Source: The end of ratings: What's next in the Navy's radical enlisted shake-up That's the news as the Navy has eliminated every sailor's rating title in favor of generic rank-specific titles like petty officer 2nd class, a move intended to encourage training across specialties and to help them later transition into the civilian workforce with more skills. “We’re going to immediately do away with rating titles and address each other by just our rank as the other services do,” said Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke in a Sept. 19 interview. ... This began with Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’ mandate in January to eliminate the use of the word “man” from rating titles to make the enlisted service more appealing to women. In June, the Marine Corps — also under the Mabus edict — announced they’d take “man” out of 19 occupational titles. The Navy has gone much further. Their more controversial approach will eliminate the rating title every sailor uses and aims to scrap the existing advancement system and start over. . . . A former Jarhead, what do the Squids think? The Marines have a special place in our hearts for Corpsman. Bob Wilson
Retired Marine Maj. Gene Duncan once defined Navy hospital corpsmen as, “Usually a young, long haired, bearded, Marine-hatin' Sailor with certain medical skills, who will go through the very gates of Hell to get to a wounded Marine.” Corpsman risks life, saves lives of two Marines > 2nd Marine Division > News Article Display
Hmmmmm..... I guess I could defend either flag on this one. The USN has a proud history of being proud of their history. It's been described as over 200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress. (241 the day after tomorrow?) We went from wooden ships to steel, and even aluminum and composite. We also survived the great transition from sail to hybrid vessels through coal, oil, gas turbine and into nucular powered ships. Submarine development in the 19th and 20th centuries was pooh poohed by Battleship Admirals who saw them as nothing more than dirty, smelly, unholy machines to be operated by those who could not make it in the (then) politically correct white linen wardrooms. They were relegated strategically "perhaps" as coastal and harbour defense assets.....despite the fact that submarines were developed and used as an offensive (or a terror) weapon from the very start. Aircraft and their carriers suffered the same stubborn resistance. The reason that the brown-shoe Navy got it's name and reputation was not at all complementary----- until they replaced the super dreadnoughts as the prime means of waging gunboat diplomacy, bringing advancement opportunity, glory, and that thing which drives ALL military endeavors.......MONEY. I suspect that each in turn will stubbornly resist being themselves replaced with UAVs which can as easily mean Underwater Autonomous Vehicle, as it can Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. I see a President in the near future reacting to an emerging crisis by not asking "Where's the nearest carrier?" but instead wondering "How fast can we get a drone there?" It's good stuff. Drones, like sailors have to be replaced when they get shot up or captured by an enemy, but you don't have to plant them in Arlington or pay a grieving family SGLI benefits when you lose one. OTOH, SOME tradition is a good thing. I suspect that Marines will still have squids hanging out with them in places where boots get muddy, and blisters are treated with duct tape until you get where you're going. They're still going to scream for a CORPSMAN when one of their buddies gets a hole knocked in them, and some wild-eyed sailor who loathes grey hulls will scamper towards him. I've always liked the fact that every Marine's primary job title is rifleman.....although I suspect that this title will be, or has been, replaced with something more politically correct. I'm retired. Let the kids run the show and see if they can find some new and better ways of getting the job done. Budgets go up and down......and I see a lot of 'down' in the future, but the ocean isn't going to get any smaller, and neither are our nation's threats. We're going to NEED people trying to figure out a more efficient way forward.
