A Navy at war? - Part 1

I don't make the habit of posting message traffic, but when I get a few emailed to me - well - it makes me think that things may be of interest. This is a few weeks old - but let's drag it out.

Sailor. Sailors. Shipmate. Shipmates. Shiiiiiip-Mate!

Sigh. We are a nation at war. Look at the USMC and Army - heck, look at out IAs, PRT, Seabee, and Riverine forces.

Master Chief, you OK?

R 231752Z OCT 07
FM COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
TO PACADMIN
INFO COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
BT
UNCLAS //N05060//
PACADMIN 015/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/COMPACFLT//
SUBJ/CONTEST TO REDEFINE "SHIPMATE"//
RMKS/1. COMMANDER, U.S. PACIFIC FLEET MASTER CHIEF(SW/AW) TOM HOWARD INVITES ALL SAILORS THROUGHOUT THE NAVY TO ENTER A WRITING CONTEST TO REDEFINE THE TERM "SHIPMATE" IN TODAY'S FLEET.
2. FLEET MASTER CHIEF HOWARD WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNER IN EARLY 2008. THE SAILOR WHOSE DEFINITION IS SELECTED WILL BE PRESENTED A RENDITION OF THE WINNING ENTRY BY COMMANDER, U.S. PACIFIC FLEET, ADM. ROBERT F. WILLARD. THE WINNING ENTRY WILL ALSO BE PUBLISHED IN ALL HANDS MAGAZINE, ON NAVY NEWSSTAND (WWW.NAVY.MIL), AND ON THE PACIFIC FLEET WEB SITE (WWW.CPF.NAVY.MIL).
3. THE THEME OF THE SPECIAL EVENT IS "WHAT BEING A SHIPMATE MEANS TO ME" AS WRITTEN THROUGH THE EYES OF TODAY'S SAILORS.
4. THE CONTEST CARRIES ON THE RICH TRADITIONS OF THE NAVY AS IT WILL TELL THE STORY OF TODAY'S SHIPMATE AND AT THE SAME TIME HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE NAVY THROUGHOUT THE PAST 232 YEARS AS WELL AS THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO SERVE. A. "SAILORS WILL BE FOREVER IDENTIFIED BY THEIR COURAGE IN THE FACE OF DANGER AND THE MORAL CONVICTION TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT," WROTE MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE NAVY (SW/FMF) JOE R. CAMPA JR. IN HIS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE TO THE FLEET. "THE TERM 'SHIP, SHIPMATE, SELF' WAS CREATED AT SEA. TO A UNITED STATES SAILOR, THERE IS NO BETTER DESCRIPTION OF OUR CULTURE AND OUR CHARACTER."
5. FLEET HOWARD JOINS THE U.S. PACIFIC FLEET CHIEF PETTY OFFICER MESS AND NAVY LEAGUE OF HAWAII IN SPONSORING THE WRITING CONTEST TO HONOR SAILORS PAST AND PRESENT. IN EARLY OCTOBER, FLEET HOWARD SPONSORED A SENIOR ENLISTED LEADERSHIP OF THE PACIFIC SYMPOSIUM IN HAWAII. DURING THE WEEK, THE SENIOR ENLISTED LEADERS TALKED ABOUT TODAY'S SAILOR AND WHAT BEING A SHIPMATE MEANS. REALIZING THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LISTEN TO OUR SAILORS AND TO PROVIDE ADVICE TO NAVY LEADERSHIP, THE SENIOR ENLISTED LEADERSHIP DECIDED TO ALLOW OUR SAILORS TO DEFINE WHAT BEING A SHIPMATE MEANS. IN AN ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE, IT'S THE PERSONAL SACRIFICES OF TODAY'S SAILORS WHO MAKE THE DECISION EVERY DAY TO FIGHT FOR THE FREEDOMS OF NOT ONLY OUR OWN COUNTRY, BUT ALSO THOSE COUNTRIES THAT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES.
6. IN 75 WORDS OR LESS, SAILORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO EXPLAIN THEIR PERSONAL DEFINITION OF SHIPMATE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SHIPMATE IN TODAY'S NAVY. THE CONTEST IS OPEN TO ALL SAILORS, FROM E-1 TO O-10. ALL WORK MUST BE ORIGINAL AND UNPUBLISHED. THE WORD "SHIPMATE" MUST BE CAPITALIZED IN ALL ENTRIES.
7. PLEASE SEND E-MAIL ENTRIES TO CPF.FLEETFEEDBACK@NAVY.MIL.
SUBJECT LINE SHOULD READ "WHAT BEING A SHIPMATE MEANS TO ME". MAIL-IN SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO: WHAT BEING A SHIPMATE MEANS TO ME COMMANDER, U.S. PACIFIC FLEET C/O FLTCM (SW/AW) TOM HOWARD 250 MAKALAPA DRIVE PEARL HARBOR HI 96860-3131
8. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED BY MIDNIGHT 16 DEC. ENTRIES NOT RECEIVED BY 31 DEC WILL NOT BE JUDGED. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONTEST SHOULD BE SENT TO CPF.FLEETFEEDBACK@NAVY.MIL.

I am at a loss for words.

Hat tip held to protect the smart.