"Bob Terwilliger" wrote
> Clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz lied blatantly:

> In the first place, you went onto a reunion web site for the USS John Paul
> Jones and listed yourself as a MACHINIST. You were never a cook in the
> Navy;

Not sure about that. He really does seem to have been one. I might add, I
may be wrong but seriously doubt he was above E5 level ever. He doesnt have
the more executive level written expression of one who made Chief and doesnt
seem to have understood the system as well as an E6 would have.

He's never to my knowledge said he retired with 20 (or more years) Navy,
just that he is now retired. He may have done 1 or 2 tours then moved on to
another job. As to Machinist, he may have swapped careers either in the
Navy, or later. For example, if i went to a reunion, I might list myself as
a SQL programmer as that is what I do now. It depends on what the
registration question was worded as.

> In the second place, in their schools the Navy only gives cooks the bare
> minimum needed to get by. Any junior-high girl who passes a Home Ec class
> has as much competence in the kitchen as the Honor Grad from a Navy
> culinary school.

CS 'A' school is the entry level school (used to be MS 'A' school but they
changed the name of the rate). Generally 'A' schools take you from ground
zero, to a potential to be trained farther. Basics, yes. Having spent 6
years of my life teaching that 'A' school (computer rate, not cooks down the
hall from us), I can tell you that you get all levels of knowledge from
students who could run rings around me in some areas, to ones who were
scared silly and not sure what 'keyboard' meant and had to be taught what a
mouse was for. (these were old days, home computers were rare).

If I recall accurately from the instructors of the MS 'A' school, the big
thing was food safety and really *basic* cookery. If you couldnt identify a
safe storage temp to not make the crew sick, you didnt pass. You could pass
though still not knowing how to make a decent omelett (and the requirements
were not super high for 'decent'). Much of the skill of the rate, was
learned 'on the job' to actually cook well. They learned the tools of the
standard ship and how to use them safely (for themselves and the folks
eating the food).

Don't get me wrong please. The Navy ship chow is quite good (better in the
enlisted side than Officer but the difference there is the cheap officers
want to be fed on 150$ a month the same as enlisted get 278$ a month fo and
obviously that doesnt work). Junior cooks with natural talent are treasured
and pass their skills to others.

Back to the 'Machinist bit'. One ship I was on we had a fellow who was one.
He was a horrible one. He was however, a natural cook and wanted to
crossrate to the cook rate. Since his Machinist rate was 'undermanned' they
wouldnt let him swap but his Chief let him work as a cook until finally the
CO got it to happen and he became an MS. I mention this part because
potentially, Sheldon might even fall in that catagory. I dont know if he
did, but none of us know that he didnt.

> In the third place, as Carol already mentioned, the "Crème de la Crème"
> get to choose their own duty stations, and it's extremely rare for one of
> them to choose sea duty.
>
> So you've been caught LYING AGAIN, Pussy!

In deed he has in several places Bob. Perhaps not in all of them though.