Chief,
I have only had the EM1 title for a few months, and I am a reservist (yes I have prior active duty years ago). Surgemain is wanting to fish me up which sounds good but I had other senior enlisted that told me I may be working as a specialist in my rate taking this course, but the board is looking for leaders, not ness. technical specialists. At E-6&7 you should already be able to show you are one of the best in your rate. It sounds like fun, but I am not here for only fun. EM1

A:

EM1,
SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE let me say again SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE. Those three words are the key to promotion. If you take a billet and perform to the best of your ability and continue to do that throughout your career you will get promoted. If you want that job then go for it and do your best at it and have fun. If you are a hard charger and get involed in your command you will do fine.

The Chief

I have a senior chief who goes off the wall yelling at people for stupid things all day. We brought it up at Captain’s Call, and he was good for about 2 months, and now he is back to yelling again. First classes fight about who has to go into his office because everyone is scared of him. Today he yelled at me 4 times, and basically said I was no good, because I haven’t been able to get qualified in anything, I tried to explain how hard it was to obtain the qualification needed due to only one person can give the test, and he said yes or no only, so I couldn’t even try to talk with him. I also happen to be on LIMDU, and he has yelled at me several times for it, even though medical tries to talk to him. we have a guy who broke his leg, and has been limdu for 6 months, and he says nothing to him, but I have only been on limdu for 45 days for breaking my toe, and yet he yells at me constantly. I would like to know what to do, I like working there, but everyone from E-6 on down wish he wasn’t there.

CHIEF,
I have a young man in my DEP. He is having to take care of more than half of his moms expenses. Dad just got put in prison for 16 yrs. Do you know what instructions I need to show him where he can have his mom as his dependant?

A:

The situation I have is this;
“Sailor was charged with DUI (2005) at a previous command. Sailor transferred to new command before case was adjudicated in the court system. Does the new command have the authority to document DUI offense on eval, or fitrep?
Keep in mind that DUI did not happen at the command giving fitrep, but a previous command….

Thanks

A: Shipmate,
It all depends on the outcome of the trial and what the disposition of the charges were. If the Sailor was convicted of the DUI then the answer is yes it can be documented in his eval. Where the Sailor is stationed does not effect what is included in the eval. If that were so then end of tour awards, college courses, and such would never get documented.

Thanks for the question.

Have a great Navy day!
The Chief

I got off of active duty in 2005 now a vet my question can I wear my uniforms on special occasions like funerals, wedding

A: SK3,
If you received a Honorable Discharge and you served during war time (If you wear a National Defense Medal you that qualifies you) than you are authorized to wear the uniform. Below is from the DoD directive.

“Directive 1334.1 states;

“3.2Former members of the Armed Forces, unless under another provision of this Instruction or under the terms of Section 772 of title 10, United States Code (reference (d)), who served honorably during a declared or undeclared war and whose most recent service was terminated under honorable conditions may wear the uniform in the highest grade held during such war service only on the following occasions and in the course of travel incident thereto:
“3.2.1. Military funerals, memorial services, weddings, and inaugurals.”

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/133401p.pdf

Thanks for the question.

Have a great Navy day!
The Chief

I have been informed to attend a manditory command event but I also must pay and entry fee. the fee is low and I believe it is going towards lunch. My understanding was that you do not have to pay for a command event. If the command is forcing payment, then it should be an optional event. Can you help me find the regualtion for grounds to stand on and give some insite to the situation, Please.

A: James,
What kind of manatory event would require you to pay? I have never in all my years had to pay a dime at a mandatory command function. My question is what if you do not pay,what will happen? What about the junior sailors with limited funds do they have pay? You said you think it pays for your lunch, what if you bring your own lunch or just skip lunch, do you still have to pay? There is no hard and fast regulation to govern this type of thing. But in my opinion your CMC dropped the ball on this one. At no time should sailors have to pay to attend a ” mandatory” function. That is what you have a MWR fund for.

Thanks for the question.

Have a great Navy day!
The Chief

A: Shipmate,
EMI (Extra Military Instruction) is not to be used as punishment. It is to correct a deficiency in a sailors military bearing and/or professionalism. Making a sailor scrub a deck because they were late does nothing but create a bitter attitude in that sailor. A better fix would have to that sailor conduct a formal muster for the duty section everyday for two weeks. That way the sailor learns why being on time is important plus it causes the sailor to be at work earlier than normal for 14 days straight. They will thinks twice before being late again. Thanks for the question.

A:
Shipmate,

Ok, here is how it was told to me by an old Scottish sailor in Her Majesty’s Navy. As you may or may not know we take a lot of our traditions from the Royal Navy. Considering that is where the original sailors in the Continental Navy came from you can see why. As for the neckerchief, the old sailor traditionally wore their hair long and to keep it from getting caught up in the rigging they would grease it back. Upon pulling into a port of call they would tie planks of wood to their necks (also this is where the flap on your crackerjacks comes from also) to keep the grease from soiling their uniforms. After the ship was tied up they would wash the grease out and head in to town to find as much trouble as possible in a clean uniform. So the neckerchief is part of a symbolic icon for the old planks worn by our forefathers.

Go Navy!
The Chief

A:
Shipmate
Per Navy regs ,Yes. But your command can dictate what it deems as appropriate footwear and can exclude nylon boots for shipboard use.

Have a great Navy day!
The Chief