Kill people and break things in defense of the Constitution and the people it protects. Everything else is fluff and distraction. Somewhere along the line too many GOFOs have forgotten that.
The GOFOs haven't forgotten anything. That "death and destruction to the enemies" stuff does nothing to further careers and may inhibit their marketability after retirement.
A very valuable reminder of how far we've fallen from a warfightng mindset. It is a little terrifying how completely senior uniformed "leaders" have adopted the crap coming down from above. On second thought, delete "Little" above.
It further reveals that those aspiring for stars, must develop an appetite for ideological conformity. The Beltway, the Swamp, the toxic morass of Foggy Bottom, is overwhelmingly full of social conformists, unwilling to buck the prevailing trends. Service members who have to live in these areas, and more importantly their dependents, are heavily influenced by this condition.
Concur about falling from a warfighting mindset. What equally concerns me - or perhaps more so - is the willingness of senior officers openly engage in politics. The Space Force general advocating for gun control is a case in point. When the military leadership become politicized then the Republic is in danger. She should have been relieved for that.
Good article. I never had a Sailor who cared about who led him, only that he was led well, and that his leadership cared for him and didn't lie to him.
The one time I had a CPO try to play the race card, I pointed out that he was 12 of 12 CPO's because a. he wasn't working in his rate but had volunteered for the mess decks b. was unanimously ranked that 12/12 by the E-8's and 9's...and 1-4 were black like him and 6 and 8 were also minorities. Basically 5&7 were whites.
So then I asked him which CPO I needed to drop in ranking and where he thought he should rank...no answer for 10 min. Slowly dawned on him that performance counts and he was outperformed by all his fellow CPO's.
IMHO, DC has become cancerous and we would be better off deemphasizing DC tours because of stuff like this.
DC tours. There are two kinds of people: (1) DC is where things 'happen'. I like it here. (2) Ok, did the DC tour... Never want to return. You could say the same thing about 'Joint' tours. Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986) screwed that pooch.
Did a promotion board there as a frocked 04 just before I got married. One early am around 6 was cutting across the Pentagon parking lot headed for BUPERS in the old Navy annex (no rental car, fixed per diem). Saw an 06 and threw him a snappy salute. He looked at me in amazement like "son, we don't salute around here." Finally he returned it. Never forgot that negative experience.
After marriage, wife said "I really don't want you to do a DC tour." Part of the give and take of marriage, I told her what it meant for the career and we both agreed not to go. Managed to avoid it for the 30 yrs I did. Did not avoid Pentagon meetings though, as when I was an 06, the Admiral used to send me in his stead for Naval Space Command meetings, Knew lots of other 06's who drank the kool aid of "career enhancing" and did 1-2 tours there and they also retired as 06's.
My last tour was as an NROTC CO. No boss within 15 states, able to teach and work with young folks and really make a difference. Now THAT was a rewarding tour.
Saw a headline / read article that 77% of the population that can join the Armed forces are not qualified. that is sobering, plus you read the lost learning progress for school aged children is measured in years due to closed school and the teacher unions - we are in for a hard time for several years, the DoD leadership needs to be changed out wholesale, to include top civilians that is the only way to right the ship
There'll a much higher percentage of "eligible's" to fight WWIV. DEI is going to help. No more ASVAB, %BF, PRT, 4F's, volunteers. CAT 4's welcome, everybody can wield a club in the Serf Force.
Things certainly have changed since I came back from Nam and was commissioned in 74. That was likely the changing of the guard as the WW2 and Korea generations retired.
I remember learning how to fold the corner of my calling card. And that an officer never discussed religion, politics, or sex in a professional or social setting.
Yes. I predict Brown will speed up the dismantling of the US military. He’s got “that voice” and presence, but he’s clearly an enthusiastic DEI proponent, and enemy of Liberty.
Never forget that time and attention are also a zero-sum game. Every minute you are focused on DEI is a minute you are not focused on how to become better at killing the enemy. Every minute you spend in listening sessions and unconscious bias training, Xi gets stronger and you get weaker. You can strive to become the most diverse force in the Army OR you can strive to become the force that can dominate and win on future battlefields. But for so long as generals and admirals are selected and promoted for conformity to ideological dogma rather than ability to win battles and wars, we are going to continue to lose battles and wars.
I am so glad I'm retired. In today's environment, my cynical mouth and jaundiced "lived experience" would have prevented me from making enough gates to get invited to leave prior to 20.
Cadet Argghhh would have been dropped from the commissioning pool after the Q&A for asking this question: "Without arguing the utility of a true diversity, that of outlook and experience vice the superficials of pigment, plumbing, and preference, the General said, "...that we’re the most diverse force in the Army, and that will allow us to dominate and win on future battlefields.” Could the General expand on exactly how superficial visual diversity produces that battlefield effect?" Cue security removing Cadet Argghhh while his PMS breaks said cadet's saber and removes his uniform buttons and brands his very short service record with a large "B" and "Do not re-enlist" code.
I'm really thinking about just speaking my mind the next time this comes. Considering how desperate they are for bodies, I think I can get away with this, and I've been prepared to retire at my current paygrade since I left Active Duty for the reserves. I've done it before, and got away with it. More people just need to say it's all farce, and fiddling while Rome burns.
While I applaud the effort, it's not without risk. Sometimes it looks like we are less than 5 years away from real, Cultural Revolution style "struggle sessions" and Soviet style gulags for the ideologically impure.
I often think like that. I've had my 20 year letter for a long time. Pretty sure I'm not going to make O5 before I retire, so let it rip. Had a GO say in a briefing "I'm just an old tanker, break it down simple for me." So I did (I'm also an old tanker, so I speak the lingo). My rater had a horrified look on their face. Worth it.
Early 90s at NRC Tampa. Some black female CDR came up from the Miami recruiting district to indoctrinate a drill hall full of Reservistas about what would come to be known as CRT and DEI (yeah, it was going on then too, just not as much as today). The hoi polloi in the seats, civilians in uniform who weren't going to play that game and really didn't consider themselves to have a Navy career, didn't take kindly to that and confronted her about her comments. Eventually the NRC XO jumped in to cool things off. We weren't rude or disrespectful to her, but there was anger and she got some forceful feedback. She was stunned.
If you feel the need then go for it. Just stay within the bounds of military decorum and the UCMJ. Don't give them anything legitimate to gig you on. And understand that if you poke the bear enough, your career (if you consider yourself to have one in the Reserve) will be over.
That sounds like a good reason to me. If Seaman Sally gets knocked up in the fan room then it's not the taxpayers' responsibility to pay for an abortion, especially when the country is so divided on the issue.
No one is going to get an institutional culture that can't make sense of something as simple as sanding and painting to consistently and sensibly manage something as complex as diversity......or steering a ship.
Ummm, dude. Honestly, I am tickled pink to see photos of sailors actually doing preservation and maintenance on ships. I am not too sure what your beef is with those photos. Maybe you should spend more time on the waterfront looking at the rusting hulks our navy has become. Then you will applaud somebody actually picking some rust off the exterior of a USN ship.
If you don't get what's wrong with those photos and are ok with it then you are making my point for me. The average annual compensation of an enlisted sailor is over $70000, but yet apparently they cant be trusted with a basic power tool. If "picking" rust off a ship is the Navy standard then its no wonder so many of its ships are rust buckets. Perhaps you'd be ok with them doing it with hairpins. This isn't a criticism of the sailors doing the work but of the leadership and culture that senselessly devalues their time and commitment.
Perhaps you'd be ok with them not picking rust at all. You obviously spent zero time in the USN. Go back to the golf course and your 0700 tee time USAF boy.
I'd be ok with them being resourced like the professionals they are by the leadership and management of the Navy, considering the Navy's now long lasting and increasing problems in manning the surface force. They are not conscripts.
Just out of curiosity, are you sure the Bosun's locker still has that equipment available to issue? After all power equipment is going to create far more hazardous waste.
Thats actually a good question.... Does anybody know if chipping hammers and needle guns are still the go-tos??? In todays Navy, with climate change being the #1crisis, I can see the kids being saddled with using sanders with dust traps and vacuum collection systems LOL... Im joking but hope Im not actually right!
Being an Army guy I am not too familiar with ships but I would guess there are not many electric outlets are available for power tools, and extension cords have their own problems.
We are 40 years into the cordless tool era. Go to a construction site today and you will see buildings rapidly going up with hardly any extension cords. Its a problem readily overcome if the Navy was interested.
You don't know about preservation and maintenance on surface ships. First off, the bulk of the surface combatants are all steel, with some CRES fasteners, louvers and doors. Also, ship's force uses low pressure air, generated by an installed compressor, to power all hand tools used to bust rust. You didn't see any of that in the pictures you posted, so you just automatically assumed these highly paid, steely eyed killers of the deep were out there with scraps of sand paper, which couldn't be farther than the truth. So, allow me to ask you a rhetorical question - if you have an air compressor and hoses to attach to LP air risers located on the exterior of the ship then why, for the love of all things holy, would you want to give somebody cordless tool?
Don't bother answering, as you know nothing of which you speak.
Ah yes the "The Navy is special and unique and has to do it the way the Navy has always done it" excuse. Lets just make them try to gain access to a limited air supply then route, secure and drag around a fat air hose like we always have just to do some light duty surface preparation. God forbid the Navy should use common industrial practices and readily available equipment to gain efficiency and time on a mundane painting task.
I know what they are doing in that chain photo and at what stage of preparation it is because its only 1 of several photos of the process over a month. I didn't assume.
Rusty steel is being professionally painted all over the US every day from ships to sewers to tanks to towers etc, etc, etc. This is not unique to the Navy.
If the Navy valued its sailors as professionals, and wanted its ships to stay looking professional, it would give them access to the range of tools professionals use to do the job.
Not to mention the low pressure air connections on the pier for just such use. They're in the gallery right next to the potty water and shore power connections.
Three photos. Just three. And you're bent out of shape over that? There are needle guns and chipping hammers somewhere. The sanding is good prep for topcoat, the power tools are for taking things down to bare metal, which is not always necessary.
I'm with kusojiji99, I'm just happy to see them doing preservation work.
3 is all I posted. This is blog commentary. There are many more. Most interesting in the LHA 7 maintenance availability pictures is the ubiquitous use of the 1" paint brush. Apparently the Navy can afford few 2, 3 or 4 inch brushes, let alone the now commonly used cigar roller for its sailors to paint a $3 billion warship. Overall the kit given Navy sailors to prep and paint with is abysmal. Its not quite at the level of the worst restoration and paint contractors I've ever seen but its close.
Here is a fine example; this is a proper modern safe stable and efficient small paint punt:
Here is the cheap unstable inefficient unsafe piece of crap the Navy makes its sailors use to paint one of the most expensive ships ever built: (basically the cheapest crappiest jon boat at a bass pro shops)
"Nothing new there." Exactly the problem. Less more expensive sailors with less time, ships in poorer condition, but no better equipment. Makes NO sense.
Exactly--- its nice to see that at least 5 sailors are on rust detail, I thought it was only one or two LOL!!! But seriously, i think someone doesnt understand or is misinterpreting the photos. First, the sandpaper means they're dealing with running rust and cosmetics, otherwise theyd be using needle guns and chipping hammers. Its not like theyre trying to remove paint with sandpaper by hand!! Second, the anchor chain is most likely laid out in a drydock floor, and they're doing the same thing- minor touch up work,otherwise itd be sandblasted and fully painted, which would be done by yard workers not the crew. So i don't see anything to fault here, with one exception: Why is the one sailor wearing earbuds while on duty???
Not a noisy area, and the chain of command allows it, provided the 1 MC can be heard. 10 years ago we were allowed to listen to personal music at times.
I guess that just points out how long ago I left LOL... Depressing... Back then it was a boom box in the workspace, it was a priveledge that was the first thing to go if expectations werent met, and the LPO, Chief, and Lt would raise hell about the volume regularly. Thankfully me and the guys were overachievers and were able to 'rock out' pretty much unhindered. So yeah, I grudgingly suppose as long as they dont make you oblivious to your surroundings and can hear the 1mc, its alright.
All your speculation is wrong. The anchor chain is laid out on a barge and is being fully repainted end to end almost entirely with the apparent Navy standard 1" paint brush.
Apparently the Navy is so unconcerned about maintenance and more importantly its falling recruitment, retention and manning that it wont buy such high tech tools as sanding blocks, sanding sponges and 2- 4 inch brushes let alone such high tech expensive stuff as a cordless mini grinder and a flap wheel.
There is no civilian organization that could so poorly resource the work of employees that cost in excess of $80000 each per year and stay in business.
I've been doing a dive into Navy maintenance over recent weeks and there are numerous examples of just how unserious Navy leadership is about fixing its basic maintenance problems. If they cant get that right, there's not much they can get right including "diversity".
The Navy leadership is stuck in a conscripted manning mindset and will not solve its manning problems until it starts valuing its sailors as professionals in all aspects.
You really are out of your league here. Your "extensive" two week dive into surface ship maintenance must have been spent reviewing coloring books of ships.
Seeking refuge in an ad hominem and an insult. That's quite an inspired league you are in.
I am out of the "league" that thinks using 1" paint brushes to paint hundreds of square feet, or dragging around air hoses when neither is necessary or efficient is a good idea. If that's the league you choose to be in then that's your choice.
This clown isn't Army either. I'd say another wannabe know-it-all that works at Jack in the Crack as a grill cleaner. No one in Big Green has a use for all the tool porn that this fool is selling. We deal in heavy machinery and tight budgets. Neither of which are addressed by the Home Depot special of the week. F***king Toad
Opps no intention of doing that . Thanks for the heads up . It is only that I have strong passions about some of the things going on before our very eyes I find to be shocking and alarming . No foul intended . Sorry if I stepped over the line . After all it is your journalism and you likely have protocols concerning what people say on these threads . I can say however these are my honest feelings and opinions whether others agree or not . They are however only opinions. Which does not guarantee they are necessarily right . I have been wrong before and often times am . But also sometimes I am 💯percent spot on and many people appreciate my comments on social media and share the same feelings at least on some issues. Not always though . I don’t know everything and am learning as I go along just as others are . I appreciate your constructive criticism in all sincerity. Thanks
I pasted this line into my Health of the Force Survey:
"DEI as implemented by DOD is a socio-political, Cultural Marxist construct that derives power, profit, and position by keeping people divided in to competing sectarian groups. It is not about good order and discipline. It plays in to the worst instincts of fallen man for the benefit of those promoting division. It forces an artificial disconnect between objective societal metrics, qualifications, fairness to the individual, and combat effectiveness of the service."
I though the job of the US Military was to bring death and destruction to the enemies of our nation?
Kill people and break things in defense of the Constitution and the people it protects. Everything else is fluff and distraction. Somewhere along the line too many GOFOs have forgotten that.
Why not FOGO mind-shifting of GOFO mindsets.
>> If you play divisive games, you get divisive prizes.<<
https://www.acronymfinder.com/FOGO.html
Please pardon my slowness. I went to the URL but could not understand your intent.
GOFO = Zero-Sum (Win-Lose) paradigm
FOGO = Non-Zero (ALL-WinWin) MindShift
You choose which decoding version you wish!
The GOFOs haven't forgotten anything. That "death and destruction to the enemies" stuff does nothing to further careers and may inhibit their marketability after retirement.
ultimately, wars are settled when a grunt plants his flag on the rubble of the enemy's Capital.
The way things are going, somebody in the future is going to be able to do that without walking North or South or getting on a boat
They changed it to "enemies of our Government."
Negative shipmate. It is clearly to destroy the Constitution and pay it no never mind.
Sad
You are correct, Scott. https://blogs.illinois.edu/files/25/7039/15.jpg
Possums are observant and wise creatures.
A very valuable reminder of how far we've fallen from a warfightng mindset. It is a little terrifying how completely senior uniformed "leaders" have adopted the crap coming down from above. On second thought, delete "Little" above.
It further reveals that those aspiring for stars, must develop an appetite for ideological conformity. The Beltway, the Swamp, the toxic morass of Foggy Bottom, is overwhelmingly full of social conformists, unwilling to buck the prevailing trends. Service members who have to live in these areas, and more importantly their dependents, are heavily influenced by this condition.
Agreed. I would bet that there is pretty heavy influencing (dare I say threats?) emenating from the "Administration" along those lines.
Concur about falling from a warfighting mindset. What equally concerns me - or perhaps more so - is the willingness of senior officers openly engage in politics. The Space Force general advocating for gun control is a case in point. When the military leadership become politicized then the Republic is in danger. She should have been relieved for that.
Exactly right. I suspect direc tion from on high to be the culpruit,
We sure have come a long way from ADM Denfield and the Revolt of the Admirals. The armed forces are now run by political prostitutes in uniform.
Good article. I never had a Sailor who cared about who led him, only that he was led well, and that his leadership cared for him and didn't lie to him.
The one time I had a CPO try to play the race card, I pointed out that he was 12 of 12 CPO's because a. he wasn't working in his rate but had volunteered for the mess decks b. was unanimously ranked that 12/12 by the E-8's and 9's...and 1-4 were black like him and 6 and 8 were also minorities. Basically 5&7 were whites.
So then I asked him which CPO I needed to drop in ranking and where he thought he should rank...no answer for 10 min. Slowly dawned on him that performance counts and he was outperformed by all his fellow CPO's.
IMHO, DC has become cancerous and we would be better off deemphasizing DC tours because of stuff like this.
DC tours. There are two kinds of people: (1) DC is where things 'happen'. I like it here. (2) Ok, did the DC tour... Never want to return. You could say the same thing about 'Joint' tours. Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986) screwed that pooch.
Did a promotion board there as a frocked 04 just before I got married. One early am around 6 was cutting across the Pentagon parking lot headed for BUPERS in the old Navy annex (no rental car, fixed per diem). Saw an 06 and threw him a snappy salute. He looked at me in amazement like "son, we don't salute around here." Finally he returned it. Never forgot that negative experience.
After marriage, wife said "I really don't want you to do a DC tour." Part of the give and take of marriage, I told her what it meant for the career and we both agreed not to go. Managed to avoid it for the 30 yrs I did. Did not avoid Pentagon meetings though, as when I was an 06, the Admiral used to send me in his stead for Naval Space Command meetings, Knew lots of other 06's who drank the kool aid of "career enhancing" and did 1-2 tours there and they also retired as 06's.
My last tour was as an NROTC CO. No boss within 15 states, able to teach and work with young folks and really make a difference. Now THAT was a rewarding tour.
Donated back issues of USNI-Proceedings to KU-NROTC Unit (2008-2014) as a #PDLog prototype!
Since prepared minds often favor chance, we collaborated
with KCMO-FBI #InfraGuard Chapter to help empower:
https://technology.ku.edu/catalog/housing-wi-fi
"son, we don't salute around here."
There's a certain wisdom in that; it probably avoids a lot of disabilities from repetitive motion injury.
Saw a headline / read article that 77% of the population that can join the Armed forces are not qualified. that is sobering, plus you read the lost learning progress for school aged children is measured in years due to closed school and the teacher unions - we are in for a hard time for several years, the DoD leadership needs to be changed out wholesale, to include top civilians that is the only way to right the ship
There'll a much higher percentage of "eligible's" to fight WWIV. DEI is going to help. No more ASVAB, %BF, PRT, 4F's, volunteers. CAT 4's welcome, everybody can wield a club in the Serf Force.
Personnel is Policy
Things certainly have changed since I came back from Nam and was commissioned in 74. That was likely the changing of the guard as the WW2 and Korea generations retired.
I remember learning how to fold the corner of my calling card. And that an officer never discussed religion, politics, or sex in a professional or social setting.
Brown will make Milley seem like a pussycat.
Oh yeah. Milley doesn't have the cajones to be in-your-face about the DEI crap, but Brown has no such reservations.
Yes. I predict Brown will speed up the dismantling of the US military. He’s got “that voice” and presence, but he’s clearly an enthusiastic DEI proponent, and enemy of Liberty.
As they bemoan a lack of diversity they overlook that the party they mimic has failed to produce the diverse feedstock they wish for.
The DoD-DEI Corps is so throughly indoctrinated they are willingly blind to the failings of the system they've hitched their wagon to.
In the meantime, those that do qualify for a commission are for the most part smart enough to look elsewhere for better opportunities.
Never forget that time and attention are also a zero-sum game. Every minute you are focused on DEI is a minute you are not focused on how to become better at killing the enemy. Every minute you spend in listening sessions and unconscious bias training, Xi gets stronger and you get weaker. You can strive to become the most diverse force in the Army OR you can strive to become the force that can dominate and win on future battlefields. But for so long as generals and admirals are selected and promoted for conformity to ideological dogma rather than ability to win battles and wars, we are going to continue to lose battles and wars.
I am so glad I'm retired. In today's environment, my cynical mouth and jaundiced "lived experience" would have prevented me from making enough gates to get invited to leave prior to 20.
"This is my truth.... "
Selah
Cadet Argghhh would have been dropped from the commissioning pool after the Q&A for asking this question: "Without arguing the utility of a true diversity, that of outlook and experience vice the superficials of pigment, plumbing, and preference, the General said, "...that we’re the most diverse force in the Army, and that will allow us to dominate and win on future battlefields.” Could the General expand on exactly how superficial visual diversity produces that battlefield effect?" Cue security removing Cadet Argghhh while his PMS breaks said cadet's saber and removes his uniform buttons and brands his very short service record with a large "B" and "Do not re-enlist" code.
I was going to ask the same question. How does he link A and B?
Step 1. Collect all the underpants.
Step 2. ???
Step 3. Profit!
🤣
New skills need to protect & defend as #CyberSpaceCadet!
https://archive.is/2023.07.06-231650/https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/world-war-iii-virus-vaccine-biological-weapon-russia-ukraine-china-covid-cybersecurity-hack-162a8b08
I'm really thinking about just speaking my mind the next time this comes. Considering how desperate they are for bodies, I think I can get away with this, and I've been prepared to retire at my current paygrade since I left Active Duty for the reserves. I've done it before, and got away with it. More people just need to say it's all farce, and fiddling while Rome burns.
While I applaud the effort, it's not without risk. Sometimes it looks like we are less than 5 years away from real, Cultural Revolution style "struggle sessions" and Soviet style gulags for the ideologically impure.
I think this situation requires a really futile and stupid gesture, and I'm just the guy to do it.
https://youtu.be/_h4DZeBleLs
Thanks for the nostalgic smile:)
I often think like that. I've had my 20 year letter for a long time. Pretty sure I'm not going to make O5 before I retire, so let it rip. Had a GO say in a briefing "I'm just an old tanker, break it down simple for me." So I did (I'm also an old tanker, so I speak the lingo). My rater had a horrified look on their face. Worth it.
Early 90s at NRC Tampa. Some black female CDR came up from the Miami recruiting district to indoctrinate a drill hall full of Reservistas about what would come to be known as CRT and DEI (yeah, it was going on then too, just not as much as today). The hoi polloi in the seats, civilians in uniform who weren't going to play that game and really didn't consider themselves to have a Navy career, didn't take kindly to that and confronted her about her comments. Eventually the NRC XO jumped in to cool things off. We weren't rude or disrespectful to her, but there was anger and she got some forceful feedback. She was stunned.
If you feel the need then go for it. Just stay within the bounds of military decorum and the UCMJ. Don't give them anything legitimate to gig you on. And understand that if you poke the bear enough, your career (if you consider yourself to have one in the Reserve) will be over.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/juliorosas/2023/07/03/dod-praises-transgender-army-major-who-inspires-us-all-n2625274
If that's a woman then we should all declare ourselves racially mixed ungendered and end the stupidity
Depression and Suicidal thoughts used to be reasons for a Medical Discharge under Honorable Conditions. Now? It appears to be acceptable.
Almost required??
I dunno', maybe a hoarde of armed, enraged, and suicidally depressed transgenders is really some sort of war winning DARPA project.
Being in shape for a military officer does not mean being round.
Iyt's a good thing I'm retired as I approach roundness
Ditto.
Hey, round is a shape! :-D
He's not
Isn't coach tuberville doing this because of DoD's stance on abortion funding? I applaud DivThurs but let's not give credit where credit isn't due.
That sounds like a good reason to me. If Seaman Sally gets knocked up in the fan room then it's not the taxpayers' responsibility to pay for an abortion, especially when the country is so divided on the issue.
Until the Navy is cured of the idiocy portrayed in the images below, I'll continue to believe you all waste every Thursday barking up the wrong tree.
https://media.defense.gov/2023/Apr/28/2003210744/-1/-1/0/230420-N-XP477-1020.JPG
https://media.defense.gov/2023/Apr/28/2003210749/-1/-1/0/230424-N-IL330-1040.JPG
https://media.defense.gov/2023/Jun/15/2003242524/-1/-1/0/230609-N-EU502-2008.JPG
No one is going to get an institutional culture that can't make sense of something as simple as sanding and painting to consistently and sensibly manage something as complex as diversity......or steering a ship.
Ummm, dude. Honestly, I am tickled pink to see photos of sailors actually doing preservation and maintenance on ships. I am not too sure what your beef is with those photos. Maybe you should spend more time on the waterfront looking at the rusting hulks our navy has become. Then you will applaud somebody actually picking some rust off the exterior of a USN ship.
If you don't get what's wrong with those photos and are ok with it then you are making my point for me. The average annual compensation of an enlisted sailor is over $70000, but yet apparently they cant be trusted with a basic power tool. If "picking" rust off a ship is the Navy standard then its no wonder so many of its ships are rust buckets. Perhaps you'd be ok with them doing it with hairpins. This isn't a criticism of the sailors doing the work but of the leadership and culture that senselessly devalues their time and commitment.
Perhaps you'd be ok with them not picking rust at all. You obviously spent zero time in the USN. Go back to the golf course and your 0700 tee time USAF boy.
I'd be ok with them being resourced like the professionals they are by the leadership and management of the Navy, considering the Navy's now long lasting and increasing problems in manning the surface force. They are not conscripts.
Just out of curiosity, are you sure the Bosun's locker still has that equipment available to issue? After all power equipment is going to create far more hazardous waste.
Thats actually a good question.... Does anybody know if chipping hammers and needle guns are still the go-tos??? In todays Navy, with climate change being the #1crisis, I can see the kids being saddled with using sanders with dust traps and vacuum collection systems LOL... Im joking but hope Im not actually right!
https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7896900/needle-gunning-polishing-anchor-chain-painting
Great! Did he have to PQS to get it? Or better yet, same command?
There are picture numerous pictures on line of recent Navy needle gun usage with no environmental or respiratory protection evident.
Being an Army guy I am not too familiar with ships but I would guess there are not many electric outlets are available for power tools, and extension cords have their own problems.
We are 40 years into the cordless tool era. Go to a construction site today and you will see buildings rapidly going up with hardly any extension cords. Its a problem readily overcome if the Navy was interested.
You don't know about preservation and maintenance on surface ships. First off, the bulk of the surface combatants are all steel, with some CRES fasteners, louvers and doors. Also, ship's force uses low pressure air, generated by an installed compressor, to power all hand tools used to bust rust. You didn't see any of that in the pictures you posted, so you just automatically assumed these highly paid, steely eyed killers of the deep were out there with scraps of sand paper, which couldn't be farther than the truth. So, allow me to ask you a rhetorical question - if you have an air compressor and hoses to attach to LP air risers located on the exterior of the ship then why, for the love of all things holy, would you want to give somebody cordless tool?
Don't bother answering, as you know nothing of which you speak.
Ah yes the "The Navy is special and unique and has to do it the way the Navy has always done it" excuse. Lets just make them try to gain access to a limited air supply then route, secure and drag around a fat air hose like we always have just to do some light duty surface preparation. God forbid the Navy should use common industrial practices and readily available equipment to gain efficiency and time on a mundane painting task.
I know what they are doing in that chain photo and at what stage of preparation it is because its only 1 of several photos of the process over a month. I didn't assume.
Rusty steel is being professionally painted all over the US every day from ships to sewers to tanks to towers etc, etc, etc. This is not unique to the Navy.
If the Navy valued its sailors as professionals, and wanted its ships to stay looking professional, it would give them access to the range of tools professionals use to do the job.
Not to mention the low pressure air connections on the pier for just such use. They're in the gallery right next to the potty water and shore power connections.
Three photos. Just three. And you're bent out of shape over that? There are needle guns and chipping hammers somewhere. The sanding is good prep for topcoat, the power tools are for taking things down to bare metal, which is not always necessary.
I'm with kusojiji99, I'm just happy to see them doing preservation work.
3 is all I posted. This is blog commentary. There are many more. Most interesting in the LHA 7 maintenance availability pictures is the ubiquitous use of the 1" paint brush. Apparently the Navy can afford few 2, 3 or 4 inch brushes, let alone the now commonly used cigar roller for its sailors to paint a $3 billion warship. Overall the kit given Navy sailors to prep and paint with is abysmal. Its not quite at the level of the worst restoration and paint contractors I've ever seen but its close.
Here is a fine example; this is a proper modern safe stable and efficient small paint punt:
https://www.alamy.com/men-painting-anchor-of-cruise-ship-p-and-o-aurora-image259366734.html?imageid=038C39B5-DF86-44D7-8CD7-77F725BA8DCE&p=797204&pn=1&searchId=f3f27ae4d241cb93fbbb3d6812382754&searchtype=0
Here is the cheap unstable inefficient unsafe piece of crap the Navy makes its sailors use to paint one of the most expensive ships ever built: (basically the cheapest crappiest jon boat at a bass pro shops)
https://www.dvidshub.net/image/6123845/us-sailors-paddle
Even this guy painting this old boat has a better paint punt:
https://www.alamy.com/8-august-2019-an-old-working-trawler-undergoing-routine-painting-and-maintenance-at-the-quayside-in-ardglass-county-down-northern-ireland-image263363684.html
Pathetic. No wonder Navy sailors can't keep up with maintenance. They are given crap to do it with.
This is indicative of how much Navy leadership undervalues their peoples' time and effort and their ships' maintenance.
I'm happy to see them doing it too and they look like they are giving it their all. They get an A+. Navy leadership gets an F-.
Ummm...way back in the day, we used an old jon boat to paint the waterline and rudder. Nothing new there.
"Nothing new there." Exactly the problem. Less more expensive sailors with less time, ships in poorer condition, but no better equipment. Makes NO sense.
Exactly--- its nice to see that at least 5 sailors are on rust detail, I thought it was only one or two LOL!!! But seriously, i think someone doesnt understand or is misinterpreting the photos. First, the sandpaper means they're dealing with running rust and cosmetics, otherwise theyd be using needle guns and chipping hammers. Its not like theyre trying to remove paint with sandpaper by hand!! Second, the anchor chain is most likely laid out in a drydock floor, and they're doing the same thing- minor touch up work,otherwise itd be sandblasted and fully painted, which would be done by yard workers not the crew. So i don't see anything to fault here, with one exception: Why is the one sailor wearing earbuds while on duty???
Not a noisy area, and the chain of command allows it, provided the 1 MC can be heard. 10 years ago we were allowed to listen to personal music at times.
I guess that just points out how long ago I left LOL... Depressing... Back then it was a boom box in the workspace, it was a priveledge that was the first thing to go if expectations werent met, and the LPO, Chief, and Lt would raise hell about the volume regularly. Thankfully me and the guys were overachievers and were able to 'rock out' pretty much unhindered. So yeah, I grudgingly suppose as long as they dont make you oblivious to your surroundings and can hear the 1mc, its alright.
"They'd be doing minor touch up"
All your speculation is wrong. The anchor chain is laid out on a barge and is being fully repainted end to end almost entirely with the apparent Navy standard 1" paint brush.
Apparently the Navy is so unconcerned about maintenance and more importantly its falling recruitment, retention and manning that it wont buy such high tech tools as sanding blocks, sanding sponges and 2- 4 inch brushes let alone such high tech expensive stuff as a cordless mini grinder and a flap wheel.
There is no civilian organization that could so poorly resource the work of employees that cost in excess of $80000 each per year and stay in business.
I've been doing a dive into Navy maintenance over recent weeks and there are numerous examples of just how unserious Navy leadership is about fixing its basic maintenance problems. If they cant get that right, there's not much they can get right including "diversity".
The Navy leadership is stuck in a conscripted manning mindset and will not solve its manning problems until it starts valuing its sailors as professionals in all aspects.
You really are out of your league here. Your "extensive" two week dive into surface ship maintenance must have been spent reviewing coloring books of ships.
Seeking refuge in an ad hominem and an insult. That's quite an inspired league you are in.
I am out of the "league" that thinks using 1" paint brushes to paint hundreds of square feet, or dragging around air hoses when neither is necessary or efficient is a good idea. If that's the league you choose to be in then that's your choice.
You are out of your league and you’re a dumbass. You have no concept what sailors do.
This clown isn't Army either. I'd say another wannabe know-it-all that works at Jack in the Crack as a grill cleaner. No one in Big Green has a use for all the tool porn that this fool is selling. We deal in heavy machinery and tight budgets. Neither of which are addressed by the Home Depot special of the week. F***king Toad
Pathetic and alarming. Woke taking over America.
Tony - your last comment was over the line. Consider this a warning.
Opps no intention of doing that . Thanks for the heads up . It is only that I have strong passions about some of the things going on before our very eyes I find to be shocking and alarming . No foul intended . Sorry if I stepped over the line . After all it is your journalism and you likely have protocols concerning what people say on these threads . I can say however these are my honest feelings and opinions whether others agree or not . They are however only opinions. Which does not guarantee they are necessarily right . I have been wrong before and often times am . But also sometimes I am 💯percent spot on and many people appreciate my comments on social media and share the same feelings at least on some issues. Not always though . I don’t know everything and am learning as I go along just as others are . I appreciate your constructive criticism in all sincerity. Thanks
I pasted this line into my Health of the Force Survey:
"DEI as implemented by DOD is a socio-political, Cultural Marxist construct that derives power, profit, and position by keeping people divided in to competing sectarian groups. It is not about good order and discipline. It plays in to the worst instincts of fallen man for the benefit of those promoting division. It forces an artificial disconnect between objective societal metrics, qualifications, fairness to the individual, and combat effectiveness of the service."
See page 15 of last years "results" https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Reference/Publications/CY2022_HOF_FINAL_8_Feb_23.pdf?ver=NfT0FRHSJlgEtWk0mE22lQ%3D%3D
"Navy focuses on DEI in three ways:
• For Diversity, Navy measures how individual communities compare to the Department of Labor
comparable-civilian equivalent, officer and enlisted demographics along race, gender, and ethnic lines.
This ensures there are no unintended barriers to entry, and helps focus Navy recruiting efforts to bring in
the right available talent.
• For Equity, Navy looks at key billets, along with detailing, advancement/promotion statistics to ensure
every Sailor has the same opportunity for professional growth and development. This enhances
organizational loyalty, encouraging Sailors towards a Navy career because they can see themselves in
senior Navy leaders, both officer and enlisted.
• For Inclusion, Navy uses a variety of surveys to assess whether not its workforce feels included and
connected to mission and leaders at all levels. This reflects human psychology as it relates to
teambuilding, where personnel who feel excluded and disconnected are more likely to both underperform
and conduct destructive behaviors.
The principles of DEI are brought to life in five ways:
• The Chief of Naval Operations’ Navigation Plan, and its implementation framework, the NIF. At
quarterly NIF operating reviews, DEI is measured and assessed.
• Navy’s Get Real Get Better movement, which focuses on preparing teams for combat. The ability of
Navy Teams to self-assess, self-correct, innovate, and learn is dependent on diversity of thoughts and
ideas, and whether team members feel included and connected.
• Navy Leader Development Framework briefs where each of Navy’s 17 community leaders brief the
CNO/VCNO on their climate, leader development, and DEI.
Through the continuation of the 56 Task Force One Navy initiatives. Of these, 54 are on-track (41
implemented; 13 in-progress) and 2 were cancelled. Some of the significant FY22 achievements for
these initiatives include:
o The Minority Serving Institution Scholarship Reservation (MSISR) interview process was
expanded. FY22 was the first time in three years where all MSISR scholarship slots were
filled.
o A NROTC Consortium Deputy Commander position was established at Morehouse College
and a Deputy Commander is inbound to Savannah State College.
o NROTC has expanded to include more Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCU) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). Benedict College was added to NROTC
and as a Navy Preparatory Program eligible school.
o Navy has increased outreach to K-12 STEM students with an eight week STEM academy for
JROTC high school students with 20 students participating at Delaware State University and
Elizabeth City State University.
o As a result of recommendations from the Office of Women’s Policy (OWP), CNP increased
the aspirational goal in the annual goaling letter for enlisted females from 25% to 30%.
o OWP continues to work outreach efforts across fleet concentration areas and through the
engagement with communities of practice and development of Women’s Initiative Teams.
o OWP updated the Pregnancy & Parenthood mobile application. The app provides important
guidance for Sailors who are starting or expanding their families, as well as for their
command leadership and supervisors. The app includes Navy guidance regarding
assignments, retention, separation, leave and much more.
• By establishing a network of Fleet DEI Practitioners. Monthly webinars cover best practices and guide
contemporary discussions on DEI topics related to Navy needs."