THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 2, 1995 TAG: 9512020568
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KERRY DEROCHI, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
Faced with embarrassing publicity surrounding the conduct of Navy sailors, various commands on Friday shut down operations to talk about the latest rash of discipline problems.
Crew members assigned to two Norfolk-based ships met behind closed doors in crowded work spaces to discuss the Navy's code of conduct. Every rank, from seaman recruit to commander, participated in group sessions designed to reinforce the differences between right and wrong.
``We're taking the time to reflect, remind ourselves of what we can do better and press on,'' said Cmdr. Elliott Powell Jr., commanding officer of the guided missile frigate Robert G. Bradley.
``The stand down is not about punishment. What we want to do is remind our crew of their responsibility for carrying out Navy policy.''
The sessions were part of a system-wide stand down ordered last month by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Boorda after it was reported that a Navy chief had groped a female sailor while on a crowded commercial airliner. Several other Navy crew members were reportedly present but did little to intervene.
Responding to the incident, Boorda said Navy commanders have until Friday to conduct the stand down, the second in three years called by the service to address conduct and discipline.
Boorda stressed that this year's stand down should focus on preventing problems ranging from sexual harassment to alcohol abuse. He asked that each ship's disciplinary record be reviewed and that each sailor be reminded of his responsibility to help someone in trouble.
The commanders giving the training on Friday insisted the stand down was not meant as discipline, but was supposed to serve as a reminder of what was appropriate behavior.
Powell, meeting with reporters on pier 5 at the Norfolk Naval Station, said the recent incident involving the Navy chief as well as the rape of an Okinawan girl underscored the need for the Navy to remind service members of the rules.
Powell also referred to the remark made by Adm. Richard C. Macke, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, as contributing to the need for such a stand down.
Macke was quoted as saying the sailors involved in the Okinawa rape could have hired a prostitute with the money they paid for the rental car used in the abduction and rape.
He has since offered to take early retirement.
``We look at these incidents and we talk about them to show how the system can break down,'' Powell said. ``What we try to make them understand is you have to conduct yourself in a proud, professional way that will not only be a credit to yourself, but also your shipmates, your Navy and your country.''
For several of the Bradley crew members who gathered in front of the media, the stand down was old news.
They remembered the training ordered in 1992, following the controversial Tailhook convention in Las Vegas. They were angry that some sailors had not gotten the word.
``We're doing it right; we're doing a good job,'' said Mark Barfuss, 33, a fire control chief, who has been in the Navy 13 years. ``Somebody stumbles and makes us all look bad. It's frustrating.''
John Kelly, 27, a second-class radioman, said the crew has treated incidents such as the one involving the Navy chief as a lesson to be learned.
``You can put the message out, but you've got some people who won't take it in,'' Kelly said. ``We already know what's right and wrong. People make mistakes all the time. The world is not perfect. Hopefully, if we sit down and chat, we can fix things.''
Jeffrey Heames, a second-class electronic warfare technician, said he, too, hoped the training would help rehash the rules and answer any questions some sailors may have about their conduct.
He said he believed the Navy was emphasizing the need for sailors not just to be responsible for their own conduct, but for the conduct of their shipmates.
``It's a new idea,'' Heames, 21, said. ``I think in the past most people just turned away. You turn away on the little things and pretty soon you're turning away on everything. Then things get out of control.
``You can't hold everybody's hand, but why not teach them it's their job to help out?'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
John Kelly, second-class radioman
KEYWORDS: U.S. NAVY DISCIPLINE by CNB