▁development . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁n avy ▁leadership ▁came ▁primarily ▁from ▁the ▁av iation ▁community . ▁It ▁believed ▁that ▁av iation ▁could ▁prevent ▁Soviet ▁aircraft ▁from ▁getting ▁within ▁two ▁to ▁three ▁hundred ▁miles ▁of ▁a ▁battle ▁group ▁to ▁shoot ▁a ▁miss ile . ▁The ▁debate ▁over ▁whether ▁man ned ▁aircraft ▁or ▁miss iles ▁would ▁best ▁perform ▁the ▁intercept s ▁de vol ved ▁into ▁a ▁fight ▁between ▁un ions ▁over ▁who ▁would ▁get ▁the ▁funds ▁to ▁structure ▁the ▁force . ▁ ▁H ank ▁thus ▁found ▁himself ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁gen esis ▁of ▁fleet ▁air ▁defense ▁against ▁miss iles , ▁the ▁tact ical ▁threat ▁that ▁would ▁abs orb ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁and ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁dec ades ▁of ▁Navy ▁development . ▁After ▁wrest ling ▁with ▁these ▁miss ile - n avy ▁issues , ▁a ▁trem end ous ▁number ▁of ▁ship ▁capt ains ▁and ▁department ▁heads , ▁not ably ▁weapons ▁department ▁heads , ▁would ▁rise ▁to ▁flag ▁officer ▁rank ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁however ▁the ▁n avy ▁was ▁pay ing ▁sc ant ▁attention ▁to ▁anti - sur face ▁tact ics , ▁naval ▁gun fire ▁support , ▁and ▁g unn ery ▁in ▁general . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁half way ▁through ▁his ▁tour , ▁H ank ▁made ▁lieutenant ▁commander ▁a ▁year ▁early . ▁Remember ing ▁Sh oup ' s ▁point ▁that ▁the ▁surface ▁Navy ▁could ▁not ▁support ▁an ▁am ph ib ious ▁invasion