018 - Priorities Part 2

Sometimes I just can't fathom why the Navy seems so out-of-touch with the problems sailors face during their day-to-day life. We're living in a time where ships are going out for longer, where in-port periods are compressed to the point where "maintenance rates" (i.e. Eng Department) are pulling work-hours that would violate every labor law under the sun, and where times underway are so jam-packed with events that ships are running into eachother because the watchstanders aren't sleeping enough.   I get that the Navy has made some attempts to address all of these problems, but sometimes it feels like we're just putting paperwork band-aids on whatever happens to be bleeding most at the time instead of addressing the systemic issues underneath.   Instead of addressing the aforementioned problems, we're instead met with an entirely inconsequential uniform change that literally does nothing except make it easier to identify when you should be saluting. I'll give credit where is credit is due, though- at least the Navy isn't forcing anyone to buy the new patches.

-Wayne