There was a time when sailors gathered at the close of the day to air their gripes about the old man, the new ensign, or the hardboiled chief, and, of course, about the Navy in general. Griping is the time-honored privilege of the lower deck ratings, and we Americans have been taught to believe that the best cure for frustration of any kind is to “clear the air” and “get it off our chests.” When complaining reaches the proportions it has today, however, and when such complaints continually appear in our service papers and are carried over to shore leave and home to the family, they have passed the realm of healthy gripe sessions and have become a serious problem.
Today’s griper does not confine his complaints to daily irritations, but expresses dissatisfaction with practically every conceivable facet of Navy life affecting himself and his dependents. Even if we could put aside for a moment those complaints concerning pay, allowances, and benefits—complaints which obviously must be solved by legislation—we would still have a major area of concern. The griper of today differs from his predecessor in one important aspect. It is not the non-rated man, but the petty officer who now so vehemently expresses himself. What is more important, he is usually the petty officer who is not yet career designated, who has yet to reach the point in his service where he will have to choose his career designation. In addition, our young petty officer is not merely expressing his personal dissatisfaction to his fellows in the petty officer category. He is broadcasting his discontentment to the non-rated group as well.
Without considering the problems of pay, allowances, and benefits, what are the complaints of these young petty officers—the men we hope will be the senior petty officers of the next decade—the technicians who will man our supersonic, electronic, nucleonic Navy of the 1970s? The major concern of our young petty officers is that of lack of prestige and loss of authority. Lack of prestige—the power to command esteem—and loss of authority—the power to command obedience—-contribute to the feeling of an unacceptable image on the part of our petty officers. Many say they feel they have no prestige because they cannot exercise proper authority. Others say it is because their uniform does not command respect. These complaints are persistent; the problem is real.
Problems concerning pay and benefits certainly are most important, and no doubt adversely affect re-enlistment and retention rates. But, regardless of the efforts made to solve such problems, we must remember that, in the modern world, money just is not the solution to everything. Images and status symbols have become too large a part of the present generation’s thinking for our young sailors to remain long satisfied with their lot while being dissatisfied with their image. The problems of procurement and retention of personnel with sufficient education and potential to be trained in the technical ratings are difficult enough. We should not compound the problem by offering a poor image to those who consider a naval career.
If, then, the problems of lack of prestige and loss of authority do exist, what can be done to alleviate them? How can we increase the pride and spirit of our petty officers without initiating costly programs, or adding more lectures and meetings to our already well-filled work day? Our leadership program is one approach to this problem, an attempt to instill pride and leadership from the top down. But if this program is not producing the desired results, we should perhaps change our approach and start at the bottom—at the lowest level—and work up.
The lowest level of expected leadership and authorized authority in the enlisted rating structure is that of the petty officer third class. We are all aware of the very limited authority of the P03. In fact, the consensus among enlisted personnel today is that the P03 is a petty officer in name only. Let us look at the facts. What is the effect of a man’s change in status from nonrated to petty officer? He is assured of no longer being assigned such duties as mess cooking, compartment cleaning, or head cleaning (provided there are sufficient numbers of non-rated personnel), and he becomes eligible for shore patrol and petty officer watches. In most cases, especially in the administrative, electronics, and many engineering ratings, he continues to perform the same job in the same manner as he did as a non-rated man. Due to the insufficient numbers of non-rated personnel in most divisions, he is not normally required to instruct or supervise other men. He does not usually “take over” a section or division. He cannot enjoy the facilities of the Noncommissioned Officer Clubs of the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps, and cannot, in most cases, enter the Petty Officer Clubs of the Navy. Navy Petty Officer Clubs are usually “Acey-Deucy” Clubs, reserved for the PO1 and PO2. The PO3 is, in fact, not even considered a petty officer by most of his contemporaries in foreign navies.
Just one example of the status given our PO3 can be found in the rest and rehabilitation port of Hong Kong, where thousands of U. S. sailors make liberty each year and where most of them frequent the facilities of the China Fleet Club. There the facilities are divided into two categories: those for senior ratings, and those for junior ratings. It is significant that the Senior’s Lounge, Bar, Restaurant, and associated facilities (used by the Royal Navy CPO and PO) are restricted to the U. S. Navy CPO and PO1. Our PO2s and PO3s must use the facilities of the “Junior Ratings” reserved for seamen and stokers of the Royal Navy. This restriction is equally true at the facilities of our Marines, where there also are two clubs for enlisted personnel, the Enlisted Man’s Club and the Staff NCO Club.
How can our present leadership program instill a sense of pride in a sailor who is called by one name and treated according to another? Are we doing the PO3 an injustice by not giving him the privileges of a petty officer, or is the real problem the fact that the men now advanced to PO3 (many within 15 to 18 months after entering the Navy) are not really mature or experienced enough to warrant the title “petty officer” at all, and that, knowing this, we give them the title but withhold the privileges and authority which all petty officers should have? This, in my opinion, is the case, and if it is, the rating of PO3 simply should not exist. While it is true that we must offer rapid promotion opportunities to our hard-to-retain technicians, we do not have to promote them prematurely to petty officer status.
Vice Admiral William R. Smedberg, III, in a Proceedings article,* stated that the Navy-wide ratio of petty officers to non-rated was about three to two, and that this ratio would undoubtedly move upward as we progressed toward 1973. He said that increasing numbers of petty officers would be needed to man the new classes of ships coming into service. But do we really need more petty officers, or more technicians? I think he said “petty officers” because at the present time all of our technicians (except designated strikers) are petty officers; however, I do not believe they have to be.
For many years now, the real boost in enlisted promotion has come at the chief petty officer level where it becomes obvious to the man himself, and to all who see him, that he has reached a greatly improved position. It is only at the CPO level that the man shows any external appearance of change. It is here that he is initiated into the “club,” and it is here that the Navy, realizing the necessity of having only qualified and dedicated men as CPOs, advances him to an acting appointment with a three-year probationary period. It would seem to be more appropriate to have these events take place at the first instance of granting of authority and extension of privileges, which really occurs at the P02 level. With the possibility of authorization for the wearing of the CPO-type uniform being extended to this group, the PO3 becomes even less of a petty officer—even his appearance would be different. The cause for a change in uniform for our petty officers is a valid one, and long overdue. The U. S. Navy is the greatest the world has ever known, and our country the richest. There is no reason why our petty officers should look less like POs than those of other navies. The very large number of PO3s in our Navy, however, makes it impracticable to extend such a privilege to this group, even to those PO3s who are experienced and dedicated career petty officers. It would be impossible to provide proper stowage facilities for this large group within the berthing space allowed in most ships and also to maintain the necessary uniforms properly.
If it is true that our P03s are too inexperienced and unmotivated to be petty officers, and if this fact actually is detracting from the over-all image and prestige of our career POs, perhaps what is needed is a complete revision of our enlisted rating structure coupled with the introduction of the new PO uniform, and a vigorous program to promote pride and prestige in those petty officers who are experienced career men.
Let us take a look at a proposed enlisted rating structure, eliminating the PO3:
Proposed Rating Structure |
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Equivalent Grades In: |
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Pay Grade |
Rating* |
Title |
Army |
Air Force |
Marines |
E-9 |
MCPO |
Master Chief Petty Officer |
SGTMAJ 1stSGT |
CMSGT |
SGTMAJ MGYSGT |
E-10 |
SCPO |
Senior Chief Petty Officer |
MSGT |
SMSGT |
1stSGT MSGT |
E-7 |
CPO |
Chief Petty Officer |
PSGT |
MSGT |
GYSGT |
E-6 |
PO1 |
Petty Officer First Class |
SSGT |
TSGT |
SSGT |
E-5 |
PO2 |
Petty Officer Second Class |
SGT |
SSGT |
SGT |
E-4 |
LSN |
Leading Seaman |
CPOL |
A1/C |
CPL |
E-3 |
SN1 |
Seaman First Class |
PFC |
A2/C |
LCPL |
E-2 |
SN2 |
Seaman Second Class |
PVT |
A3/C |
PFC |
E-1 |
SR |
Seaman Recruit |
PVT |
Basic Airman |
PVT |
* As used in official correspondence, orders, ID cards, etc. |
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** Insignia shown is for designated BM striker. Other general apprenticeship groups would be shown as at present, e.g., LFN (leading fireman), CN1 (constructionman first class), AN2 (airman second class), etc. Designated strikers would be identified by striker badge and Navy Enlisted Classification number on correspondence. |
Within this structure, three changes are immediately apparent. We place all petty officers in the same grades as the sergeants of other services, we give all petty officers identical uniforms, and we gain one non-rated grade. A rating structure such as proposed would improve the ratio of petty officers to non-rated men, and would eliminate the old problem of “too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” Under this system we could provide a greater length of time for the potential petty officer to gain experience, and the possibility for him to become career designated before being advanced to his new status. As a leading seaman he would have the opportunity to exercise leadership to about the same degree as the present PO3. We would suffer no loss in technicians, since the majority of the leading seamen would be designated strikers just as the present majority of seamen are so designated. With this change, all petty officers would be entitled to use the same recreational facilities, and would be eligible to use the facilities of most NCO clubs of other services.
With the present advancement system and time requirements, the proposed structure would make it impossible for a sailor to become a petty officer in less than 27 months. As stated earlier, we could take this a step further and advance personnel to PO2 with acting appointments (rather than at the CPO level) with a one-year probationary period before issuing the new PO uniform. This would give the least experienced petty officer with a permanent appointment, wearing the PO uniform, a minimum of 39 months’ service. It would put the average first-cruise sailor within nine months of his expiration of active obligated service; the time when many begin to consider seriously whether to accept discharge or to re-enlist; and a time when the added prestige of the new uniform and additional privileges would have the greatest influence on this decision.
In this connection, while separate berthing and messing spaces for petty officers would be highly desirable, it would be impracticable in many classes of ships. Separate areas could be reserved, however, with extra comforts, and added privacy to make the change to PO status as significant as possible. Many of these privileges are now extended to the PO1, but the PO2 must still berth and mess in the same area he did as a non-rated man. What better time to show the potential career petty officer that the Navy rewards service as well as technical knowledge, and give him the very effective and well-deserved “Rank Has Its Privileges” treatment?
Following this new system, we arrive at a point where we have somewhat older, more experienced petty officers, the majority of whom would be career designated. This, then, would be the time to make each man think, act, and feel like a petty officer. We could start by calling him by his proper title both in conversation and in correspondence. Why not refer to him as “Petty Officer Smith” rather than as “Smith, RM2?” Why not change official correspondence to read, “P02 James R. SMITH, U.S.Navy, 555 44 33 (BM-0000 /0000)” rather than the present, “SMITH, James R., 555 44 33, BM2 (BM-0000/0000) USN?” There are numerous ways of using his title to impress upon the man that he is, in fact, a non-commissioned naval officer.
Throughout the world, the title “sergeant” carries an aura of authority. So should the title “Petty Officer.” With the new uniforms and the use of the title, we shall have given the new PO all the requisites of an acceptable image and added prestige. All that would remain, then, would be to impress upon the new petty officer that he does have the authority commensurate with his rating, and demand that he exercise it.
The PO3 would suffer little in this transition and, with the new insignia for his rate, would actually improve his image to some extent. This would hold true for the seaman first class and seaman second class, while the recruit would lose his one stripe. Ours is the only service I know of, except, of course, the Coast Guard, that uses naval insignia that authorizes recruits to wear any insignia of rank or rate. These non-rated men would actually look better and present a more uniform appearance to the public and our sister services. There is really no need for a variety of colors to indicate general apprenticeship groups, or for different styles of stripes and chevrons. We all should know each man well enough to know what he is striking for, and if he is designated, that fact would be shown by his striker badge. For the petty officer, the eagle, long the symbol of his authority, would continue to distinguish him from the non- rated man, as would his new uniform. The NEC Code is shown in official correspondence, and this should suffice. The other services apparently have no difficulty using identical insignia for all personnel regardless of specialty, and these insignia appear more uniform.
In connection with the many arguments concerning the proposed PO uniform, we hear some against the uniform which are obviously the result of little or no thought. The idea that the new uniform could be used to cover the corpulence of the aging PO is ridiculous. The least valid argument against issuance of such a uniform is one expressed by many chief petty officers that such an improvement in the appearance of the petty officer would endanger the prestige and authority of the CPO. These chiefs need only ask any Sergeant-Major of the Marine Corps if he has to worry about his master sergeants, gunnery sergeants, or staff sergeants lowering his prestige or authority. Everyone knows he does not command respect solely because of his uniform.
There are many justifiable arguments for this long-overdue change. The pride of a man’s family in a uniform that obviously signifies higher authority, and acceptance of the uniform by the general public as a more appropriate dress for many occasions, are several. The fact that it is standard petty officer uniform in the majority of the world’s navies is surely sufficient justification for its use by the greatest Navy in the world.
The method of issuance of the new PO uniform would present problems, but not insurmountable ones, and the cost might well be outweighed by increased re-enlistment and retention rates. Certainly, any reasonable amount spent on increasing the morale and prestige of our petty officers and on enhancing the Navy image in the public eye would be well spent. The proposed rating structure changes and use of titles, which should accompany the uniform change, would cost little, and could prove the making of the petty officer of the 1970s.
I feel that the naval service is becoming a more highly regarded profession, but not rapidly enough to meet present and future needs. Surely, creating a better image of our petty officers in the public eye and in the Navy will help increase this regard. But if we hope to keep the required numbers of trained personnel, with the high morale and spirit of leadership so vital to our Navy of the 1970s, we must start now, in the 1960s, to do something positive about it in the area where it will pay the greatest dividends—the prestige of the non-commissioned naval officer.
* See William R. Smedberg, III, “Manning the Future Fleets,” U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings, January 1963, p. 121.