Saw this on a buddy's facebook. Pretty good and would've been funnier if the SWOs weren't actually facing their ridiculous manning issues.
"I have an aviator who mocks me. He calls me by my first name and is generally pleasant." That's some good stuff right there.
"We do not have jobs for the Ensigns we do have." Sounds like any given day on a FFG. Although like many of these, it does go on a bit too long.
I was on a tour with some DV's and one of the ships we toured said the new Ensigns were sleeping in enlisted overflow berthing with the overflow enlisted guys.
Is SWO retention really hurting that bad? I am well aware of the horror stories but are they finally getting bitten in the ass by their shennanigans?
That's pretty standard on a FFG. They don't actually sleep with the enlisted. Usually they're in a separate "compartment" which is just separated by a regular door...all of which is just part of the starboard P-way that's long been closed off. But I can top that. During Haiti, there were two O-4s sleeping with 3 Chiefs in overflow, with the Ensigns in the forward compartment I mentioned. Ask me how I know...
I believe the LT giving the tour mentioned the overflow was normally just a few of the new Ensigns but due to new check ins they had maxed out every bunk. I have had to sleep in overflow a few times in my career, some were better than the actual berthing.
Quite a few buddies of mine are voting with their feet due to the SWO community climate. A free masters, SWOCP, career security in the bad economy, all not worth it to them.
It's been this way for a while...we were jammed up with Ensigns 12 years ago, for the same logic (it takes X Ensigns to make Y DH's...). Lots of inventing jobs (Asst DCA and ANAV on a frigate?) then, too. I spent my first cruise berthing in what had previously been the CMC's office. It was not palatial.
If it was something other than a FFG, that may have been true, but every FFG I've been underway on (I think I'm up to 4 now), there's been Ensigns of varying numbers down in that space that's in my picture (just forward of the chow line, next to the post office that's never open). I would have preferred to be down in berthing with the rest of the det because it wouldn't have had one or two Ensigns that were incapable of closing a door quietly at all hours. But alas, they were full down there, too. The one good thing was that is was cooler there than up in O-country, but I think everywhere is cooler than O-country on a frigate.
Nice! I lived in the Inboard Lower rack for about three months when I first reported aboard in the mid 80's. Then had to move back in when staff came aboard (seniority). The only irritating thing was that the crew was instructed to go around but there were always a few that had to pass through anyway just to make their defiance statement of the day, usually slamming the last hatch or door depending on their direction. Thanks for posting the pics!
The thing that disturbs me about this video being pulled is that it illustrates just how true the video is about the main issue plaguing the community that has been swept under the rug and thus leading to the retention problem. The video only told the God honest truth no one at BUPERs wants to hear and it is an issue unique to SWOdom.
There was a Broadside cartoon a few years back that discussed SWO's using "Stab, Stab, Look, Stab" as career progression. I can't find a link to the actual cartoon. The Navy Times received numerous letters to the editor complaining that the SWO community is not like that at all. I found it pretty funny, because the letters all proved what many of us always knew or suspected was that some SWO's (not all) have ZERO sense of humor.
That is pretty sad. I don't know. I'm just butt hurt the video is gone. I'll probably end up friending the creator just to get access again. I have some SWO friends who would get a kick out of it.
You know... we do have plenty of dirty laundry in aviation, some of it even being inappropriate subject matter for YouTube videos. This "I need more Ensigns?" Um, yeah, somebody needs to lighten up. By the way, fifteen years ago, naval aviation was having almost the same conversation with itself. "We offer these spoiled pilots lots of money and they still choose to get out instead of signing on for a boat tour. All they do is complain about flight hours and spare parts. I just don't understand. But my plan is to make twice as many Ensigns and then I should have enough department heads." There was just no YouTube back then
From what I've witnessed, the problem with SWOdom is fixed dead in its tracks by none other than the skipper. I was willing to admit from day one the manning and tasking on a small boy plain sucks, but when the SWO wardroom is at each others necks to boot it can be unbearable. Towards the end of my tour, the new CO after change of command saw the climate and behavior of the wardroom was UNSAT and cleaned house using good old fashioned leadership. I made a point on my departing FITREP debrief to tell him just how great a job I thought he was doing and how much the JOs admired him, some deciding to continue the SWO path.
