Happy belated anniversary to my brother Jeff and his wife Betsy.  It was on December 26, and it’s their tenth.  I can’t believe they’ve been married that long!  What I mean is it really doesn’t seem that long at all.  Betsy has a blog called Where the Wild Things Are.  Click here or on the link on the sidebar to go to it.

And speaking of blogs, I found out yesterday, when I was looking through my blog stats, that my brother Nathan has a blog.  It’s called Random Ramblings, and there’s a link in the sidebar for it too.

And now for what we’ve all been waiting for:

On the Fifth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Five golden rings**
(Four calling birds*
Three French hens
Two turtledoves
And a partridge in a pear tree.)

* Note: Wikipedia says “calling birds” is a corruption of “colly birds” which are black birds.

** Wikipedia also assures me that golden rings does not refer to “jewelry but to ring-necked birds such as the ring-necked pheasant.”

The Sunday before last, November 23, I was able to attend Jeremy’s frocking ceremony at his command.  He got promoted today from Petty Officer Second Class to Petty Officer First Class.  That means he went up one pay grade, from E-5 to E-6.

In the Navy every March and September sailors take advancement exams.  Out of those who pass, the Navy picks those who it will advance.  The number varies for each rate (job).  Jeremy’s rate needs a lot of First Classes, so the advancement was nearly 100%.  My rate doesn’t need so many–the Navy thinks it has nearly enough First Classes for my rate–so the advancement was only around 5%.

I didn’t take the advancement exam because I don’t have enough time in rate.  I won’t be eligible until next September.  Seaman (E-3) can take the Third Class exam after six months.  Third Classes (E-4) wait a year before taking the Second Class Exam.  Second Classes (E-5) have to have three years time in rate before being eligible for the First Class exam.  Jeremy made Second a year ahead of me, so he took the exam this September.

And he made it!  And he did quite well, too!  He scored in the 99th percentile.  That means he did better than 99% of the others who took the same exam.

And so I got to go see him get frocked.  “Frocked” is a Navy term for wearing the insignia of a rank without getting paid for it.  The Navy is different from the other services when it comes to advancement.  In the other services a person gets selected for advancement but has to wait until he or she actually gets paid for the new rank before wearing that uniform.  In the Navy a person gets selected for advancement and gets to wear the new uniform immediately (gets frocked) and has all responsibilities and privileges that goes with the new rank but is still paid at the former rank level until later, when he or she is “actually” advanced and gets paid for the new rank.

Usually at a frocking ceremony, the frockee shows up wearing the new uniform and is read and presented with the frocking letter.  At Jeremy’s the reading and presentation was done while he and the others still wore their second class uniforms, and then after, the first classes presented all the frockees with their new uniforms–the same one, but with a first class crow sewn on.

So now he’s an official first class.  And it will be even more official when he gets paid for it.  Since he scored in the 99th percentile, I’m hoping he’ll get paid in the first increment, which will be in January.  It could be any month between January until June.  Who made which increment hasn’t been announced yet.  (It won’t be “announced” as such–it will show up on the advancement website on his profile sheet–the result page of his exam.)

Congratulations, Jeremy!

It was to commemmorate that I was selected as the third quarter’s Junior Sailor of the Quarter.  I received the LOC and a nice plaque.  My OIC (Officer in Charge) told me it was to go on my “I Love Me Wall” and asked if Jeremy had anything like it.  She said if he did, mine was to go higher!  I also have my picture on the awards wall in the foyer of my building.

It’s really nice I got something.  I work really hard and put in long hours and try to do extra stuff for the command and the sailors there; not just do the minimum like a lot of people do.  And I’ve never gotten anything like this before.  At DLI I was just trying to make it–to pass, which I didn’t end up doing.  I couldn’t shine there.  I spent all my effort trying to accomplish the minimum.  And at the John F. Kennedy I couldn’t shine either.  There wasn’t anything to shine at.  We cleaned all day and rarely went out, and when we did I was in training and trying to learn my job.  In a way I was at the bottom there too–among many others at the bottom.  So it wasn’t until I came here that I felt I could contribute something to the command.  Here I’ve been treated as an important and, increasingly, valuable member of the team.  And I feel good about being able to contribute.

I just wanted to share the good news.

I didn’t have to work today, so I’m taking it easy at home.  It sure is tempting to take a lot of naps.  But I did manage to straighten up around the apartment; I cleaned off a counter that’s become the junk pile counter; and I’m doing laundry.  Other than that I plan to play on the computer and crochet on my afghan I’m making.  Like I said, easy day.

How about you?  How are you spending your Veteran’s Day (Remembrance Day for my Canadian family)?

In veteran’s news, Congress recently passed a law that now allows both former and active duty military to salute the flag when it passes or during the national anthem even while wearing civilian clothes.  Before you had to be in uniform, or in the case of former military, wearing their service’s or organization’s headgear.  But now you can render a traditional military salute even when out of uniform.  Before when wearing civilian clothes you had to stand at attention or put your hand over your heart like civilians do.  I should mention that military members can still do that; the salute thing is an authorization, not mandated.

This new law is going to take some getting used to for me.  In the Navy we don’t salute when uncovered, ever.  And we also don’t salute indoors.  So the idea of saluting in civilian clothes (when I would certainly be uncovered) is something I’m not sure would be “right.”  Interestingly it was someone from the Army (don’t remember if former or active duty) who proposed the bill.  The Army (and the Air Force) do salute uncovered.

So whether you salute the flag today or stand at attention or put your hand on your heart, or whether you don’t even see a flag today, have a happy Veteran’s Day!  And think of those “Down Range.”  May they come home soon.  Until then, I will continue to support them, to help make it possible for them to do their job.

And so I’ve been thinking about this.

First, a definition.  Click on the link to go to my source for this.  Second, some questions, and third some observations.

de·vo·tion

1. profound dedication; consecration.
2. earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.
3. an assignment or appropriation to any purpose, cause, etc.: the devotion of one’s wealth and time to scientific advancement.
4. Often, devotions. Ecclesiastical. religious observance or worship; a form of prayer or worship for special use.

Etymology:

c.1225, from O.Fr. devocion, from L. devotionem, noun of action from devovere “dedicate by a vow,” from de- “down, away” + vovere “to vow,” from votum “vow” (see vow). In ancient L., “act of consecrating by a vow,” also “loyalty, fealty, allegiance;” in Church L., “devotion to God, piety.” This was the original sense in Eng.; the etymological sense, including secular situations, returned 16c. via It. and Fr. Devote is from 1586, from L. devotus, pp. of devovere. Devotee is from 1645, perhaps on model of assignee.

The definitions I’m concerned with are definitions 1 and 2, although 3 and 4 are definitely a part of 1 and 2.

Some questions:

• Is devotion a good thing?
• Is it appropriate to be devoted to a thing or entity or idea?
• Is it ever wrong?
• To what extent should a person be devoted?
• What if the person or cause you’re devoted to almost gets you killed?  What then?  Do you stay devoted or do you quit or change loyalties?
• If you do stay devoted are you stupid or a fool?
• Or is that a really honorable thing?
• Should you only be devoted to someone if they deserve it or earn it?
• What if they don’t?
• What if the person or cause you’re devoted to betrays you?  What then?
• So should you value devotion and loyalty more than your reputation, more than your very self?
• If you were to hear of someone with that kind of strong loyalty/devotion how would you think of this person?  A dupe?  Or someone of strong principles?

These are just some questions to get started.  I’m sure I could think of more if I tried.

The above can be summarized in these main two:

• What or who should you give your devotion to?
• To what extent?  I.e., when is the cost too great?  At what point do you quit or change loyalties?  When is it too much?  Never?

There are many kinds of devotion:

• Devotion to family.  The devotion of mothers to their offspring is legendary, as is the devotion of husbands to wives or men to their sweethearts.
• Devotion to one’s people.  This is ethnic devotion and also cultural devotion.  It can be as broad as being devoted to the human race (the species) or as narrow as being devoted to a small sub-ethnic group.  Unfortunately wars have often been fought over conflicting devotions of this type.
• Devotion to country.  This is called patriotism.  In extreme form it is called nationalism. (My country right or wrong.)  Note: this can be the same as the above mentioned type but is not necessarily so.
• Devotion to a political leader.  This would be the “king” part of “fighting for king and country.”  This is a feudal idea but still exists to this day–loyalty to party bosses, loyalty to a dictator, etc.
• Devotion to a religion or deity.  This is called piety or zeal.  Devotees are often called zealots.  Sometimes they can also be called fanatics or extremists.  This of course would be an extreme in-your-face-and-down-your-throat form of this kind of devotion.
• Devotion to a religious leader.  This is over and above and perhaps even separate from the devotion to the religion the man represents.  One’s devotion is to an actual person rather than an idea or creed.
• Devotion to an idea or beliefs.  This is called ideology.
• Devotion to a cause.  This is a practical application of a person’s beliefs.  These can be philanthropists, “crusaders” (as in “save the whales”), the military (as in the cause of defending freedom), or even terrorists.
• Devotion to a symbol.  This is very similar to the devotion to an idea or devotion to a cause, but in this case the symbol stands in for the idea or cause and can have a broad meaning and significance.  Examples would include devotion to the flag or devotion to the Constitution (the latter is required in the oaths taken by all members of the military).  Both are symbols for patriotism, but the latter encompasses more than just that.  It also includes the devotion to an idea (rule of law, representative government, democracy, etc.) and devotion to a cause (keeping our form of government intact and defending freedom).
• Devotion to a friend.  This is devotion born out of love for another.  There are many stories told of soldiers’ fierce devotion to their comrades and even dying for them.  It has been said that soldiers don’t die for freedom or any other idea or creed–they die for the buddy next to them in the trench.  Even to this day, that saying is true.  This is a very powerful and strong kind of devotion.

These are just ten kinds I could think of.  There may be more.  They tend to fall into two categories based on the object of devotion: either to a thing or to a person.  And within each kind are different levels of devotion–all the way from giving the object some time and effort and emotional energy to giving one’s whole life in service and to actually dying for it.  It’s a wide range.  I think we can all identify categories where we feel a certain devotion to a thing or person and can identify to what level we feel that devotion.  And that may or may not involve being willing to die for something or someone.  And that may or may not be appropriate.  I think also whether the devotion is “good” or “bad” depends on the object of that devotion.  Someone devoted to a “Jack the Ripper” is very different than someone devoted to seeing that his daughter has the best in life.  Although that last kind of devotion could also be bad depending on how that person went about doing it.

You notice I haven’t really answered any of the questions I raised.  I did not do so on purpose.  For one thing this post is already really long.  Answering them would take a lot longer–it’s really outside the scope of this blog post (you could actually write a book on this subject, and I’m sure people have before).  And another thing, I don’t have all the answers.  As I mentioned before, thinking is a hobby of mine, and I’ll be exploring this subject in my mind and thinking of what the answers might be–along with all the other things I think about.  One way I’ll be exploring it is through fiction.  I really like that medium for examining the human condition.

I posted this because I’m interested in what you have to say.  How might you answer these questions?  What do you think about this subject?  I’m very interested to know.  Sometimes other people’s perspectives can help you think more clearly about your own, or even reveal faulty thinking and get you to change your mind.  So if you’d like to dialogue with me on this, please leave a comment.  Or send an email.  I look forward to hearing from you.

The pin is the important part.  You wear that with all your uniforms (working uniforms have a sewn-on version) and it lets everyone know you’re warfare qualified and is rather a status symbol.  Plus, new Navy policy is that all E-5s and above have to be warfare qualified. 

I’m working on my EEXWS (pronounced EXW), that is, Enlisted Expeditionary Warfare Specialist.  I have two spiral books to complete (general and specific to my command).  After I get both signed off, I study for and take a test and then study for and pass a board.  The procedure is very much the same.  The pin looks different, though.

The EXW pin is a new one.  In fact, the whole idea of expeditionary warfare as such in the Navy is a post 9-11 one.  My command, whose job is to protect high-value assets around the globe (but for us, specifically here in the Middle East) was formed post 9-11.  The idea is mobile groups of sailors who can act like soldiers and go anywhere they’re needed to do the mission they need to do.  We protect the supply train while it is on the water (in big ships–not an actual train, of course).  It’s as simple as that.

Most of the people involved in expeditionary warfare are the MAs and GMs that I work with (Master-at-arms (formerly the Navy’s “policemen”) and Gunner’s Mates–they take care of weapons–important job) and Seabees (construction ratings–they go into hostile places (like Iraq) and build things–basically the idea of a hammer in one hand and a gun in the other).  So far there’s only been 1 OS (Operations Specialist–my rate–knowing the operational environment of the ship–using radar and other systems to constantly moniter the area around the ship to include other ships, aircraft, and even submarines–very interesting–you always know exactly where you are and what’s going on around you) who has gotten the pin.  And that is OS1 Marcus Green, who used to be at my command and who was my boss for a month before his replacement came.  I was at his pinning ceremony.  So what this means is, there’s room for other OSs to become EXW qualified.  And it also means that NO female OSs have gotten their EXW pin.  So, do you think I could be the first one?  Maybe.  There is another female OS here–OS1 Smith, my boss.  She’s studying for EXW too.  We’ll just have to wait and see, right?  But either way, it’d be cool to have it.  When I go to my next command no other OS will have it.  Chances are they won’t have heard of it, since it’s so new, so they’ll be asking me, “What’s that pin?”  And I’ll tell them.  But then they’ll probably start bugging me to get my surface pin, since that’s the important one for OSs.  Oh, well….  At least I’ll have one.

But I’ll have to earn it first of course.  At least now that we’ve started having formal training it will be easier.  Having somebody explain something, even lecture you, is easier to learn from than trying to get the information from reading a document or powerpoint. 

In other news I lost my ID card yesterday and had to get a new one.  My old one was starting to fall apart, so I needed a new one anyway.  But there were issues with taking my picture due to my glasses glaring.  The one I ended up with was fine but then in making it the machine turned it a sickly yellow-green.  So it looks like I have some terminal disease.  And I had to tip my head down in order to keep my glasses from glaring so I look like I have a weird expression on my face too.  So my picture is rather on the ghastly side.  Why “official photo” machines mangle photos is a question I cannot answer.  But it is well known that driver’s license and other ID photos always look bad.  You’re probably telling me, “Just look at mine,” right?  At least yours doesn’t look like you’ve caught the Plague.  Or something worse.  My only comfort is that there are others with bad photos too….  Misery does love company after all. 

I’ve known about it for days, but I’ve delayes saying anything until it was over.  Yes, it’s public knowledge and has been in the papers for days, but I was still uncomfortable saying anything ahead of time.  I guess I’ve had too much OPSEC (operational security) pounded into my head.

He arrived Saturday.  There were Bahraini and American flags flying around the city.  Bahraini, American, Bahraini, American–several flagpoles in a row, alternating.  That was cool.  Bahraini flags are pretty common around here, but the only American flag is the one on base.  So it was nice to see the Stars and Stripes.

There were all kinds of cops and security people out on the streets too, at least the main road (for Jeremy–the one around the Pearl Roundabout).  I saw cops on horseback, the regular street cops (they wear white uniforms around here) and Bahraini special forces guys (completely in black, including their helmets) with cool-looking, short, and assuredly very lethal guns.  There was also a truck with an automatic rifle (i.e. machine gun) mounted in the bed.  It looked very much like the one we shot in San Diego.  May be the same model or similar model, I don’t know.  It was all very exciting, but no Presidential procession.

The next day, Sunday, he was to visit the base in the morning.  Everyone on base had been told not to come to work until 10:00.  I had to come in early around 8:00 due to some last minute order changes some of our guys had, that I had to take care of, and I decided to walk.  I was fairly sure it would be difficult, if not impossible to drive onto base.  I was right.  I’m glad I walked. 

I no sooner stepped out of my door (i.e. left the apartment building) than I saw the same security guys from the day before right out in front of my building!  (ok, so I don’t know if it was the same exact guys, but they were cops and special forces guys, ok?)  I do live close to the base, but I hadn’t really expected that.  Well, I walked to base along my usual route which did not take me near those guys but which does take me through about three empty lots and as I approached the base I noticed that the road which leads to the vehicle gate was blocked off with a big, black, SUV, official-looking truck.  More cops around it.  Glad I didn’t drive.  I walked up to the pedestrian gate, officially known as Pass and ID, and presented my ID and was passed through–to a bag check.  We don’t usually get bag checks–just once in awhile, but I was pretty certain today would be one.  I was right.  That’s why I left my pocketknife behind.  We’re allowed to have them, as long as the blade is three inches or less (yes, mine is legal), but I wasn’t taking any chances with any delays.

When I entered base the first thing I noticed was an ambulance parked outside medical.  “Duh” I thought.  “Of course.”  I wished I could have been one of the sailors that got to hear the President talk to them, but the room where that is done only holds a couple hundred people.  I didn’t get picked (or voluntold–take your pick).  I was going to go up on the roof around the time the President was to leave, but I didn’t make it.  The computer system I use to create and modify people’s orders was proving more intransigent than usual.  To say I was “wrestling” with it was just barely metaphorical.

So I missed the visit, but at least he made it here safely, visited here safely, and left safely.  And that’s what matters.  At least from Fifth Fleet in Bahrain’s point of view.  Still, it would have been a great “bragging rights” thing to tell the kids and grandkids someday (assuming of course I ever have any). 

What I really wanted to do was to see a Secret Service agent.  Oh well, maybe I’ll have a chance someday….  Don’t get me wrong–seeing an actual President–any President–would be way cool too.  Well at least I was just a couple hundred yards away from him.  Does that count for anything?

So began his 36 hour visit.  It was real nice.  No, it was great!  Awesome!  An early anniversary present!  We didn’t know it would be 36 hours, but we knew it would be short as he was being transferred to a different ship.  It turned out that on Wednesday at 1900 he got a call telling him to be at the AV unit (military side of the airport) at 0500 the next morning.  So that night neither of us got much sleep.  I helped him do laundry and pack while he took care of some computer issues that had come up.

While he was here, he did take me out for a tour of his ship.  I got to see Combat, and I also got to sit in a helicopter, right in the pilot’s seat.  How cool is that?  I’ve always gotten the impression that helicopter pilots are looked down on by the jet aircraft pilots, but I don’t see any reason for that after seeing that helicopter.  There were so many buttons!  It all looked very complicated.  The technician showing the helicopter to us explained the different gauges.  Flying a helicopter is more complicated than driving a car, even without the in-the-air part, and I have trouble with driving cars!  I don’t think I’ll be signing up for helicopter flying lessons any time soon.  Try neverrrr.  But it was way cool to sit in the helicopter.

So anyway Jeremy’s gone now, gone to his new ship.  I guess he’ll be doing this until March.  Don’t know if he’ll be back for a visit before then or not.  I’ll just have to wait and see.  But it was nice to have him home, even if for so short a time.