Navy Rating Advancement September 2007

It looks like the Navy Rating Advancement exams of September 2007 are at an end, with just the makeup exams to go, all that’s left is the waiting game.

For those of us who feel we were close, and are wondering when do Navy advancement results come out, the best thing for us to do is sit back and forget about getting advanced. For those who don’t think they made it, wait for the bibs and get a head start on March’s exam (yeah, right!). Honestly, the best part of getting advanced is not having to take the Navy Advancement exam for a few years.

Ok, maybe it’s not the best part, but it’s close.

Either way, we’ll get the Navy advancement results posted sometime around December probably. No names, of course, just the stats.

Navy Uniforms

I was surprised to see how many US Navy Uniforms there were for sale on ebay. Apparently, this can be a pretty good deal for those getting out of the Navy. Sell your uniforms on ebay for dirt cheap. Most people I know, burn them, throw them away, or find other creative ways of destroying their Navy Uniforms.

Shellback Pictures Needed

So, as many of us sailors know, Navy Shellback Initiation is dying. I really think this ceremony is going to go before chief’s initiation and some would argue that it has already gone away. I’m starting a new photo gallery and want to add pictures of various shellback initiations throughout history. So, any photos you have that you want to share, send them to me via the contact page or make a comment in this thread and I’ll add them to the photo album.

Navy Advancement Results

Navy Advancement Results

September 2007 Navy Advancement Results

This is just a placeholder for the Navy Advancement Results that will be coming out late November 2007. Remember, results for the Navy advancement exam do not come out until then.

If you want more information on when Navy Advancment Results are going to come out, consult the thread When do Navy Advancement Results Come out.

When Do Navy Advancement Results Come Out?

When do Navy advancement results come out?
I’ve been seeing a lot of traffic from people searching in google for the answer to this question so I decided to write a quick post about it.

Ok, here’s how it works:

The Navy has advancement cycles. For advancement to paygrades E-4 to E-6, there are two cycles. Read more

Navy Advancement Exam, Comment Spam, DNS moves, and other things that bother me

This week, the Navy held their semi-annual advancement exams for all E-6 eligible candidates. Basically, every E-5 over 3 years and a few early candidates sit down and take a 200 question test with 115 questions on their specific rating and 85 questions on general military knowledge. This test, normally does not bother me. As a matter of fact, I do quite well on standardized tests, I always have. I’m also pretty good and predicting the results of these tests and the likelyhood of my advancement because, after all, it’s just a numbers game.
Read more

Navy Advancement Exam, Comment Spam, DNS moves, and other things that bother me

This week, the Navy held their semi-annual advancement exams for all E-6 eligible candidates. Basically, every E-5 over 3 years and a few early candidates sit down and take a 200 question test with 115 questions on their specific rating and 85 questions on general military knowledge. This test, normally does not bother me. As a matter of fact, I do quite well on standardized tests, I always have. I’m also pretty good and predicting the results of these tests and the likelyhood of my advancement because, after all, it’s just a numbers game.
Read more

New Navy PT Uniform

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.

Navy Webmasters Suck

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.
Read more

Battle Stations 21, without running?

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?

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