I think the Navy is trying to get the submarine down to four ratings, Front of the boat (OPS), back of the boat (ENG), Missiles/torps (WEP), and Cooks (SUP).
The surface Navy is just as bad. They have already merged the Quartermaster and Signalman ratings. I really wouldn't want my SMs navigating or my QMs doing blinking light.
The way they are going they will probably want to merge gunner's mates and Corpsmen.
WWG1WGA
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
The way they are going they will probably want to merge gunner's mates and CorpsmenJMHO, one of the strengths of Navy enlisted training was (and I sincerely hope still is) that, in a pinch, everybody could handle just about anything.
Different rates were just there to keep the paperhangers in the Pentagon occupied.
In the end, the Chiefs will just have to sort out whatever they're given by the assigners plus crosstrain the [BLEEP] out everybody to make the joint work.
Again.
(Sounds like fun, though. Think I'd have any luck re-enlisting?)