Saturday, May 08, 2010

Global Force for Good?

Harumph.

For those who still throw up a little in their mouth when they think of the
Navy's recruiting advertising - try this palate cleanser.



THAT is how a military recruits its future.

More like a "
Global Force for Whup-a55."

49 comments:

Byron said...

After DivThur, this is a helluva way to get the blood pumping again! OOO RAH!

Tom Goering said...

We may never get to a point that our recruiting forces are combined, but we should all be using the same advertising agency; damn, that is great!

UltimaRatioRegis said...

Phib,

I just may join! 

Hearken back to some discussions over at USNI and here, where, among others, Admiral Harvey made it clear that the warrior aspect of being in the Navy was deliberately not emphasized in either recruiting or basic training. 

And the disdain for the warrior ethos that many expressed there and in other posts, highlighted by this insightful gem:

"The phrase ‘good order and discipline’ takes on real meaning during times of major investigations and trials"

As opposed to the furnace of combat?

We would do well as Armed Forces all, to emphasize the training and discipline required of warriors. 

But in the mean time, that was a really cool commercial.

Marine6 said...

And we don't do diversity. We are ALL Marine green!

sid said...

<span>Admiral Harvey made it clear that the warrior aspect of being in the Navy was deliberately not emphasized in either recruiting or basic training.  </span>

This navy is sowing the seeds of eventual defeat in battle...

Of course, it ain't the first time.

Only, the next time it will be orders of magnitude more serious, as the US won't be reprising its then envious role of unaffected bastion, and "Aresenal of Democracy"

Even the ""transformational" USN of today is still too locked up in the mystique of the dominance we held in the Pacific of 1945. Willfuly ignored are the dark days of early 1942



Oh, and that particular anchorage at Ulithi was called "Murderers Row"

If someone came up with that moniker today, what do you think would happen to their fitrep?

Ken Adams, Amphib Sailor said...

Here's the $64K question -- did the Marines approach UFC, or was it reversed?

Jerry Hendrix said...

Damn, they do this sort of thing right.  The Navy has its heroes too, just look at Full Bore Fridays, but we seem to forget them, or at least never teach them to out young. Jones, Decatur, Farragut, McCampbell, Burke, Buckely, Ramage.  We should teach the stories behind the entire Arliegh Burke Class names to each of our Sailors in Boot just to let them know who they are. We have forgotten, so they have never known.

Kristen said...

Love your alternative slogan!

I've been away for a week taking my children to visit my in-laws and after a week of chasing them around the woods I've calmed down a bit.  I scanned through a few of the posts beneath this one and saw that you posted a warning for me, which was very sweet of you.  So...truce?  I still don't like that picture you put up though.

cdrsalamander said...

XOXO!

Kristen said...

Admiral Harvey said what?  If warriors aren't being recruited during an actual shooting war, what's the point?

fdnf'er said...

It almost makes me want to cry - why has the Navy become so completely lame and the Marines continue to be the envy of other services?  Why does "Big Navy" fear the warrior ethos?  As someone who is a part of the pointy tip of the Navy, we have to beat the warrior ethos into our young JOs as they have been brought up in an ORM-centric, conservative, safety-first training system.  While I agree with the basics of ORM, not being overly aggressive and putting safety as a high priority in training, when are we supposed to embrace the notion of dropping bombs and strafing the enemy?  It seems to break down to two very basic, carnal alternatives on the battlefield - kill or be killed.  Don't we want to kill?  Don't we want to win?  The Marines sure seem to want to...

goswo94 said...

Sign me up for Blue to Green!!! That rocked.  Even got my little kids' attention.

WTH said...

Great commercial, I'm sort of bummed they didn't feature Brian Stann, successful in both worlds:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Stann

A real football player.

Grumpy Old Ham said...

The USN isn't a global force for good?  Just think outside the box:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/05/indicted-marriage-scam-probe-virginia-involving-navy-personnel-russian-women/

Combat NFO said...

Yeah, the Marines really welcomed women.

cdrsalamander said...

CN,
Take some fiber.

LT B said...

As I watched this, I pondered the latest recruiting efforts by the Navy.  We have wrapped ourselves around the axel with diversity, global force for good, 1000 ship navy, inability to attack piracy, etc.  We have lost our tradition, have become a charicature of ourselves and have completely lost our way.  We need to pump out the careerism filled "leadership" in DC and get some men and women in there that believe that which we preach to our junior sailors.  Honor, Courage, Commitment.  We have a job and it is vital to this nation's economic and physical security.  We have lost what that mission is and what the vision requires.  Instead we have figured genuflecting to the liberals and defense contractors is the way to go.  The Marines, for the most part have kept the same approach to all they do.  Hoorah to them and shame shame to us. 

Combat NFO said...

Enjoy the Army!  I know a couple folks that have switched, it's a good opportunity if it appeals to you.

SCOTTtheBADGER said...

Kristen's Back! HUZZAH!

Salty Gator said...

well at least one branch of the government is doing something about illegal immigration......leave it to Agent DiNoso and Gibbs........

Byron said...

Don't forget Her Hotness, Special Agent David!!! :)

xformed said...

It is this very thread of the US Marines that I have come to comprehend quiet differently than in 1975, when I chose to head to sea.  Once more, as the Old War Dogs sat for out biweekly breakfast, two more joined us:  ADM Chalie Hunter's son, a retired Marine Col and another USMC Col who heard about us.  Called my USA Helo (VN Slicks) buddy and told him were were being hopeleslly outclassed by the shear weight of numbers, especially these men.

Met another Marine, who @ 19 years old, lost one of his lungs at Pelilu, when I was in line at the Post Office.  About 1.5 hrs later we shook hands and went our ways, after hearing many of his stories.

Marines are special, even the one hitch guys.

Quite a commercial.  I'll be passing it along to the crew.

Jay said...

Marines have always had good recruiting campaigns.  It takes a special effort to get them to do what they are called to do...however, I don't recall them having probs with recruiting goals not being met (even during good economic times...).

While I think that the "Global Force For Good" would be more accurate for the USCG, I don't think that the folks who run Navy Recruiting -- would agree that this type of campaign would appeal to the skillset that the Navy is looking for -- more engineering, science, etc.

You need that aptitude to learn & maintain the systems (sounds waaaaaaaay too geeky/nerdy, I know, but there isn't a good way to make that sexy) that are our weapons systems. 

I don't worry about this much at all.  SEALs have their cool vids (footprints on the beach, anyone?).  Marines have theirs.  Surface & Subs & Aviation seem to hit it right once in a while.

Nature of the beast.  We haven't "lost" our warrior ethos -- we just don't use the martial part as much, on a daily basis, in some parts of the Navy. 

Our primary weapons (systems) have been to hurl steel further and further (as technology has allowed us to do) as time goes on.  Whack the other guy before he even knows you are there.

Not easy to explain or depict in a quick commercial.

Bill said...

Nice video. My favorite is still the series of commercials the Royal Marines ran a few years ago (or maybe still are). 

ewok40k said...

Impressive, most impressive...

Wstr said...

RM commercials are usually very good, despite their short length. Were you thinking of:
What's your limit?

<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oB_A4NUtqk

or
State of Mind?

</p><p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f8mG4KvqMw
</p>

Wstr said...

Sorry! last post was meant to be in reply to Bill

Mary Alpha said...

Well, it sure made me want to join!

FbL said...

That's another thing the USMC does VERY well--pass on its warrior history and culture.  The teaching of history/heroes and traditions/character is a conscious part of Boot Camp.

GIMP said...

This is just a visible reminder of how much of a contrast there is between the culture and warrior ethos USMC leadership has built and what Navy leadership has done.  Navy uniforms are a complete disaster, the culture is becoming Balkanized, shipbuilding is a disaster, we're screening COs based upon criteria that do not match our advertised (read not real) core values, and it's resulting in a continuous stream of embarassing reliefs for cause.  The Navy is mis-lead and the problem has become so institutionalized it may be beyond repair for the next few decades.  Our only hope is for our civilian masters to clean house and fix us, because we cannot fix ourselves when the only people with the power to do it are the problem. 

LT B said...

That's crap.  Yes we have systems, but you show stuff exploding, missiles going off, planes doing their deal, NGFS, VBSS, Subs, but instead we think that diversity and global force for gooeyness is going to sell.  This has been a deliberate attempt to pussify the Navy either by the fat cats in uniform or the fat cats on the hill.  If we are so needing super bright people for "systems" then we wouldn't lower standards to try to be inclusive of all skin colors.  We'd go after the geeks. 

ShawnP said...

You mean showing 0600 sweepers isn't good for recruiting? Well maybe a video of mess cooking will do the trick.

UltimaRatioRegis said...

A waaaaayyyy back when, SNL did the "Port of Call, Bayonne, NJ" commercial.  Showing the guy scrubbing the sh*tter, and chipping paint, IIRC.  Brilliance.  Hell, even that would be better than making the Navy into a global Lions' Club. 

UltimaRatioRegis said...

I think she's blowingt that kiss to you, Byron!

honu said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-OtsN9VdM

Byron said...

Gawd, I wish.....

UltimaRatioRegis said...

She is some kind of gorgeous, ain't she?

UltimaRatioRegis said...

All hail Honu!

Combat NFO said...

I always enjoyed the inevitable discussions with our mess cranks. "I understand the recruiter told you that you could fly jets, but that just isn't the case."  We did manage to get one guy a commission, but it's not simple.  Too much truth in Navy advertising results in "Join the Navy, See the world... through a port hole"

Combat NFO said...

Geeks don't just come in white.  Go visit a technical university.

UltimaRatioRegis said...

I wouldn't care if they did all come in white.  Or none came in white.  Or some.  I don't care if every race and both genders are equally represented, I don't care if they are proportionally represented.  I don't care if they aren't.  The US Navy should be recruiting the BEST. 

All the rest is social engineering nonsense that have been artificially thrust upon the Armed Forces (Navy in particular) by those who have a stake in self-defining politics of preference.

UltimaRatioRegis said...

<span>I wouldn't care if they did all come in white.  Or none came in white.  Or some.  I don't care if every race and both genders are equally represented, I don't care if they are proportionally represented.  I don't care if they aren't.  The US Navy should be recruiting the BEST.  
 
All the rest is social engineering nonsense that has been artificially thrust upon the Armed Forces (Navy in particular) by those who have a stake in self-defining politics of preference.</span>

Combat NFO said...

Oh, I thought you were against allowing gay people serve.  Glad you've changed your mind and are just looking for the best.

UltimaRatioRegis said...

Is it pathological with you that you think you are smarter than everyone? 

The best will have to meet the criterion for military service, and not simply display skill or intelligence.  If one considers homosexual conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, which the current statute does, then my statement is not an advocacy for gays serving openly in the military. 

MaryR said...

Hey...where's my H/T? 

Jerry: we are releasing McCampbell's oral History in August and digitizing the audio of his Oral History. Should make for some great reading.

MaryR said...

And listening

LT B said...

What makes you think I don't have a technical degree douche.  Also, what makes you think I was singling whites?  I think your guilt is dominating your brain.  We should go after the best; statistically speaking, trying to "make the Navy mirror American society" is not chasing the best.  When you set "goals" on skin color make up of an institution, you are focusing on the wrong stuff. 

OnceAMarine said...

Hearken back to some discussions over at USNI and here, where, among others, Admiral Harvey made it clear that the warrior aspect of being in the Navy was deliberately not emphasized in either recruiting or basic training.  

Nor at the Academy, where a low-intensity conflict is being waged between the process first, letter of the law, politically correct "force for good" Mids and those who are of a more "old-school" full-bore approach.  It's an interesting dynamic and I'm witholding judgement on the new Dant and Super until we see which side they come down on. 

We would do well as Armed Forces all, to emphasize the training and discipline required of warriors.

Right in the ten-ring URR.  Reminds me of my time on recruiting duty when the prospective recruits would go to all the other service's offices to hear about the bonuses, cool travel opportunities, guaranteed promotions, etc. etc.  When they came to our office and asked what we were promising our answer was "we aren't promising you a damn thing except a rifle and a hard time - if you can earn it".  We never had a problem exceeding our goals.

ShawnP said...

When talking to youngsters out in town these days. I don't BS em.....Your going to have to hard work, unenjoyable work, tedious work. However if you work hard, keep your mouth shut and stay positive. The military will do things for you that you could never imagine. To this day I am still amazed at the places I visited, the things I did and the people I got to know and meet. For instance in Villefranche, France in 96 I got to smoke a cigar with Jack Nicholson and talk basketball. Never coulda done that in middle America USA.