Is Navy Training Going Woke Now?
“We’re telling our recruits … here are all of the things that we expect you to do, and here’s how we expect you to behave and act”
The Navy appears to be adding some things to their boot camp training. I can’t say that I object to the suicide prevention part.
The Daily Mail reports:
Navy training goes woke: Boot camp to include classes on suicide prevention, hazing, racism and sexual assault after numerous crisis over past number of years
The US Navy said it was expanding it’s eight-week boot camp program to include two more weeks of classes focusing on suicide prevention, sexual assault, hazing and racism.
The change, the first major overhaul in nearly 20 years, comes as the Navy grapples with major shipboard issues over the years that include failures to address sexual assaults, fires and deadly collisions and the rise of extremism within the ranks.
Rear Adm. Jennifer Couture, who heads the Naval Service Training Command, told the Associated Press that the two extra weeks of classes would reinforce the behavior desired in a US naval officer.
‘We’re telling our recruits … here are all of the things that we expect you to do, and here’s how we expect you to behave and act,’ she said, adding that it involves treating people with respect and holding peers accountable.
‘We believe very strongly that those types of behaviors are directly impacting our fighting readiness and the performance of our sailors.’
The additional two weeks will be devoted to the ‘Sailor for Life’ course phase where recruits would take in mentorship classes focused on avoiding bad behavior.
It would also train sailors on how to keep levelheaded and respond to life-threatening situations such as fires and collisions.
Couture said the changes came after Navy leaders realized they needed to reinforce training and character development skills following problems in recent years.
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Comments
My niece’s husband tossed his 8 years in the Navy away three years ago. He made it to E-6 in the minimal time in service/time in grade possible as a Machinist’s Mate. On his last cruise he and his Chief were the only two in their shop that didn’t identify somewhere in the LGBTALPHABETSOUP. spectrum. He was on track for a great carrier but the work environment became toxic .
We touched on the racism part when I was in Boot Camp back in 1977. Every third word out of the mouth of the instructor was the M F word. The training really sank in, but not in the way he expected. I noticed that my black shipmates were practically cringing in their seats.
As a retired Navy Chief, I don’t see anything particularly woke about this, at least on the surface. It’s only smart to teach our sailors what’s expected of them and defining unacceptable behaviors. Sure, it could be implemented in a “woke” manner, but that’s always the case.
I have the feeling we didn’t have this approach back in the “olden days” because members of society knew what was expected of them long before they showed up for boot camp. It appears that’s no longer the case these days.
Surprised to hear they’re amplifying fire training. I didn’t think that could be possible. My son reported 20 years ago that the first two weeks for everybody was pretty much nothing but shipboard fire training.
I’m pleased to hear of this training. Ours was maybe a day or so, including use of the OBA.