On Fri, 11 Jun 2004 10:28:48 -0500, Alan Minyard
wrote:

On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 10:09:59 -0600, Ed Rasimus wrote:

I used to tell the new guys in my squadron that they flew fighters.
They would be a "Fighter Pilot" when someone else told them they were.
Until then, they were authorized to say they "fly fighters."

With all due respect, fighter pilots are no more special than any other
Serviceman. The OOD of a nuclear submarine has far more responsibility
than some guy flying around. Being a "fighter pilot" is no more (or less)
deserving of respect than a grunt Company Commander, a tanker pilot.
or a Surface Warfare OOD.

The self appointed "gods" that fighter types make of themselves only
serves to demean all Servicemen, including themselves.

Gimme a break. Taking pride in your training and specialization in no
way demeans someone else. Pride is not a zero-sum game.

You might also want to quickly review the distinction between
"authority" and "responsibility". If as I assume, OOD means Officer of
the Deck, then he/she only has authority to act on behalf of the
ship's Captain who bears the responsibility.



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8