Adm. Mike Mullen, Chief of Naval Operations, approved the first Navy physical fitness uniform for all Sailors E-1 through O-10 this week.

“The goal was to design a uniform for wear during command directed group and unit PT activities and that our Sailors will be proud to wear,” said Vice Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., Chief of Naval Personnel. “What CNO has delivered more than meets that goal.”

The uniform consists of a gold short sleeved shirt and Navy blue shorts. The shirt is moisture wicking and odor resistant polyester with Navy in reflective lettering on back with and front.

The nylon moisture wicking and odor resistant Navy blue shorts come in six and eight inch lengths, providing standard appearance among different height Sailors, it also has reflective piping and reflective Navy lettering. The shorts have side pockets with a hidden ID card pocket inside the waistband.

“We carefully evaluated the materials, styling and functionality in designing this uniform,” said Harvey. “We looked at the lessons learned from the other services and got feedback from our Sailors – young, mature, male, female, officer and enlisted – and arrived at this design.”

“This is a high quality, high performance product that I know our Sailors will be proud to wear, because we asked them,” Harvey added.

Upon delivery to the fleet, anticipated to be spring 2008, all command directed physical training and semi-annual physical fitness tests will be performed while wearing the PT uniform. However, the uniform does not have to be worn during individual exercise.

“Sailors may still wear personal PT gear when not participating in command PT activities or the semi annual fitness tests,” said Robert Carroll, Head, Navy Uniform Matters Office.

Uniform availability at uniform centers and command uniform distribution activities will be phased in beginning with major Fleet concentration areas in spring 2008. Reserve enlisted will be issued uniforms by their commands.

Sailors’ clothing replacement allowance will be adjusted starting October 1, 2007 to allow for the purchase of two sets of short sleeve shirts and shorts.

“We have designated optional items including a long-sleeved shirt, compression shorts, head gear and running shoes which can be worn during these events,” said Carroll. A Navy wind suit is also in the works.

So what may seem like a simple task to most webmasters is getting all jacked up by whoever runs the Navy’s websites. Let’s take, for instance, navy.mil. Whoever runs this website needs to take a basic course in coding a website properly.

What most people don’t realize is that gearadrift.com and www.gearadrift.com are technically two different websites. The WWW version is a subdomain of gearadrift.com, the main domain, just like http://docinthebox.blogspot.com is a subdomain of http://blogspot.com.
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I’m from the old, “New Navy”. We didn’t have Drill Instructors or Company Commanders, we had RDCs (Recruit Division Commander). It always made sense to me in a way, after all, Drill Instructors are for Marines and Company Commander just sounds Army to me. We weren’t in a company anyway, the Navy doesn’t have companies, we have divisions and departments. So, Recruit Division Commander, I could justify that change.

Our RDCs didn’t hit us, either. They threatened to hit us constantly, but it was just part of their mind games that they liked to play. Boot Camp, all in all, was one big mind game mixed with marching and a lack of sleep. Taps was at 2200 (if we were lucky) and reveille was 0400. We had watch every other night, resulting in even less sleep and all of this, played into the psychological games that the RDCs would play.

The biggest mind game of all, letting out secrets about something called Battle Stations. We were told over and over again that if we failed battle stations, we would fail boot camp and have to start all over again. When was this battle stations to happen? Without a moments notice, they would say. All lies, of course.

Battle Stations amounted to nothing more than a single night of: running over 5 miles (carrying a seabag full of wet clothes), fighting “simulated” fires, swimming with a bunch of Navy Seals, and performing events like escaping a sinking ship and getting a ship underway for an emergency. You know, common, every day Navy occurences.

I’m not knocking the value of Battle Stations, it pulled our division together and we worked as a team. Where are those guys today, I have no idea.

I was surprised that the “New Navy” had gotten even newer. By newer, I mean weaker, of course. Here’s a blurb from navy.mil about the newer battle stations:

Recruits stand at attention during their capping ceremony after successfully completing Battle Stations 21 aboard USS Trayer (BST 21). Battle Stations 21 is the culmination of all training received at the Navy’s only boot camp. It is a grueling 12-hour test of a recruit’s skills in several shipboard evolutions, including fighting fires and stopping floods. The event is held entirely aboard Trayer and marks the recruit’s final rite of passage into the Navy.

“The event is held entirely aboard Trayer”. Well, so much for the hardest part of battle stations.

I also heard that recruits sleep in until 0600.

Anyone know if this is true?

My favorite line from this, when talking about a fax transmission: “He transmitted a letter to us via an archaic telephone line based network of low-quality printers”.

Breaking News: All Online Data Lost After Internet Crash

Legendary football coach Lou Holtz paid a visit to the Sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) July 24-25.   Holtz, also a best-selling author and motivational speaker, visited the aircraft carrier to meet the crew and to give his thanks for their service.

Holtz observed flight deck operations, toured Lincoln spaces, and delivered a speech in the wardroom regarding the importance of leadership and teamwork. He spent the evening in the first class mess talking to the crew and signing autographs and had breakfast with the chief petty officers the following morning.

“I’m not here because of me, I’m here because of the sacrifice you people make,” Holtz said. “I can live a free life and have freedom of choices and sleep safely and not worry about my family because of the sacrifices our armed services make.”  This isn’t the first time Holtz has shown his appreciation for service members. Just last year he visited seven military posts in Iraq over the course of a week.   “I try to show the military how much I appreciate them,” Holtz said. “I just wish everybody could come and see the commitment and the talent and the ability of these young people.”

Holtz is renowned for his inspirational speeches and his dedication and belief in teamwork. Holtz led six college football teams to bowl games within two years of joining each program. To date, Holtz is the only coach to ever guide four different programs to final top 20 rankings.   “If you want to fail you have a right to fail,” Holtz said. “But you don’t have the right to cause other people to fail. I mean if you want to fail by yourself, go do it, but nobody has the right to cause other people to fail. So any time you’re part of the team, part of a family, part of an organization, you have an obligation to other people. And you must honor that commitment to other people.”

“That’s what’s made our armed services great,” he continued. “Commitment to your fellow [service members] and your fellow human beings is what motivates you to do that job to the best of your ability even though you’re tired, unappreciated, overworked, underpaid. You still feel that obligation and that’s what keeps you going and that’s what keeps us free, safe, and makes our military the best in the world: the obligation and commitment we have to other people.”

Holtz said he was astounded by the sheer magnitude of Lincoln, and realized the importance of each and every Sailor’s role on board.  “The commitment of people here is great.  You go up on the flight deck and everybody has a role and everybody does it. The magnitude of 5,000 Sailors on [board] when it’s fully equipped, that’s bigger than the city I was born in. Just to see how big this is, how well run it is, how efficient it is and how important it is.”  “I love this country, I love our way of life [and] I love our freedom. But, you have to be willing to defend it,” Holtz said.

Holtz said his father was in the Navy and when he was asked what he did he said, “I did my duty.” Holtz said only much later in his life did he find out that his father was at Midway, Iwo Jima, and all the various major battles in the Pacific after 1942.  “That was his duty, I just appreciate what you do. Not many people will say that. It’s never been more important than it is at the present time, amidst the dangers that we face.”

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced Aug. 2 that President George W. Bush has nominated Adm. Gary Roughead for reappointment to the grade of admiral and assignment as chief of naval operations, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Roughead is currently serving as commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.