jollyjacktar said:
I firmly don't believe they give a damn about the morale. Image is everything and god forbid there is a whiff of scandal to any degree. That's what they care about now. Image.
You are quite right, except fr the use of the word "now." It was the same in 1945 when the political and military pond scum in Ottawa laid off the blame for the Halifax "riots" in RAdm Murray - who was the most significant Canadian military leader in all of our history, and, yes, I include, Frontenac, Wolf, Brock, de Saliberry, Otter and Currie. The issue then, as now, was image.
The media, whose ignorance in as boundless as its arrogance, is all powerful and admirals and generals, like their political masters, quake before its power. But the politicians and generals are wrong: the people don't care. A few will cluck about
"sailors being sailors" but it will not change their votes in the next election, nor will an unfortunate barroom brawl in a friendly foreign port cause the PCO, Finance and the Treasury Board to cut the Navy's budget. But the brawl will
"embarrass the minister" and that has become a mortal sin. And therein lies a serious, moral, problem for leaders ~ while no one should go out looking for ways to embarrass the minister, or anyone else, for that matter, commanders, at all levels, must be, as Murray was in 1945,
loyal both up and down the chain - as loyal to the men and women under their command as they are to those who have authority over them. Thus while we ought not to embarrass the minister we, equally, ought not to severely punish our people for matters of little consequence.
But, since
embarrassing the minister is now sufficient to consign one to the ninth circle of hell it will decide who will or will not get promoted to commodore or admiral so captains and commodores will do the wrong things for the wrong reasons.
When sailors break the rules ship's captains have adequate powers of punishment; if breaches of discipline are rare, as I'm guessing they are, it is none of the media's business and the correct reaction when a reporter asks is to say
"fuck off, rude message follows" "this matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of the chain of command by the Code of Service Discipline; when sailors make mistakes
corrective measures are available and are used." If there are too many breaches then commodores and admirals need to look at how they select captains and coxsains and, probably, at the captain and coxswain of the ships having the problems.
Discipline matters, it is what sets sailors (and soldiers) apart from thugs; but so does morale and commanders must recognize that the two go hand in hand;
"sailors being sailors," every now and again, is, probably, a fairly healthy thing that tells commanders that the constant trade offs that are characteristic of getting (any) people to do (any) things are in balance. Too many incidents may tell us that something is wrong, maybe leadership, maybe taskings ... but I would suggest that a Navy or Army full of "Goody two-shoes" types cannot cope with the real stresses and strains of battle.
MilPoints enroute!
