https://www.navytimes.com/articles/navy-scuttles-sailors-enlisted-rating-titles-in-huge-career-shake-upSo apparently this just happened yesterday. All 91 rating titles just wiped out. Just over 240 years of tradition destroyed. I imagine Boatswain's Mates and Gunner's Mates and will not take this too kindly.
Within the next three to four years, earlier if possible, the service plans to allow sailors to retrain in related skills
Yeah, it's called printing off a damn PQS and getting trained.
Apparently this is how it all started,
It began by a directive from Mabus to find gender-neutral rating titles that stripped them of the word "man," in an effort to be more inclusive to women sailors who make up an increasing size of the force.
“Sailors take great pride in earning those coveted warfare designations and they like to place those behind their ratings because they want people to know they’ve earned them," said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (IDW/SW) Steve Giordano said in the Sept. 19 interview. “That won’t go away — they will still have those as part of their titles.”
Yeah. That Surface Warfare designation that use to actual mean something back when it wasn't required and when you got it it also added to your advancement points. Now everyone is required to get it within a certain amount of time and it doesn't add any points, since it no longer means someone took a lot of their time and effort to get it.
When I heard about this, as soon as I went to lunch I hurried over to the NEX and bought another First Class patch, a Chief patch, a gold Chief patch, and another FC belt buckle just to make sure I've got them before they are gone. Unfortunately they don't sell cap pins or any sort of rating stickers. When I fly back to the states soon I'll have to make sure to stop at the next and pick those up.
There is a White House petition that was started real soon after the instructions went out. So if you feel like helping out, feel free to sign and pass along on FaceBook and stuff. :)
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/restore-traditional-navy-rating-specialty-titles-disestablished-9292016