US Navy to teach sailors to navigate by the stars again

I can't get past the idea that they would send ships to sea without qualified navigators. Any idiot can follow a GPS as long as it's working.

Or you know, a missile strike takes out your repeaters, etc.

SN Greg Wright - not to worry. Spock is always standing by

New Navigation Screen Saver for Aegis -

LT Brad McInnis - That is what I was trying to say, Apparently they watered down the OOD Quals. I did not want ti infer that CELNAV was the prob with Fitzgerald, but rather the watered down probably many OOD Quals.

CWO3 Dennis M. - In my experience the quals were watered down, as more and more systems come on line, different types of ships with their different operating characteristics, and more and more people get shuffled around. I met older SWO's, with many fewer systems, that many years later could outdo me on just about any system. Granted, that was just my experience, I knew plenty of Officers that were really, really great on the bridge, I was just one that couldn't wait to get to engineering...

SN Greg Wright - I agree that maritime ship handlers are some of the best because of what you say, that is all they have to do day in and day out. When I was entering and leaving port I always welcomed the civilian Pilot with open arms. But it would be impractical if the Navy had Professional bridge watch standers and be like putting all your eggs in one basket so to speak. Every officer and enlisted on a Navy ship has a professional job, a GQ station so as to fight the ship, and must be qualified in Damage control to save the ship and has a watch station!. As a CO once told me that "there are no passengers on a Navy ship. Everyone on board is essential to the mission of the ship, and basically there are no extra sailors aboard. The loss of even just a single person diminishes our ability to complete a mission. Just using my self as an example, when I was not standing OOD under way on the bridge, I was the Combat Systems Test Officer. I was in Combat running continuous tests on every combat system to verify our 500 foot long ship was at peak fighting readiness on a Nuke powered Guided Missile cruiser with a crew of well over 300 sailors and make my reports to the skipper! "What would a Professional ship handler do when not on the bridge?

CWO3 Dennis M. - I don't see any reason they wouldn't use their off-bridge time to do precisely as you say, and get all that training and quals. I don't see how it'd be different from any other officer when not present at their billet station.