Why MCPON wants Chiefs to start telling sea stories

| May 11, 2019

mcpon russ smith
Force Master Chief Kevin Goodrich (L) listens in as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russ Smith speaks at a senior enlisted panel during a Sea-Air-Space session. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sarah Villegas/Navy)

Sea stories have been around as long as Sailors have, and serve to entertain, amuse, and when done well to teach. Passing of wisdom from the salty veterans to the young pups wrapped in an entertaining yarn is a bit of an art form, though. MCPON Smith is wisely encouraging the Goat Locker* to use this format in reaching the more junior enlisted, engaging them in discussion in a relaxed atmosphere.

There are certain rules when telling a Sea Story- there must be a lesson learned, usually in a painful or ridiculous manner, the teller is never the butt of the yarn but an observer, and then relates whatever the point of the Sea Story is, how it should have been correctly performed. Since Fairy Tales start with “Once upon a time” true Sea Stories always begin with…

Now this ain’t no shit.

By: Mark D. Faram
To the Navy’s top enlisted sailor, the greatest challenge facing the Navy’s enlisted workforce is simply keeping sailors focused on preparing for “blue water” warfare.

Speaking as a part of a senior enlisted panel at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space confab on Tuesday, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russ Smith called on fellow members of the Goat Locker to work hard to train their sailors for warfare on the high seas against peer rivals.

And they can begin by telling sea stories, which he sees as engaging “eyeball to eyeball” discussions between leaders and their sailors that will make junior enlisted personnel “understand that there is something coming that they need to get ready for, that war will come most likely in their generation and they need to be prepared to fight.”

Chiefs must help them balance and manage their careers but their bedrock duty is to make sure that sailors know their ratings and what they’re expected to do, especially in combat.

Smith believes that a key teaching tool is sharing “stories that some of us older folks have with our experiences and really painting it in a realistic fashion.”

MCPON painted a grisly picture of war at sea, with a “first missile hit that’s going to take out three or 400 sailors on a carrier.”

“Will it be painful? Yes. Will there be lessons learned? Yes. Will some fail? Yes. And will others rise that you did not expect? Absolutely,” Smith told the audience.

Did I mention telling Sea Stories is thirsty work? The rest of the article may be read here: Navy Times

*Goat Locker- Chief’s quarters on board. Don’t ask what goes on there, but if given the honor to dine with the Chiefs, accept and show appreciation- the Chiefs have the best chow on board.

Category: Navy, War Stories

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HMCS(FMF) ret

Sea stories ain’t the only thing that the Mess needs to be doing to reach out to the Bluejackets… they need to be LEADING them from the front!

NHSparky

And sometimes a wise old Chief will use his own pain to teach those in his charge.

Just my .02

Mason

This is a shift from the MCPON who wanted his people to serve him like royalty. I like it!

Dave Hardin

So there I was…knee deep in grenade pins and spent brass with nothing left but a dull K Bar and a P38.

Just then…

The Stranger

Whatever did you do, Commander? I know I’m not the only one who watched Underdog cartoons.

3/10/MED/b

I forgot all about Commander McBragg.

Now, I gotta watch all those.

Magnificent.

Quite.

5th/77th FA

…a former battalion S1 clerk turned SEAL cook showed up dragging a case of C Rats and my final ex wife. I used the P38 to open the ham and mothers to spread all around the perimeter. I took the dull K Bar to bust open the ex’s head to release the snakes that were in there. DH and I enjoyed a meal of peaches and pound cake while the slant eyed ragheads slid back down the hill chased by the rattled headed cobra moccasins. Meanwhile, back on the carrier, the Chiefs were suffering thru a supper of ribeyes and shrimp with a private screening of Top Gun II….

The Stranger

No self-respecting Chief would be caught dead watching Top Gun…time for a ruling from The Goat Locker.

Mick

TOP GUN

— sigh —

Someone always has to bring up TOP GUN.

Always.

Mick

AW1Ed:

I hate you.

Mick

Oh, for the love of God, please make it stop.

Now I’m going to have that f*cking earworm ricocheting around inside my brain housing group for the rest of the night.

Not to mention the flashbacks that I’ll be suffering through tonight of the late ’80s after TOP GUN came out when the Tomcat guys started thinking that it was cool to actually wear their sunglasses inside the O’Club bar out at NAS Miramar, just like “Maverick” and “Goose” did in the movie.

Mick

— GROAN —

Oh, FFS. Thanks for bringing THAT up. Now I hate you even more.

Yeah, that ridiculous Izod shirt and flight suit combo was certainly a large part of it. All of the VF guys were sporting that trendy costume back in those days in the O’Club bars at NAS Oceana and NAS Miramar. It was quite the fashion show.

And we all knew that the post-TOP GUN movie “hey-look-at-me-I’m-a-Naval Aviator/NFO” bullshit had gone way too far when even the Hawkeye and COD guys had to get into the Izod/flight suit act as well.

— sigh —

Ahhh, yes. Yet another torturous trip down Naval Aviation’s Memory Lane brought to us courtesy of AW1Ed.

I’m sure that there will be much more to follow…

NHSparky

Thank God submariners don’t have call signs.

26Limabeans

The prick twentyfive crackled “I shackle….blah blah…add…blah..blah left…blah”
Then the battery died. I low crawled 1400 meters back to supply only to find the place closed…

Toxic Deplorable B Woodman

Where have YOU been? The prick25 was out of service when I came in, in the mid 70s. We had the prick77 by then.

A Proud Infidel®™

I always thought that “Top Gun” was to Naval Aviation’s “The Hurt Locker”!

Dennis - not chevy

Remember the checklist; the story must include:
– there I was
– this is no lie
– if I’m lying, I’m dying

The story must not include:
– once upon a time

The Stranger

My stories usually begin with “I was out drinkin’ one night, and then…”. Continue with “so then there I was talking to the cops” and end with some variation of “ I made it back to the (apartment, dorm, barracks, or hotel) and woke up the next day with a screaming hangover”

26Limabeans

You’re not gonna believe this….

A Proud Infidel®™

How about “NO SHIT, THERE I WAS…”

NHSparky

If you remember the whole evening, it wasn’t that great.

SFC D

The MCPON wants sea stories. He should go seek the advice of this guy. Sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. You want sea stories? Why, as grounds for dismissal?

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/05/07/carrier-cmc-who-urged-crew-to-clap-like-were-at-a-strip-club-resigns/

Mason

That seems excessive. What’d he say that was so wrong? No racial slurs, no sexual innuendo, nothing really offensive. I think it’s even funny.

The comments there have some gems. One said it was disrespecting the vice president. Near as I can tell, he wasn’t even present.

Mike W.

But now it’s YOUR turn in the barrel !

Somehow heard the term “hot bunking” from a Navy vet in the Army.
Went onto a great Navy Destroyer [I think] and went to see berths…….
NEVER was I happier being a light infantry grunt.