The Navy and Marine Corps are reducing or getting rid of their job-specific titles in order to “quit segregating women,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said on Wednesday.
Last week, the Navy announced that job titles such as yeoman, boatswain’s mate and master-at-arms would be replaced with seaman, petty officer and chief. At the time, Navy officials said it was to make the enlisted advancement system more fair and make it easier for sailors to get jobs when they leave the Navy. A spokesman for Mabus denied a “direct line” between a study reviewing gender-neutral job titles and the decision to get rid of the Navy’s historic ratings.
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On Wednesday, the president of the National Press Club asked why Mabus was focusing on ratings when so much is happening in the world.
“Well, a couple of things. One is I changed it for the Marines, too. And it’s to quit segregating women,” Mabus said. “We do it by uniforms, women wear different uniforms. Can you imagine if we asked another group to wear a different kind of uniform?
“Ratings names change all the time, all the time. When I was in 45 years ago, the people that were in my division were radiomen and signalmen. We don’t have any of those anymore. I thought it was important to be gender-neutral. Now we’ve gone one step farther in the Navy. My first direction was to make them gender-neutral. At the recommendation that came back to me from the master chief petty officer of the Navy, we’re changing our ratings structure so that instead of being a yeoman 3rd class you’re going to be a petty officer third class, the way you’re addressed.”
As of Wednesday, a petition to restore the job titles was reaching 71,000 names.
Mabus on Wednesday also touted the progress he’s made during more than seven years as the Navy’s civilian leader, and said decisions made during President Obama’s tenure have put the Navy and Marine Corps on a path to be the best in the world well into the future.
The secretary said the Navy has reduced its use of oil by 15 percent since he took office in 2009. Since then, the Marines have reduced their oil consumption by 60 percent.
“When you think of Marines, you don’t think of ardent environmentalists, probably. But Marines have led the way in energy innovation,” Mabus said.
Marines are using knee braces in the field that transfer the movement of their legs into energy to power much of the portable technology they carry with them, such as radios and GPS systems. Through the use of solar panels to recharge these types of platforms, Marines have also gotten rid of about 700 pounds of batteries per company, significantly lightening their load and need to be resupplied.
Mabus also talked about major personnel changes he has overseen during his tenure as secretary, such as the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which allowed gay and lesbian troops to serve openly, and the opening of all combat positions to women, which led to the job-title study.
Asked about what impact “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal had on morale, Mabus said it has been a nonissue. “It’s been the biggest nothing I’ve ever seen. I mean, just nothing,” he said.
In his last few months on the job, Mabus said he will go on a series of visits to shipyards and bases to congratulate sailors and industry with a “Bravo Zulu,” or well done.
“I do this and I will depart in a few months knowing that this administration has taken the necessary steps to ensure our Navy has never been stronger,” he said.
