[Retain Mike]

Her pointing out gaps in training reminded me of the USS Fitzgerald collision killing several sailors. The OOD, JOOD, and CIC watch officer were all female and ended up on the wrong side of green table for court martial. They were found guilty of violating at least nine counts of navigation rules. Their defense attorney offered the point that the problem extended to senior officers. The ship captain and others as far back as the Pentagon got four punches on their diversity tickets, because the CIC watch officer was also black.

I have heard many lamentations about how the Navy officer corps does not seem like a meritocracy anymore. I still remember reading the USNI article by the person in charge of Academy admissions writing with great enthusiasm that the incoming freshman class mirrored the ethnic makeup of the general population.

[chajin]

If we know all this, so does Hegseth. That for now is our only hope.

FD: my USN experience consists of growing up a DOD brat with a father who was a GS-11 at the Philadelphia and Yokosuka naval bases. Grew up around naval officers in the 60s, and going up the ranks pretty much required sustained merit, at least some of it in combat.