Arved Sandstrom wrote:

"Fred J. McCall" wrote in message
...

R. David Steele /OMEGA wrote:

:But even at an infantry platoon level, the NCOs take on decision
:making that it seems in the Navy is done by the division officer.
:The Chiefs may supervise but are just not the leaders that Army
:NCOs are.

You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about.


Whenever I was on a gator, and had to go into CPO country, and knocked on
the door of their mess to request permission to come in to deliver a
message, I sure as hell didn't think they were "supervising". In fact, they
were God, and I quaked in fear before them. One time I forgot to knock and
ask for permission to enter, and just opened the hatch and strolled in, on
one amphib - BAD mistake. Very BAD mistake.

Even petty officers in the USN have significant leadership responsibilities.
I never noticed that any of the PO's I knew were not charged with duties and
decision-making that was not comparable to equal ranks in other services.

AHS


I've been reading this thread with interest. I was on active and reserve
duty in the USN from June 1957 to July 1963, started on active duty
kiddie cruise at 17 yo. At 18 I was a PO3 and at 19 a PO2. Guaranteed I
had responsibility when I supervised men and material and if I screwed
up it was on me. Don't know about the modern Navy but, as Arved says,
Chiefs sat on the right hand of God and were listened to by officer and
enlisted back then. The best officers I ever served under were mustangs
that had been long service chiefs. They knew their stuff and knew more
about supervising men than most ring knockers ever did. Just one old
swab's thoughts on this subject.

George