The Blue Camo Uniform.

I was standing in the check out line at the Commissary and as always, I read the headlines on the Navy Times.  It bothers me that the publishers of the Navy Times feels a need to seal the magazine in Plastic, but, maybe like Hustler, it contains something young people should not read!  Now, back to the topic.  The headline was about the three things that the "Sailors" are telling the new MCPON to fix.  The very first issue was the Uniforms and they had a picture of the new blue Camouflage Utility Uniform!  Wow, I was impressed.

My rantings are just that, the opinion of an old sailor, a has been.  Nothing more.  But to see that the Active Duty Sailors have issues with the powder blue utilities is news.  I believe the MCPON and the CNO need to listed to the men and women who ride the ships of the Navy.  I believe the CNO and MCPON need to listed to every level of the Fleet population on all personnel issues and then formulate a plan to actually address those issues in a constructive manner.  No bureaucracy, no politics, just concrete solutions to heart felt Fleet issues of morale and conscience.  I believe this process must be done in the open!

Other than the uniform issues that I have addressed before, I believe there are other issues that need openly addressed;

1.  The Enlisted Promotion process.  I do not believe that a College degree make you a better Boatswain Mate or Machinist Mate.  Why is College education weighted so high in promotion boards.  This was one of the 3 shown on the Navy Times issue.

2.  Including Specialty Pay and Sea Pay in the retirement calculation.   This could be an incentive for retention and would be an incentive to stay at sea.

3.  A total review of the Command Master Chief Program.  It is my belief that the Command Master Chief must be the spokesman of the junior Enlisted personnel as well as the Chief's mess.  The Command Master Chief should not be in the chain of command, and should definitely not be the Captain's spokesman.  He does need to be the voice of the enlisted community.

Again, I believe the Fleet Sailors have the best point of view on the issues that impact their morale and careers.  They should be listened too.

I don't know the new MCPON, but I hope he is a fleet sailor at heart and has their best interest at heart.