What do The Caine Mutiny, Midway, In Harm's Way, Run Silent Run Deep and our own Officers and CPO Messes have in common? I could make the answer obvious if my current limited bandwidth and/or firewall constraints allowed me to post pictures (he whined), but I must attempt verbal descriptions and hyperlinks instead.
The first four citations refer to epic mid-twentieth century movies starring our own U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific. Each features a legendary hero of the silver screen depicting a larger-than-life (albeit somewhat quirky) naval officer whose courageous escapades contributed to our grandest moments on the sea-stage of battle. Indeed, those characters so manfully portrayed by Heston, Gable, Wayne, Bogart and equally impressive supporting casts, inspired the dreams of many a future naval officer, including me during my own youth. (Well, okay, maybe we would not aspire to be Captain Queeg, but even that movie portrays some high naval drama.)
So how do these old movies relate to our own Officers and CPOs? You might expect a comparison to the heroic protagonists of those historic naval dramas. That thought would have credibility, but it's not the theme of this particular post. I've been recently accused - with modicum accuracy - of writing "gushing" posts, so I'm determined to take a bit more controversial tack with this one.
Those epic cinematic naval heroes all display an impressive visual image in the uniforms they wear... the distinctly Navy wash khakis donned by officers and chiefs on underway naval vessels throughout the glory years of our sea service. For sure clothes do not a man (or a woman) make, but even a casual observer recognizes the iconic look of that traditional garment and the honor, courage and commitment under fire of those who wear it. This is the uniform in which we won World War II, and it is the very same uniform that officers and chiefs still wear today as they go about--
What's that you say? Really? When did that happen? Whose idea was...?
It's true. The revered wash khaki Navy uniform, and all the history that goes with it, will become "no longer authorized" by the end of this year. Instead, officers and chiefs will shell out some $600 per set to replace our historic wash khakis with the new, recently prescribed Navy Working Uniform (NWU). So by next year we all will supposedly wear a sea blue and gray digital camouflage outfit smartly dubbed "aquaflage" by some of our local pundits. That uniform will certainly blend right into the seascape if its wearer suffers the misfortune of falling overboard.
Other than the sea blue/gray color and some barely visible Navy logos, there is nothing distinctively naval about the new NWU. Rather, these new uniforms poorly imitate the traditional battle dress uniforms (BDU, or "camis") typically sported by members of our sister services. You see camis, you think Army or Marine Corps, not Navy. Further, since it is prescribed for all ranks, our new NWU almost completely blurs the visual distinction between enlisted sailors and the officers/chiefs (heretofore honorably referred to as "khakis") who lead them. The color and design of the rank insignia and embroidery is all that differentiates. Finally, the only movie that this uniform has thus far inspired is a tiresome training video that drones on endlessly about the only "prescribed" way to wear it, down to the "authorized" color and texture of socks and tee shirt.
No amount of earnest imagination suceeds in drawing an inspirational mental image of Charlton Heston or John Wayne on the silver screen, all decked out in this ridiculous getup while leading a flotilla of Navy ships in a cinematic recreation of our Navy's finest moments.
Even more disturbing is the visual image of aquaflaged true naval heroes like Nimitz, Spruance, or Arleigh Burke. May they rest in peace.
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