White House on Navy rate petition: Go pound sand
As you may remember, there was a We The People/Change.org petition to halt the wholesale scrapping by SECNAV Ray “I hate the Navy” Mabus of the Navy’s 241-year rating system.
It garnered more than 100,000 signatures and thus required a comment from the White House in response.
Repeated thus:
The Navy’s recent announcement about Navy Occupational Specialties has garnered attention from many veterans and supporters like you who cherish naval tradition.
This new classification system, which was produced by a comprehensive review led by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and his senior enlisted leadership, moves toward occupational specialties titles similar to the other armed services. Modernizing this system provides many benefits within the Navy, such as increased flexibility in training and assignments. It also affords our Sailors opportunities when transitioning to the civilian workforce by aligning their specialties with civilian occupations.
This Administration believes that providing widely-recognized credentials will improve service members’ chances of success in the private sector. Improving hiring opportunities for veterans remains a high priority for this Administration, embodied in efforts such as the First Lady and Dr. Biden’s “Joining Forces” initiative.
Organizational changes that require a cultural shift can cause friction during transition periods, but the President has confidence in the decisions made by U.S. Navy leaders and agrees that the benefits in future years will outweigh growing pains in the next several months. Whether one’s Navy career occurred under the former rating structure or today’s modernized system, the President maintains his steadfast pride in Sailors who have sacrificed and worked hard to serve with distinction.
On the bright side the /sarc/ Duffleblog is reporting the Coast Guard will now receive all the leftover and unused rates.
“Turning over the rates is bittersweet. They have served as a long and distinguished tradition within the U.S. Navy with much good work done in terms of pride in one’s rate. And I know that it means a lot for us to know that it will be in the service of the Coast Guard in continuing the custom of creating weird and obscure rates with painfully specific job titles,” Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Mike Steven said.
