Happy 241st…

The US Navy is 241 years old today..

101021-N-7642M-164 BOSTON (Oct. 21, 2010) USS Constitution fires a 21-gun salute toward Fort Independence on Castle Island during an underway to celebrate the 213th launching day anniversary of the ship. Constitution is the worldÕs oldest commissioned warship afloat. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathryn E. Macdonald/Released)

101021-N-7642M-164
BOSTON (Oct. 21, 2010) USS Constitution fires a 21-gun salute toward Fort Independence on Castle Island during an underway to celebrate the 213th launching day anniversary of the ship. Constitution is the worldÕs oldest commissioned warship afloat. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kathryn E. Macdonald/Released)

Sadly, it seems 241 years of tradition have pretty much been destroyed in the last 8 years by the current administration’s use of the military as a social justice experiment…

And the latest insult to the Navy is doing away with ‘ratings’ per se, now people will just be addressed by Petty Officer XXX and no rating identified. I wonder what’s next? Taking away designation badges? Aircrew badges? Pilot/NFO/jump wings? Budweisers???

Sigh…

Comments

Happy 241st… — 18 Comments

  1. Concur. However, they can’t change what we were. I only served a four-term hitch, but will forever have been a PN2.

    So there. And Happy Birthday, Navy! I still have the certificate received for being on duty on its 200th birthday, and the challenge coin issued by NAVSTA Adak at the same time. 🙂

  2. Qualification badges and ratings tend to separate service members rather than to blend them together in a pleasing gender (all 31 genders) and racial mixture as they join arms to go out and defeat the weather. And keeping track of those rating emblems was always so difficult anyway. This means that there is less to think about. Obama’s Navy.

  3. Hey Old NFO;

    TO a founding member whom swung a cutlass along John Paul Jones on the Bohomme Richard, Happy Birthday to the Honorable U.S. Navy that has a lots of proud traditions and brought honor to the country.

  4. If I read the excuse right, they will still have a designation, just not the same names – I believe it is a pussy way of getting ‘man’ off the rating name. And I have been on the USS Constitution. When fully equipped, there isn’t much room. But is was fun to imagine sailing her back in the day.

  5. The USS Constitution would be fun to sail back in the day if you were an officer. But as a sailor – not so much.

    The Ayatollah Obongo is a prime example of something that I’ve always believed, and that is to qualify for the officer of President of the US, you must have served in the military. I don’t mean the National Guard, either. I mean the regular military; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard. Having done your bit, you’ll know that it isn’t much fun at times, and when you’re ducking lead it isn’t any fun at all. When a man with that experience sends soldiers somewhere, he’ll have a good idea what they are up against and he won’t give those orders lightly.

    That’s right, I said ‘he’. I didn’t mean the term to be gender neutral.

    My apologies to Old_NFO for pissing people off.

  6. “Sadly, it seems 241 years of tradition have pretty much been destroyed in the last 8 years by the current administration…”

    I long for the days when the United States Navy was free to fire back at anyone foolish enough to attack one of our ships.

  7. “Sadly, it seems 241 years of tradition have pretty much been destroyed in the last 8 years by the current administration…”

    Sorry Old NFO, seems to have been a lot of that going around but the things you love hurt the worst.

  8. Too bad that y’all ain’t interested in today’s kinder and more gentle military. Doesn’t everyone love little gray kittens and warm milk? When the next armed conflict occurs, we will be able to win the disbelievers (no more enemy) with kindness and generosity. We can offer them free safe spaces anywhere they feel a need. 🙁

  9. I retired in ’94. I saw early harbingers of this nonsense even back then. It was time for me to leave. Surprisingly, my blood pressure and stress levels have gone down tremendously since becoming a civilian.

    Ray

  10. Congratulations to the United States Navy on it’s 241st anniversary. And a glass raised to “Past and Present”.

  11. Welcome to todays navy Comrade.
    Come on board the ship that can’t fight or move.
    leaperman