Musings, leadership tidbits and quotes posted by a retired Navy Captain (really just a high performing 2nd Class Petty Officer) who hung up his uniform a bit too early. He still wears his Navy service on his sleeve. He needs to get over that. "ADVANCE WARNING - NO ORIGINAL THOUGHT!" A "self-appointed" lead EVANGELIST for the "cryptologic community". Keeping CRYPTOLOGY alive-one day and Sailor at a time. 2015 is 80th Anniversary of the Naval Security Group.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Only a moment to sink any of them
"It takes the Navy five years to build a ship. It took the Navy two hundred years to build a reputation. It takes an officer an entire 20 to 30 year career to build a reputation."
It takes only a moment to sink any of them.
5 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Captain Lambert,
All these things are true, but there is another factor; the enlisted man should be considered also, some spent an entire career trying to shake off things that are still attributed to the average Sailor; drunk as a Sailor, spends like a drunken Sailor, a girl in every port. Not to many folks say things like; he made his country proud, he spent most of his career sailing the 7 seas and protecting his country, the sea lanes are open and this Sailor helped to insure that, he is dedicated to his country, his family and the constitution which he swore to defend. Enlisted men can insure that the Navy, its Officers and it ships stay afloat, and they have been doing that for these last 200 years.
Navyman834, I'm interested in how long you've been out of touch with today's Navy. First, I'd argue that those colloquiolisms are nearly absent from today's youth - one only hears them from the greatest generation and the older boomers. Second, the changes made over the last 10 years regarding the deglamorization of alcohol and "right spirit", along with the shift in cultural norms, have removed "stupid drunkenness" as the primary recreational activity for our young sailors. They'd rather have a few beers and play Call of Duty or watch blu-ray on the big screen than pay for $12 drinks all night at the club. I'd also say you haven't traveled much in uniform lately, because when one does, one is stopped frequently by grateful Americans expressing sentiments just like the ones you state "not many folks say". Do we still have alcohol incidents? You bet. But we square that garbage away ASAP when it occurs, and the offenders pay. To make generalizations about "the enlisted man" like you have does them great discredit in my opinion. CDR Chaz Loiselle, USN
You must have misunderstood what I was trying to state; I am a staunch defender of the Navy enlisted man. But you seem to think otherwise, you should read this blog more often, as you claim it is one of your selected interests, to find what I have said about the Navy in general and the Navy enlisted man specifically.
I have seen the call name Rotorhead only a few times on this blog, so I assumed you were probably a sea going Sailor. I think, Commander, that you should look again at what I posted on this blog and than wonder why you made any kind of fuss over what I said. I have looked at your profile, and I see that you have an aversion to the greatest generation and boomers. If you would get your head out the surf you might find some value to what these old folks have to say. You are wrong about what you state, because even the young people on TV, who are supposedly broadcasting the news, use the sayings that I pointed to in my post, quite often.
I am just an old Master Chief that has been out of circulation from probably before you even came in the Navy, and as I usually advise youngsters, that you should take it upon yourself to use a spell checker, the smart kids of today do that. Unlike my, even older than I am, grade school teacher I will not red check your errors but you should attempt to find out where you were incorrect.
Very Respectfully E. A. Hughes, FTCM (SS) US Navy (Retired) Navyman834
As an active duty SCPO, I have observed the USN take a turn for the good in controlling alcoholism. As with “Zero Tolerance” for drugs, an alcohol incident is a “career ender” for senior enlisted Sailors. Whereas, if you have a DUI you can bet that you will not be selected for promotion to CPO, SCPO, or MCPO if it occurred within a five year window. I can only speak to the how the enlisted ranks approaches this problem and it is with intrusive leadership into the lives of our Sailors.
I have been out of the Navy for 32 years and even before I retired there was a “Zero Tolerance” level for drugs. And an effort was made to curtail alcohol abuse, as it was called, I am not so sure about all the efforts made by the Navy to curtail drinking. The Navy policy as I remember when I first enlisted was to allow Sailors to drink at the clubs on base, even when they were underage they were allowed to drink beer, the EM clubs did not serve hard liquor. The Navy at that time felt its junior Sailors, because they were old enough to go to war should be able to have a drink or two and blow off a little steam, and that was permitted unless they approached being out of control. The SP’s at that time would round up any Sailor that appeared to have more than enough to drink, and take him back to his ship or station. There were no charges made against this Sailor unless he made trouble for the Shore Patrol. Every ship and station assigned SP’s to the clubs on base and any place in nearby towns that Sailors went as well. They were there to look out for Sailors and protect them, some times from themselves, but many bad civilian individuals found that young Sailors were an easy mark for them.
It turns out that this was one of the reasons why the Navy authorized clubs on Navy bases. Sailors were safe on the base and that is they way the Navy wanted it.
A lot of folks would disagree with me but moderate drinking is not harmful in any way and until that young Sailor learns to be a moderate drinker he will stay in trouble in the Navy today. If he/she today are not given a little latitude they will have a difficult time in finding any kind of a social life, and then they can really become a problem to themselves and the Navy.
I was never put on report while I was in the Navy for drinking, or associated problems that one can fall into while drinking in excess. I was exposed to drinking when I was just a teenager before high school and I think that experience aided me in understanding how much I could drink without going to excess.
Senior Chief, the polocy is intrusive in my opinion as well. This is not the only intrusive thing the Navy has become involved in. My last sea duty was a Submarine and the Navy says you can not smoke on a Submarine below decks. The president of the United States is still a closet smoker and a drinker as well, as published by his wife. How can he in good conscience say that a Sailor can not smoke on his own ship?
Lord help the Sailors in their effort to do their duty for their country and have the freedom to life their own life as they see fit. I was able to exist within the regulations for 24 years and had a great career, but it looks as though there are a lot of road blocks for Sailors today.
Hope you can tolerate my rant,
E. A. Hughes, FTCM (SS) US Navy (Retired) Navyman834
5 comments:
Captain Lambert,
All these things are true, but there is another factor; the enlisted man should be considered also, some spent an entire career trying to shake off things that are still attributed to the average Sailor; drunk as a Sailor, spends like a drunken Sailor, a girl in every port. Not to many folks say things like; he made his country proud, he spent most of his career sailing the 7 seas and protecting his country, the sea lanes are open and this Sailor helped to insure that, he is dedicated to his country, his family and the constitution which he swore to defend.
Enlisted men can insure that the Navy, its Officers and it ships stay afloat, and they have been doing that for these last 200 years.
Very Respectfully,
Navyman834
Navyman834, I'm interested in how long you've been out of touch with today's Navy. First, I'd argue that those colloquiolisms are nearly absent from today's youth - one only hears them from the greatest generation and the older boomers. Second, the changes made over the last 10 years regarding the deglamorization of alcohol and "right spirit", along with the shift in cultural norms, have removed "stupid drunkenness" as the primary recreational activity for our young sailors. They'd rather have a few beers and play Call of Duty or watch blu-ray on the big screen than pay for $12 drinks all night at the club. I'd also say you haven't traveled much in uniform lately, because when one does, one is stopped frequently by grateful Americans expressing sentiments just like the ones you state "not many folks say".
Do we still have alcohol incidents? You bet. But we square that garbage away ASAP when it occurs, and the offenders pay. To make generalizations about "the enlisted man" like you have does them great discredit in my opinion.
CDR Chaz Loiselle, USN
CDR Chaz Loiuselle,
You must have misunderstood what I was trying to state; I am a staunch defender of the Navy enlisted man. But you seem to think otherwise, you should read this blog more often, as you claim it is one of your selected interests, to find what I have said about the Navy in general and the Navy enlisted man specifically.
I have seen the call name Rotorhead only a few times on this blog, so I assumed you were probably a sea going Sailor. I think, Commander, that you should look again at what I posted on this blog and than wonder why you made any kind of fuss over what I said. I have looked at your profile, and I see that you have an aversion to the greatest generation and boomers. If you would get your head out the surf you might find some value to what these old folks have to say. You are wrong about what you state, because even the young people on TV, who are supposedly broadcasting the news, use the sayings that I pointed to in my post, quite often.
I am just an old Master Chief that has been out of circulation from probably before you even came in the Navy, and as I usually advise youngsters, that you should take it upon yourself to use a spell checker, the smart kids of today do that. Unlike my, even older than I am, grade school teacher I will not red check your errors but you should attempt to find out where you were incorrect.
Very Respectfully
E. A. Hughes, FTCM (SS)
US Navy (Retired)
Navyman834
Master Chief,
As an active duty SCPO, I have observed the USN take a turn for the good in controlling alcoholism. As with “Zero Tolerance” for drugs, an alcohol incident is a “career ender” for senior enlisted Sailors. Whereas, if you have a DUI you can bet that you will not be selected for promotion to CPO, SCPO, or MCPO if it occurred within a five year window. I can only speak to the how the enlisted ranks approaches this problem and it is with intrusive leadership into the lives of our Sailors.
Senior Chief,
I have been out of the Navy for 32 years and even before I retired there was a “Zero Tolerance” level for drugs. And an effort was made to curtail alcohol abuse, as it was called, I am not so sure about all the efforts made by the Navy to curtail drinking. The Navy policy as I remember when I first enlisted was to allow Sailors to drink at the clubs on base, even when they were underage they were allowed to drink beer, the EM clubs did not serve hard liquor. The Navy at that time felt its junior Sailors, because they were old enough to go to war should be able to have a drink or two and blow off a little steam, and that was permitted unless they approached being out of control. The SP’s at that time would round up any Sailor that appeared to have more than enough to drink, and take him back to his ship or station. There were no charges made against this Sailor unless he made trouble for the Shore Patrol. Every ship and station assigned SP’s to the clubs on base and any place in nearby towns that Sailors went as well. They were there to look out for Sailors and protect them, some times from themselves, but many bad civilian individuals found that young Sailors were an easy mark for them.
It turns out that this was one of the reasons why the Navy authorized clubs on Navy bases. Sailors were safe on the base and that is they way the Navy wanted it.
A lot of folks would disagree with me but moderate drinking is not harmful in any way and until that young Sailor learns to be a moderate drinker he will stay in trouble in the Navy today. If he/she today are not given a little latitude they will have a difficult time in finding any kind of a social life, and then they can really become a problem to themselves and the Navy.
I was never put on report while I was in the Navy for drinking, or associated problems that one can fall into while drinking in excess. I was exposed to drinking when I was just a teenager before high school and I think that experience aided me in understanding how much I could drink without going to excess.
Senior Chief, the polocy is intrusive in my opinion as well. This is not the only intrusive thing the Navy has become involved in. My last sea duty was a Submarine and the Navy says you can not smoke on a Submarine below decks. The president of the United States is still a closet smoker and a drinker as well, as published by his wife. How can he in good conscience say that a Sailor can not smoke on his own ship?
Lord help the Sailors in their effort to do their duty for their country and have the freedom to life their own life as they see fit. I was able to exist within the regulations for 24 years and had a great career, but it looks as though there are a lot of road blocks for Sailors today.
Hope you can tolerate my rant,
E. A. Hughes, FTCM (SS)
US Navy (Retired)
Navyman834
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