Posted on Dec 21, 2016
What's your take on the Navy taking away enlisted ratings a few months ago, and then bringing them back today?
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Sailors
Sailors
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 22
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So here's some perspective for those of you who don't understand how Sailors think. Imagine you're on a ship with 250 other folks. You all have very specific jobs to do but are also responsible for the overall welfare of the ship and its warfighting capabilities. You're at sea and you have YOUR resources, nothing more, nothing less. If I know my job as a Corpsman and do it well, those who need me can "see the Doc". If I have a system in disrepair (comms, IT, plumbing, etc) I can call on specific job types like Machinist Mates who can fix it with expertise. I don't NEED to identify by rating, but it's helpful in a confined operational environment. And it's what we do. To train that out of people would have taken eons, and still probably never have realized the personnel flexibility nor civilian job opportunities that the change allegedly enabled. And in the meantime the mental delays (however small they might have been) required to make the adjustment could have put personnel or ships at risk.
Instead of 98-W, etc you have in medical support we have HM's with subspecialty codes. It was an absolute failure for Big Navy to think that CHANGING THE VERNACULAR would help anything. What is broken within the Navy is Navy Personnel Command's inability to roll people from one rating (or subspecialty NEC) to another without justification along "the Needs of the Navy" (which is their code for "we're only going to fill where everyone doesn't want to be"). So....in SECNAV's (and CNO's and former MCPON's) eyes it was better to deep six traditional ranks WITHOUT EVEN HAVING THE NEXT STEP IRONED OUT. Did the "flexibility" mean they weren't going to "motivate" Sailors to fill those crappy duties? Nope.
And don't get me started on former MCPON Stevens. Interesting that he copped a CIVLANT job DIRECTLY TIED TO the policies he drove right before he shipped out.
Instead of 98-W, etc you have in medical support we have HM's with subspecialty codes. It was an absolute failure for Big Navy to think that CHANGING THE VERNACULAR would help anything. What is broken within the Navy is Navy Personnel Command's inability to roll people from one rating (or subspecialty NEC) to another without justification along "the Needs of the Navy" (which is their code for "we're only going to fill where everyone doesn't want to be"). So....in SECNAV's (and CNO's and former MCPON's) eyes it was better to deep six traditional ranks WITHOUT EVEN HAVING THE NEXT STEP IRONED OUT. Did the "flexibility" mean they weren't going to "motivate" Sailors to fill those crappy duties? Nope.
And don't get me started on former MCPON Stevens. Interesting that he copped a CIVLANT job DIRECTLY TIED TO the policies he drove right before he shipped out.
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PO2 Skip Kirkwood
You hit that one out of the park, Master Chief! MCPON Stevens failed in his ultimate duty - to represent the concerns of fleet sailors to the admirals. As a "doc" - that "aviation post hole digger" on my sleeve made a statement to others - they knew what they could count on me for. A blank crow? "Who is this dude and what can he do for me?"
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PO2 Paul W.
What was to become of those of us Corpsmen like me, lucky enough to go FMF with a rifle company? In my day ('68-"69) we received advanced trauma and illness care training before our post to the Corps, but no training in small unit tactics or operations. So, though I was an E5, I was NOT qualified to lead a squad or platoon in combat. Yet, without clear evidence of my RATING & ONLY my rank, such an unfortunate situation COULD have occured and SHOULD have been anticipated.
Did I perform "military" & combat function of an E5? Of course, once I had learned and practiced them with Trained USMC E5 & above! I also IMMEDIATELY relinquished leadership to one more senior or more seasoned (no matter their rank) because "combat" was NOT my specialty.
In my estimation, this was a purely political and morale defeating homogenization effort by feckless and under performing (at best, treasonous at worst) cIC [sic]. Another way to weaken our military capabilities!
Did I perform "military" & combat function of an E5? Of course, once I had learned and practiced them with Trained USMC E5 & above! I also IMMEDIATELY relinquished leadership to one more senior or more seasoned (no matter their rank) because "combat" was NOT my specialty.
In my estimation, this was a purely political and morale defeating homogenization effort by feckless and under performing (at best, treasonous at worst) cIC [sic]. Another way to weaken our military capabilities!
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CPO Donald Schenkel
Excellent response Master Chief I was wondering how they were going figure out on the watch quarter station bill who was doing what, not to mention what were the Marines going to call out Corpsman or NOS***** forward.
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It feels like is was a well intentioned move whose full impact was not considered or understood.. And when the impact to esprit de Corps was fully realized someone decided the timing was not right, or the impact not worth the change.
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PO1 James Giunta
I wouldn't say that their motives were well intentioned at all. It was their intention to jump on the Obama bandwagon to try to be more politically correct, rather than to be stand up and have the balls to stick with the tradition and structure that our people actually sign up for.
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My take is that Richardson is giving Mabus a well-deserved "Fuck you" now that he can't do anything about it. That, or he really didn't expect the uproar he got.
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SSG Carlos Madden
Top Navy leaders explain decision to restore ratings titles
The Navy on Wednesday announced that sailors’ ratings titles will be restored, effective immediately. To explain the decision, Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Steven Giordano held an all-hands meeting at the Pentagon Wednesday morning. Here’s what they had to say.
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SN Greg Wright
SSG Carlos Madden - Well sure he has to say that. And, of course, it probably is true. But it gives me warm fuzzies to think of Mabus on the receiving end of that big F-U.
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