Daily Kos

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  •  Don't know about the religious aspect (7+ / 0-)

    because I missed the faith segment.  Maybe PBS will rebroadcast the series.  During my entire 20 year naval career (1976-96), I never observed or experienced any religious pressure, intolerance, etc.  It's possible that the evangelicals have changed things since my time.  My gut feeling, based on things I've read in the last few years, is that it's not so much in the Navy, but it's more prevalent in the Air Force.

    From my experience as a catapult officer on USS Enterprise, 1984-1986, the show did an excellent job of showing the lives of our sailors.  Much has changed in the last 20+ years.  There were no women on carriers back in the day.  There were no phone calls home from the middle of the Persian Gulf.  Email hadn't made it into the fleet back then.  But the daily grind of life aboard a carrier is otherwise unchanged.  The kids who routinely work 18 hour days are the most underpaid public servants this country will ever know.  I'm proud to have served with them.

    "The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now." - Chinese proverb

    by VALuddite on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:02:08 PM PDT

    •  I was an enlisted man on a conventional (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      ladybug53

      carrier during Vietnam.  On our cruise we launched and recovered over 15,000 planes (long cruise).

      I agree with your assessment and it squares with what I said in a comment above.

    •  Same here (1+ / 0-)

      Recommended by:
      ladybug53

      I was on 'gators, but I never saw overt proselytizing.  I dropped into the RP's space one to check out their library, pretty cool, and they usually scheduled good stuff for port visits.   That was very cool.

      The chaplains were busy, all faiths, doing general admin and personnel stuff, but I was never harassed or coerced.

      Now, in boot camp, we were marched to chapel, voluntarily, but it was a quiet peaceful place to take a nap away from the instructors.

      Those who hear not the music-think the dancers mad

      by Eiron on Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:41:19 PM PDT

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