Saw a story yesterday in the Everett Herald, and while it was lacking details(as is usually the case with stories of military discipline), it still caught my eye.
Navy removes ship officers after boozy port visit
Following a three day port visit in Vladivostok, the Navy relieved the CO, XO and Chief Engineer of the U.S.S. Vandegrift, a San Diego based frigate. Phrased in the normal Navelese, the CO was relieved 'due to loss of confidence after demonstrating poor leadership and failure to ensure the proper conduct of his wardroom officers', and the XO and Eng were relieved for "for personal conduct involving use of alcohol and not adhering to established liberty policies".
Basically, how I read that is that the XO, Eng and some of the other officers got SOOOOO wild and crazy, that the CO, who was only on the ship for 3 months, is getting fired also.
I just can't imagine WHAT these folks did to warrant this kind of a response by the Navy. I mean...I was a sailor...I saw some pretty wild and crazy port calls, and no one ever got fired. Since nothing ever made the papers about a bunch of drunk sailors burning down some bars, or running over a crosswalk full of Russian School children, I can't wrap my mind around it.
The only real answer is that the rules have changed. Even when I was serving in the 1990's, the rules were different from the 70's and 80's. Seems pretty extreme to can half your wardroom and ruin a number of careers just to get your point across that the wild and crazy port call stories you've heard for the last 30 years suddenly aren't allowed any more.
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
ReplyDeleteIt IS changing. There was a COB on a submarine (the name I can't remember) got relieved after a port call in Dubai recently.
ReplyDeleteHe was deep in his cups and leading a sing-along on the bus back to base. When the gate guards tried to make him stop the sing-along, he disagreed.