Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
Despite no public proof that Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith ever uttered such an edict, "lower your standards" has become an online rallying cry in recent weeks for those disillusioned with Navy life.
The troubling revelations about the Independence-class littoral combat ships come as the Navy continues to grapple with a class-wide transmission issue in the Freedom-class variants.
One probe will look for commonalities and trigger points among three GW sailor suicides last month, while another will look at how the Navy can do better by sailors in the shipyard environment.