# First Navy Jack?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-navy-jack/126901>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2002, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-navy-jack/126901 "2002-09-04T01:56:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-navy-jack/126901/21 "2002-09-05T04:38:45Z")

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I also vaguely remember some flap about the _Army/Navy Times_, Monty.

I do recall that the use of “Sailor” was being particularly pushed in forums like _Afloat_ magazine, but wasn’t aware that it was ever directed officially. I could not find any pertinent ALNAV messages online.

BTW, my last post was unintentionally sexist. Please replace “enlisted men” with “enlisted personnel.” (This occurred to me after logging off earlier.)

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**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-navy-jack/126901/22 "2002-09-05T13:54:20Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \*  
> \*\*Well, I didn’t think I was disputing it. I was just goggling at the Navy’s use of a term, while being technically correct, that is vastly open to misinterpretation. I don’t think there’s any doubt that in popular parlance the phrase ‘union jack’ is identified with one flag and one nation. After all, you could refer to the american flag as the ‘stars and bars’ but I don’t think you’d be communicating properly. \*\*

Actually, there’s almost zero chance that the _intended_ audience for that messge would be misinterperated. Sailors all learn what the Union Jack is in Boot Camp, and using incorrect, or imprecise “popular” phrasing would guarantee that some command got it wrong.

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-navy-jack/126901/23 "2002-09-05T15:06:25Z")

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robby: An endless source of mirth for my two older brothers and my father (all Army) is the fact that the Navy Times is published by the Army Times.

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**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-navy-jack/126901/24 "2002-09-07T01:27:32Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Monty \*  
> \*\*robby: An endless source of mirth for my two older brothers and my father (all Army) is the fact that the Navy Times is published by the Army Times. \*\*

I too laughed my \*ss off when I first noticed that a while back.

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