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Carter's second CNO managed to get one thing right. They gave us back the Crackerjacks. I guess it was Hayward. In 1977 on the ships the dress blues were an officers or chiefs variation. Next to impossible to stow on ship and maintain. There were no Bosuns Whistles either. Morale was the pits. The changes I remember happening seem to have began about the time Hayward became CNO. Navy traditions were over a period of about a year restored. I know the Crackerjacks were required in my final mustering out sea bag inspection Oct 80.

Don't get me wrong Carter was a bungling moron for POTUS and CIC but honestly military wise it was already a mess when he was sworn in and for a while things were allowed to continue. AWOL was up and if you wanted out all you had to do was go UA for 31 days and report in elsewhere for processing out. That too rightfully ended about the same time Hayward took over. After that if you went AWOL all time AWOL was tacked on to your enlistment and you were forced to finish it to the day. That policy had prevailed in other branches as well so I would say Ford's Sec of Def allowed the walk away policy to prevail.