How to simulate being in the Navy

67Dart273,

You are correct there have been a lot of changes to USN ratings. I was under contract for 40years. From 2/1/68 until my retirement with pay in Feb. 2008. My rating was changed from FTG (Gun Fire Control Tech.) to FC (Fire Control Man). I believe this took place in '87 or '88. I made E-8 in '87 and had to change to the new rating badge which was simply the old range finder with a lightning bolts on either side. I retired from the active reserve in 1991. I kind of lost track of all of the changes after that though I was vaguely aware of some. There have been many consolidations I feel sorry for the former SMs (Signalman) who had to convert to ET (Electronics Tech) Some of the uniform changes are ore than a little bemusing, I always liked khakis but I do not understand the return to the Khaki blouse dress uniform with a tie. I went from 13 buttons to the blouse type dress blues in '73 but the change that I had the most problem with was when CPOs had to wear the Service Dress White (choker style) uniforms. I'm 5'10" and wore a size 50 coat, I had to have my dress uniforms made by the tailor shop at the old Brooklyn Naval Ship Yard. The Service Dress Blues looked fine but I looked like a XL white garbage can in choker whites. The fit was exacerbated by the fact that I have no apparent neck. I do however applaud the "new" working uniform (NWU). If you haven't seen it simply put NWU or Navy Working Uniform into Google and it will come up. They chose the colors blue, gray and black to hide oil stains and dirt that the laundry can't get out.

Stan Laker