How has the Navy changed in the last 20 years?

Oh my. Where do I start? First of all, all of this PC BS needs to go. It has no place in the military. This kinder, gentler crap has taken all power away from RDCs and DIs. Boot was supposed to be where all of the crap was thrown out. But now they make it to the fleet and it's the LPOs job to babysit. Oh yeah, they are also allowed to watch tv and have cell phones in bootcamp now. What kind of &#*$@ is that?!?!

There is most definitely NO respect at all for rank structure. This generation of entitlement are babied through boot and well into the fleet. I really and truly am glad that I was medically retired 2 1/2 years ago because there is no way I could deal with how drastically it's changed since I've gotten out. My husband, being an LPO, has his hands basically tied. Everything has to go on paper. No more attitude adjustments. Hell, I don't even think they issue EMI anymore. Oh and swearing, you may as well forget about that too. It might offend someone. *eyeroll*

Yes, they have internet on the ships. Most correspondence with your other half is email. There are shipboard phones that you can use phone cards with but those are hit or miss. Last I was on a ship though was 2008. And it was a dollar a minute to use those phones. Unless they have changed the rules, which I doubt they did, all cell phones have to be turned off while underway.

Lol...No McDonald's or anything like that aboard ship. Those that have any type of fast food like that have the hook up with folks on the CODs.

As for exercises, it sounds as though they're pretty much the same. War games. Us against them.

Hope that gives you some insight as to how it's changed and how it's stayed the same :)

Thanks for posting such an interesting topic. I served from '77 - '01, so I was at sea a lot during the "era of 3-4 week old letters" at Mail Call. I'll tell you, in those days, when the Helo came in with First Class Mail, it was a big deal for the morale of the crewmembers. My wife was a prolific letter writer, and would number each of her daily letters to make it easier for me to follow what was going on at home.
I remember during Westpac in 1980 onboard USS Truxtun (CGN-35), we were in the IO during the Iran Hostage Crisis. Spent 144 straight days at sea because we needed no refueling. So the letters from home were particularly prized during that deployment. We got word that the Helo was on approach, and went to Flight Quarters, eager to receive what was described as 1200 pounds of First Class Mail. Suddenly, the Helo developed serious mechanical problems and the crew had to ditch into the ocean about 1000 yards astern of us. Everyone on the Flight Deck was obviously concerned, and we were able to witness the rescue of the Helo crew. But down to the bottom of the IO went our mail bags, and, as Sailors will do, the griping and colorful language ensued. More than once I heard comments like, "to hell with the crew, they should have saved the mail bags". I still laugh when I think back on that day.
When we received a load of mail the next time, I was missing over 20 numbered letters. Made it a bit difficult to follow the news from home, and when I was able to finally call home, I had to reset my wife's expectations of what I knew and didn't know.
Such was the life of a fleet sailor in the early '80s. One last thought, I also remember making a MARS call home from the harbor at Diego Garcia. Had to be connected through a half dozen or so HAM Radio operators who volunteered their time all over the world. Had to say "over" after each sentence, so they could switch the gear from transmit to receive. Anyone else ever do that?

Well I'm a submariner so rarely do we really have unclass internet access (on surface we do,early used so slow) we do get email though. Cell phones you can use if not working or on maneuvering watch. But you can Olly imagine that at sea you don't have signal.

Our missions focus on support war in the middle east mostly like every one else in the military. However to do some other thinks we did back in your time.

I'm pretty sure carriers don't have McD's (PRTs would be tough to pass) but I don't know much about that life. But I do know they have internet underway on surface ships, must be nice and TV. You should look in to watching Carrier (PBS series) seems like it maybe accurate to their life underway (sucks it focuses mustly on flight deck life and not most of the rest of the ship like they don't exist) but its pretty enjoyable and insiteful.

I retired in 2004, and i saw a lot of changes in my 23 years. Went from standing in line at Disbursing on the ship to cash my payday allowance to going down to an ATM and withdrawing it. It wasn't like a bank ATM it was actually money that you held out of your paycheck that was yours. Phones in the beginning were only at ports now they have phones that take phone cards throughout most ships and accessible to the crew. Working on the boat hasn't changed much. same long hours and humping components up multiple ladders. I do understand now they do breathalizers on the quarterdeck after liberty. This i feel is total BS. You stuck on a ship for days at a time, you are supposed to get off and unwind not unwind just to blow to high on a breathalizer and have your liberty restricted. Chow was still Chow, no changes there..

I retired Jan 97, I was one of the last generation of "old" chiefs initiated in 86. But from what I've read, this newer, kinder, politically correct Navy, no doubt in my military mind I would have seen a court martial for numerous offenses.

One of my jobs my last two years at DISA in Guam was the planning and implementation of the NIPRNET/SIPERNET nodes throughout the Southwestern Pacific Region. NIPERNET is the unclassified but sensitive black side of satellite communications systems that authorized internet connectivity. In 92-94 we were in the R&D stages for the NIPRNET run across SHF satcomm terminals that didn't prove that reliable at sea which could have been a number of factors, ships gyro not properly calibrated, blockaged due to shipboard manuevers at sea from the superstructure, lack of proper signal amplification, loss of digital signal prior to the conversion process from digital to analog. It was great when it worked, but I can't say how the systems operate at sea since Jan 97.

I had internet in the barracks at Guam and used voice software to make long distance calls home for those that had the same software loaded on their computers. This was all prior to Skype. But still saved on long distance calls. Cell phones were just coming on line in Guam in those days.

SFC Mark Merino. I believe Seabees consume flying bullets, casings, and any other raw materials in their path for use in their construction projects. Sandy

Excellent question! I have sat here several times wondering how different life in the military must be in the day of cell phones, internet, etc. --- I come from the day of getting letters that were weeks old and making the monthly international call home to check on family.

Served 83-03 (Retired ET1) As for me one of the biggest an saddest is that on board ship people have less time for each other. Here my point.

On my first ship while underway I would make friends with people from all different shops ie. Snipes, OPS, Admin we would play cards board games, darts, BS outside while looking at the STARS. We would get to know each other pretty well an embrace the word SHIPMATES.

On my last ship when the work was done the junior guys working for me would turn-on the TV or Computers an play video games an all I heard was them talking about the games an never really getting a chance to know their fellow Shipmates or other people from different shops.

That's the sad part I like my time much better.

The Navy seems to be on a downward spiral. A maritime war against a nation with a modern navy will separate the men from the boys, but all the B.S. that CPO's and Officers throw on the competent E5's every day seems to be pushing all the decent sailors out of the Navy, while the dirtbags re-enlist and marry girls that they've known for 2 weeks for the free house. The Navy also periodically takes away re-enlistment bonuses for most rates in order to save some money. I served on a Sub out of Pearl Harbor from 2009-2013 and they broke my back figuratively. I don't see the Navy being as dominant as they were during World War II when the next world war comes along.

Radiomen do have internet access when on the surface during local ops. and email rarely gets retrieved or sent while on mission. Russia sold most of their Navy to China...

Shipboard life on a Los Angeles class sub hasn't changed much in the last 20 years, considering my boat was commissioned in 1994. They only thing that has changed has been a drastic increase in political correctness, demolition of traditions, and acceptance for incompetence.

This New Navy; Cammo Outfits, No Shellback/ Bluenose Rituals, times indeed have changed. This is “MY” Opinion I actually wonder if our Military has improved. Being softened by the lack of Time ordained Traditional Rituals kept our Sailors and Military for that matter Character’s STRONG, I'm sure the Army and Marines have had their same Rituals stripped away by this Politically Correct Society we now live in, However it's my Opinion that our military’s fighting force has been weakened, Yea we can beat up on small Countries like Iraq, and the bands of the Taliban - we are an AWESOME Force, however, Matched up against the likes of North Korea or China, I am not sure in a conventional Battle, we would be able to hold our ground & I am most DEFINATELY sure our PUBLIC doesn't have the stomach to handle such a conflict anymore. I Love this Country and Love the Dedicated Military Men & Women who serve every day & I am also Proud to have served myself like my Father did, However - the Higher Ups or Powers to be, have softened our Fighting Men & Women by taking these LONG held Traditions away, and replaced them with Cool Looking Combat Looking Cammo Uniforms, and treated them like porcelain dolls that break if you drop them, not to mention treat them to hard. I understand this PTSD thing; however there is a difference between Collage Hazing & Military Time Honored Traditions that developed Character, and as of late have been called Hazing also, and have put a stop to them all. So getting to my point, I don't think over the past 20 years our Military has gotten stronger, in fact I feel they have gotten "Mentally" weaker. Technology Definitely has improved - NO Doubt, but to win Major Conflicts, You need STRONG Character and Uniforms don't win Battles, Men & Women with Strong Characters DO !!!

And that's what ALL those long held Traditional Riturals were really meant to do – Build Character......