Phil Keith

“The role of executive officer (XO) is unique. He can often be the loneliest person on the ship. If something happens to the captain, the “exec” needs to be trained, prepared, and ready to take over. The XO is also the chief morale officer, executor of the captain’s orders, head of discipline, and the meanest “badass” on the ship (when required). The captain has total control and the final say, but the XO must make it all happen and pull everything together the way the captain wants it done while at the same time making the crew do it right. The best XOs eventually become captains. The bad XOs reveal themselves quickly and the navy has a chance to pull them out of line before they become captains and make mistakes that could be fatal to the ship or crew. (Little has changed since 1848.)”
― Phil Keith, To the Uttermost Ends of the Earth: The Epic Hunt for the South's Most Feared Ship—and the Greatest Sea Battle of the Civil War