Posted on Nov 20, 2015
Do you think the other Branches of the service have a flawed view of what it's like in the Navy?
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I have had this discussion a few times with some of my friends that serves in other branches. I don't think many of them understand what its like to be in the Navy or serve on a ship.
I use the following explanation.
When a Navy ship goes to sea it does not matter if the Nation is at war or peace, It goes ready for war. There is very little difference in how the ship operates. The Navy takes everything it needs with it every time.
Most people in the Navy will never get to pull the trigger, launch a missile or drop a bomb but everything that everyone does on a ship revolves around being able to do those things. If the ship does see combat the cooks and the yeomen are only a few feet away from the people that are pulling the trigger or launching the missile.
There is no safe area, there is no fallback plan. The ship that keeps you alive and its crew are all you have. If it breaks or fails in any way there is no option to walk away.
The ship becomes your world, its survival its very much linked to your own, So much so that even the non engineers can tell when the props slow down or speed up a few RPM.
We call ships she out of respect, most sailors wont admit it but the she is more like a mother than a wife or girlfriend. Treat her right and she will kill herself to protect you, disrespect her and she will reach and slap you when you least expect it.
I use the following explanation.
When a Navy ship goes to sea it does not matter if the Nation is at war or peace, It goes ready for war. There is very little difference in how the ship operates. The Navy takes everything it needs with it every time.
Most people in the Navy will never get to pull the trigger, launch a missile or drop a bomb but everything that everyone does on a ship revolves around being able to do those things. If the ship does see combat the cooks and the yeomen are only a few feet away from the people that are pulling the trigger or launching the missile.
There is no safe area, there is no fallback plan. The ship that keeps you alive and its crew are all you have. If it breaks or fails in any way there is no option to walk away.
The ship becomes your world, its survival its very much linked to your own, So much so that even the non engineers can tell when the props slow down or speed up a few RPM.
We call ships she out of respect, most sailors wont admit it but the she is more like a mother than a wife or girlfriend. Treat her right and she will kill herself to protect you, disrespect her and she will reach and slap you when you least expect it.
Navy
Sailors
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
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I was told by an Army Vietnam Vet. The Navy is not the real Military. I told him to tell that to brown water sailors who traveled up rivers in Vietnam. Clearly he was full of himself.
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MCPO Tom Miller
Tell that to a Marine and see how he feels about "Doc" or a sailor on a swift boat, a Navy pilot, a spotter, UDT/Seal and a lot other in country sailors. We all serve to support our ground troops and remember it takes 8-10 to support them in field! We need all branches to get the job done! I have the deepest respect for anyone in uniform. After I retired from the Navy, I was employed as a Field Examiner for Guardianship and Fidicuary for the Veterans Administration to ensure our disabled veterans were protected and in good care. Didn't see where one was discredited because of the service he served!
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LCDR Anthony Montague
I would love to have him try to tell that to any combat Navy or, any of those of us who survived the USS Cole attack. There is no such thing as "not real military". Anybody who puts on the uniform and sets themselves in harm's way deserves respect.
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CPO (Join to see)
I would also let him know about Marvin Shields who received a Medal Of Honor Posthumously supporting an ODA team In Vietnam and also his Team of 13 SEABEES, received one Silver Star, two Bronze Stars with V's and 7 Purple Harts. I THINK THEY WERE IN THE SHIT. This was in 1965 Before all the troops arrived to fight..
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PO3 Michael Peterson
Get that a lot from army Vietnam vets when I show up at a VA outreach in my area.
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No branch of the service truly understands what it is like to serve in any other branch. Even within the Navy, no Rating knows what it is like to work in another rating.
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This is a thread from a few months back and my response to it:
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-is-the-problem-with-the-navy-service-culture
Sailors (at Sea) work longer and harder than anyone I have ever seen. The OPTEMPO is just constant, and insane. The ship does not stop running. It has to be constantly maintained, regardless of what else is going on.
They're "cities" and the Captain is in charge of it all, down to the last bolt.
Being at Sea, there is no running to Mainside if you find yourself short of X. You have to make it to the next UNREP, and a little mistake is anything but. They snowball fast.
Moving away from the US Navy for just a second. Look at these cruise ship disasters over the last few years. A plumbing problem, or an engine problem, and you end up with 3k~ people stranded for 7 days, and no way to get them home. Now imagine doing that with a military vessel in the middle of the Indian or Pacific, and the food is running out.
This promotes a "zero defect" mentality, and honestly, in the Navy I can understand it. While I was in, I saw more Captain's Mast (NJP / Art 15) on Ship than I saw anywhere else. They did not screw around. The "relieved for cause" piece is just an extension of that.
I think we are just more aware of it now, because of the internet, and social media. As information is more available, Higher Headquarters is just faster about removing people at even a hint of trouble. If you're in charge a billion dollar piece of equipment, and thousands of lives, there is no reason to give the benefit of the doubt. We'll assume guilt, get someone else out there, and let the investigation clear you. I know this seems counter to American Ideology... but think of the alternatives.
Now, that said, this isn't all bad or good. It can promote a fear of failure mentality, but it can also promote a trust in the organization that toxic leadership will just be "disappeared" swiftly. No games, no muss, no fuss. Just gone.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-is-the-problem-with-the-navy-service-culture
Sailors (at Sea) work longer and harder than anyone I have ever seen. The OPTEMPO is just constant, and insane. The ship does not stop running. It has to be constantly maintained, regardless of what else is going on.
They're "cities" and the Captain is in charge of it all, down to the last bolt.
Being at Sea, there is no running to Mainside if you find yourself short of X. You have to make it to the next UNREP, and a little mistake is anything but. They snowball fast.
Moving away from the US Navy for just a second. Look at these cruise ship disasters over the last few years. A plumbing problem, or an engine problem, and you end up with 3k~ people stranded for 7 days, and no way to get them home. Now imagine doing that with a military vessel in the middle of the Indian or Pacific, and the food is running out.
This promotes a "zero defect" mentality, and honestly, in the Navy I can understand it. While I was in, I saw more Captain's Mast (NJP / Art 15) on Ship than I saw anywhere else. They did not screw around. The "relieved for cause" piece is just an extension of that.
I think we are just more aware of it now, because of the internet, and social media. As information is more available, Higher Headquarters is just faster about removing people at even a hint of trouble. If you're in charge a billion dollar piece of equipment, and thousands of lives, there is no reason to give the benefit of the doubt. We'll assume guilt, get someone else out there, and let the investigation clear you. I know this seems counter to American Ideology... but think of the alternatives.
Now, that said, this isn't all bad or good. It can promote a fear of failure mentality, but it can also promote a trust in the organization that toxic leadership will just be "disappeared" swiftly. No games, no muss, no fuss. Just gone.
What Is The Problem With The Navy Service Culture? | RallyPoint
From the current transition away from a traditional Deepwater Fleet to the new Littoral concept; the "Green Navy" initiative that is consuming budgets like a cancer; to the unsettling trend of relieving Commanding Officers in Captain billets and above for so much as farting at an inopportune time, it seems that from our outside perspective, these are challenging days to be a Sailor. Is this true?Just as I did with the Air Force a couple of...
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