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I have a Navy question


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I have heard this, but have no knowledge as to whether it is true. Here we go.

 

The commander of a ship is the Captain. Even if he is a JG in command of a PT boat, he is the Captain.

 

If there is another officer on board who's actual rank is Captain, he is given a temporary spoken promotion - Navy Captains referred to as Commodore, and Army, Marine or Air Force Captains referred to as Major. This way there would only be one Captain on the ship.

 

 

Truth, or urban legend?

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The "Captain" of a ship is always referred to as Captain, regardless of rank.

 

If there is an O-6 "Captain" onboard, they are referred to as Captain UNLESS they have another title such as "Commodore". 

 

On an aircraft carrier you're liable to have three to five O-6s onboard during a deployment.  These Captains do have other titles that they may be referred to, but in general speaking you're not wrong for simply calling them "Captain".  You may not know they're title or even what command they're with.

 

Even on the smaller ships I was on (LPD, DDG, LST and MHC), when an O-6 came aboard he was still referred to in conversation as "Captain".

 

I have never seen an officer referred to with a "temporary spoken promotion".  I've never even heard of such.  Doesn't mean it hasn't or doesn't happen, but...

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And just because a person is an O-6 Captain and the person that is the ship’s Captain might be if a lower rank it doesn’t mean the O-7 becomes the commander of the vessel. The “Captain” usually remains in command of the ship. 
 

Example:

An Admiral transfers aboard a ship captained by a Commander. The Commander still remains the “Captain” and is command of that vessel. Even if the Admiral is the Flag Officer of the fleet. The Admiral commands the fleet, the Commander “captains” the Flagship. 
 

Clear as mud?

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I was a Tank Commander, it was a simpler time. Also, we did little with water except muddy water. ...So I was a brown water navy man?!

Armor-Land Subs

 

Imis

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1 hour ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said:

...So I was a brown water navy man?!

Armor-Land Subs

 

Imis

No.

 

Brown water Navy.

Vietnam-era

The Swift Boats of the Brownwater Navy in Vietnam | Vietnam war photos, Brown  water navy, Vietnam

Current-era

Navy punishes four sailors who were detained by Iran

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20 minutes ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

I heard of an Army Major dressing down a Captain over the phone ....until the Major found out he was talking to a Navy Captain. 

Life does have its difficulties.

Saw an Army Private call a Navy Captain “Colonel” in an airport. He got an education about learning ranks real quick right there at the ticket counter in front of everyone. Saying “How’s it going kernel?” Is probably something he never did again and remembers to this day. 

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57 minutes ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

I heard of an Army Major dressing down a Captain over the phone ....until the Major found out he was talking to a Navy Captain. 

Life does have its difficulties.

 

A friend of my in-laws, who ended up retiring as an O-6 from the Marine Reserve, was on a naval base when he was an O-3 Captain. As I recall he and my mother-in-law telling the story, he called the Officers Club to see if he could arrange a table for six for him my in-laws that were visiting along with a couple of others. He gave his name as Captain Smith. He was as shocked as the staff was when they arrived to find everything in a private area that was arranged for a Navy Captain, including, evidently the tableware.

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I was a lowly first lieutenant aviation officer tasked to pick up an armor colonel for a trip to division HQ. My OH-58C had only two seats and I was solo so he was riding shotgun in the left front seat. 
 

I landed at his TOC, briefed him on the flight plan, handed him the map (pre-GPS), and made clear his duties on the flight. 
 

He did his job. I did mine. We had a good flight, even if it felt pretty weird telling an O-6 how to manage the clock, compass, and map the same as I would my enlisted aerial observer crew members, had one been on board. 

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Until the turn of the 20th Century, 0-7w were Commodores. Now they are Rear  Admirals-Lower Half. That title was last used in WW II.

 

Commodore is a term used in the Navy for the Senior Captain in a small task group.

 

The head of a yacht club is the commodore . Sea Scots, BSA uses that for the chairman of the Sea Scouts of a local council, Area, Region or the USA.

 

Also, it's a courtesy title for the senior captain of a maritime company.

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1 hour ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

No.  It's next to the gallon cans of video paint.

Sorry, but no.  It's kept in the gear locker next to the rope yarn.

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4 hours ago, Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 said:

I was kicked out of the Navy, because I never could find that blasted relative bearing grease. :angry:

As long as you never went looking for a BT Punch!

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17 minutes ago, Chief Rick said:

Sorry, but no.  It's kept in the gear locker next to the rope yarn.

You're mistaken, Chief, it's the cable stretcher that's next to the rope yarn.

 

And, and....Army Chiefs outrank Navy Chiefs!  And, and....we smell better.  Although, we both still take care of our Captains.

 

 

.:P

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51 minutes ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

You're mistaken, Chief, it's the cable stretcher that's next to the rope yarn.

 

And, and....Army Chiefs outrank Navy Chiefs!  And, and....we smell better.  Although, we both still take care of our Captains.

 

 

.:P

Army Chiefs stand mail buoy watch!

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Lets not forget Submarines.  

 

If I remember correctly,  The Boss of that vessel is the Commander.   Is that correct Chief?

He can be the rank of Captain but wether a Commander or Captain, his title can be referred to as Skipper.

 

..........Widder

 

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2 hours ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said:

You're mistaken, Chief, it's the cable stretcher that's next to the rope yarn.

 

And, and....Army Chiefs outrank Navy Chiefs!  And, and....we smell better.  Although, we both still take care of our Captains.

 

 

.:P

After you grab that bucket of steam, don't forget that the Navy has two sets of Chiefs. Chief Petty Officer and Chief Warrant Officer.  I've had to look for the bucket of steam and been lucky enough to have been both of the Chief ranks.  Preferred being a Chief Petty Officer.

 

BS

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All I remember is, when I was on a PBR, the highest ranking officer, over that vessel, was a Lieutenant J.G., but we called him "Captain", (some called him "Mister") because he was the captain of that vessel. If a higher ranking officer came on board, for some reason, the J.G. was still the "captain" of that vessel, unless relieved of the command. 

I never was exposed to having conflicting orders, from a higher ranking officer, while on board that vessel, so I did not have to stop and wonder who's orders to obey. 

 

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Marine Corps Company Commanders were traditionally called the "Skipper".

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6 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

Lets not forget Submarines.  

 

If I remember correctly,  The Boss of that vessel is the Commander.   Is that correct Chief?

He can be the rank of Captain but wether a Commander or Captain, his title can be referred to as Skipper.

 

..........Widder

 

I can't comment on daily operations or lingo from subs.  It has been my experience that submarine skippers are O-5 "Commanders".  They could still be called Captain, skipper or Commander and you wouldn't be wrong.

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I went on a New Holland cruise a couple years ago, and saw a Captain on the deck a few times the first day or two, but later found out The Captain was a full Admiral. Never did figure out what the other Captain was in charge of... maybe doing training to be a ship's Captain.

 

I did a tour in the Navy in the 70's, but one day on this cruise we left Sitka and sailed directly into a moderately severe storm as we left port. I couldn't even eat dinner that evening. A Navy vet getting seasick... :lol:  In all fairness though, the entire wait staff was pretty green too, but they couldn't leave. 

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2 minutes ago, Three Foot Johnson said:

I went on a New Holland cruise a couple years ago, and saw a Captain on the deck a few times the first day or two, but later found out The Captain was a full Admiral. Never did figure out what the other Captain was in charge of... maybe doing training to be a ship's Captain.

 

I did a tour in the Navy in the 70's, but one day on this cruise we left Sitka and sailed directly into a moderately severe storm as we left port. I couldn't even eat dinner that evening. A Navy vet getting seasick... :lol:

This is a personal pic I took of a cruiser.

No photo description available.

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Back in the day when Marines guarded the gates at Navy installations a young PFC called his 1st Lt OD and told him he had a drunk old Navy guy in cuffs in the guard shack.  The 1st Lt asked what his rank was.  The PFC says radarman.  The 1st Lt told the PFC that radarman is not a rank and asked what it said on his ID.  The PFC responded RADM. 

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Once had a young Seaman searching for batteries for the sound powered phone, wound up going all the way up to the CO.  The CO was former enlisted and was in on it by the time the kid got up there.

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42 minutes ago, Tequila Shooter said:

 

You haven’t lived until you take 22 degree rolls for a couple of days going around Cape Horn.

My first ship was an LST.  This was in SMOOTH seas.

No photo description available.

No photo description available.

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