Diminishing Role of the Khaki
We had a new arrival at work the other day. A new Chief checking on board. I noticed that he really had a bewildered look on his face. Maybe, I thought, he’s never worked in a “mostly” civilian workplace in his career. He seemed to look lost and out of place. Why? I didn’t know, since he was obviously checking into a Navy command. You’d think he would and should feel quite at home. Then it dawned on me that maybe he was looking for his place in the pecking order? Where is his usual billet? In the past a new Chief arriving at this command would walk in and find a room full of seaman or lower ranking sailors than himself. But with the new civilianization of the shore billets those positions are being converted to a civilian counterpart, and the seamen are going to sea (ships).
It must be hard on them to arrive at a new place and not find their usual comfort zone of men and women to lead. The Chief must be thinking where am I going to get my eval bullets from? How do I talk to these civilians when so many are not former navy, much less, former military? I feel for them as the military and in the case the Navy is changing the way it does business and yet not really helping the new comers (contractors) and the old guard the Chiefs and junior Officers cope with the change and find a middle ground. Any thoughts out there? Have you found any oddities in your work place?
February 25, 2008 at 9:13 am
The Khaki’s were fine until the tailhook scandal came along. Since then they haven’t done their job to take care of the junior sailors because they are so worried about their own a$$.
These days you have CMC’s getting busted and forced into early retirement as a level II sex offender and an SKC (SS) who got busted by a stewardess for molesting a 13 year old girl on a plane from HA to AZ. You also have married ITC’s knocking up female junior sailors on their ship and much much more. How are the junior sailors supposed to look up to the khaki community when they hear about things like this?
The Khaki’s are no better than the junior troops they are supposed to be leading these days. In some cases worse because they have more power and abuse it. Look at all the overweight Khaki’s running around who manage to pass height/weight on paper even though they are no where near being within standards. Amazing since they are booting out record numbers of blue shirts for being overweight. RHIP but abuse of the rules shouldn’t apply.
I’ve seen more CO’s get relieved in the last 5 years than in the previous 20 combined. I worked for one 5 years ago that should have been relieved for her abuse of power.