INSTRUCTION OF PETTY OFFICERS
By Lieutenant D. E. Cummings, U. S. Navy
FOREWORD
This paper is submitted, not as a model, but rather as a suggestion as to what points need explanation. The general outline covered by this paper has been followed when appointments have been issued to petty officers; the general idea being to question the candidate to find out how completely he has the idea, and then to fill in the "holidays." The language used should be such as will be likely to impress the particular candidate, as should the example chosen. The more homely and everyday the examples chosen the more impressive they seem to be. A talk of this character, far from antagonizing a candidate, seems to be very well received, and a number have shown that they got the idea and profited by it. That being the case, there must be some value in it, and it is offered for what it is worth.
In rating petty officers it is only fair to them and to the ship and service that they be given a clear and definite idea of what their new office carries with it in the way of opportunity and of responsibility. This has been recognized in the Navy Regulations, which require that Article 3401 and the appointment be read by the candidate, and that the commanding officer deliver the appointment and sign as a witness, thus adding dignity and importance to the occasion and separating it in some degree from the single idea of an advance in pay.
When an appointment is issued to a petty officer he signs a statement thereon that he has read and understands the obligations imposed upon him by the appointment and by Article 3401, U. S. Navy Regulations, 1913. A little questioning, however, will usually show that the candidate's understanding of the meaning of that article, while perhaps correct, so far as it goes, usually falls far short of a complete understanding—and why shouldn't it? General Order No. 63 provides for a definite technical and professional examination, but stops short of a full demonstration of what it means to be a petty officer as distinguished from a rated man. The "Bluejacket's Manual," 1915, contains a very valuable "little talk" to recruits on the subject of discipline and duty, but emphasizes obedience, punishments and a clear record chiefly. These phases of the question are of paramount interest to a recruit. A petty officer should be well indoctrinated in them and ready for a further development of his ideas of duty and discipline, a development along constructive lines, since he is now to assume definite responsibility in the up-building of the discipline and efficiency of the ship and of the service. Right here is where a few minutes' questioning by the division officer, the executive officer, or the commanding officer to determine how complete his understanding is, supplemented by such explanation as the answers show to be necessary, may prove of very great value to the candidate in enabling him more fully to meet the requirements of his office. Such an explanation would vary with the personality of the officer and of the candidate, and with the grasp of the subject indicated by the candidate's answers. It should always be remembered that it is the idea itself and not the technical definition that is important.
The candidate may be required to read aloud, paragraph by paragraph. Article 3401, explaining each paragraph in his own way as he goes along. Paragraph 1 reads as follows:
Petty officers shall show in themselves a good example of subordination, courage, zeal, sobriety, neatness, and attention to duty.
Now, the principal idea of this paragraph is that a petty officer is an example to men of lower ratings. Every candidate knows that when he came into the service he got his ideas of how to get along by watching the people who had got along before him—the petty officers; and his own seagoing habits, whether good or bad, have been very largely the outgrowth of his contact with them. Obviously, then, it is important for him to think very seriously, now that he is himself to become a petty officer, of how he should conduct himself so that to-day's recruits may by his example be encouraged to become good service men.
This first paragraph goes on to state quite definitely along what lines that good example should be shown: First, subordination, which is a ready and unquestioning obedience to the letter and spirit of such orders as may be received from proper authority; second, courage; third, zeal; fourth, sobriety; fifth, neatness; and sixth, attention to duty.
Paragraph 2 reads as follows:
They shall aid to the utmost of their ability in maintaining good order, discipline, and all that concerns the efficiency of the command.
The outstanding idea of this paragraph is that the petty officer has got out of the class of those who always wait to be told; he keeps an eye out on his own account for the things that should be done, and it becomes his duty to keep things moving. His aim should be that when a job is given him to do, or when a job naturally falls to him, his superior officers and petty officers need not think twice about that job because they know it will be done, and that, if any obstacle arises that seems insurmountable, it will be promptly reported to them and not neglected. It is not a crime to ask for assistance or advice, but to neglect a problem because one does not see the answer is unforgivable in a petty officer.
The meaning of the word discipline is a very important point to make clear. Discipline is variously defined: as education; as development of the faculties by instruction and exercise; as training, whether physical, mental or moral; as training to act in accordance with established rules; as accustoming to systematic and regular action; as drill; as subjection to rule; as submissiveness to order and control; as control; as a habit of obedience (Webster). All these definitions contain the idea of co-ordination by adherence to established rules; of instruction and exercise; of training and development; and underlying them all is the idea of authority.
Efficiency is defined by Webster as the "quality of…getting an effect," or, in common parlance, efficiency means getting the answer. There are three qualities necessary to the efficient performance of a job. In some cases one of these qualities is the most important, in some cases another; but in all cases all three apply. The first quality is that the job, whether it be rendering honors, scrubbing decks, or sinking an enemy ship, shall be well and thoroughly done—going through the motions doesn't get much answer. The second quality is timeliness. For example it is far more important that a job be ready when it is needed than that it be performed economically. But the fact that the requirements that a job must be well done and done in time stand first does not in any way lessen the importance of the third quality, which is that it must be done economically—at the least cost of time, labor and material. If you use all hands on a job that could be done by one section, your next job lies idle when it might as well be under way; and then where is your efficiency? And, equally, if you try to do with a section a job that requires all hands, how can you expect to get the answer?
Discipline, efficiency, and team-work are very much alike. In all, the man must be competent to do his own job—whether it is playing shortstop or steering a life-boat. When the Red Sox have the field and the batter makes a hit, all the rest of the players do not look at the first baseman and see whose field the ball is headed for and then sit down on their bases and watch them make the play; instead of that, every man on the team gets into position to back up those making the play. The pitcher will perhaps back up first, ready to take care of an overthrow; shortstop and second get ready to catch their man at second if necessary; each man backs up the man making the play, so that they go ahead confidently, knowing that the rest of the team will do their part, and even if everything doesn't "break" right, not much will get through them. So in a well-disciplined ship there is a habit of co-operation, and everybody not only does his own job right, but does it in such a manner as to make the other man's job easier. The fireman doesn't track coal dust on a clean deck, and the deck hand doesn't sift loose dirt down the fire-room hatch. And, too, this co-operation is both upward and downward—good discipline means that a petty officer not only does his job so fully and well that his superior officers don't have to worry about it and keep after him; but also that he keeps a good eye to the work of the men under him so that they can work to the best advantage—foresees, perhaps, the need for a fresh supply of sharp scrapers and provides them in time; plans his work so that it can all be done in orderly fashion at the proper time; instructs his men how to work to the best advantage; and sets high standards so that they may learn to know a good job when they see it.
Another phase of discipline is that all hands should play the same game—follow the same rules. What is more ridiculous than a boat's crew trying to win a race with all hands pulling a different stroke? Yet it might happen that the members of that crew individually are good oarsmen, only trained under different methods—one pulls with his back and another with his arms, one makes a quick finish to his stroke and another pulls evenly throughout. It is perfectly plain that they are bound to interfere with one another and fail to keep stroke. It may well happen that there are several strokes that are perfectly good. Obviously, one has to be chosen; and any good stroke energetically followed is better than shifting constantly from one stroke to another, however excellent the various strokes may be. Until the crew all work together to accept one stroke—not all of them will consider it the best, perhaps—and train until they can follow it, they have neither discipline nor efficiency nor team-work. So that discipline involves a recognition of whose business it is to decide what to do and how to do it, and a cheerful acceptance of his decision.
Team-work, co-operation, doing your own job well, making the other fellow's job easier, playing the same game, according to the rules, acceptance of authority—these are the materials of which discipline is made; and the Regulations and Orders are the rules of the game.
Paragraph 3 reads thus:
They are always on duty, even while on liberty, as far as breaches of discipline are concerned, and they shall endeavor to preserve order at all times. In case men are disorderly on shore, petty officers must arrest them and return them to their ships.
It is obviously desirable to keep men out of trouble, rather than to get them into it, and therefore to prevent disorder rather than to quell it after it happens; and this is often done by the patrol when they send men who are beginning to show too much exhilaration off to their ships before they get into trouble.
The more petty officers there are who perform their duty in this respect the less disorder and consequent trouble there will be for men ashore, and the better will be the reputation of the naval uniform—which is made chiefly by those men whose actions are most unpleasantly conspicuous. Remember that the disorderly man on shore wears the naval uniform just as does the officer of the deck, just as does the captain, just as does the admiral, and just as do you, the petty officer about to receive your appointment. In requiring order on the part of men ashore, then, you are not only carrying out your bounden duty, but you are protecting the reputation of your own uniform in the service. Do not let irresponsible men be disorderly, if not for their sake, then for your own.
To sum up, you, as a petty officer, are assuming a new responsibility, and to be an adequate example to men of inferior ratings, to be subordinate, attentive, and to promote good order, discipline, and all that affects the efficiency of the command, you must exert every effort to realize and grow up to your responsibilities; and keep in mind that because other men may let down the standards is no reason for your doing so—the more you hold up the standards the better for you personally, and the more petty officers there are who do the same, the better it will be for the service.
General.—In putting into practice the above principles, one or two pitfalls may be avoided if their nature is understood. It will often happen that the prescribed method of doing things may not seem as good as some other way that you know about; or some restriction in regard to liberty or to hours or methods of work may not strike you as being just fair. There are two ways to act in such a case. One is to sulk, or to growl, or to criticize, to "knock"; to go about it in a half-hearted way, and to let your discontent be evident to those under you. The result of this course is to make your own job harder, because your discontent rapidly spreads to those under you and you will find it doubly hard to get work out of them. It also undermines the discipline of the ship and makes trouble, not only for yourself but also for those men who are encouraged by your remarks or actions to do things that will get them into trouble. The other way is to assume that whoever has given the order has given it in good faith, and had good grounds for it, some of which you may not know; that, even if the method isn't perfect it can be made to work if you do your part; and to keep your doubts carefully hidden away in your own mind, and go ahead and carry out your orders. Sometimes it is permissible to state your doubts at a proper time and place to whoever gives the order; but never to the man that is to do the work—you at once double your own job. The result of this second way is that the job gets done with less friction, your men are more content, your job is lightened, and your reputation and efficiency are raised in the eyes both of those over you and of those under you. Be a "booster," not a "knocker."
It is hard for a petty officer to be unduly intimate with his subordinates and still maintain proper discipline. When you become a petty officer keep your eyes to the front—not to the rear. If you were not a better man than those under you, you wouldn't be a petty officer—that's why you are rated, because you are a better man than some others. You may not have been any better originally, but now you are entitled to the respect of the men under you, and you can't get it by smoking their "butts."