On Sat, 26 Aug 2017 10:59:27 -0400, Keyser Söze
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 26 Aug 2017 09:01:14 -0400, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 8/24/17 5:51 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 8/24/2017 4:23 PM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 8/24/17 2:43 PM, True North wrote:
On Wednesday, 23 August 2017 21:00:56 UTC-3, Keyser Soze* wrote:
On 8/23/17 6:38 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 8/23/2017 5:36 PM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 8/23/17 12:01 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 8/23/2017 11:02 AM, wrote:
This article offers some interesting insights into some of the
issues
behind the recent naval collisions:

http://gcaptain.com/separate-equal-look-officer-training-us-navy-merchant-marine/




They make the point that many, if not most, US naval officers
regard
sea duty as something that must be endured on the way to higher
rank,
as opposed to a career goal in and of itself.

My wife and I once met a recently promoted US Coast Guard
admiral who
expressed exactly those sentiments in a conversation with us.
We were
surprised by both the attitude and the candor but that was
probably a
reflection of our inexperience with such things.



I don't know of anyone who was in the Navy, officer or enlisted, who
relished sea duty.


Then why sign up for it? One might think that if one is signing up
for
the navy, one relishes the idea of serving on a ship at sea.



Reason number one:* It was Navy or the Army.

Actually, the Navy is much, much more than just ships at sea.
There's a
vast system for communications, aircraft squadrons, INTEL facilities,
administration, logistics and supply facilities that support the
mission
of the Navy and the fleet.** I don't know the breakdown but* I believe
that far more Navy personnel are assigned to shore duty stations at
any
one time than assigned to ships.

Typically, the rotation is three years of sea duty and then three
years
of shore duty.* But it's more complicated than that because some
overseas shore duty may be counted as sea duty for rotational
purposes.
I was actually on ships for three years but had two tours overseas
that
also counted as sea duty.* My only duty that did not count as sea duty
was time in schools and my last duty station in Annapolis.





Yeah, I know the navy is more than just ships at sea, but...why would
you join the navy unless you were into ships at sea?

Funny you should ask that. I had a niece and a nephew's significant
other who both joined the navy.* Both were trying to find ways to
avoid sea duty after a couple long deployments and especially after
kids arrived.* One had the navy pay her way through nursing school
right here in Halifax.


One of life's absurdities...join a force that sends you to sea and
then try to get out of it. Love it.


I admit, it is amusing to read your comments on a subject that you have
absolutely no knowledge of.* Tooling around on Long Island Sound or on
the Chesapeake Bay on "YO HO" isn't exactly like being at sea on a ship
that runs out of fresh water on the second day of a six month cruise and
breakfast consists of powdered eggs, coffee or Bug Juice.

You've never experienced "Channel Fever" either.



Interesting how much praise you boys throw on the naveee for its
technical training programs...perhaps the naveee should concentrate on
training how to run a ship so it doesn't crash into another ship or run
aground. Makes the claims of near-invulnerbility of these ships to enemy
attacks laughable.

I agree that if they are being rammed by big lumbering merchant ships,
there does seem to be a hole in the situational awareness on the
bridge of these navy ships. I think it is arrogance coupled with an
over reliance on electronics. Both of these things seem to have
involved a course change by the merchant ships that was missed by the
people on the bridge of the navy ship. I think that may be why some
are saying this could have been a cyber attack. Even if they did hack
the on board computers, doesn't anyone look out the window anymore?
Maybe not. This is the video game generation.


A year of small boat handling might help.

===

I agree with that, especially in a crowded harbor like Boston, New
York, Baltimore or Norfolk. It should also be a recognized naval
career specialty, on the order of being a harbor pilot which requires
similar skill and training.

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