The Navy’s Morale Problem: Send the Sailors to the Marines

I’ve noted with interest reports of morale problems aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, where some sailors have reportedly become so despondent that they have considered — or even attempted — jumping overboard because of what they regard as intolerable conditions during the carrier’s extended deployment. Some of the problems appear to be a result of the Navy’s increasing dysfunctional maintenance and supply system. In a 21st century world-spanning Navy, there is absolutely no reason why ships cannot be adequately supplied with relatively fresh rations and regular mail. One of the basic leadership tenants I learned as a young military officer was that you can be as hard as you want on the troops in the field, but don’t mess with their chow and mail. Some shore-based admirals tasked with supplying deployed vessels either never leaned this, or forgot it.

Disgusted with the moldy pipes in the ship’s heads? (bathrooms for civilian readers). You will have your own personally dug cat hole for your toilette.

I think another problem that the ships engaged in the war with Iran have is lack of liberty; that being frequent visits to the foreign ports that characterize most peacetime naval deployments where the monotony of life at sea can be broken by time ashore and a chance for a few beers or other adult beverages not allowed aboard ship. Back in the glory days of World War II, Korea, and even Vietnam, the Navy had the luxury of pulling ships off the gun line in combat zones for periods of rest and recreation. The badly depleted current U.S. Navy is forced to keep its ships day-on-stay-on when in a combat zone.

However, I have a modest proposal for sailor morale in the current war if it goes on much longer. The idea fits under the rubric of, “no matter how bad you think you have it, somebody has it worse.” The Marines could provide the answer. The Marine Corps has some problems these days, but the Corps still knows how to put the “Big E” in miserable expeditionary living.

We should have the Marines set up a an expeditionary base camp such as the ones they envision in their Force Design strategy. These are bare bones encampments that are envisioned to be set up on islets and sand-spits in the South China Sea from which they will be expected to fire near-obsolete missiles at enemy ships. These conditions can easily be replicated in the Iran war zone in places like Oman and Bahrain. Groups of forty to fifty sailors not needed for immediate duties aboard ship could be helicoptered to these camps in a scheduled rotation to live like the Marines for a week. There, they could be freed from the monotony of carrier life.

Don’t like getting up every morning on ship to the tune of “sweepers man your brooms”? You will be gently woken by a kindly USMC Gunnery Sergeant at 0530 for a brisk three-to-five mile run before the 110 degree head closes in.

Hate the monotonous food offered by the mess decks on the carrier? You’ll have your choice of a tasty array of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs); that is if the resupply helicopter arrived the night before.

Sick of Navy showers when the ship’s boilers are not making enough fresh water? No problem. Enjoy a luxurious sponge bath at the local “water buffalo” trailer. Again, if a helicopter brought one in last night.

Tired of the offering on Netflix and the movies in the recreation room? The Marines will offer an entertaining series of poison scorpion and viper fights for your viewing and wagering pleasure.

Disgusted with the moldy pipes in the ship’s heads? (bathrooms for civilian readers). You will have your own personally dug cat hole for your toilette.

I suspect that after a week of “R&R” with the Marines, the Abraham Lincoln or George Washington would look a lot less like a floating prison and perhaps more like a welcoming environment. That is not to minimize any problems that senior Navy leadership has, but the last thing deployed sailors need to do is sit around and feel sorry for themselves. That said, the senior leadership of the Marine Corps and Navy have not yet figured out how to resupply the expeditionary bases described in this article. But that is the subject of another article.

READ MORE from Gary Anderson:

When AI Wants More Than Your Job

Mr. President: Let the Marines Destroy Iran and the Houthis

Our Generals Are Failing Us

Gary Anderson is a retired Marine Corps Colonel and former Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.