Then The Master Chief Said ...

[Subdeacon Joe]

[DocWard]

I always liked this one:

 

The crusty Navy Master Chief noticed a new seaman and barked at him, "Get over here! What's your name sailor?" 

"John," the new seaman replied.

"Look, I don't know what kind of bleeding-heart pansy crap they're teaching sailors in boot camp these days, but I don't call anyone by his first name," the chief scowled. 

"It breeds familiarity, and that leads to a breakdown in authority. I refer to my sailors by their last names only; Smith, Jones, Baker, whatever. 

And you are to refer to me as 'Chief.’ Do I make myself clear?" 

"Aye, Aye, Chief!"

"Now that we've got that straight, what's your last name?" 

The seaman sighed. "Darling, My name is John Darling, Chief."

"Okay, John, here's what I want you to do ...."

[Subdeacon Joe]

9 minutes ago, DocWard said:

The seaman sighed. "Darling, My name is John Darling, Chief.

 

 

Can you imagine at roll call - "Darling, John!"  

[Pat Riot]

This didn't dawn on me until I got aboard ship...

[Pat Riot]

Put your drink down and look real close......

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Get it?

 

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Iz that a boat or a ship?

[Smuteye John SASS#24774]

2 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Put your drink down and look real close......

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Get it?

 

Bless his heart.

 

That's made with Legos, ain't it?

[Pat Riot]

Yep

[Sedalia Dave]

Wonder how many guns I could buy with the money he spent on Legos???

[Sedalia Dave]

I can still remember the first time the Master Chief came into the shop on a Friday afternoon after a particularly rough week and loudly announced that

 

"All leave and liberty is cancelled until moral improves."

 

Sure got our attention in a hurry.

 

 

[Barry Sloe]

I remember a story one of my instructors told us, this was back in '74.  Think Vietnam.

 

A first class petty officer (E-6) was at Captains Mast for shooting up a South Vietnamese river boat.  The Master Chief was standing up for the E-6 and at one point told the Captain (O-6) that the Captain only had one star on his sleeve and he, the Master Chief, had two on his!  The Captain wanted to bust the Master Chief but back in the day E-7, E-8, & E-9 promotions were approved by Congress and only an act of Congress could bust them.  So, both the first class and master chief were on the next flight back to the states.

 

Memories of the good old days,

Barry Sloe -  always wanted those two stars but never could keep my mouth shut to get the first one.

[J-BAR #18287]

Building boats out of Legos is one of the reasons that young man still has his.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

12 hours ago, Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 said:

Iz that a boat or a ship?

 

If memory serves me well, there are only a few 'boats' in the Navy and the rest are SHIPS.

 

examples:

Submarines are called 'boats'.

UBoats (like the PT-109) are called boats.

and I think Tarpedo retriever boats are called boats.

 

I served directly under an E9 Radio Master Chief.  I never realized someone could carry so much clout and respect.   His name was 'Stockstill' and he was one of the finest men I have ever met or known.   At the time, we both served under ComSubRon 18.

 

..........Widder

 

[Okiepan]

Why would one ever question a Master Chief in the first place ?

[Widder, SASS #59054]

13 minutes ago, Okiepan said:

Why would one ever question a Master Chief in the first place ?

 

to get wisdom and good advice..... 

 

..........Widder

 

[Okiepan]

Good answer thats what a PCPO would say

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

I was told that a boat doesn't carry a boat but, a ship carries one or more boats.  Back in 2012 we sailed on the American Queen river boat down the Mississippi and the Captain said it was called a boat because it it didn't carry any life boats.  That was the first thing that I noticed when we first boarded the boat in Memphis and the word "Titanic" quickly crossed my mind.. The Captain later said that if it was going to sink, he would just run it aground.  2012 was the lowest recorded depth of the Mississippi and he said the depth of the channel at Memphis was 9 ft and the boat draft was 8 ft.  If it sunk we would only go down a foot.  He said he ran aground twice coming up from New Orleans but had side thrusters and wiggled off.  We scraped bottom a couple of times going down river. You could feel the boat shudder for a couple of seconds.

 

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack original post.

[Major E A Sterner #12916]

A boat can be lifted out of the water, a ship can't

[Capt. James H. Callahan]

Good friend of mine was a retired Chief Master at Arms. He said most of the officers would step aside when he passed them on the ship.

JHC

[Rooster Cognizant]

5 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Wonder how many guns I could buy with the money he spent on Legos???

 

He probably wonders how many legos he could buy for what you spent on guns.  

 

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

20 minutes ago, Capt. James H. Callahan said:

Good friend of mine was a retired Chief Master at Arms. He said most of the officers would step aside when he passed them on the ship.

JHC

 

Most company-grade officers in the Army would defer to a command sergeant major.  In every unit I was a part of, the CSM reported only to the unit's CO, and only battalions and higher had CSMs.  

 

Most CSMs were very professional and helpful at sharing their wisdom and knowledge, as Widder pointed out, but they also tolerated no BS.

 

And pity the poor lieutenant I saw one time who addressed a First Sergeant, at Airborne School no less, as "Hey, Sarge".  He soon learned the error of his ways, and the company commander let the NCOs do the educating.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

20 minutes ago, Capt. James H. Callahan said:

Good friend of mine was a retired Chief Master at Arms. He said most of the officers would step aside when he passed them on the ship.

JHC

 

Smart ones do for Warrant Officers et al. Younger ones not so much until they learn

(I learned that from my Father, a 1960's era RCAF W.O.1 and didn't make any waves around one after I was commissioned! )

[Buffalo Creek Law Dog]

23 minutes ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

 

Smart ones do for Warrant Officers et al. Younger ones not so much until they learn

(I learned that from my Father, a 1960's era RCAF W.O.1 and didn't make any waves around one after I was commissioned! )

 

When I was stationed at CFB Cornwallis, NS we had an probably one of the last of the famous old school Regimental Sergeant Majors, who had served in the PPCLI during WW2 and Korea and of course he had the obligatory waxed curled at the ends moustache.  Cornwallis was his last posting before retirement.  His office was near mine and the recruits had to pass his office window to go to sick parade, the dentist or Pharmacy.  Every once in a while he would step out of his office to berate a recruit.  It went like this...."You there....animal, come here."  The recruit would come running over scared fartless and the RSM would yell, " Who told you, you could live."  The recruit would be shaking at this point and wouldn't know what to do, so he would salute.  The RSM would yell,  "You don't salute me, I'm not an officer, do I look that Goddamn stupid?"   I used to see the recruits going by and you could tell what they were thinking...."Please God let me make it without the RSM seeing me."  

 

My 1st time at being Base Duty Officer, I was wearing the BDO armband on the left arm as we always did with the MP armband.  I was coming up to the door of the HQ building as he was coming out.  He gave a very smart salute and said in his RSM voice as he was passing,  Morning Sir....Armband on the wrong arm Sir, as he continued on. I always think of this RSM every time I see the movie, Guns at Batasi.

[Barry Sloe]

Ships and boats.  If memory serves me correctly, and many times it doesn't, the two terms are defined by length.  I think 120 feet is about where the split occurs, but I may be wrong.

 

BS

[Okiepan]

Dont forget Cutters

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Subs are boats, regardless of length.

 

But like others, my memory doesn't recall the exact definition that the Navy uses to determine which is which.

 

..........Widder

 

[Pat Riot]

When I was in the Navy a boat was a floating vessel carried by  ship.

Subs were "boats" to us and "ships" to Submariners.

 

I joked with some Submariners that life rafts don't count so a sub is a "boat". They disagreed so we drank until there was an agreement.

No one knew what the agreement was but we did agree that we all agreed to something...

[Church Key, SASS # 33713]

Tugs, Ferry's, and Subs are boats, no matter how large they are.

[Chicken Rustler, SASS #26680]

On 9/12/2017 at 4:46 PM, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

 

Can you imagine at roll call - "Darling, John!"  

We had a guy named Richard Will. Every morning at roll call he had to listen to "Will, Richard P" and every time he went to the range he had to hear "You may fire at Will"

 

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Just be glad your name wasn't Edward Richard.......... 'Richard, Edward'  shortened to ......... 

 

..........Widder

 

[Tyrel Cody]

11 minutes ago, Widowmaker Hill SASS #59054 said:

Just be glad your name wasn't Edward Richard.......... 'Richard, Edward'  shortened to ......... 

 

..........Widder

 

Dad worked at n  auto manufacturer in the area with a gentleman whose first  name was Richard and last name was...

 

 

 

 

you guessed it Head, poor guy.

[Dubious Don #56333]

God save all Master Chief's, SM's and CSM's.

My first encounter with a CSM was when I was a private E-nothing. Walking back from the motor pool for lunch, I was admiring my shiny new jump boots and marveling how I'd managed to not ruin the perfect-O spit shine crawling under jeeps all morning. Occupied thusly, I failed to notice the staff car passing by and failed to salute same. I soon found myself face to face (literally) with the CSM who wanted to know why I failed to salute the general's car. So I told him.

 

That answer failed to satisfy the CSM who made pointed remarks about my lineage and asked for my name and unit. Guess who was waiting on the steps when I returned to the company area? LOL. Yeah, the First Sergeant wasn't happy. When I explained he says "THATS TOO STUPID TO BE A LIE !!!!"

 

I learned a valuable lesson and that wasn't hardly my last encounter with First Sergeants, Master Chief's, CSM's.......

 I did learn to come up with better excuses.......

 

 

[Stogie]

When I first joined the Coast Guard reserves they were having a big to do with all the units in the area. I was running late and searching the parade ground looking for my unit when colors sounded and everyone came to attention. I blended into the nearest formation and came to attention. A master chief (who saw me slide into HIS formation) stepped up behind me and told me to move 6 inches to my right then he he stepped back without another word. When they dismissed us I bugged out of there like my pants were on fire.

 

A couple month later they rotated some of the middle managers at my civilian  job and in comes the same master chief that had covered my butt. I thanked him for it and he said he didn't remember. Turned out to be one of the best bosses I've had.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

First Sgt. Willingham. Who could ever forget his sweet personality and friendly face. 

 

Even S/Sgt. Buxton deferred to him. AND S/Sgt. Buxton was very high on PVT. Badger's listof heros. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

During a commercial airline flight a Navy Chief was seated next to a young mother with a baby in arms. When her baby began crying during the descent for landing, the mother began nursing her infant as discreetly as possible. The Chief pretended not to notice and, upon debarking, he gallantly offered his assistance to help with the various baby-related articles. When the young mother expressed her gratitude, he responded, Gosh, that's a good looking baby...and he sure was hungry! Somewhat embarrassed, the mother explained that her pediatrician said breast feeding would help alleviate the pressure in the baby's ears. The Chief sadly shook his head, and in true Sailor fashion exclaimed........ And all these years I've been chewing gum.