Big E Begins Stand Down with the Right Spirit

Navy NewsStand ^ | Journalist 2nd Class Daniel Vaughan

[SandRat]

Atlantic Ocean (March 29, 2006) - Sailors run laps in the hangar bay on board the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) under the national ensign hung as part of the Navy's Right Spirit Campaign deglamorizing alcohol use. Enterprise is currently underway conducting operations in the Atlantic Ocean.
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Milosz Reterski (RELEASED)

[SandRat]

HAPPY SAILORS PING

[NormsRevenge]

USS Enterprise's (CVN 65) Bump

Go Navy!

[CrawDaddyCA]

'Alcohol awareness' had a totally different meaning when I was in the Canoe Club!

[Donald Meaker]

Time flies when you are having Rum!

[Lancer_N3502A]

She's big, she's bad and she's beutiful.

[blackie]

Go Navy!

Be Ever Vigilant!

[Drew68]

'Alcohol awareness' had a totally different meaning when I was in the Canoe Club!

Yep! This ain't grandpa's Navy anymore! They're really cracking down. If a sailor receives any alcohol related offense (ARO), he's off for an all-expense paid "navycation" to SARP (Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program). If he receives a second ARO after SARP treatment, he can be administratively separated as a treatment failure.

The Navy is trying to bury the "drunken sailor" image. It can afford to do so as the navy is over-manned. I'll still hear old sea stories from chiefs and 1st classes about "Back in the day, we was sooo f***ed up!" but those days are over. If you show up to work now smelling like booze, stand by to stand by. Don't get me wrong, we still have fun, but the navy is working hard to change attitudes about excessive drinking. It is a mission readiness issue.

Most people will be surprised to learn that the number one cause of death for United States Sailors are off duty traffic accidents --many of which are alcohol related. Not war. Not hazardous work environments, but drunken car and motorcycle accidents.

[Drew68]

She's big, she's bad and she's beautiful.

Yes she is, but not nearly as beautiful as my beloved "Gee-Dub."

The USS George Washington (CVN-73) was my first boat and will always hold a special place in my heart.

[CrawDaddyCA]

The Navy was really cracking down on drinking when I got out in 1995. It was getting so 'politically correct' (women in my rating [STG], women on combat vessels, etc.) it was ridiculous , so I brought my 8 yr career to an 'all stop' and mustered out. My oldest boy (a MA3) doesn't believe some of the stories his mother and I tell him (she mustered out an IC2). It's a family tradition to serve in either the Navy or Marines.

[Trueblackman]

Another GW Sailor here on FR V-1 Air 1995-1998!!!

[Drew68]

The Navy was really cracking down on drinking when I got out in 1995.

Now that the navy has gotten rid of the drug users and is processing out the drunks, they have set their sights on PRT failures. If you are overweight, can't run the 1.5 mile or do situps and pushups, you're going home as well. You'll get a chance to get in shape but only one. My command holds "practice PRTs" now in addition to regular PT. And a lot of salty (and overweight) chiefs are howling in anger about this!

[txroadhawg]

No drugs or alcohol?
How are you suppose to get tattooed without those?

[Drew68]

Another GW Sailor here on FR V-1 Air 1995-1998!!!

Excellent! I was attached to CVW-7 during the GW's last Gulf cruise in 2004. Now she's off to Japan to replace the USS Kitty Hawk. Met my wife on that cruise.

I was TAD to S-5 working in the officers' staterooms. Not a bad gig. Lots of liberty!

[wingsof liberty]

Thanks Lancer - What a shot!!!!

[AmericaOne]

I guess you had better find something else to do on liberty than drink these days (or employ the services of a bar girl/working girl these days as well). The Navy is cracking down on that as well, though for good reasons (AIDS).

I was "Station Dito" in Subic from 87-89 and I can imagine at least 3/4 of the people stationed there would be under the gun at some time in their tours there for some alcohol related incident, myself included, if Subic was still a base of ours in todays Navy.

I was the recorder for three or four Captain's Mast cases just for DWI and several other Masts for things as not getting back to base before curfew (we had a brief period from late 87 - mid 88 when you had to be on base or off the streets by a certain time if you were authorized to reside off base), etc. caused by alcohol.

You can multiply that by a hundred for the entire personnel stationed at the Subic Bay Naval Base when I was there, along with several hundred other incidents by sailors or marines on liberty from ships stopping at Subic for a liberty visit prior to going on or coming back from a Westpac/IO deployment, just for the two year period when I was there.

We were a small command within Subic, averaging some 30 enlisted and 2 officer, along with a few American Civilian employees (tech reps) and approximately 20 Filipino Nationals employed by our command as well.

I can't imagine being stationed somewhere like Subic Bay in todays Navy and not allowed to "become overly intoxicated" or freely use the services of the bar girls. In today's Navy, if Subic were still a base of ours, you might as well weld the gates shut and allow no sailors off base period. Heck, the military REALLY frowns on one wanting to marry a foreign national as well these days. Make it like being stationed at GITMO or Diego Garcia and limit their tours there one or one and a half years, unaccompanied.

[CrawDaddyCA]

So it's the GW that's replacing the $hitty Kitty! My oldest is in Yokosuka now, BTW. He's waiting to go on his 3rd TAD to either Iraq of Afghanistan.

[CrawDaddyCA]

Subic Bay is now a big tourist/container ship port now. I was there in 2001 on a cable laying ship. It's still a great town...won't go any further than that in my description! ;-)

[B-Chan]

Machinist's Mate Fireman James Coleman’s favorite part of the day was the warfare qualification training. “I thought it was very informative, especially the ESWS (enlisted surface warfare specialist) training,” he said. “I learned a bunch of stuff about Operations Department, and I met a bunch of new people. It’s nice to have something to do in port besides drink.”

What he was REALLY thinking: “What a skate day. I got to check out that blonde Yeoman Third from the Captain's office. It’s nice to have something to do in port besides standing a firewatch or shoveling bilge out from under the turbine in the Pit.”

B-chan
Former MM3, USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65)

[AmericaOne]

won't go any further than that in my description! ;-)

I wouldn't either, not in this venue anyways! Anyone reading this who was there, either passing thru or stationed there doesn't need us to explain things there and the people who have never been there don't need to know and probably wouldn't believe us if we told them anyways, ;-)