MKCM Della Rocco just visited our station (STANT Kenosha) Thursday. He passed some really interesting information about our rate and some other things in the works that could affect other rates. If he visits your unit, or even one near you, GO! And invite other rates too, most of his information was pertinent to the BMs, and he works closely with the EM and DC RFMCs. He talked to us from 9am to around 3pm (with break for lunch), and was willing to stay as long as someone had questions for him.
Oh... That would have been helpful in the first post, huh? lol
--New EPQs are posted. They can be found in the Learning Portal. New course material in 90 days or so. --There's a new program starting where A-school grads are not automatically advanced to 3rd class; they have to report to their unit and prove that they can perform as PO3's. --The old FN EPQs are returning. --MKCM Della Rocco is trying to establish a system where FN are like AN and would work with engineers (MK, DC, and EM) on cutters and would be a feeder for the engineer rates, rather than being told they're a FN and sent where-ever. --He's working to try to get OIC/XPO billets competency-based so that any rate who is qualified can compete. There are too few BMs to fill all the billets, and this would allow enlisted OICs to fill billets that would go to officers.
He was also very willing to answer any and all questions we had. If he didn't know the answer on the spot, he wrote it down and will get back to us. Lots and lots of good info...
Yeah it wuold have been good to put them in the first post, no worriexs though. Atleast you follow through when someone posts something back to you.
I hope the FN course comes back out, it is a good course for someone who knows nothing about Engineering. I.E the new generation of Coastie,,mmm pardon me Guardians, you know the ones that report to your unit wine and complain saying boards are to hard, they questioned me for 45 mins on ship systems. Or my favorite the kid that reports and sits on his A$$ and plays video games all day.
I say keep good job to Master Chief for pushing this stuff through.
it's up to us to make sure these new FN don't sit around and play video games. on my first boat, break-ins had zero luxury, ie no movies, video games, straight 1 in 3 4-8's for weeks on end. that worked because senior 2nds in the berthing handled business and got on fools if they were slacking. now break-ins stand 1 in 4 and think they can relax whenever. what's the motivation to get qualified if the break-ins stand as good a watch as the qualed guys. it's the role of the supervisors to lay out the expectations first thing to these new people and monitor them. even if it means being a bad guy.
