Editor’s Note (much needed Revision 12-9-16) This is going to be a politically incorrect post documenting an unvarnished reaction to a recent government decision that has widespread affects on the psyche and traditions of the Navy. So use your personal discretion if you choose to continue reading this.
As a blogger of a general subjects blog who has generally avoided very political topics, this one does not meet that criteria, but this issue helps me understand what happens when a large body of people are acted upon in a way without respect for their long held values.
Moreover, it helps me get a better feel for victims of decisions made in dictatorial ways. As a result, I’ve grown more inclined to better understand the root cause of some inflammatory statements of others, including others who I do not agree with. Giving a voice to the voiceless is a matter of importance.
And so back to the ISSUE…
I saw my friend and shipmate Russ Wood’s write up on Facebook and felt immediately in synch with his criticism of the government’s radical and unsolicited decision to eliminate the Navy’s traditional enlisted rating system in favor of a nameless and soul-less numerical system to (and I’m paraphrasing) “offer a generic professional classifications to facilitate career moves within and without the Navy.” That is a ridiculous runaround of an explanation.
Let’s face the reality, our armed services stand as a proxy for WAR and anything we can do to enhance their WARFIGHTING CAPABILITIES should take precedence. Pride and tradition have an enormous qualitative benefit that a damned politically-correct bean counter has no sense of. But this kind of wholesale overturning of tradition has little to do with counting pennies, it’s far more diabolical.
Political Correctness, despite any redeeming factors it may be born from, has long been highjacked to give a vehicle for every Trojan Horse. That’s my short rant.
Now I want to hand it over to Chief Russ Woods, US Navy (ret), where he takes the issue inside a few steps further as he laments over the leadership issue within the Navy…
TO FIGHT BACK, SIGN THE PETITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE
Examples of Navy Enlisted Rating Badges. Source: Google images
THE ASSASSINATION OF THE NAVY’S COVETED ENLISTED RATINGS
Prepare for a RANT!
By ICC/SS (Interior Communication Electrician Chief/Submarine Qualified) Russ Woods, US Navy (ret).
Friends and family who are unfamiliar with the time honored Navy Rating System you will not really get my disdain. In my time in service my Rating was Interior Communications Electrician. In short I was an ICman. My shipmates were Torpedoman, Auxillaryman, Firecontrolman, [inside joke deleted for the Navy outsider] Sonarman. There are others but you get the drift.
So out of the blue, Uncle Sugar’s Navy has decided that it will be in the best interest of the Navy to eliminate the rating system and lose these time-honored names that give an identity and source of pride and ownership to the particular fields of expertise. And who wants to tell a badass Navy Seal he must now be a steely eyed frogperson? Because frogman is in their feeble minds offensive to all women and for sure a minority of snappy dressers in the Navy community. Their rational for doing this as explained in the accompanying article is BULLARKEY!!!
This was purely political correctness by an Obama appointee plain and simple. They are as quickly and as expeditiously as possible doing their best to emasculate and neuter our once fine and formidable armed forces. A post I referred to the other day about the Marines and how they are not bowing to the PC god is an indication of how this cancer is being propagated throughout the military. Save for the Air Force as they already zip their pants on the side.
This grizzled old Chief Petty officer saw this writing on the wall years ago as I was leaving the Navy. PC ideas like this are allowing male sailors to wear earrings and carry umbrellas which up to that point was forbidden, were being all of a sudden allowed. Even then with no good rationale for why. Sadly, who was at the forefront of carrying water for the degradation of good order and discipline in the fleet? Then as now it was and is brown nosing bootlicking E-7’s thru 9’s. Weak wristed individuals so enamored with themselves and their standing with the Admiral they are not worthy of the title “Chief”. So they are referred to here by their rank E-7. Suck ups is another good moniker for these brown nosing losers.
These men, and I use that term loosely, are nothing more than useful idiots for the Obama minions whose goal it is to weaken the United States across the globe. Necessary to the success of that goal is to ensure the US military more resembles the armed forces of lesser countries instead of the fire breathing dragons our military should be and has been.
This is the product of a President and a [political Elite] class that desire a one-world government where they are the aristocracy and all others are beholden to them for their survival. These actions are not an accident. These are deliberate actions meant to weaken and make less effective our military. The PC Admirals and lesser brass and a handful of E-7 thru 9’s are handing over our heritage without so much as a whimper. I truly do not recognize my Navy.
Just sayin’.
*****
Ref: https://www.navytimes.com/articles/the-inside-story-of-how-the-navys-top-brass-eliminated-ratings
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION TO ACT IN EFFORT TO STOP THE ASSASSINATION OF THE NAVY’s TIME HONORED ENLISTED RATING SYSTEM.
You do not need to be in the Navy to sign this petition to get the attention of Washington D.C. ACT NOW!
CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW TO SIGN
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/restore-traditional-navy-rating-specialty-titles-disestablished-9292016
CKY
For some comic relief: see Jeff Bacon’s October 17, 2016’s The Broadside Blog where there an apt example how political correctness can interfere with the effective running of a ship.
Sorry to see this , but that is why I got out in 1986. Too much PC BS!!!! Bad enough that E-6 was just another “rag-hat” on the boat. That I could live with, because ashore on base that did hold meaning that was openly acknowledged. However… Rate has meaning , your place on the boat. Nobody could do much of any thing if all the rates didn’t do their part. But you could hold your pride that your rate was the one that made it all happen. The boat was there to put a stop to OUR COUNTRIES enemies use of the oceans. The boat didn’t move with out the nukes, it wouldn’t shoot with out the weapons rates,FTG’s, TM’s, STS’s(yes this FTG does offer praise to sonar girls). None of us could work with out supply,SK’s and MS’s . We wouldn’t know where we were or what was going on with out the ET’s,RM’s or QM’s (say Rodney) And no body could read a gauge or talk with out the IC’s, Try to take a trip to the head without A-Ganger’s(MM’s)A-gang ran all the stuff that made life possible. And there is the Doc(HM) the personnelmen(PN) want to get payed?
This list is heavy with history and honor, just because you didn’t turn the firing key(FTG’s) there wasn’t anything done with out it all working together. And yes the wardroom does count here ,too. Line, LDO, and Warrent.
The only rateless operator on a submarine in the Navy was on a very bad TV show, poor Seaman Kowalski of the “Sea-View”, he could do it all,con the boat,fly the flying sub,pull reactor rods with his bare hands. But he couldn’t make rate.
Make the Navy use margerine yeah ok, combine rates..maybe. But keep the rate!It isn’t a job,it isn’t an adventure, it isn’t a game. RATE is a calling,an asperation ,a badge of HONOR.
Randy, I’m glad to be bale to give you a little space to vent. Hopefully this bureaucratic SNAFU will be rectified before too long. CK