hidden talent, sees a person that wants to move-up, maybe a captain, but mostly a possible leader and has the raw material to achieve. As I look back not all seniors were talent scout