Lehman rocks Navy with complaints about political correctness

The Washington Times ^ | September 18, 2011 | Rowan Scarborough

[jazusamo]

The Navy’s former top civilian has rocked the service in a military journal article by accusing officials of sinking the storied naval air branch into a sea of political correctness.

Former Navy Secretary John Lehman, himself an ex-carrier-based aviator, wrote that the swagger and daring of yesterday’s culture has given way to a focus on integrating women and, this year, gays.

Pilots constantly worry about anonymous complaints about salty language, while squadron commanders are awash in bureaucratic requirements for reports and statistics, he added.

“Those attributes of naval aviators — willingness to take intelligent calculated risk, self-confidence, even a certain swagger — that are invaluable in wartime are the very ones that make them particularly vulnerable in today’s zero-tolerance Navy,” said Mr. Lehman, who led the Navy in the Reagan administration.

“The political correctness thought police, like Inspector Javert in Les Miserables, are out to get them and are relentless.”

Navy pilots privately have complained for years that a post-Tailhook-convention push to clean up conduct by aviators went too far.

The 1991 Las Vegas convention has stood as a black mark for the Navy because some naval aviators engaged in lewd escapades and excessive drinking.

An ensuing Pentagon investigation ballooned into one of the government’s most extensive probes as scores of officers were targeted and had their careers shortened. Feminists used the scandal to demand a change in Navy culture.

Now, Mr. Lehman, a New York investor who served as a bombardier navigator in A-6 Intruders, has aired in public in what active duty pilots dare not say.

His lengthy article adorns the home page of the magazine Proceedings, a forum for active-duty and retired personnel on naval issues. Proceedings is published by the U.S. Naval Institute, an independent association located at the Naval Academy in Annapolis.

[Madame Dufarge]

LOL!!

Except, I want to cry.

[KC_Lion]

The Navy in the 80's under Reagan and Lehman

The Navy today under Ubama and our worthless 7 star Admirals.

OH! What at Delight!

[rlmorel]

Ex-Navy here feels the same way.

Few things irritate me as much as seeing women take on the idiotic qualities of men just to show they can be men too.

This from a guy who recognizes there is idiocy involved with our sex (even it it is sometimes fun)

[WePledge]

I was a Marine during Scty. Lehman’s tour and we pretty much considered him to be one of ours.Not too shabby for a squid.

[Dick Bachert]

I was USAF from ‘62-’68 and every time I see that TV spot calling the Navy “A global force for good” I want to barf. What the hell happened to the Navy that helped win WWII?

[DJlaysitup]

Ex-Navy here feels the same way. Few things irritate me as much as seeing women take on the idiotic qualities of men just to show they can be men too.

Yeah, while I will admit to a little jealousy at "orders reading" when all us average students were getting sent to Amphibs and FFs and the young ladies were going to staff duty in London or Hawaii or Japan...I'm sure glad I didn't have to deal with women on combatants.

Don't get me wrong...I like women and I'm sure they could do the job just as well as the men...it's just that it was hard enough to manage a department of 40 young men on a six month cruise without having to deal with the "sexual issues".

We used to be on independent steaming anit-sub duty in the Med and would be out of port for a month at a time. There was absolutely no way that a bunch of late teen-early twenties guys and girls would be able to "keep it professional" for that long. I would have gone insane.

[SaraJohnson]

Metrosexual fighter pilots...fabulous!

[little jeremiah]

Placemark.

[stevie_d_64]

Same here...They were some good times!!!

[MasterGunner01]

I don't have a clue!

Now get this . . . remember that piece of Hollywood nonsense called “G.I. Jane” where Demi Moore becomes a SEAL officer? The Pentagon wants to do this for REAL. Yup, the USN wants to put women into SEAL training.

The SEALs have the most arduous training of all the Special Operations Forces. Training is in three phases: (1) Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL; (2) swimming and diving; (3) land warfare. About 1 in 10 make it through the program that requires over a year to complete. Graduates remain probationary until they complete at least one deployment with an operational SEAL platoon.

I don't see a lot of Suzie SEAL-wannabes making it UNLESS the Navy seriously meddles with the training program to pass the requisite number of females. If this happens, the G.I. Janes will get a lot of good men killed. I would REFUSE to operate with one of these PC operators (a Spec Ops prerogative) unless this “opt out” is deleted by the Navy. Then I don't know what would happen.

[Dick Bachert]

Unfreakingbelievable!