From tonight: 7 hotdogs per bun. 
I caught about the last 2/3 of an episode last night. It was pretty interesting. I initially thought it was just going to be another hour long recruiting commercial like one finds on the Discovery Channel.
I would be more disturbed that there apears to be a lot of retards on board who I wouldn’t trust with a pellet gun.
No shit! Especially the two episodes last night. Did they just pick the idiots to profile last night? They all seemed dumber than a box of rocks.
What was especially disturbing were the interviews where they asked them about their mission, and whether or not they believed in the war they were fighting. Most of the people interviewed flat out said they had no idea why we were at war in Iraq, the political climate that led up to the war, or whether or not they were for or against the war. “I’m here to do my job and defend my country.” WTF? I understand patriotism, but would it really hurt you to crack a newspaper or web page and read up on just what you’re doing? Since, you know, you could kill people and stuff. Even if media is limited on the boat itself, that doesn’t explain away the time before they were on the boat. These people were just clueless.
I saw a bit of it the other night. What’s with the green turtlenecks?
That is the reason for the redundancy. Work gets checked constantly on the big boats. You qualify before you take on an important or dangerous job. Besides remember a lot of these kids joined the Navy so they don’t need to ask you, “Do you want fries with that?”
It varies by rates, you won’t find the dumbshits in Fire control or Electronics and in all honesty most of those that had poor ASVABs wind up as Boatswain mates where they can do minimal harm. I didn’t catch the rate of the racist sailor, did anyone else?
I was surprised to see sailors manning the small guns on the Nimitz, on the Ranger, the 50 cals were manned by Marines and they were typically the only ones with small arms. Even the Master-At-Arms relied on heavy steal flashlights that they used as nightsticks.
I guess I found the fact that most of last night’s show was devoted to the malcontents and troublemakers took away from the show for me. I was hoping to see more of the crew doing their job.
The one crewman was talking about how as a third class he stopped hanging out with the E3s and below. This gave me a major rolleyes moment as I felt this was a reflection on the idiot talking and not how it was when I was in. The Chiefs and Officers do keep themselves separate from the crew, but the POs and airman, seaman and fireman generally hang out.
Hell, there were even some events that due to nothing but qualifications as a third class petty officer I had the second classes working under my supervision and the first class just was pretty much there to tell the others to do what I said.
This came out in several areas, watches where I had a higher qual. Before I left the boat I was a Load Dispatcher. I had second and even first classes on switchboard watches. Rank no longer matters in those situations. The other major area was doing switchboard, generator and load center Preventive Maintenance. I was usually in charge of these jobs as I had a track record of doing them correct and fast. There were a few other specific exceptions.
Jim (Sorry for the ramble)
The flight deck crews wear color codes shirts. Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, White and Brown.
Jim
I’m certain that it was auxiliary equipment–but I’m not an expert on the layout of a carrier.
On my submarine, we could take friends and family members on tours of the boat, but could not take them past the reactor tunnel hatch. There was a little sign on the hatch reminding people of this, like the signs the camera zoomed in on in the show last night. People were surprised to hear that they had only seen the forward third of the boat. Fully 2/3 of a modern sub is the reactor and engine room.
However, we could take people into the Auxiliary Machinery Room (AMR), which is not part of the engine room. (It contained the emergency diesel generator, atmosphere control equipment, etc.). I was surprised to find out later that some “tourists” thought that this tiny space was the whole engine room.
I’d like to have seen more of what actually happens in Captain’s Masts (as we did, briefly, for the female sailor who’d been caught drinking in the first night’s episodes). Does the captain himself preside over those, or can he delegate to the XO or another officer? Give me some Captain’s Mast stories, anyone!
How many legal officers would the Nimitz or another supercarrier carry? Would they be JAG officers or the law equivalent of a medical corpsman?
Are there officers who don’t jump to the head of the line in the Mess or Sickbay, just to be a nice guy/gal or to lead by example?
Seeing everyone pile onto those Hong Kong ferries in mufti made me wonder… if you found yourself on the same little boat as the captain, how deferential would you be expected to be? Off duty, in civilian clothes, I know you don’t salute, but otherwise what would be expected of you? Does it all depend on the captain’s personality, or do you wait to see how he addresses you?
You would be expected to be fairly deferential.
A typical sailor would acknowledge him (e.g. “Hello, Sir/Captain”), but that would be about it. Someone on particularly good terms with him might address him as “Skipper.”
On the beach (meaning off the ship), the CO would typically hang out with one or more of the other senior officers not on duty, but the rest of the crew would probably avoid him like the plague.
**Elendil’s Heir’s Questions: **
** Does the captain himself preside over those, or can he delegate to the XO or another officer? Give me some Captain’s Mast stories, anyone!**
Most discipline is handled in the shop or division. More serious offenses are handled by the Department Head, like my example of sleeping on watch but while on my feet. Even the ones that get out of the Department are handled mostly by the XO from what I can recall. I don’t recall any friends or crewman doing anything to go further than the XO.
How many legal officers would the Nimitz or another supercarrier carry? Would they be JAG officers or the law equivalent of a medical corpsman?
We had only one legal officer on board. He was a Lt Cmd so far from a medical corpsman but he had a staff of Legal petty officers to help him. I do not recall what the rate was called. As far as I know the Lt Cmd was a trained lawyer. He had nothing to do with most Capt’ Masts. BTW: I never even heard the term JAG until after I was out of the Navy.
Are there officers who don’t jump to the head of the line in the Mess or Sickbay, just to be a nice guy/gal or to lead by example?
Officers never jump in line at the mess decks as they and the chiefs have their own galleys on Carriers and larger ships at least. As to SickBay, most officers would not jump the line as dental appointments are scheduled and when sickbay is crowded they went to a triage type system to determine who should go first, who could wait and who could just head back to their racks for a bit. This only happened once in my time on the Ranger. It was after we left Hong Kong during a cold rainy Christmas. One Corpsman basically checked temperatures and that was the primary determination of who to take next that time.
Seeing everyone pile onto those Hong Kong ferries in mufti made me wonder… if you found yourself on the same little boat as the captain, how deferential would you be expected to be? Off duty, in civilian clothes, I know you don’t salute, but otherwise what would be expected of you? Does it all depend on the captain’s personality, or do you wait to see how he addresses you?
The Captain had his own gig; I would be surprised to find him on the small ferries. We did end up in the same bar as the CHENG in Thailand and we politely said hello, made some very small, small talk and we moved on to another bar.
I never ran into my Captain off duty, but I did literally run into him once during a Red Team alert. We had a small fire and I was one of the responders. I was racing for the fuse boxes to secure power to the area and yelling make a hole and the Captain stepped out of a passage and we collided, I started to apologize but he did first and told me to move it. I did. 
He was a very good Captain by the way. Very personable and well liked and we were happy for him when he made Admiral. One of the earliest black Admirals I think but I could be wrong. I am sad to say that I cannot remember his name any more.
Jim
My submarine was a vastly smaller command than a carrier, but the commanding officer (CO) himself presided.
The punishments that can be instituted depend on the rank of the officer presiding and the rank of the sailor being taken to mast. An offending officer may get referred to Admiral’s Mast if the offense is serious enough. (Really serious offenses, including criminal offenses, get referred to Court Martial.)
I knew an officer once who went UA (unauthorized absence) and missed ship’s movement. He was a lieutenant commander and the Navigator on a sub, and the CO had just decreed the boat to be smoke-free. He was a heavy smoker, and apparently decided he couldn’t take it. He borrowed the CO’s rental car, switched vehicles at the rental office, and headed for Vegas. :dubious: After a few days in Vegas, he returned to Norfolk and turned himself in. He pleaded out to a deal, was taken to Admiral’s Mast, and put out of the Navy.
I know another officer who went UA, vanished for weeks, and was eventually declared a deserter. He was picked up by a state trooper while sleeping in his car in a highway rest stop, arrested, returned to the boat in handcuffs, and eventually court-martialled.
The mast hearings I saw for sailors generally involved fights, underaged drinking, DUIs, etc. Sailors’ careers can theoretically recover after a mast. It is fatal to an officer’s career.
I had to find it, the Captain for most of my time on board the USS Ranger was Captain William J. Davis, Jr., USN June 26, 1985 - March 8, 1987
I cannot find any bio on him though.
Captain’s Mast is conducted by the Captain only. The XO will have XO’s Mast.
In general, if you get put on report for something, the report chit makes it’s way up the chain of command.
Scenario: I am the “balls to four” watch on the enlisted brow. Your supposed to relieve me at 0330. You no showed, and I had to stand your watch (04 to 08) too. I write up a report chit, and submit it to the duty section leader.
He confirms that you no-showed, and didn’t have a valid reason, and in doing so will have contacted your division officer and LCPO (Leading Chief). The chit then makes it’s way to your department head. She/He may or may not (probably not) attempt to “handle it” at this level. If he/she doesn’t, the chit moves up to the XO, who may attempt to get it resolved. If the XO can’t (or won’t), it moves up to the CO. XO and CO’s Mast are formal actions, and they will require you to show up dressed in Dress Uniform, and stand at attention, etc.
The department head and XO can assign (through their lawful order powers) extra duty and training. The CO can also order restriction (to a geographical location/command), a reduction in rank, and/or loss of pay.
I never paid attention in sick bay… but:
The Chief Petty Officers and Officers eat in their own mess’s, and don’t mingle with the E6 and below on the regular mess deck. The Captain has his own mess as well. There is little “cutting in line” in khaki country, because the lines don’t seem to be that long, and everyone is with a pay grade or two of everyone else there.
Exception: Duty/watch standers (if this is the only time they can get something to eat) and brig prisoners will get head of line privledges. The JOOD occasionally has to sample the enlisted mess during his watch (don’t know if it is a monthly thing…). This is to “spot check” the enlisted mess line, to make sure that they aren’t getting lazy down there, and he will get to cut in at the head of the line.
Since the Cole incident, the Navy has been hypervigilant about the small boat
threat. These small arms are just about ideal for dealing with that, and for protecting the ship while in port - so more sailors are trained on them now.
As for mast, the XO typically has conducted an investigation prior to it (this is referred to as XOI, and often this is where the whole thing ends.) If the XO determines mast is needed, he tells the CO, who schedules one. Depending on the CO’s mood and the infraction, he may wait until he has a number of cases to consider or he may hold one immediately to set the matter straight one way or another.
Mast is Navy non-judicial punishment, so few protections are available to the accused. Typically his chain of command testifies about his character and whether the incident in question is a one-off or a pattern. The accused may present witnesses if they are available. The evidence from the XOI is discussed, and then the CO may rule. He can do anything from dismiss the charges, give a warning, to impose fairly draconian punishments like restriction to the ship, extra duty, reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay, reduced rations, or even bread and water rations for a few days (don’t laugh - I’ve seen this last one done.)
At any time, if the accused thinks he isn’t being given a fair shake, he may request a court martial instead. This is a gamble few take. You get far more pretrial protections but if you lose, you have to take the sentence of the court and not your captain - and that will generally be far worse.
What type of ship were you on?
Our officers would range from Ensign to Captain in rank (O1 to O6) below the CO & XO.
When we were sent to Captain’s Mast, we would only see the XO. This was under two Captains on the Ranger. I am not sure what you had to do as an offense to see the Captain. I would imagine it was a serious offense. Maybe our terminology was just sloppy on the Ranger.
I just realized, I have no clue. Did the Warrant Officers eat in the Ward room or the Chief’s mess. I think the Ward room. This would open up the number of ranks in the Ward room to 8.
Thank you, that makes sense. What rates get this training?
Well, I was an OS - not exactly a weapons type, and I still qualified on the .45 and 9mm plus the shotgun for inport watches. And this was before the Cole.
I don’t think this is rate driven so much as it is duty section driven.
Personnel assigned to seagoing commands (even if the ship is in port) cannot request court-martial.
Note that this does not mean the CO cannot send a case to court-martial, only that the accused cannot request it.
Only chiefs or their guests ate in the goat locker. One of our warrants would hang out down there very occasionally - but he was a former chief. The other one I knew made warrant from first class, and he didn’t do this.
And both of them would eat in the wardroom.
We had a stateroom called Mustang Row - it was the only stateroom that could fit six people. We kept the warrant officers, LDOs, and other prior enlisted officers there until they advanced in rank a bit.
Still beats ops berthing where I was - I had 95 roommates.
I was ship’s company, USS Ranger (CV-61) from Jan '86 to Dec '89.
I was TAD to the ships Master-at-Arms force during the Westpac in '87.
I was the MAA escort for a couple CO’s Mast’s, conducted by the CO, on the starboard wing of the bridge (just above the CIWS mount).
I forgot that part. Only a couple years of my Navy career were on the ship - the rest was at an air station, where other rules applied.
The one time I saw someone in a mast situation demand a court martial was at Sigonella.