Continuing with my series, I will now talk about the problems I see with the enlisted people in the Navy. Since I’ve been enlisted for more than 13 years, I’ve seen a definite change in the quality of people coming in the Navy and I’m not the only one to notice it. > more <

As expected, I’m starting to get some flak about my previous post about Navy Chiefs. Honestly, I don’t care if people hate my opinion. I get enough hate from my “Hawaii Sucks” post. I wrote about my experiences with them during my time in the Navy. Not everyone will have the same experiences as myself; some people probably have great Chiefs who do their jobs. But I haven’t. > more <

I’m interested in writing a book about my time in the Navy, especially the problems I see. This, and future, blog posts are mostly my thoughts and ramblings as I think of things to write about (if I ever get the opportunity). So, if you are so inclined, feel free to post comments with your ideas and experiences. Or, if you think I’m a whining bastard, you can tell me that too, though I would appreciate some counter-arguments or good rationalization for why I’m wrong. > more <

Having recently returned from Iraq, I found out that the new service uniforms are finally available at the Navy Exchange (NEX) Uniform Shop. These new uniforms are designed to replace the office working whites (the “ice cream man” uniform) and the working blues (the “Johnny Cash” uniform). For those who haven’t seen it yet, it’s almost like the Marine Corps office uniform: khaki shirt, black pants, black garrison cap, collar rank insignia, etc.

I like the idea of not having to sew on the rank patches anymore; that could get pretty expensive, especially if you change rates. And having one uniform for the whole year is a nice idea; I never understood why we had to have two different uniforms when you can just wear a coat. > more <

Flying into Iraq is an experience. We had to wait 3 extra hours at the airport in Kuwait because our original flight was converted into a cargo flight so they had to find another plane for us. We flew on an Air Force C-17 cargo plane; they put removable cargo seats in the bay for us to ride in. > more <

The last week at Camp McCrady is pretty quick. The big events are learning to clear rooms (a la SWAT teams) and convoy operations. The biggest classroom training is SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape); basically how to prevent being captured and if you are, what to do to stay alive. > more <