A Ship and Her Sailors

By ET3 Tyler Kirkland

Water Tight Integrity

The requirements pressed upon a ship are unlike any other in the world, the demand and the expectations are unsurpassed. A ship needs to be reliable, operational, and confident at all times.

Her hull needs to be painted, her pipes cleaned, her brass shined, floors swept, and compasses checked. She needs to be squared away, ready for any inspection, mission, or tasking that gets sent her way. She needs a reputation.

The requirements pressed upon a Sailor are much the same. A Sailor needs to be reliable, operational, and confident at all times.

His uniforms pressed, hair cut, shoes shined, rack made, and standards checked. He needs to be squared away, ready for any inspection, mission, or tasking that gets sent his way. He needs a reputation.

If a mighty destroyer gets hit and starts to sink, it is not only her that is going down. Her destroyermen, with their pressed uniforms and glossy boots, are saving the ship that has protected them and they it.

Just as the watertight integrity of the ship keeps her afloat in the rough, wild open oceans, a Sailor’s integrity matches that of his ship. It’s watertight. A Sailor shows up on time, works hard, does the job right, and goes home, much as the life of his destroyer.

A destroyer and her destroyermen aren’t two separate entities, but one unit, one team, and one family that can be counted on to get the job done, the first time, every time.