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| Science & Technology |
| Navy Returns to Compasses and Pencils to Help Avoid Collisions at Sea |
| 2017-09-28 |
| [NYT] WASHINGTON ‐ Urgent new orders went out earlier this month for United States Navy warships that have been plagued by deadly mishaps this year. More sleep and no more 100-hour workweeks for sailors. Ships steaming in crowded waters like those near Singapore and Tokyo will now broadcast their positions as do other vessels. And ships whose crews lack basic seamanship certification will probably stay in port until the problems are fixed. All seemingly obvious standards, military officials say, except that the Navy only now is rushing the remedies into effect after two collisions in two months left 17 sailors dead, despite repeated warnings about the looming problems from congressional watchdogs and the Navy’s own experts dating to 2010. "Many of the issues we’re discussing today have been known to Navy leaders for years. How do we explain that, Admiral?" Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, demanded of Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, at a hearing last week. "Senator, there is no explanation," Admiral Richardson said. The orders issued recently by the Navy’s top officer for ships worldwide, Vice Adm. Thomas S. Rowden, drew on the lessons that commanders gleaned from a 24-hour fleetwide suspension of operations last month to examine basic seamanship, teamwork and other fundamental safety and operational standards. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #7 Re: #6 - "You use #2 Pencils? How old-fashioned! These are Space Pencil 2000'sâ„¢. They even write upside down!" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2017-09-28 20:05 |
| #6 I bet those are some very expensive pencils. |
| Posted by: DooDahMan 2017-09-28 17:58 |
| #5 "Senator, there is no explanation," Admiral Richardson said. Of course there is! Inadequate leadership from the top down. Sadly, it's a welcome event these episodes did not occur in conflict. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2017-09-28 17:44 |
| #4 How'sa 'bout standing on the lookout deck with binoculars? |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2017-09-28 16:07 |
| #3 From The HMS Pennifore: "I copied those letters so pretty and neat they made me the Admiral of the Fleet." I used to think that was funny and satire but honestly, it appears that once again Gilbert and Sullivan were on to something... |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2017-09-28 15:07 |
| #2 Do they have a Muslim outreach program? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2017-09-28 08:12 |
| #1 ...to examine basic seamanship, teamwork and other fundamental safety and operational standards ..but what about social justice, whiteness, transphobia? And all the paperwork that goes with that? (do I need to put a /sarc on that?) |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-09-28 08:08 |