Sports, flying and pr0n

Best quote so far I have seen - it's at about the 14:20 mark on the first video clip.

PBS. USS NIMITZ (CVN 68). Complete access. Ummmm, what do you think would come out the other end? In case you haven't asked the second and third level questions - on 27 APR you will see what the CNO warns about in a recent FlagSESWebMail.

While "Carrier" shows the outstanding work our young Sailors do every day and the opportunities the Navy offers, it also shows Sailors making mistakes in their personal and professional lives. The snapshot is frank and may be somewhat disconcerting to some who came into the Navy some time ago. However, that said, I believe it will also resonate with a significant segment of our country, especially potential recruits and young Sailors serving today.

1. What we did. We provided unprecedented access to our Sailors, and this production tells their story in a very personal way. There is no narrator - the stories are told by the Sailors themselves. You get unvarnished views from junior personnel about their hopes, aspirations, and challenges of life in the Navy aboard the carrier. We did not get between the film crews and the Sailors.

I like that "...some who came into the Navy some time ago ...." AKA, before the Boomers took over....

What we did not get. We did not get a Navy "commercial" in the traditional sense. "CARRIER" is very different from the hardware documentaries we have supported in the past. This program focuses on our people and the reality-TV approach gives it a sense of authenticity and credibility. Since we did not monitor the individual interviews and ongoing production, the program contains material that does not always and fully represent the discipline, values and mission of the U.S. Navy.

You will see some Sailors making personal and professional mistakes, and expressing opinions that are different from the Navy's. However, the production shows that these are the exception, not the norm, and that leadership is engaged to shape lives and appropriate outcomes. There are abundant examples of how the Navy changed Sailors' lives for the better by giving them opportunities and a disciplined environment.

Though from what I see, this looks like the Navy I know - I think perhaps that, as expected, we will see more of the under story and the "rough source material" than recruiting poster .... but everyone knew that going in as that is what these film makers do. Right? Hollywierd ... you know ... preconceived notions about the military so they seek out those stories that validate their specific idea of what a member of the military is like ... you'll see in this preview what I am talking about.

Balanced story? I don't know, but those are Sailors. That is our Navy. I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Wait and see how it fleshes out. I won't fault the film makers for trying to get the most interesting story as they see it from their point of view. They seem like their heart is in the right place - if it works out close to fair - we should say thanks.

As a side note - I do love the way the CMDCM Penton uses "Shipmate" in this standard issue DRB. Notice at the end how CMDCM's hands move around. Almost like there is an imaginary neck in there .....


Now, here is the one thing at this point I have a problem with - and it is coming from within the skin of the Navy ship. I didn't think the following when I saw the preview (except that there were lots of female face time). It didn't miss the CNO though.

What we got. The production highlights the racial, gender, religious, and socio-economic diversity of our Navy.

Yes ... but it doesn't look like the production made an effort to "highlight" - you just see what you are looking for. Me, I saw a lot of Sailors.

Very respectfully; Can. We. Stop. Picking. At. Scabs. That. Are. Not. There. We, those mostly non-Boomer Sailors in the docu, live Diversity - we should stop sounding shocked when it is there. The sun comes up. Water is wet. Let's get on with the business of the ship and stop pretending it is 1971.

The less we worry about genetic differences, and instead focus on the commonality of being Sailors, the better a Navy we will be - and are.

Ungh.

Hat tip Fleet Lt.