NAVY LOWERING GOLD RATE SERVICE STRIPE STANDARDS

[firefighter]

https://www.military.com/kitup/2019/03/25/sailors-will-no-longer-need-12-years-good-conduct-sport-gold-stripes.html

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

 

[Justin B.]

Wow, interesting! Thanks for posting that.

 

Justin B.

[Dave]

Of the 150 (or so) enlisted Sailors who work for me, about half have less than 12 years of service, but are close. I've talked to some of my folks about this today and the reaction is mixed. Some don't care. Some care because they have to change their rating patches and stripes for no real reason...more money out of pocket as they see it. I have a handful of Sailors who didn't get to wear gold until they were well into their 20+ years of service (to include my departmental leading chief, who went gold as a master chief with 24 years of service...) As you can imagine, they really aren't too keen on the idea that people can now switch to gold without any stipulation.

 

Then there are my Sailors who were proud to be over 12 years of service and still wearing red...they are probably the hardest hit because then they no longer have that "sea story" to tell about how they were nearing 30 years of service with red stripes...

[Bearmon]

Everybody gets a trophy…. What a shame

[Bob Hudson]

Everybody gets a trophy…. What a shame

 

So true.

[sigsaye]

When I was training recruits as an SM1, I had 4 sets of dress blues. I had one for inspections with gold. The other 3 I wore every day and had red on them.

[David Minton]

I have no investment in the topic, but does seem somewhat like a participation trophy. Don't service stripes indicate 12+ years of service already?

 

From what I have read however, was in the past broken service restarted the clock on 12 years toward gold. So, if someone does eight years, leaves, than reenlists for another four, it would seem fair for them to be eligible for gold after 12 years of combined GC.

[sigsaye]

It is confusing reading different sources. The Way I Read It, is either at 12 years, everyone just goes gold. Or, once you get gold, you keep it regardless of anything that may happen.

[firefighter]

It is confusing reading different sources. The Way I Read It, is either at 12 years, everyone just goes gold. Or, once you get gold, you keep it regardless of anything that may happen.

I agree

[Salvage Sailor]

A sight I'll always remember was a non-rated seaman with gold stripes and four gold hashmarks. He was marking time at a service school command waiting for his 20 year retirement.

 

He'd put in his 12+ years with good behavior, went astray, and was busted down to E-3

[MastersMate]

Hmmmm. I doubt the Coast Guard will make any sort of uniform alteration to try to conform with the USN. In 1976, when they changed to the current uniform style, the rate of CPO automatically switched to gold rating badges and hashmarks, no time in service or good conduct required. One gold hashmark CPO was fairly common then.. Gold became strictly a pay grade indicator.. It is now embedded in the CG CPO genes

 

The Coast Guard has a goodly number of PO2 and PO1 that have passed the 12 year mark but are below the 20 year mark.. With the CG High Year Tenure (HYT) program of discharging personnel who do not make advancement time points, the scarlet stripes and number of hashmarks, mark them as targets of opportunity for reducing the work force.

 

MAYBE, the CG would authorize gold rating badges and hashmarks for those POs that have met their professional growth points and are of the end run for retiring..

[MastersMate]

Since the gold rating badge and service stripes are no longer linked to good conduct, perhaps the USN could have looked to saving the enlisted personnel some uniform maintenance money and just eliminated the expense of gold and stayed with the scarlet and white standard rating badges..

[joeclown]

may as well eliminate the Good Conduct Medal

[Salvage Sailor]

may as well eliminate the Good Conduct Medal

 

We referred to the GCM as the "Undetected Crime" medal

[sigsaye]

So. The article in the OP, says Authorized. Does that mean Required? I had gold. Never impressed with it.

As far as Participation Troohies, the Navy started that in the 89s when they started handing out Navy Achievement Medals for painting flag piles and as End of Tour Awards, along with Navy Comendation Medals and Meritorious Service Medals depending on rank. I quit wearing NAMs and NCMs. When I retired I was told I was getting a NCM as a retirement award. Told them not to bother.

[Salvage Sailor]

Aye Sigsaye,

 

Geedunk Ribbons, as you know, most of us in the '70s had hardly any ribbons at all in the first 4 to 6 years. The Navy was very stringent on handing out awards would typically add a 'letter of commendation' or 'letter of appreciation' to our files, not some candy stripes for our chests. When I work at the Naval Stations now I see many PO3's with four rows of geedunk and 'I was there' ribbons.

[sigsaye]

Aye Sigsaye,

 

Geedunk Ribbons, as you know, most of us in the '70s had hardly any ribbons at all in the first 4 to 6 years. The Navy was very stringent on handing out awards would typically add a 'letter of commendation' or 'letter of appreciation' to our files, not some candy stripes for our chests. When I work at the Naval Stations now I see many PO3's with four rows of geedunk and 'I was there' ribbons.

. LOL. I know what you mean! My first 6 years, I had a National Defence Medal, and then at 4 years, a GCM. By the time I had 8 years in, I had 3 rows! Mostly newly invented stuff.

[Salvage Sailor]

Yep, When I was discharged the PN says, hey ya' know you can "convert" these commendation letters to ribbons.

 

I just picked up my paperwork and said, F that.......just give me my sea service deployment ribbon w/stars (then new) because I earned that one.

[MastersMate]

Was of the opinion that, other than the Presidential Unit Citation or the N/CG Unit Commendations, if the powers that be did not consider striking a medal to go with the ribbon award, then the award was strictly a geedunk, feel good bit of bling. Two exceptions to that thought would be the USN / MC Combat Action Ribbon and the CG Commandants Letter of Commendation Ribbon. For the CG at least, those are considered personal decorations and should have a metal pendant to go with them .. The CG specific CAR is designated a personal service award, and like the CG Good Conduct Medal should have its own designated metal pendant.. Just an opinion.

[trenchbuff]

USN-retired, Thank God.

[sigsaye]

Yep, When I was discharged the PN says, hey ya' know you can "convert" these commendation letters to ribbons.

 

I just picked up my paperwork and said, F that.......just give me my sea service deployment ribbon w/stars (then new) because I earned that one.

. When the Sea Service ribbon came out, I was a bit, insulted by it. I mean, its the Navy, sort of what we do. But eventually, I started to notice the number of guys who didnt have one. Guys who would transfer from New Construction, to New Construction, to avoid actually going to sea or deploying. Lots of ships, but very little sea time.