Posted on May 2, 2018

The US Navy has abandoned classic sailing skills — and it could lose its next war

CW5 Jack Cardwell

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The US Navy has abandoned classic sailing skills — and it could lose its next war

Posted from businessinsider.com

Posted in these groups:

Technology Iraq war

Warfare

Naval/Maritime History

Posted >1 y ago

Responses: 4

LTC Stephen F.

Edited >1 y ago

Posted >1 y ago

To be honest CW5 Jack Cardwell business week is barking up the wrong tree and attempting to sail down a river without a paddle. This should be a Duffle Blog Post
The US Navy sailors and pilots have not lost their sailing skills. Granted like airplane and helicopter pilots they use equipment and computers to assist in flying and engaging targets.
However training and operations on surface, below surface and in the air as well as unmanned systems is top notch.
Business Week is not privy to war plans or systems under development on a need-to-know basis.
I trust our nations Naval leaders and sailors to defend and attack when necessary to keep our borders and the world's strategic waterways open.

FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi LTC (Join to see) LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Capt Seid Waddell Capt Jeff S. CPT Jack Durish MSgt Robert C Aldi SFC Stephen King MSgt Danny Hope SGT Gregory Lawritson Cpl Craig Marton SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT (Join to see) Maj Marty Hogan

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Capt Jeff S.

>1 y

And when the GPS is down, what will they fall back on?

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LTC Stephen F.

>1 y

Capt Jeff S. - they will most likely fall back on their training just like Marines and Army Soldiers do:
Sailors would probably rely on compass, stars, moon and sun and navigational charts along with the knowledge of how many knots they are traveling per timeframe.
What do you think? PO2 Jeffery Marcussen Sr LTJG Robert M. CAPT (Join to see) PO3 (Join to see) PO2 Jonathan Scharff LCDR (Join to see) LCDR Dan Eddinger
CMC Robert Young CDR Thomas Gatliffe SCPO Morris Ramsey PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 John Miller PO3 Steven Sherrill LTJG Josh Thaxton SCPO David Lockwood SCPO Larry Knight Sr. CAPT Bob Bechill

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LTJG Robert M.

>1 y

Part of our ongoing training in the USCG was to have CO cover electronic navigational aids and navigate by visual tangents, sun lines and star shots. Traveled over 2000 nm and we were only 5 miles off course.

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LTC Stephen F.

>1 y

LTJG Robert M. - thanks for weighing in :-)

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LT Brad McInnis

Posted >1 y ago

Remember when Business Insider actually covered... Business? Manning, sleep deprivation and over tasking were more to blame for these accidents than a loss of sailing skills... And, I can guarantee you as a former Tactical Action Officer on a DDG, that sailing skills aren't used in modern warfare, this isn't the age of sail anymore where you have to cross the "T".

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LCDR (Join to see)

>1 y

I'm with you Brad-Can't see another "Jutland" on the horizon. For certain, BRM issues, inadequate rest, too many "Number 1" tasks are the culprits. Still, I do think we could benefit from a more rigorous seamanship course for JOs. I'm not saying "Every Ensign a Yachtsman"...but there's no viable reason why an incoming Division Officer shouldn't be able to be a competent coxswain, understand the fundamentals of shiphandling, and be confident on the bridge. For my part, I think we stick new DIVOs out there too early...maybe we should take a page from the past and make more of the candidate officer curriculum "at sea", or deploy "passed Midshipmen" for 24 months to qualify as OOD before getting their bars and heading off for their first tour.

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LT Brad McInnis

>1 y

LCDR (Join to see) - Hey, I remember being almost run over by the Severn Queen in those little sailboats during Plebe Summer! Don't think it made me a better sailor, just encouraged me to learn to swim better.... But I did do the YP squadron stuff. We should build a bunch of those, put a bunch on each coast and train young JO's how to actually handle a ship, my 2 cents only, of course...

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LT Brad McInnis

>1 y

PO2 Robert Aitchison - I will say that after Cole, the mass was drills have gotten much better. As CHENG, I used to be a d#ck and take all sorts of stuff down (briefed of course) that made the sailors actually have to think their way through... No body liked me, made one of my CO's a casualty, then took out the XO, and CSO. All so I could say I had command for a little bit (even if it was just for an exercise)...

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