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I would like to steer this discussion back on topic.
The supposedly anonymous letter, while disgusting in its attempt to make this about gender, only further exemplifies the dysfunctional way in which the USN attempts to navigate their vessels. While the rest of the world actually teaches bridge crews to navigate, follow the COLREGS (Rules of the Road) and sends them to Bridge Resource Management school to teach effective bridge skills and ship handling, the USN relies on overworked officers who receive on the job training from officers who have a small percentage of the skills of a licensed deck officer. They rely on radar operators who aren't looking out the window, and have only recently begun allowing their AIS to broadcast in busy channels. While the rest of us are integrating AIS, radar and ECDIS (electronic charts) for real time information, the USN is in what amounts to the stone age.
It's time the NAVY quit treating vessel navigation as an also ran, and make Ship's Masters a full time Naval Profession, just like Aviator and Surface Warfare Officer. Both the McCain and the Fitzgerald incidents were caused by poor training and practices. The incidents themselves were very very different, yet had the same tragic results. If they don't make big changes, these incidents will continue happening.
OK, I've ranted enough.
CaptStash....
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