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Letters

A barely passing grade

The new physical training uniform finally hit Japan last week. I bought mine and tried it out.

If I had to give the uniform an overall grade, it would have to be a D.

The shorts get a B-minus. The material and overall fit were great. It was, however, painfully clear that whoever chose the design is not an avid runner. I think that a 4-inch option for those of us used to runner’s shorts would be more comfortable and would still meet all bells in the category of conservative decorum.

The shirt gets an F. The polyester material didn’t breathe. I ended up drenched in clammy sweat only halfway through my normal run. I was dehydrating at a much faster rate than normal after doing only half the activity. This is not the direction to take to ensure a culture of fitness in the Navy; this is a path to hurting sailors.

As for design, I have to say D-minus. The yellow shirt looked great until I did some calisthenics in the grass; now, the back is covered in lovely green stains. Then there are the plain Navy logos — how about some originality? We have a great logo on the new working uniforms — the anchor, Constitution and eagle. Why not use the ACE logo on the shorts and the back of the shirt in the same reflective material?

Originality was not the forte of Task Force Uniform. TFU came up with an enlisted service uniform that is a rip-off of the Marine Corps and a dress khaki uniform that our grandfathers wore. The new idea they came up with was the digital cammies. Let’s face it, once we do some time on a flight deck in the Persian Gulf in that black T-shirt, we won’t think that the new Navy working uniform is all that great, either.

I really expected more, but so far, the track record for our new uniforms has been quite disappointing.

CWO3 Edward Fox

Yokosuka, Japan

Necessary PT gear

Though taxpayer dollars have been spent on the design and fielding of a new physical training uniform, the Navy clings to rules that endanger the health and vision of its sailors during PT.

Navy uniform regulations prohibit the wear of sunglasses in formation, leaving sailors’ eyes exposed to the ravages of ultraviolet radiation. Virtually every medical authority, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the World Health Organization, recommends that individuals wear sunglasses to protect against UVA and UVB radiation while outdoors.

Even brief exposure to sunlight can cause severe damage.

All these conditions degrade military readiness in the active force and our increasingly operational reserve. Retirees suffering eye diseases require costly treatment, including surgery, and may qualify for veterans benefits.

Clearly, a quality pair of sunglasses is neither a fashion statement nor a needless piece of “sniffle gear.”

The Navy should consider issuing sunglasses that would preserve vision while providing uniformity in ranks. One could argue that the policy of prohibiting their wear during mandatory PT formations constitutes negligence, not just a minor annoyance. It’s time that the Navy saw the light — and allowed the shades.

Lt. Cmdr. Randolph Whipps

Washington, D.C.

BZ on dress khaki

Add my voice, loud and clear, to those asking to bring back the service dress khaki uniform for officers and chiefs. It’s versatile and it looks great, especially on the chief of naval operations.

CWO3 Charles R. Kletz (ret.)

Bridgewater, N.J.

Diversity loses meaning

One of the components of the “American dream” is the idea that we live in a meritocracy — that hard work, dedication and perseverance are rewarded with advancement and accolades.

However, I have witnessed a sad epidemic sweeping our country. Much in the same vein as affirmative action, we no longer want to determine the root cause of inequality regarding racial representation, but only crookedly fix the outcome. It is much easier this way.

I looked around my wardroom, and it is true: The majority of the officers are white males. The answer is not recruiting policies that will create a racially diverse leadership. The answer is to determine why minorities are not present. From there, we may find a solution.

Racial diversity simply for the sake of racial diversity is a dangerous and detrimental policy. The military is perhaps the last refuge of the meritocracy. Instead of worrying if the admiral of my command is a minority, perhaps civilian leaders should spend time worrying about how they will bring in smart, young officers.

Ensign Greg Linderman

Corpus Christi, Texas

Bad burger

It is quite disheartening to see a report highlighting the activities of Air Force Staff Sgt. Aaron Kay [“Square (burger) force,” Frontlines, June 30].

His activities include the apparent misuse of, and the Air Force’s unfounded granting of, an extension for “family affairs” only to use this extension to purchase a case of 30 White Castle “slyders” and proudly consume 12 of them. To make matters worse, Navy Times decided to glamorize this activity by making mention of it.

According to Fastfood.com, a single slyder contains 135 calories, of which 65 are from fat. A quick computation would tell us that Kay ingested 1,620 calories in one sitting, but even more disgraceful was that 780 calories were from fat alone.

Is this the kind of story Navy Times is in the business of conveying to the larger military audience? Is this the culture of fitness that the Air Force has come to adopt of late? I should hope not.

Lt. Daniel Avondoglio

Molesworth, England