Another Military travesty

[x06col]

I read a bit ago that the Commander of our Aircraft Carrier Enterprise will be/has been relieved of Command for not staying abreast of the "changing Navy culture". A shame! Seems we have some CIVILIAN bureaucrat that has not flown anything more important than a touchy feeley desk, making policy for what I consider a very capable, in tune with the troops Commander, whom lives with em 24/7 and KNOWS what they need. That civilian couldn't lead a duck to water, nor would anyone follow them even, across a street, however, they have the "hammer" when it comes to Command decisions. I'm not sure what we did to deserve this.

If this keeps up, WE won't have any GOOD Commanders left in our Military.

 

[layoutshooter]

I read a bit ago that the Commander of our Aircraft Carrier Enterprise will be/has been relieved of Command for not staying abreast of the "changing Navy culture". A shame! Seems we have some CIVILIAN bureaucrat that has not flown anything more important than a touchy feeley desk, making policy for what I consider a very capable, in tune with the troops Commander, whom lives with em 24/7 and KNOWS what they need. That civilian couldn't lead a duck to water, nor would anyone follow them even, across a street, however, they have the "hammer" when it comes to Command decisions. I'm not sure what we did to deserve this.

If this keeps up, WE won't have any GOOD Commanders left in our Military.

We have an idiot for CIC. He has NO idea in the world what he is doing. He has NO problem destroying our military capability.

 

[cheri1122]

I read a bit ago that the Commander of our Aircraft Carrier Enterprise will be/has been relieved of Command for not staying abreast of the "changing Navy culture".
A culture that ridicules and resents women and gays is a shame - especially in the military, where esprit de corps and unit cohesion is paramount.
A shame! Seems we have some CIVILIAN bureaucrat that has not flown anything more important than a touchy feeley desk, making policy
Making policy is the job of the CIC. His personal experience is irrelevant - it's why he has expert advisers to guide his decisions.
for what I consider a very capable, in tune with the troops Commander, whom lives with em 24/7 and KNOWS what they need.
What the troops need is to judge every other trooper on their capabilities, not their gender and/or sexual identity. A Commander who encourages them to do otherwise is part of a 'culture' that needed changing.
That civilian couldn't lead a duck to water, nor would anyone follow them even, across a street, however, they have the "hammer" when it comes to Command decisions. I'm not sure what we did to deserve this.
"We" treated certain people [women, gays, blacks & other groups] as less than equal to white male heterosexuals, rather than as the individuals they are: some good, some bad, some great, some terrible human beings. What did THEY do to deserve that?

If this keeps up, WE won't have any GOOD Commanders left in our Military.

If this keeps up, the good commanders will be all we have left - and for the sake of all of us, [and especially my daughter, who is about to be sworn into the Navy], that's what we deserve.

 

[layoutshooter]

The military is losing it's best commanders far too quickly. Our military is being run by a bunch of "social engineers" with ZERO experience or understanding of who and what they control.

The military is not the place for "social experiments". That is NOT it's purpose. It is wrong to be using it for a "toy".


Thanks to your daughter. We need more like her. What will she be doing with the Navy?

 

[x06col]

If this keeps up, the good commanders will be all we have left - and for the sake of all of us, [and especially my daughter, who is about to be sworn into the Navy], that's what we deserve.

Tis obvious, you don't have a clue about what you type. Let us know how your kid gets along with the "changing Navy culture".

Are you one of the "gifted" ones?

 

[cheri1122]

Thanks to your daughter. We need more like her. What will she be doing with the Navy?

Why, serving her country, of course.
Actually, we don't know yet - she hasn't been inducted, and is waiting for a decision on her request to override a rejection [on the basis of kidney stones she had, and had taken care of.] Her recruiter assures her that the Navy generally approves, but they have 45 days from Dec 30, when she submitted the request [6 months after having the stones pulverized, which is the minimum required wait time] to approve or deny.
She was originally scheduled to be inducted last June - the disqualification was a last minute surprise, thanks to her [then] recruiter.
I am very proud of her: she's extremely bright, morally well grounded, [she works one fulltime job, one part time job, and attends college] and looking forward to the challenge. The Navy will be lucky to get her, and I hope they will treat her solely according to her abilities, because that's what everyone deserves.

 

[layoutshooter]

Why, serving her country, of course.
Actually, we don't know yet - she hasn't been inducted, and is waiting for a decision on her request to override a rejection [on the basis of kidney stones she had, and had taken care of.] Her recruiter assures her that the Navy generally approves, but they have 45 days from Dec 30, when she submitted the request [6 months after having the stones pulverized, which is the minimum required wait time] to approve or deny.
She was originally scheduled to be inducted last June - the disqualification was a last minute surprise, thanks to her [then] recruiter.
I am very proud of her: she's extremely bright, morally well grounded, [she works one fulltime job, one part time job, and attends college] and looking forward to the challenge. The Navy will be lucky to get her, and I hope they will treat her solely according to her abilities, because that's what everyone deserves.

She did not pick a MOS in advance? That would be rather odd. Sounds like she has a recruiter that is not up on things. I have not known anyone in today's all volunteer service who does NOT enlist for a specific MOS. She will be treated according to her abilities AND her attitude. She needs to remove ANY and ALL ideas of "how things are or should be" and just become a sailor. That will serve her best.

 

[cheri1122]

Tis obvious, you don't have a clue about what you type.
Tis obvious that you're a white [I'm presuming here] male heterosexual who sees no reason for anything to change, because you were never seen as 'less than' other people.
You were judged on your own merits, not your gender, color, or sexual preference [perceived or actual.]
Let us know how your kid gets along with the "changing Navy culture".
I expect her to do just fine. She's smart, tough, respectful of and to her superiors, and ready for the challenge. [I'm the one who may fall apart, lol, she's my last baby, and I find myself not wanting to let go, which wasn't a problem with the first daughter.]

Are you one of the "gifted" ones?

Not sure what you're asking [or that I wanna know, either] I'm "gifted" in some ways, others, not so much - like everyone else.

 

[jaminjim]

Gee wilikers, I'm sure that this will mean a kinder, gentler, more sensitive place to work with your fellow person.

 

[layoutshooter]

Gee wilikers, I'm sure that this will mean a kinder, gentler, more sensitive place to work with your fellow person.

Will a kinder, gentler more sensitive work place make it easier to "break things and kill people"? I mean, after all, that IS the purpose of the military.

 

[Turtle]

The problem with things like this, and this situation in particular, is when viewed by the public from the outside looking in, it all looks bad, and some people are outraged by what they see in the video. It's like gallows humor when viewed by someone on the outside, it's not understood and is viewed from the perspective of ignorance. But when these videos are viewed in the context of the confines of the ship, they are a very different thing, and by all accounts did what they were designed to do, which is to lighten things up, keep the crew loose, and boost morale, which is what the XO's job is.

But now that these videos are in the public, viewed with the ignorant eye of the public who can't understand why officers on board a nuclear warship can do these kinds of things and aren't instead 100% all business all the time, the Navy cannot put a public face on this that the public will understand.

Some sailors who served on the Enterprise have taken to Facebook to defend Honors and his video skits for providing a much-needed morale boost during long deployments at sea.

They portrayed Honors as a man who genuinely cared about his sailors and helped them blow off steam with corny and occasionally outrageous videos he concocted every week during six-month tours of duty in the Middle East at the height of the Iraq War. Maintaining morale is typically part of the XO's job.

"He was a caring professional and, yes, he has a sense of humor, but you need that on a boat," said Misty Davis, who served on the Enterprise from 2006 to 2010. The offending video was shown in 2007, and was a compilation of previous videos he had shown, she and others said.

"It's no worse than anything you'd see on 'Saturday Night Live' or 'The Family Guy,'" Davis said Monday. "I used to watch all of them. They were freaking hilarious."

Imagine that, the people who were directly affected by all this don't see a problem, and actually see it as a good thing, but the people who don't even understand it are all aghast over it.

 

[layoutshooter]

The problem with things like this, and this situation in particular, is when viewed by the public from the outside looking in, it all looks bad, and some people are outraged by what they see in the video. It's like gallows humor when viewed by someone on the outside, it's not understood and is viewed from the perspective of ignorance. But when these videos are viewed in the context of the confines of the ship, they are a very different thing, and by all accounts did what they were designed to do, which is to lighten things up, keep the crew loose, and boost morale, which is what the XO's job is.

But now that these videos are in the public, viewed with the ignorant eye of the public who can't understand why officers on board a nuclear warship can do these kinds of things and aren't instead 100% all business all the time, the Navy cannot put a public face on this that the public will understand.

Imagine that, the people who were directly affected by all this don't see a problem, and actually see it as a good thing, but the people who don't even understand it are all aghast over it.

What's new? Lack of experience and context. I expect nothing less from those in charge today. They are really behind the eight ball when it come to REALITY!! Must be all the kool aid.

 

[Turtle]

What's new? Lack of experience and context. I expect nothing less from those in charge today. They are really behind the eight ball when it come to REALITY!! Must be all the kool aid.

I've never been in the Navy and have never served on a boat. I have no experience and no context, and therefor should not be able to understand any of this.

 

[layoutshooter]

I've never been in the Navy and have never served on a boat. I have no experience and no context, and therefor should not be able to understand any of this.

I said those in charge today, not you. Not EVERYONE is as stupid about real life as Obama is.

There are somethings that would be more difficult to understand without first hand experience but an INTELLIGENT person ASKS QUESTIONS before acting. I believe that YOU would ask IF you were ever in a position to ACT. Our current group of non-leaders do not. Much like Carter and Clinton to a lesser degree.

 

[Turtle]

Well, I do think there are plenty of people in the higher ranks of the Navy and the Pentagon that absolutely understand this, but know they have to handle it a certain way from a PR perspective. There is no way that they will be able to explain to an overly sensitive, politically correct public that what the public thinks they see, and the conclusions they draw from that, is out of context and ignorant. The new buzzword that we will soon get sick and tired of is "inappropriate", and we'll hear it from both the ignorants and military brass alike, from the ignorants because they're, well, ignorant, and from the military brass because they have no choice but to put a very politically correct face on all of it.

 

[scottm4211]

I haven't followed this story other than a soundbite on the news but I wonder why, in this day and age, would they make these videos?
It doesn't seem to be a smart decision.

 

[cheri1122]

No argument with the need for some lighter moments in any stressful situation, just think that making certain classes of people the target of ridicule is not defensible, or wise in any situation, but particularly the military.
We need a strong and committed military, and every member of the armed services needs to feel they can trust every other member with their lives, because they do. The belief that some are 'less than' is counterproductive, except when based upon actual performance, and a wise commander knows that, IMO.

 

[layoutshooter]

No argument with the need for some lighter moments in any stressful situation, just think that making certain classes of people the target of ridicule is not defensible, or wise in any situation, but particularly the military.
We need a strong and committed military, and every member of the armed services needs to feel they can trust every other member with their lives, because they do. The belief that some are 'less than' is counterproductive, except when based upon actual performance, and a wise commander knows that, IMO.

Things are not likely to be as they seem on the surface.

 

[x06col]

Not sure what you're asking [or that I wanna know, either] I'm "gifted" in some ways, others, not so much - like everyone else.

Actually, I don't view ANY others as "less than". However, I spend little time trying to "catch someone up" because of their background, socialization, or character. Trust me, i'm a true believer in Equal Opportunity, but, Affirmitave Action, don't get nuthin but someone killed in that biz.

How would YOU handle being a political appointee making policy for a seasoned combat Commander. Be fun eh?

 

[layoutshooter]

Well, I do think there are plenty of people in the higher ranks of the Navy and the Pentagon that absolutely understand this, but know they have to handle it a certain way from a PR perspective. There is no way that they will be able to explain to an overly sensitive, politically correct public that what the public thinks they see, and the conclusions they draw from that, is out of context and ignorant. The new buzzword that we will soon get sick and tired of is "inappropriate", and we'll hear it from both the ignorants and military brass alike, from the ignorants because they're, well, ignorant, and from the military brass because they have no choice but to put a very politically correct face on all of it.

Due to our system, which I agree with, those people who do have the rank and experience to deal with this correctly are TOLD what to do by those who have NO clue. Just the nature of the beast.