Captain Gervy Alota joins the show for an obviously epic episode! He starts from the beginning - Southeast, San Diego. He recounts stories of escaping a lifestyle in the streets and getting into football at an early age. He speaks about how his Father introducing him to football turned into him becoming a starter on the USNA Football team where he became a team captain and was later inducted into the Academy’s Hall of Fame. He recalls his experience on ‘Fear Factor’ and remembers his time representing the Army in a combative fighting tournament. As a Chief Engineer (CHENG), he experienced a very significant moment that would impact him for the rest of his life. The Captain talks about his first day as a CO and when it finally set in his head that he was the Commanding Officer of a warship. How did Capt. Alota and the crew of the USS John P Murtha (LPD 26) handle the period of political and racial unrest following the murder of George Floyd and the Jan 6th riots? How vital is the Chief’s Mess when it comes to shaping and sustaining a culture? Capt. Gervy discusses the value of having a positive sea story. Who came up with the idea for “Club 26”? How does Capt. Alota approach CO’s Mast and holding Sailors accountable? What exactly is the “Bag of Balls?” What is the value of a cohesive TRIAD? Capt. Alota recounts why he started an Instagram page and some of the benefits the crew and their families saw from the usage of social media. He talks about dealing with internet trolls and negative feedback. Has Capt. Gervy ever been told to take a post down? Capt. has a funny story about getting “checked” while walking on base. The crew talks Filipino Mafia and what it’s all about. Capt. Alota gets into Gervy and discusses his family and the impact his father has on him. Capt. Gervy dishes on some disappointing professional news that he recently received. Capt. Alota’s “Do Better” (Addressed to COs): Love, listen to, recognize, care, uplift and make your Sailors better. What does “Win Everyday - B GREAT” mean? These and more topics are covered in this episode of the ‘Permission to Speak Freely’ podcast. Remember to follow the ‘Permission to Speak Freely’ podcast on TikTok, Facebook, Discord, Instagram, and Twitter, and subscribe on YouTube.
 
Keep up with the ‘Permission to Speak Freely’ podcast on our social media and YouTube - https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast
 
 
Keep up with Capt. Gervy on his social media platforms:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/captaingervy/?hl=en
 
 
 
Links and more from this Episode:
 
 
Capt. Alota’s Book Recommendation:
The Energy Bus (Jon Gordon) - https://www.theenergybus.com/
 
 
 
Additional Credits:
PTSF “Theme Music” - Produced by Lim0
 
 
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/paulo-kalazzi/heros-time
License code: DD4KCRBFQ8NXE5TP