Retired Navy captain encourages NUWC Division Newport employees to build workplace connections

Retired Navy captain encourages NUWC Division Newport employees to build workplace connections

By NUWC Division Newport Public Affairs

Dr. Robert Roncska, a retired Navy captain, better known as "Navy Bob" - a nickname given to him by former President George W. Bush - visited the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport on Aug. 21 for a series of meetings and to address the workforce.

Roncska stressed the importance of building relationships through a number of stories contained in his book, "Beyond the Sea: Leading with Love from the Nuclear Navy to the White House and Healthcare."

"I'm here to talk about leadership," he said. "Not my personal experiences, but how you can become a better leader."

Roncska spent 28 years in the U.S. Navy, commanding the Virigina-class submarine USS Texas (USS 775) and leading the largest submarine squadron in the Pacific, with more than 323,000 personnel and an annual budget exceeding $25 billion. Later in his career, he was tabbed by Bush for one of the most trusted roles in the military: carrying the "nuclear football" briefcase that contains the nation's nuclear launch codes.

In introducing Roncska, Division Newport Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Behm said he's the "real Ted Lasso," likening him to the ultra-positive character from the television series.

"Ted Lasso is focused on people, and he focuses on relationships and the process," Behm said. "Navy Bob is the real deal and a legend in the submarine force. His principles have caught like wildfire. They're spreading throughout the fleet."

Roncska referenced an 85-year study conducted by Harvard University over multiple generations that explored what makes people live longer, happier and healthier. The top response among participants wasn't financial success, but quality relationships. Because most people spend a large portion of their lives at work, developing strong bonds with colleagues "is good for business."

"If you take time out of your day to build relationships, do you think business is going to suffer?" Roncska asked. "Because there's only so much time in a day and you have to get stuff done with deadlines. Some think it is, but the evidence couldn't be more clear. If you want a happier workforce, you build relationships. That's the No. 1 thing you can start doing today."

To illustrate his point of how strong relationships benefitted him during his Navy career, Roncska recalled a harrowing incident when he was commanding the USS Texas. During a mission vital to national security, the submarine was surrounded by adversary platforms at periscope depth.

With two separate indications showing the USS Texas was detected, Roncska nearly made the decision to divert the ship, leave the area and abandon the mission. But his executive officer, Gary Montalvo, now a rear admiral, urged his captain to wait. As it turned out, the indicators of detection were incorrect, and the crew remained out of harm's way.

"Our protocol was that if were detected, we were to leave," Roncska said. "It would have been easier for Gary Montalvo to just say nothing. I asked him why he spoke up and risk it all. He said, 'Because you would have done it for me.' That is relationships."

The event, Roncska said, is why he decided to write his book.

Years earlier on the same submarine, Roncska was at the helm when a critical mistake was made during operations in the Arctic. Instead of placing blame, he asked members of the crew what changes were needed and why they weren't operating at top efficiency. Sailors explained that several computers onboard were malfunctioning.

"The lightbulb went off and it occurred to me why the crew didn't care for the ship," Roncska said.

After a call to the squadron, Roncska secured new computers and gathered the crew topside and apologized.

"I told them I let them down as their commanding officer and that this will never happen again," he said. "That was the spark of changing the culture on that ship. When you empower the people, that's when you're going to get results far more than you could imagine. I untapped the greatest resource on the ship, and that was the crew. This is something you could do today."

Based on his ability to lead through forming solid relationships, Roncska was selected to carry the nuclear codes during the Bush administration. The briefcase, he said, weighs about 40 pounds. Roncska believed there would be no emotional connection because of the importance of the role, though he admitted he was wrong in that regard.

He then showed a number of photos with him and the former president at events and on vacation. It was during this time he gained the moniker Navy Bob. The relationship they built, Roncska said, continues today.

"The point is, if the president of the United States, who's in charge of the free world, can build relationships, you can, too," he said. "I would do anything for him, and it's not because of his political stance. It's because he cared for me."

'Greatest accomplishment'

When Roncska sought his doctorate from Rollins College in Florida, he said he was searching for the meaning of life. He looked for inspiration from Rollins alumnus Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers, an America television personality who famously said life is for service.

"The reason why you're on this Earth is to serve others, not to serve yourself," Roncska said. "But everyone's purpose to serve others is different. As a friend, as a co-worker, as a boss, it's your job to help others find their purpose."

Calling it his "greatest accomplishment," Roncska recalled meeting a young Sailor on the USS Texas named Jared Mankins. The two forged a relationship, and Roncska through many discussions learned much about the machinist's mate and his wife Amber. Four years later, by chance, the two crossed paths struck up a conversation.

Mankins explained he and Amber were having difficulty conceiving a baby. After three years on a waitlist, Amber was scheduled to receive fertility treatment starting that July, but Mankins was given orders to report to his new assignment in June. Mankins explained that nobody in his chain of command was helping with the issue and sought Roncska's assistance.

Roncska spoke to the detailer and demanded Mankins' orders be changed. Later that year, Mankins called Roncska and informed him the treatment was successful and Amber was pregnant with a daughter, whom they named Caroline.

"He told me that God and me are the only reasons his sweet Caroline is here," Roncska said. "I still get chills and choked up. This is why we're on this Earth. This is the power relationships have to change people's lives. You have the power to do this on a daily basis, to do what's right."

Roncska put out a call to action, asking employees to ensure their interactions with colleagues are meaningful.

"Look at how you are affecting other people who are doing the actual work," he said. "Don't treat people like objects. Treat people like people, and you'll start to see the results take off."

Roncska capped his talk with high praise for the Division Newport workforce.

"What you're doing, you're saving so many lives," he said. "When I was ready to launch a torpedo on mission, where they were locked and loaded with one button and they were ready to go, I had the complete confidence it would work. Why is that? Because of you. What you do here matters incredibly."

NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Kevin Behm, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.