NEWS Navy to end ending all enlisted ratings!

[Flash]

This wasn't socialized around the Fleet much, but I can tell you that BuPers - the people who'll actually have to implement this - were involved from the beginning. This wasn't a wild impulse SecNav farted out one morning.

Other than folks who were 'in the know' on this change it doesn't seem like it was socialized at all around the fleet.

Overall I don't think it is that bad an idea, as much as I love tradition, but from what little I have seen the rollout of this very big change has been poor at best.

 

[sevenhelmet]

This wasn't socialized around the Fleet much, but I can tell you that BuPers - the people who'll actually have to implement this - were involved from the beginning. This wasn't a wild impulse SecNav farted out one morning.

...Which makes it all the more inexcusable how they just dropped it on the service like a grenade, rather than saying "Hey, FYSA, this is coming in a little while, here's why." If it's truly a good decision, it should be easy to defend.

 

[xj220]

The more I think about it, I wonder if the rollout was done this way because they knew how much pushback there would be. By doing it like this, they have to deal with the backlash but the change is already done. You know, the whole forgiveness vs permission thing.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Oddly enough, SecNav, CNO, and CNP don't need the fleet's forgiveness or permission to implement policy changes.

 

[Flash]

Oddly enough, SecNav, CNO, and CNP don't need the fleet's forgiveness or permission to implement policy changes.

Certainly not, but a good leader is also concerned about how their policies will affect their personnel and morale.

This isn't a surprise to you or the other folks who had inputs in the process but 99.99% of the rest of the Navy didn't have a clue.

 

[sevenhelmet]

The more I think about it, I wonder if the rollout was done this way because they knew how much pushback there would be. By doing it like this, they have to deal with the backlash but the change is already done. You know, the whole forgiveness vs permission thing.

That would explain their leading with "equality and diversity", which is usually intended to guilt people out of pushing back. Not that it worked.

Oddly enough, SecNav, CNO, and CNP don't need the fleet's forgiveness or permission to implement policy changes.

Thank you captain obvious, but it sure makes them look good to a left-leaning administration, no?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Thank you captain obvious, but it sure makes them look good to a left-leaning administration, no?

Christ, don't promote me. I'm having a hard enough time finding pay billets in the reserves as it is.

But hey, you've clearly got the inside scoop on what makes a departing SecNav tick...sucking up to an incoming administration he won't be working for. Or is he sucking up to the administration with two months left in office?

For fucks sake we have pages and pages of threads on here of complaints of how the Navy clings to antiquated personnel systems that don't work any more, and more about how long it takes the Navy to make any big decisions. Now we're gonna complain because it's too big of a change and nobody asked us how we'd feel?

 

[Flash]

...For fucks sake we have pages and pages of threads on here of complaints of how the Navy clings to antiquated personnel systems that don't work any more, and more about how long it takes the Navy to make any big decisions. Now we're gonna complain because it's too big of a change and nobody asked us how we'd feel?

I think it is more a matter of poor communication than anything else. Like I said before, this is the biggest change to the enlisted personnel system in over 100 years and the rollout/soft opening/announcement/whatever (part of the problem) has been underwhelming at best with a somewhat decent outline of the overall plan but lacking in many answers to basic questions. I would have thought with a change as big as this the rollout would have been done better, from top to bottom.

Again, as someone who knew this was coming you have had time to digest this but for the rest of the Navy who wasn't in the know this is a big change dropped in our laps without much more illuminating info than the outlines. If a sailor asks me a bunch of questions I wouldn't know the answers and neither would his or her CO and that is a bit of a problem.

Finally, when compared to the extensive preparations to the DADT repeal, sexual harassment training and now transgender policy it isn't a big surprise to me that some folks are scratching their heads at this rollout and questioning where our leadership's priorities lie; core enlisted personnel policy that effects every sailor and their career or the latest in sensitivity training.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I was pissed when I saw what was going on, but I thought maybe it was just me, then I went on FB and saw all the feeds from my friends and their friends who many are active, they are all mad and feel like they have been wronged. The argument that the USAF, Army, USMC don't call their personnel by their jobs is like comparing apples to oranges, the USN isn't the USA, USAF, or USMC. One of the things that defines the USN and makes us stand out is the enlisted ratings!

What if they decided that the USMC no longer needed the EGA on its uniforms and all services would just put USA, USMC, USAF, and USN? How would the Marines feel about that? or what if they decided that Pilots in all services should wear the exact same insignia and replaced it with something like the USAF or USA has?

They say this will help sailors get jobs?? really? If they want to help sailors get jobs then put more emphasis on resume writing and assistance when people get out of the USN, that is where people are having issues, I know, I read resumes most of the day and many from those who have just left suck! I don't care if you have a good conduct medal, sea service medal, or whatever medal. They other thing that will help, tell them not to get tattoos in visible locations! If a potential employer can see where it will be then maybe put it somewhere else.

To me this was time and effort wasted that could have been better used for other purposes.

 

[MAKE VAPES]

So Ray and I get on the elevator ALONE on the way to the PAC one day at the Pentagon in 2012... that one moment you know that no one else is there, no one else is listening... you've got the boss's boss's boss's boss trapped!

During this time he is full bore pushing the operational energy assclown wagon.. Every cell of my body wants to ask him what the F*(K he is thinking investing billions in zero return on investment BULL SH!T when Navy warfighting capability has carrier sized holes in it. I want to ask him what his retirement funds are in, because they MUST BE IN the companies the Navy is spending 3.2 B in... its the only way it makes sense...

I stare at my shoes, blood near boiling... the second floor comes, door opens, he departs.

I still wonder if any enterprising O-5 has told him he is completely full of shit. Opportunity lost.

Is there an initiative that enhanced warfighting capability that Ray pushed? Has he done any good???

Now that I'm full up retired I can say the same thing my Father said to me: What the hell did you folks do to my Navy???

 

[Pags]

Is it really that big of a deal? Everyone keeps their same rank (and pay) and it's not like their job is going away. So ABH3 is now a PO3 who happens to have the 0123 aviation boatswain mate NOS code. He can still tell everyone his job is Aviation Boatswain Bate. His quals will still carry the same operational relevance. Same in the squadron. Instead of having 10 AD3s, 10 AT3s, and 10AOs, Maintenance now has 30 PO3s, 10 of whom are still mechs, 10 are still tweeks, and 10 are still ordies. When you hold up the trouble T you can still call for an Mech, you'll just get a PO3 with a Mech NOS. Like others have pointed out, it seems to work OK for the Marines. Does it matter if rating badges go away? Everyone wears coveralls or camies that only have rank on them. The only way I knew to call someone AD or AB was because I knew who they were. And I'm sure crossed anchors with wings will still adorn the islands of carriers and LHDs and other old rating badges will still be incorporated in to other tribal paintings.

The delivery seems to be off and from an unpopular SECNAV but does that change the need to update an antiquated system? Or is this just today's windmill to tilt at?

 

[xj220]

I'm not knocking the change, like I said I don't know enough about it to say either way but from what I've read it could be a change for the better. I just think the surprise launch was odd and disappointing. They could have at least explained the reasoning and provided more details. I feel like people are owed that much.

 

[Recovering LSO]

@Uncle Fester help me understand what it fixes. I've read the press release and message traffic, several times. I'm still wondering what problem this solution address. The career flexibility thing is a stretch because at the end of the day a Sailor is going to get detailed IAW needs of Navy - see also Lemoore. The better translation to civilian employment thing is a stretch as well. Is this an admission that TAPS, GPS, or whatever we're calling it these days doesn't work? Help me understand.

 

[Pags]

TAPS/GPS doesn't work?!?!

 

[LET73]

I still don't know why ratings needed to go away to achieve any of the goals here. Why does telling my Sailors that they're now B600s instead of Intelligence Specialists help them out with civilian employment? Why not just allow people to earn NECs outside their rate if the goal is to let them expand their skill sets and provide greater flexibility in detailing? Why are we taking away a tradition that's as old as the Navy? I'm sure there are reasons for all of this, but no one seems to know what they are.