Shellback ceremony, circa 2012
May 18th, 2012 | Life at Sea Marine Corps Morale Navy Traditions | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
Their ship’s maiden deployment now on the homestretch to San Diego, Calif., after duty in the 5th Fleet region, the crew aboard amphibious assault ship Makin Island took a little time to mark that long-held seagoing tradition of crossing the equator, the Shellback Ceremony.
No, it’s not exactly the casting call for the next sequel to “Pirates of the Caribbean.” But from the looks of these photos, a little fun was had by the pollywogs, even the “Boss Wog.” Not as crazy as those ceremonies of years gone by, for sure, but for the sailors aboard the ship, it gives them a chance to join in the organized ritual of lighthearted shaming and teasing and provides a much sought-out break from the constant of operations at sea.
The crew of the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which also is making its way home to San Diego, recently shared in their own fun, as you can see from photos posted in April on this online “gCaptain” blog. More are posted on Vinson’s Facebook page.
King Neptune and his court. (Navy photos on Makin Islands' Facebook page)
You want to see how the Marines, embarked on Makin Island with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, officially marked the occasion of crossing the equator? See here and here. Well, at least there’s minimal cleanup required.
Sticking to tradition
May 9th, 2012 | Carriers Congress Enterprise Gerald R. Ford Navy Navy secretary Ships Traditions | Posted by Charles Hoskinson
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus — under fire for some of his past ship-naming choices — is winning praise from even his toughest critics for the latest one: The USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer for which the Navy awarded a construction contract in February.
Medal of Honor recipient retired Capt. Thomas Hudner salutes while taps is played during the Centennial of Naval Aviation wreath laying ceremony at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. Navy photo.
Hudner, 87, was a Navy aviator patrolling near the Chosin Reservoir in December 1950 when his wingman, Ensign Jesse Brown, was shot down in combat. Hudner crash-landed his plane near Brown’s and tried to save his fellow sailor, the first African-American naval aviator to fly in combat. Brown died, but Hudner earned the Medal of Honor for his efforts.
“Now THIS is how you name a warship,” wrote blogger CDR Salamander, one of those who have criticized Mabus’ past choices.
Naming the latest DDG after Hudner is one in a series of apparently safe choices by Mabus in recent months after a string of decisions that have been criticized as political in nature and at odds with the Navy’s conventions for naming ships. The most recent batch of DDG names previously released were all named after past heroes in keeping with tradition, including one in honor of Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta, whose case had been championed by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), one of Mabus’ key critics on this front. Even the name chosen for the last Zumwalt-class DDG, Lyndon B. Johnson, technically met the convention because the former president had both worn the uniform and received the Silver Star during World War II.
But the controversy already had gotten so bad that it’s put at risk the centuries-old prerogative of the Navy secretary to choose ship names. Congress — at the prodding of some conservatives — in December required the Defense Department to review the service’s ship-naming practices. A report is due by this summer.
Meanwhile, among the high-profile naming opportunities coming up is the next Ford-class aircraft carrier, which by convention would be named after a former president. But there are a lot of people lobbying to transfer the name from the soon-to-be decommissioned carrier Enterprise — which politically would be a safer choice than the USS Richard M. Nixon or the USS Bill Clinton.
Let’s see how Mabus navigates that minefield.
Rudy’s one-liners
January 27th, 2012 | Don't ask Historical Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek - Fort Story Naval special warfare Navy Photos Retired Navy SEAL Team 2 SEALs Traditions | Posted by Bill McMichael
Retired Master Chief Rudy Boesch earned more than a few laughs Friday during his remarks at the East Coast SEALs’ celebration of the SEALs’ 50th anniversary (the West Coast SEALs marked it two weeks ago), both centered around his post-SEAL Team 2 days.
The 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act helped spark the 1987 formation of U.S. Special Operations Command. That same year, Boesch, coming up on 26 years as a member of SEAL Team 2, was one of three senior military enlisteds called to Coronado to interview with Gen. James Lindsay, the command’s first commander-in-chief — as the position was then known – to become the command’s first senior enlisted adviser.
Retired Master Chief Rudy Boesch at the East Coast SEALs' 50th anniversary celebration Jan. 27 at Joint Expeditionary Base - Little Creek. //U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Meranda Keller
“People were telling me that I would have to study ’cause I might get asked questions like, `Who was the president of Zimbabwe?’” He paused for effect and then added, offhandedly, “To this day, I don’t know who it is.” After the laughter subsided, he added, ”I wasn’t going to study to find out.”
When Boesch’s turn came to be interviewed, he said, “The general asked me how the hell I managed to stay in the military for so long. At that time, I had 42 years in it. Since I had a few more years in the service than he did, I told him that if he hired me, he would find out because he was going to have to do the paperwork to keep me in the service.”
After the laughter subsided, Boesch said, “He thumped me in the chest and hired me right on the spot.”
Boesch’s closing one-liner also drew laughs, but not for a joke the Navy would be pleased to hear expressed in a year following the reversal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gays in the military.
“In 2000, I tried out for the first Survivor series on TV, and the rest is history,” Boesch told the crowd. “Some of the people in here have been asking me if I keep in touch with anybody in the Survivor [series].” He paused. “I don’t write to queers. ” He made it clear that he was talking about “homosexuals.”
Elves in orange vests
November 29th, 2011 | Coast Guard Entertainment Historical Traditions | Posted by Jenn Rafael
Crew members of the seagoing buoy tender Alder load pallets of Christmas trees Monday in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Alder will deliver the trees to needy families in Chicago. // PA3 George Degener/Coast Guard.
The seagoing buoy tender Alder has a new mission: spreading holiday cheer.
The cutter is carrying hundreds of trees to needy Chicago families as the city’s “Christmas ship.” On Monday, the cutter’s crew took on the holiday cargo in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Curt Barrett operates Alder's buoy deck crane to load pallets of trees Monday. // PA3 George Degener/Coast Guard.
The seagoing buoy tender/icebreaker Mackinaw normally does the honors. Its crew delivered more than 1,200 Christmas trees to Chicago families last year. But for this holiday season, Mackinaw is headed to a Wisconsin shipyard for repair of a leaking bow-thruster.
Alder’s mission is the continuation of a Chicago tradition. The original Christmas ship, the Rouse Simmons, brought fresh evergreens and wreaths to Chicago during holiday seasons in the early 1900s. The three-masted schooner entered port with a Christmas tree tied to its mast each year until it was lost in 1912.
Alder is due to arrive in Chicago on Friday morning; trees will be distributed Saturday.
A solemn duty
October 23rd, 2011 | Burial at sea Carriers Navy Photos Traditions | Posted by Bill McMichael
It takes place about 20 times each month: The casketed or cremated remains of an eligible individual are buried at sea. It’s an ancient tradition that’s probably been practiced as long as people have gone to sea, according to Naval History & Heritage Command. On Saturday, Oct. 22, crew members of the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower carried on that tradition as the ship was training in the Atlantic.
Sailors bow their heads during a prayer before sending a sailor's remains over the side during a burial at sea aboard the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower Oct. 22. // U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist Third Class Tony Bloom
Ceremony procedures do not change. “All hands bury the dead” is passed over the ship’s intercom; the ship is stopped, if practicable; the colors are displayed at half-mast. The casket bearers, firing party and bugler are assembled. The formation is brought to attention, then parade rest. The chaplain then conducts the burial service, reflected in the above photo. The remains are then committed to the deep, and the firing party fires a three-volley salute.
Sailors with the honor guard render a gun salute during a burial at sea aboard the Dwight D. Eisenhower. // U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist Third Class Tony Bloom
Those eligible include active-duty members of the military, retirees and veterans who were honorably discharged, U.S. civilian marine personnel of Military Sealift Command and dependent family members of each group.
The committal ceremony is always performed on a deployed ship, so family members are not allowed to attend.
By region, Navy swaps whites for blues
October 3rd, 2011 | Navy Traditions Uniforms | Posted by Sam Fellman
It may be time to break out your blues.
The date of the semiannual uniform change over from whites to blues is set by each of the 12 Navy regions, but wide swaths of the U.S. are changing over now.
Blues became the official dress uniform for sailors from Maine to Maryland on Monday, just in time for a cold snap hitting the east coast. Sailors in the Washington, D.C., area are also switching to blues.
But sailors in North Carolina and Virginia will have to wait two more weeks, until the third Monday in October, to don their blues. California sailors will switch on Nov. 7.
The southeast breaks into two separate regions, along a straight line from Midland, Texas to Savannah, Ga. Sailors to the north of this line switch on Nov. 7; sailors below it will switch over on Dec. 5.
“It’s going to be different for every region” said Capt. Jacqueline Yost, spokeswoman for Navy Installations Command, explaining that it is based on the climate.
Alaskan sailors changed over when they went back to work after Labor Day, as did those in Washington State. Other sailors don’t need to worry about it, though: sailors in south Florida stay in whites year-round.
McFaul’s new chiefs beat the crowd
September 15th, 2011 | Chiefs leadership Navy Photos Pinning Promotion Surface Force Atlantic Traditions | Posted by Bill McMichael
The Norfolk-based destroyer McFaul broke ranks Thursday and pinned its five new chief petty officers day earlier than the rest of the Navy. There was a good reason for that.
Sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer McFaul gather on the ship's flight deck for their chief petty officer pinning ceremony Sept. 15. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kayla Jo Finley
McFaul did so to accommodate a scheduled deployment. So even when a short-notice delay changed that deployment date, the ship held the ceremony so as not to exclude family members who’d traveled to take in the rich tradition.
Chief Logistics Specialist (AW/SW) Tamika Tillman receives her chief's cover during the destroyer McFaul's chief petty officer pinning ceremony. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kayla Jo Finley
“It was very important to have my family here with me today,” said Chief Logistics Specialist (AW/SW) Tamika Tillman. “I can’t even describe what it means to have them present.” Tillman was pinned by her daughter, son, fiancé, fiancé’s grandparents and her best friend of 17 years.
Also entering the McFaul Chief’s Mess Thursday were Chief Engineman Christopher Brown, Chief Fire Controlman Daniel Chenowitz, Chief Sonar Technician Surface Johnny Nichols and Chief Fire Controlman Corey Stowe.
Command Master Chief (SW/SCW) Dianne Lohner shared the importance of the day and welcomed the new chiefs to the mess.
“Today, without a doubt, is one of the most important days in a sailor’s life,” said Lohner. “This is a day they will never forget. Every year we are taken back to the day we were promoted. It is always an emotional day pinning our sailors.”
Command Master Chief (SW/SCW) Dianne Lohner grants "permission to enter the mess" to the newly-pinned chiefs aboard the destroyer McFaul. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kayla Jo Finley
Our hearty congratulations to the new McFaul chiefs, and to new chief petty officers everywhere.