Tell us what you think: 1st, 2nd class messes - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Tell us what you think: 1st, 2nd class messes

More first and even second class petty officers are beginning to form their own messes and associations throughout the fleet, setting up their own eating and meeting spaces at sea and ashore.

The trend has caught the attention of the Navy’s top enlisted man. “Understanding the constrained environments of platforms we operate in, having a place to call your own is a valuable resource,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/SW) Rick West. “As I travel, I’m starting to see a resurgence of first and second class associations and messes, and I think that is healthy.”

Navy Times wants to hear what you think about first and second class messes and associations. Do E-5s or E-6s on your ship have a separate mess? Have sailors at your shore command formed their own associations? Should the Navy at large adopt these trends? What are the benefits? How do you make this work on smaller ships?

Contact reporter Mark D. Faram at mfaram@navytimes.com to tell us what you think. Your comments could be used in a future story in Navy Times.

DISCUSS: 1st, 2nd class messes