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US Navy Memo: Back-To-Basics OR Outdated-And-Ridiculous?
By Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) After reading the U.S. Naval orders for Back-to-Basics reforms and the USS Fitzgerald and USS McCain investigation reports
John Konrad
Captain John Konrad is the founder and CEO of gCaptain, one of the world’s most-read maritime news websites, and a member of the Pentagon Press Corps. He holds a USCG Master Unlimited license. John studied naval architecture at the U.S. Naval Academy before graduating from SUNY Maritime College with a degree in Marine Transportation. He is also a Y Combinator Startup School alumnus. His decade at sea included service aboard Military Sealift Command-operated ships, crude-oil supertankers running to Valdez, and dynamically positioned drillships supporting deepwater projects. In industry leadership roles, he participated in major offshore exploration and drilling campaigns, including the KG-D6 discovery with Reliance Industries and world record-setting deepwater work with Chevron. On April 20, 2010, John had finished overseeing the $750 million Deep Ocean Ascension newbuild project for BP when the Deepwater Horizon exploded. His seven years at Transocean and personal ties to members of the Horizon crew drove him to investigate the disaster, resulting in Fire on the Horizon (HarperCollins, 2011). In 2025, he co-authored Returning from Ebb Tide: Renewing the United States Commercial Maritime Enterprise for Marine Corps University Press. John has contributed to publications including Forbes, CIMSEC, Lloyd’s List, and the U.S. Coast Guard Compass, and has appeared on outlets including NPR and the BBC. He has also consulted for major newsrooms and public institutions on maritime reporting and offshore industry topics. His reporting draws on primary documents, official maritime records, and on-the-record sources cultivated over two decades in the industry. He is an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute and a member of the Council of American Master Mariners and the Navy League of the United States. His work has been recognized with the U.S. Navy Combined Maritime Forces Naval Support Award and SUNY Maritime’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award.
Friday, November 3, 2017
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Interesting
Navy Collisions Report – The Error Chain Is Broken
A myth persists in the maritime industry, a myth nearly as persistent as the Kraken, Flying Dutchman or Nessie. Like all good myths, this one has some basis in
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
gCaptain
Winter Is Coming – Gear To Stay Warm In The Winter North Atlantic
Stay warm and cozy in bed with our Ultimate Ship bedding set to match our hottest selling item this year… the Ultimate Ship shirt! gCaptain’s Full
Saturday, October 28, 2017
gCaptain
Nautical Pens And Paper And Tools And Toys
gCaptain is proud to announce a new section of our website… Nautical Tools & Toys. From a pencil that produces the finest line on a chart to a pen
Saturday, October 21, 2017
gCaptain
The New And Best Selling gCaptain Shirts Of The Month
Here are just a few of the best selling shirts and gear for the month on October. Click HERE to view best selling shirts and gear in the gCaptain
Monday, October 16, 2017
gCaptain
Announcing The ULTIMATE Ship Shirt
After months in the making, countless back and forth emails and phone calls with our design team… we are proud to announce gCaptain’s brand new
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
gCaptain
gCaptain: Celebrating 10 Years Of News
Unofficial Networks, the parent company of gCaptain, turned ten years old as a business last week! From publishing our first articles about skiing from our
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Lifesaving Incidents
El Faro MBI Report – Heavy On Blame, Light On Penalty
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Today the United States Coast Guard issued the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) report on the S.S. El Faro. The 189 page
Interesting
USCG Calls For PLBs On EVERY Life Jacket
Access the report: Coast Guard Releases El Faro Investigation Report In the United States Coast Guard’s upcoming El Faro investigation report, Captain
Friday, September 29, 2017
Blog
Donate To Seamen’s Church Institute’s Mountain Challenge
This weekend, 150 participants representing over 44 companies from the maritime industry will compete against each other in the mountains of western Maine to
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Blog
WATCH: Thunderstorms, Torrential Rain & Busy Traffic 4K Timelapse
30 Days at Sea, sailor and nautical youtuber JeffHK‘s masterful timelapse video containing over 80,000 photos combined and 1500 gigabytes of
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Blog
Ball Diamond Ball – The U.S. Navy’s Failure To Reorient To Danger
By Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Collision avoidance requires all members of a bridge team to have certain traits. Observation skills, quick thinking,
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Blog
Drone VIDEO – Maritime Academy Training Ship Departs For Hurricane Relief Efforts – DONATE NOW
Drone footage of the T.S. Kennedy’s departure today to provide relief for hurricane victims. Today, under the command of Captain Joseph S. Murphy,
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Blog
Held Hostage By A Cargo Of Bombs
Most military historians agree about the critical importance and sacrifice of the Merchant Marine of the Allied nations in winning World War Two but very few
Monday, August 28, 2017
Blog
A King’s Orders To The U.S. Navy
The mark of a great shiphandler is never getting into situations that require great shiphandling. Admiral Ernest King, USN by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain)
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Blog
To Be Or To Do – A Naval Career In The Wake Of The USS Fitzgerald & McCain
By Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) Memorialized in bronze by the United States Marine Corps and actively ignored by the general officers in his own service,
Monday, August 21, 2017
Collision
Red Over Red, The Failure Of U.S. Navy Leadership
“You gotta challenge all assumptions. If you don’t, what is doctrine on day one becomes dogma forever after.” Colonel John Boyd, USAF By Captain John
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Collision
UPDATED: U.S. Destroyer Collides With Tanker
— UPDATE: The USS John McCain (DDG-56) collided with the Liberian-flagged tanker Alnic MC around 5:24 a.m. on Monday local time. Five American
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Blog
How Are Nautical T-Shirts Relevant To Maritime News? The Inside Story Behind Shop gCaptain
Note: We are excited about the launch of our new shop and I’m passionate to tell you why I believe it’s both fun and critically important to our
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Video
WATCH Lessons In Leadership From A Ship Cook
“You keep standing, no matter what, no matter how heavy the seas, no matter how deep the water. You keep standing.” Watch Dr. Rick
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