Ok I have never been to a dinner out, so I am wondering what I am suppose to wear? Evening dress? cocktail dress? long dress? Knee length? HELP!!!!! Just going to be Chiefs and their wifes, CO/wife, XO/wife, and Officers/wife I believe. HELP HELP HELP
At what point in time did CPO's start carrying Calling Cards and attending what appears to be "Officer functions?"
The Navy it would appear has really really REALLY changed.
As a BMC/BMCS I was never afraid of Officers or the Wardroom, but I was damn sure uneasy around them!! Especially O1's-O3's.. There is no way on God's green earth that I, or I and my wife could "relax and enjoy" a Wardroom "Dinner Out." It always seemed to me that the O's were begging an invite "down" to the Goat Locker so they could "Relax and Enjoy" a little bit of life in the Real World.
This is all said with total respect, but I've always been of the understanding where Officers and Enlisted were concerned that "east is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet."
Maybe after I get the Masters Degree that it seems the Navy wants all Chiefs to have, I'll understand better. Ooops, I gotta get that darned old High School Diploma first
At what point in time did CPO's start carrying Calling Cards and attending what appears to be "Officer functions?"
Although nicely retired by the time, for the Coast Guard it appears about 1992 or 93 was the change. That dinner dress jacket uniform was authorized for E-4 to E-9. It was also in the same time frame that the CG CPO Initiation was suddenly an "uncivilized" event and transformed, by the powers into what it has become today, a long drawn out affair that has a "mess night" dinner at the end.
You're right "Dining In" and "Dining Out" were officer affairs. Up till 1988 I do not recall it ever being in anyway connected with the enlisted side.
Went to two "Dining Ins" as a Warrant, back when the affair was a lot more "boisterous" and toasting was not frowned upon and the port passed freely.
Just a little story about dining out etc. My wife and I used to "dine out" on a regular basis with our officer friends. Most who where Navy Captains and Admirals. This was in Washington, DC at the time. This is unrelated to dining out but will give a view how a Senior Elisted was viewed. A navy captian that actually on paper was my boss asked the Admiral why I had a parking space and he did't, the Admiral told him when he got two stars like the Master Chief he would give him one.
