LT Jim Legg is an Information Warfare Officer. He enlisted in the Navy in 1994. After completing boot camp, Jim reported to Pensacola, FL for Cryptologic Technician Administrative “A” School. He was commissioned in 2006 through the Seaman to Admiral-21st Century (STA-21) program, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in African & African-American Studies. He is currently assigned to Navy Information Operations Command Maryland, with follow-on orders to the Pentagon as OPNAV N2/N6 Staff. In his off-time, Jim enjoys writing, getting involved with sons’ school and athletics, and spending time with his family. He is married to his best friend, Kimberly, and they have three wonderful boys – James, Tanner, and Bryce.
It was 2006…I was on the bridge as a young, newly commissioned Ensign earning my Officer of the Deck (OOD) qualification. I needed a little clarification on a maneuver that the ship was to exercise, so I turned to the qualified OOD, a Lieutenant Junior Grade, who had about three years in our Navy, and said, “Do you know where I can find the reference to this, Shipmate?” Faster than I could blink my eyes, he turned to me and said, “What did you just say?” So I repeated my questions, not thinking much of it other than perhaps he just didn’t hear me because of the chatter on the bridge between the Conning Officer and Helmsman, I thought.
I was shocked at his reply. He looked at me with a stare that is still engraved in my brain today. He said, “Shipmate!? Don’t call me Shipmate; WE don’t use that word anymore.” He proceeded on to tell me that the only time that Shipmate was used in – I’ll leave the institution unnamed – was when someone did something wrong.” I’m completely baffled at this point. My first thought after he said WE was that I didn’t know who the WE to which he referred was, but in the 12 years (that I had in service at that time) I never heard such a thing.
To be a Shipmate was, is, and should always be a term of endearment – an honorable title. At Recruit Training Command, you are a Recruit. Once successfully completing RTC you are officially a member of such an esteemed group of men and women – a service member – Shipmate – in the world’s greatest Navy!
Needless to say, after explaining this to our Shipmate on the bridge, I still got the “eye roll” and “head shake.” I didn’t think much of it after that; perhaps he had a bad experience during his time while going through his commissioning source. I, frankly, wrote him off as “one of those” who would do his 4-5 years and get out. It wasn’t again until October 2007, when I read an article that a Navy-wide writing contest was announced asking Sailors across the Fleet to “redefine the word Shipmate.” What!? This has to be a spoof article, I thought. Isn’t the definition of Shipmate the same as it has always been?
The meaning of the word Shipmate was to be mariners (Sailors) on one’s own ship. It then evolved to a term of respect and professionalism when one did not know the rank or name of another Sailor. Overall, it is a sign of respect and professionalism. After seeing this contest announced, I knew I had to look into this more in depth. So, I started my own poll, asking Sailors throughout the command what they thought of being called Shipmate and/or what thoughts crossed their mind when they heard another Sailor being called a Shipmate. I was shocked to learn that approximately 70-80 percent of those Sailors I had talked to; 1) preferred not to be called Shipmate and 2) thought someone was about to get reamed when others were called out.
At that point I went from feeling baffled (in 2006) to feelings of frustration and disbelief in 2007. Shipmate has never left my vernacular, but evidentially it was a term that was steadily leaving our naval history and culture. It was no surprise to me, then, that in 2008; an article came out in the Navy Times titled, “Don’t Call Me Shipmate!” That article had confirmed the results that I got in the winter of 2007. The article stated, “And then they’ll tell you that once you hit the fleet, the term is no better than “hey, screw-up.” It’s “all because of how people use it,” Rose said.” Further into the article it was stated that, “The problem, many Sailors said, is how it’s used. While it starts out as a term of endearment in boot camp, once you’re in the fleet, it usually precedes a butt-chewing.”
So, if we were to take the combination of the three items that I referred to; 1) the writing contest to redefine the word Shipmate, 2) the Navy Times article, and 3) the poll of Sailors that I had taken and that confirms to me that the term Shipmate has, in fact, evolved from a term that is to be respected to a term used out of frustration, annoyance, and negative in nature. Leadership is always about leading from the front. With that in mind, we leaders need to once again use the term Shipmate as a neutral term – good or bad. My advice…either use Shipmate interchangeably or don’t use it at all, but don’t use it just as a means to gain someone’s attention just prior to discipline, a negative verbal or written counseling, a means of embarrassment, etc. It starts with the leaders of our great service to ensure a cherished word such as Shipmate remains in our vernacular. Let’s ask ourselves how we can bring back the meaning of the term, not how to redefine the term Shipmate.
My name is LT Jim Legg, I am many things – husband, father, son, brother and uncle – and I am also forever a proud Shipmate!
LT Legg,
Most would be proud to call you Shipmate. Nice job on this guest post. Keep writing !!
The solution seems clear: continue to use the word in a positive sense. When people try to tell you it’s pejorative, you can point out that they are incorrect. Clearly people use it in a positive manner, because you do. So do I.
Great post! This has been a topic that has bothered me for a long time. My response to folks who complain about the negative connotation of Shipmate are more than likely folks who have regular ass chewings – my advice to them would be to take a long hard look at themselves and ask why they are in the business end of being referred to as Shipmate (in a disciplinary sense). It is true, it will take senior officers and enlisted to bring back this term that is near and dear to my heart. It will take top down leadership to do this! Again, great post and responses!
It has been 30 years since I left our great Navy, but when I left the term shipmate was still used and it was an honor to be a shipmate. I am proud to say that though I no longer serve actively in the Navy, I still support it and still consider myself a shipmate.
Great post, Shipmate!
And for the record, I regularly use the term Shipmate — while I understand there may be some cultural/organizational areas that view it differently under differing circumstances, we should not let that sully the positive use of the term “Shipmate”. Frankly, any term can be used sarcastically or in a derogatory manner, depending on the context.
Outstanding post Shipmate. I will always use the word!
For those who are serving in our Navy’s Combat Team and have a distain toward the term “Shipmate” in reference to themselves or those who stand by them it’s very simple. The Air Force is hiring and we would be fine to see you go.
CONCUR…..
As a former Navy nuclear engineer, I know that a good portion of our group used the word as an epithet. Typically in our environment it was used to describe someone who was very positive about the Navy, someone who was going to stay in for the rest of their lives, make Master Chief, etc. As such, when it was used to directly reference someone who was NOT positive about the Navy and was on the six-and-out program (a large number of nuclear engineers are), it was considered an insult.
What a shame! When my ship used hit a foreign port, my shipmates and I enjoyed the sights, exotic foods, and people-watching. The camaraderie was there, among fellow shipmates. Even when there were other Navy sailors in town, we knew which were our dependable shipmates. That term will forever be dear to me. Shipmates were my ‘Band of Brother’.
Lt.Jim Legg,I myself being an enlisted man would always call you by your rank.But I be mighty proud to have you as a SHIPMATE.. F.F. Haun MM2 Retired
Forward this to MCPON maybe he can do something positive instead of crushing the CPO Iniation!
I never paid much attention, Shipmate ment Shipmate….I am sorry to say the One and Only Reason that I did not Re-Enlist was the direction the Navy overall has taken No Tradition, Just Politics…I sure Loved my Service time and I wish I would have Re-Enlisted now as I look back..I was and will always be a Shipmate to “ALL” that served in the US Navy…
MS2 Michael George Belcher
7th Fleet …Gator Navy…USS St. Louis LKA-116
July76- July80
MS2,
Tradition may have seemed to dwindle during your time in the Navy but I feel as though tradition and heritage are very much embraced in the Navy in which I currently serve.
I love the Navy, love our traditions and am in it for the long haul.
Very Respectfully,
Proudly Serving Active Duty Member of the United States Navy
I know being a lowly E4 it can be taken many different ways. It’s all about tone and context. I might have used the term shipmate to blatantly tell a senior enlisted to take a hike or rally the troops to get a difficult evolution completed. Again all about tone and context.
You go shipmate – 30 year retired MCPO – spent last 16 plus years as a MCPON and if I feel someone is deserving the term SHIPMATE they have earned it. This sounds like some of the crap the current e-10 is hammering the CPO mess with –
My old shipmates will always be shipmates. But the clowns that think it’s a derogatory term can rest assured that I would most likely never call THEM “shipmate”. (Radioman, United States Coast Guard – USCGC Salvia, USCGC Rush, CG Station Port Aransas, USCGC Durable).
LT, am just amazed that we are even having this conversation. You are spot on. I retired as an RMCM(SS) with 22 years I have been retired for almost 17 years. Whether on Active Duty or in my retired years I was whether it was being used towards me or me using it towards one of my Brothers or Sisters who also served in our great Navy the term Shipmate has and always will be a term of endearment, honor and a priveledge. People who are offended by the term “Shipmate” should go join the USAF. I’d be honored to call you SHIPMATE!
Once you don the uniform and take our sacred oath, you sir are SHIPMATE!!!
LT, Thanks for taking the time to write your post. I retired after 32 yrs in the Submarine force and the term shipmate was always one of endearment. It is refreshing to see officers such as you trying to hold onto traditions. BZ Shipmate!!
Mo Pollard FORCM/SS (retired)
This article has reinforced my belief that some of the time honored traditions of the Navy have fallen off the map and in a sense as a negative. I often wonder how the leadership has decided to discontinue the traditions which many of the older sailors had embraced. I will not carry this into great detail. I often appreciated being called “Shipmate” and if it was used in a manner of reprimand it was not meant as a term of being a screw up. Either way it was taken as a word of respect. If a sailor does not like to be considered a shipmate then maybe they should have considered being somewhere other than the Navy. I thank you for this article Lt Legg. I hope that leadership becomes a time honored tradition once again. Because it is the leadership which sets the tone of the organization.
Michael Chavez EMC (SW), USN, Retired
24 years, 5 different ships, 19 years sea time. As a MMCM, myself and another Master Chief used to go to the scullery during lunch and work with the messcooks (can’t say cranks anymore) taking the trays from everyone and saying “Thank you SHIPMATE” to everyone as they handed us their tray. The point was,,,regardless of rank, we were all shipmates. When the crew saw two Master Chiefs working as messcooks, from the C,O. down to the seaman & fireman…they understood…”shipmates”
The phrase “shipmate” in my early time in the U.S. Navy use to grind me like nails on a chalkboard, I saw this as something that only hardcore lifers would call each other or the beginning an ass chewing and sometimes just to aggravate. But as my time in the Navy continued to increased my view of this word “Shipmate” began to change, I no longer considered this a discerning or negative phrase it was actually a phrase of mutual respect and trust. Respect in the fact you knew your job well enough that others trusted you to the point where they placed their life in your hands. “Shipmate” means your expertise, judgment and experience was both well founded and proven. In my years of service I have never been so proud to have anyone call me “Shipmate” as a fellow sailor as I was to be able to return the favor to another sailor. The phrase “Shipmate” has faded from our great Navy due to this political correct nightmare, But know if I call you “Shipmate” it is a sign of respect, trust and love that I have for those I have served with, because we have walked in each other’s shoes and we know the pain and sacrifice all of us made also we have forged a bond that will never break. So Shipmate, my hats off to you and my ever undying gratitude for having my back.