How has the Navy changed in the last 20 years?

I had internet on my ships, but it was very unreliable. Letters were still very much appreciated while underway. I saw the ship's satellite phone used only once, for a personal emergency. Cell phones were just going mainstream, but my ships were exceptions (CIVMARS) and the rails were lined every time we transited through the Philippines. Our main mission was UNREP with a heavy dose of humanitarian aid. Of course, my experience was 10 years ago, and all my ships have since been scuttled.

Well I'm not navy, however while I was over seas we were allowed to use cell phones we could get in country. Of course when we did call it was very late here. Or we stayed up till 2 am to call at a decant time at home. My deployment was in 06. E- mail was an every day part of deployments and letters from jome were seldom.

I think the biggest thing that has changed over the years is that the removal of tradition and camaraderie is systematically being removed from being in service. Serving in the military used to be something that people pridefully and willing did. Now, it's just "something to do" because they don't have any other options. Keeping in mind that there are some that join the military for traditional reasons but many simply don't. They expect the military to be just like any other job. When I worked in recruiting, I made sure that I was telling prospects the true story. I think this, along with proper screening, makes for strong and dedicated recruits. Unfortunately, this also scares people off... especially in this generation where they are so unwilling to work for anything. Yes, it's 12 hours on and 12 hours off while deployed... but then you have to work one typical workday out of three in a port like Australia! Come on! People spend thousands of dollars for a week in a place like that!

Challenge builds character. It tests who you are as a person. As a young person, you grown and mature. You develop mature skill sets and build up your core values, even if those values don't necessarily align with yours (I know many who do a "4 and out"). That's what's changed. Our military continues to break down the foundation of what makes our military (and its personnel) great! It's catering to those who want to make the military just like every other job.

The dress whites are uglier, the summer whites and the winter blues(Johnny Cash) uniforms for e6 and below are gone replaced by a year round class B uniform with khaki shirts, dress blue trousers and garrison caps. The rank is now worn as collar devices and e4-e6 wear rank on the covers. Females are wearing white hats and jumpers even dress blues and they look like men. The female CPOs and officers are wearing mens' style combo caps and choker whites and they look pretty masculine too. Obviously, the Navy has been brainwashed into believing that there is only one gender now. It is so ironic how such academically intelligent flag officers have become stupid, and politically correct just because the White House is.

No McDonald's on ships though I have heard that some larger deck ships (gators and carriers) have Starbucks. I don't THINK (I could be wrong) that they use actual Starbucks baristas but FSA's who are "trained" to make coffee the Starbucks way.

Internet is pretty good these days, especially if you're an IT (merger of the old RM & DP ratings).

If you're within cell phone range and the CO authorizes it you can use your phone.

It's a corporation now. No tradition, no morale. Let the young sailors mess up and kick them out rather than teach them and make great leaders. Be afraid to go to your leadership and watch everyone stab each other in the back for a good eval.

While only vaguely related to the topic, I thought I'd post this picture. These two are from very different versions of the U.S. Navy. I know these meetings and pictures are for PR, but I still can't get out of my head just how cool this picture really is.

When you're a vet, survive WWII, and live long enough to have your picture taken with the CNO some 70 years later...you're bad ass! I have nothing but respect for the CNO, but he's not the hero in this pic!

Details of the photo:

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert speaks with World War II veteran Con Crabb during the 66th annual Chattanooga Armed Forces Day parade. Greenert was the reviewing officer for the event. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Laird (Released) 150501-N-AT895-095

They've gotten a lot better at scoffing at change.

And they went from "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to "Try Not To Shout It From the Quarterdeck We're All Sailors And We Don't Want to Confirm Any Suspicions the Army Has"

Other than that they're mostly the same.

Wow, in the past 23 years I have served four years in the Army and the past 19 in the Navy. Having gone to both Army and Navy Bootcamp, the thing I noticed right off the bat was the disregard for authority in the Navy. In the Army, if an NCO told you to get down and knock out 50 push-ups, you didn't ask why, you just did. Then in the Navy, no one was allowed to make you get down and do push-ups. An NCO in the Army used this basic technique to correct personnel deficiencies while ensuring you were physically fit, ensuring you understood the chain of command. Then when entering the Navy, I saw SN telling PO2's to STFU and, you F'ing sweep that up, I'm not a janitor. The PO2 had to eat it because he had no power to correct the deficiency other than going to cry to the Chief. The threat of a counseling chit had no meaning because no one ever wanted paperwork.

I remember going from a battalion of 600 people who got along, to an LSD where every single division hated each other and even the CPO's stabbed each other in the back in order to get the good evals.

After being on an LSD and then a CG, I decided that I needed to go Green Navy, where the GROWN UPS served. There, I noticed that a PO3 was running programs that a CPO was running in the Blue Navy. And guess what, the PO3 was doing it better, because he wasn't being micromanaged and was allowed to make his own mistakes. There was no babysitting required on the Green side, where in the Blue, you needed to always have a PO1 babysitting everyone.

The discipline in the Green side was there because the moment you stepped out of line, you weren't threatened with a counseling chit, you were threatened with being sent back to the fleet the first time and the second offense, you were actually gone.

I have seen the Navy overall go from people having to be told to knock out a qual so they can advance, to where LPO's start knocking out the qual for the person so that he can have a bullet in his eval, rather than holding the person accountable when he went Dink!

Now, leaders are approving every LDO, OCS, special programs package that comes across their desks because they are afraid someone is going to file an EO complaint, even if the person submitting the package is a dirtbag. And next thing you know, at PO1 lazy pants dumbass is Ensign lazy pants dumbass causing trouble.

The Navy has become so afraid of denying young undeserving Sailors of what they believe they are entitled to because they are afraid of the EO and sexual harassment option that everyone immediately aims for.

We've lost shellback initiations, blue nose and CPO induction because of the kinder gentler Navy. Guess what? The other Navies may not have the technology that we are so proud of, but they have the tougher more discipline Sailors that would put our fat EO ready to complain Sailors to shame.

Am I the only one who gets pissed off when the Americas Navy commercial comes on?? I served in the US Navy, Like my father before me. None of the other branches have changed their names. Am I just over sensitive or have the "Navy" lost its tradition?