Why do I need to click my action method commandButton twice?

[Dick Starr]

I am using the 10/4/06 version of Shale.
 
I have an h:form containing a h:panelGrid whose footer contains a
h:commandButton in its footer as follows:
 
<h:commandButton action="#{systemOperatorMnt.create}"
    id="mntButtonsCreate"
    value="Create"/>
 
I fill in the form and click the "Create" button and my form clears
without the "create" method being executed.
 
I fill in the form again (so I get past validation) and click the
"Create" button. This time the "create" method is executed.
 
I must be missing something. Could you please tell me:
 
Why is my form being cleared the first time I click "Create"?
 
Why do I need to click the "Create" button twice?
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Dick Starr
 
P.S. My form is included below.
 
<%-- operatorMnt.jsp
  2006-10-27 RJS. New.
--%>
<%@ include file="/jspf/common/taglibs.jsp" %>
<%@ include file="/jspf/common/messages.jsp" %>
 
<h:form id="operatorMnt">
      
  <h:panelGrid
    border="1"
    cellspacing="2"
    cellpadding="2"
    columns="2"
    footerClass="starraPanelGridFooter"
    headerClass="starraPanelGridHeader"
    styleClass="starraBody">
    
    <f:facet name="header">
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['class.SystemOperatorMnt']}"/>
    </f:facet>
    
    <h:outputLabel styleClass="starraReadonly">
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['app.Operator.id']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText id="syOperatorId" readonly="true"
value="#{systemOperatorMnt.syOperatorId}"/>
    </h:panelGroup>
    
    <h:outputLabel for="name">
      <h:outputText  value="#{msg['app.Name']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText id="name" maxlength="48" required="true" size="36"
value="#{systemOperatorMnt.name}">
        <f:validateLength minimum="4" maximum="48"/>
      </h:inputText>
      <h:message for="name" styleClass="starraMsgError"/>        
    </h:panelGroup>
      
    <h:outputLabel for="logonName">
      <h:outputText  value="#{msg['app.Logon.name']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText id="logonName" maxlength="24" required="true"
size="24" value="#{systemOperatorMnt.logonName}">
        <f:validateLength minimum="4" maximum="24"/>
      </h:inputText>
      <h:message for="logonName" styleClass="starraMsgError"/>        
    </h:panelGroup>
 
    <h:outputLabel for="logonPassword">
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['app.Logon.password']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText id="logonPassword" maxlength="24" required="true"
size="24" value="#{systemOperatorMnt.logonPassword}">
        <f:validateLength minimum="4" maximum="24"/>
      </h:inputText>
      <h:message for="logonPassword" styleClass="starraMsgError"/>
    </h:panelGroup>
    
    <h:outputLabel for="logonBegDate">
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['app.Logon.beg.date']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText id="logonBegDate" required="true"
value="#{systemOperatorMnt.logonBegDate}">
        <f:convertDateTime dateStyle="short"/>
      </h:inputText>
      <h:message for="logonBegDate" styleClass="starraMsgError"/>
    </h:panelGroup>
    
    <h:outputLabel for="logonEndDate">
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['app.Logon.end.date']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText id="logonEndDate" required="true"
value="#{systemOperatorMnt.logonEndDate}">
        <f:convertDateTime dateStyle="short"/>
      </h:inputText>
      <h:message for="logonEndDate" styleClass="starraMsgError"/>
    </h:panelGroup>
    
    <h:outputLabel styleClass="starraReadonly">
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['app.Row.operator.id']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText readonly="true" size="6"
value="#{systemOperatorMnt.rowSyOperatorId}"/>
    </h:panelGroup>
    
    <h:outputLabel for="rowCreated" styleClass="starraReadonly">
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['app.Row.created']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText id="rowCreated" readonly="true"
value="#{systemOperatorMnt.rowCreated}">
        <f:convertDateTime dateStyle="short" timeStyle="short"/>
      </h:inputText>
      <h:message for="rowCreated" styleClass="starraMsgError"/>
    </h:panelGroup>
    
    <h:outputLabel for="rowUpdated" styleClass="starraReadonly">
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['app.Row.updated']}"/>
      <h:outputText value="#{msg['symbol.sep1']}"/>
    </h:outputLabel>
    <h:panelGroup>
      <h:inputText id="rowUpdated" readonly="true"
value="#{systemOperatorMnt.rowUpdated}">
        <f:convertDateTime dateStyle="short" timeStyle="short"/>
      </h:inputText>
      <h:message for="rowUpdated" styleClass="starraMsgError"/>
    </h:panelGroup>
    
    <f:facet name="footer">
      <%@ include file="/jspf/common/mntButtons.jsp" %>
    </f:facet>      
      
  </h:panelGrid>
    
</h:form>