My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
The title line is from Gilbert & Sullivan's unbelievably great operetta HMS Pinafore which satirically depicts Her Majesty's sailors as dainty, well-bred gentlemen who may occasionally give forth with a "Bother it!" but "Never use a big, big D." I have to imagine Victorian audiences fell out of their seats laughing at the line, "Sailors sprightly, always rightly, welcome ladies so politely," knowing full well they'd better lock up their daughters when the ships hit port.
This masterpiece comes to mind because of the unholy fuss being made over the so-called lewd videos US Navy Captain Owen Honors (who may have been named by Gilbert & Sullivan) produced, starred in and exhibited to his crew aboard the USS Enterprise in 2006 and 2007. There are reports from CNN and WaPo that Honors will be stripped of his command for the videos which, says this news story, "included gay slurs, mimicked masturbation and racy shower scenes."
I do not, in any way, mean to approve of Honors' actions here, truly. I feel that bad language or abuse he should never, never use and so forth. But while we are ridding the military of Don't Ask Don't Tell (an action of which I approve) could we also rid it of Don't Laugh Don't Smile? Could we have just a bit of a sense of humor about human foibles--just a bit, for old times' sake. Wag your finger at the Captain, sure. Frown darkly. Make him peel a potato or something. Then, really, forget the whole thing.
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Nov '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
I read the piece in the NY Times this morning and based solely on what I read there I asked myself this question: "What kind of officers is our nation breeding these days?" Obviously not every officer in our Armed Forces does this kind of thing, but the fact that this guy made it as far as he did given his clear a lack of moral fortitude is disappointing.
Jul '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
We'll just add your knowledge of Gilbert & Sullivan to the list of reasons why you're one of my favorite commentators, Andrew :)
I also have no idea what the fuss is about. I find it a bit distasteful, but I encounter gay slurs, mimicked masturbation, and racy shower scenes at my gym every day, so it's hardly shocking to me that one could also encounter them in the U.S. Armed Forces...In fact, I think I'd feel a little less confident about their capabilities if these things weren't going on...
The administration has worked hard to give the (false) impression that they understand and respect the military. This embarrasses them and demonstrates that the administration isn't as in-charge as they would like to appear. The media has clearly decided to spin this as more evidence that the military needs Barack Obama to teach them how to behave properly. Personally, I wonder if the other way around might not be more useful to us all.
May '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
Hmmm. Remember the Tailhook incident back in the early 90's?
May '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
From what I've read, the Enterprise broke records during Honors time as the XO. Its not a forgiving ship or duty onboard the decades old Enterprise. Patton felt he had to work blue in order to properly motivate his troops. These videos were made as moral boosters for a crew on a hard assignment. If people were truly offended they would have come out to the public a lot earlier than right after the repeal of DADT. In the age of Julian Assange, why don't these "principled" whistle blowers come forward? Its an obvious political move to remove a very effective officer from command.
I support the repeal of DADT, but let's not mince words. Expect a lot more of these types of incidents in the coming years as the civil rights lawyers descend like nazgul on the military. Once people like Capt. Honors (explicit gay bashing) are pushed out, there WILL be lawsuits and allegations using words like "implicit discrimination" and "hostile anti-gay environment" etc.
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
Well, about the gayest thing I've ever heard about -- gayer than a Cher concert; gayer than a big box of hats; gayer than Republican National Committee's Night at the Opera, even -- is the US Navy's Shellback Initiation process, in which sailors who have not yet crossed the equator are initiated into the fraternity of those that have. The tamest description is here, but I've seen pictures of an actual ceremony, and they were, um, festive, if you get my drift.
Not that there's anything wrong with it. People at sea do odd things. A ship -- small or large -- becomes a psychological hothouse where all sorts of eccentricities bloom. Mostly because a ship is a closed system, a self-contained planet. Until the civilization-altering combination of miniature video cameras + the internet came into being.
As Winston Churchill once said, the three major traditions of the Royal Navy were "rum, buggery, and the lash," all of which are, as the kids say, NSFW.
Aug '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
This (and Tailhook which was vastly blownup) are perfect examples of the politically correctness that is literally and figuratively killing our servicemen. Rules of engagement that limit armed response, speech codes that hide the Nidal Hasan's, and overly sensitive templates thrown down on groups of warriors all have the same effect- they demoralize and endanger.
Let's take a look back at rum ,sodomy and the lash. Or the quaint customs at the Equator. Or come back with your shield, or upon it.
Jun '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
Twas a XO named Honors
Who the navy dishonors
By gestures too crude
And movies too lewd
Now his career is goners
Dec '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
Anang: ... If people were truly offended they would have come out to the public a lot earlier than right after the repeal of DADT... Its an obvious political move to remove a very effective officer from command.
... Expect a lot more of these types of incidents in the coming years as the civil rights lawyers descend like nazgul on the military. Once people like Capt. Honors (explicit gay bashing) are pushed out, there WILL be lawsuits and allegations using words like "implicit discrimination" and "hostile anti-gay environment" etc. · Jan 4 at 11:09am
These videos are 3-4 years old. The timing, only weeks after the "repeal" of DADT, is very suspicious.
The likelihood of generating more work for civil rights grievance attorneys, and all that goes along with that, was a concern of those questioning the wisdom of changing the policy.
If the videos poke fun at everyone, and are only in "bad taste", where's the problem? Apparently our military is now so PC that a good and well respected Captain is disgraced over this, while someone like Hasan is promoted to Major even when exhibiting clear signs of Islamist lunacy only months prior to massacring 13.
Dec '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
You beat me to bringing up Hasan and political correctness in the military, but the point was worth my repeating it.
Jul '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
I don't care much about the exquisite feelings of the professionally offended, but I do care about the professionalism of the American officer class. The grinning frat-boy schtick is, as they say, conduct unbecoming an officer.
I think it's hard for people who haven't served aboard a ship to understand the role a ship's captain plays in Navy culture. They take that stuff very seriously, and the slightest mistake can cost you your command.
Aug '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
I dunno.
I'd feel bad if it was a lower-rank getting raked over the coals, or if it was the commanding officer of a military post of somewhat lesser importance.
But the captain of a ship is like the president of a company or the chief executive of a country. And the ship in question is a freakin' United States Supercarrier!
It really does call into question the decision-making ability of the man who is ultimately in charge of one of the most powerful weapons in existence. I mean, the USS Enterprise is capable of single-handedly flattening most of the countries on the planet!
Personally, I have to say that I'd be pretty creeped out if the top guy at my place of employment made all the employees watch something like that. The Enterprise has a maximum crew complement of 5,828 people. Imagine a corporation with 5,828 employees. Would the board of directors let a president keep his job if he pulled this sort of stunt?
Edited on Jan 4, 2011 at 1:55pmDec '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
"Folly". That's what this is, and it is an assigned duty to a young officer.
Note the word; this is a bad idea. It is a purposeful assignment to a rising officer, to make them shake out of their carefully crafted shell and force them to frolic with the crew. It is probably as difficult for a young officer to implement as is the inspection by the ranking officer, when a young officer has to justify to a crew the attention to detail being paid by the senior officer. From memory in literature, there's a scene in a W.E.B. Griffen novel wherein an Exec has to calm down a mutinous seaman, furous for having to scrub a urinal.
The Exec has to win over the seaman and divert his fury at the Captain, for a complaint about the appearance of rust, in a urinal. The Exec has to have the seaman's confidence, when he explains that any rust or deterioration, anywhere on the vessel, could cost him his life. That's what Follies are. If you don't like that, join a different Navy. They only have so much time to inculcate rust-free guns.
Dec '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
From a military blog. I recommend reading it all
"I think the main takeaway from this entire sordid affair is how barely sordid it is. If this qualifies as a major incident and breach of good order and discipline, then I guess we can quit paying attention. This looks a little like a home video from the Lido deck on a gay cruise, but c'mon. There is no question that the XO is guilty as sin of the crime of acting like a fighter pilot in public and on the airwaves...
A bit of understanding about the XO's job is in order as well. This is the enforcer slot on the staff. The Commander/Captain runs the boat, but the XO kicks all the [...] to make sure things actually fly, literally...
The XO is almost certainly full of himself beyond bursting, but he wasn't simply running his own version of Robot Chicken Theater (that would have been a good idea), he was trying to break up the monotony, air some grievances and yes to just make fun of some people..."
Note that Honors was the XO when these videos were made 4 years ago.
Edited on Jan 4, 2011 at 5:30pmDec '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
Another
"Hurt feelings and political correctness trump decades of honorable service and readiness for war...
I will say this, Captain Honors was playing with fire and he seemed to know it. His disclaimers about his superiors not being held accountable for the content of the videos demonstrates he knew that. When you do that, sometimes you get burned.
As for Honors' superiors. They clearly had to know what was in these videos at the time they were played on Enterprise...
Honors is being hung out to dry for something that was either fine with his then superiors or which he was duly critiqued for and allowed to move on in his career. Either way, this is ex post facto outrage and the senior leadership of the Navy has simply thrown a dedicated and decorated officer to the wolves....
Speaking of Honors' career...did you know he was essentially promoted twice after these videos were made? He remained at the same rank (Captain) but went from being Executive Officer of the Enterprise... to command his own ship, the USS Mount Whitney. In 2008 he led her into the middle of the Russia-Georgia war to provide relief supplies to the Georgians...."
Dec '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
@Misthiocracy
You should note that Honors was not the boss, but was the XO when the videos were produced and shown. Further, I seriously doubt that anyone was forced to watch them.
May '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
Since when are liberals opposed to soft porn?
May '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
I think there was a lapse of judgement--Honors probably went too far for a man in his position.
However, I didn't find the videos hugely offensive and, having served in the military, they were far tamer than a lot of what was said and done off camera. The military is no place for people who need babysitting, who can't handle rough humor, and who personalize this kind of stuff. While it is not my sense of humor, not my way of dealing with stress, and certainly juvenile, it was also harmless, mildly dumb, and very typical of the military culture. If I'd served under him, I surely wouldn't complain about that stuff.
It's a shame that his career--a career where he apparently served exceptionally well--has been gobbled up by thin-skinned folks who can't see past their own outrage.
Comparing Navy personnel to the CEO of a normal company is way off base. The military is a very different world--and it needs to stay that way if it is to be effective. It will do better in absorbing openly gay soldiers than it will in being overly courteous and gentled.
Dec '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
I'd sooner follow a man with a crude sense of humor and his crap wired straight than a pressed and dressed poindexter with no sense of humor or ability to think on his feet.
I will never understand why people expect the military to act at all times like they are at some black tie luncheon.
These are young men/women who under "normal" circumstances would be doing stupid crap in a college dormitory or fraternity/sorority house. Why does it surprise anyone when they do stupid crap that they find funny wherever it is they happen to be?
When I was in school, we had a management class wherein the professor related his experience of coming up through the ranks at the coal mine he started out at.
The overriding theme of the whole lecture was that in order to lead effectively, you had to have the trust and the support of your men. You obtain this by going to bat for them, defending them, and bonding with them.
Male bonding is an exercise that is steeped in crude humor, nothing in the universe can change this.
Continued . . .
Dec '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
This captain was bonding with his crew, and helping to break the monotony in the process. Humor is a beautiful tool. It lets you blow off steam, bond with your fellows, and engage in conversations with people you may not otherwise converse with, all good things, especially in high stress environments.
In my eyes, this captain was doing his job, and damned well as told by his crew. The military is a cross section of the population, so it is inevitable that among those 6,000 people there will be a handful of truly humorless wonks, who cannot be pleased no matter what.
Years ago, they were told to deal with the things they don't like, just like everyone else in the outside world had to.
Now, they set the rules. He who complains the most calls the tune.
This is but a tiny taste of what awaits in the very near future.
God save us (and the military) from the humorless wonks.
Jul '10
Re: My Gallant Crew, Good Morning!
Capt. Honors was in his mid-40s and had been in the Navy over two decades when the videos were made. He should have known better.
The point is not that crude humor has no place in the military - far from it. The point is that the XO of a CVN needs to be above doing stuff like this. Leave it to the Chiefs and POs. They're generally better at it anyway. :)