Hollywood, MD – Earlier this year, U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus ordered that the service make a big change—rename titles so as to remove any reference to “man” in them. The Navy now has an implementation strategy called the Enlisted Rating Modernization plan. According to Stars and Stripes, the plan will be implemented in six phases over several years. The phases are
* Redefine career fields
* Review, revise and align business processes
* Update policies and instructions
* Identify and effect IT solutions
* Update uniform insignias to reflect transformation and
*Continue to update policies, integrate Sailor 2025 initiatives.
Back in January, a Navy official who had asked not to be identified was quoted by the Navy Times as stating Mabus was pushing for gender neutral titles as a way to persuade more women to join the branch and make it a career.
“This isn’t a draconian edict to get rid of all references to the word ‘man,’ ” said the unidentified official. “But it is an opportunity to look at position descriptions and change them where it makes sense.”
The Navy Times story noted that nearly all of the Navy’s jobs with “man” in the title have been open to women since the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act went into effect in 1948.
Stars and Stripes reported that the planned changes have proven unpopular with thousands of sailors who are promoting an online petition to protest the plan.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
