Commands which qualify by reputation as being a “bad” command are those classically described by the ranks as those which govern from a harsh, uncaring, demanding perspective. Where work conditions are exhausting and back-breaking, to say the least. Where personnel feel used and abused on a daily basis.
In other words, these duty stations are considered to be so downright difficult and depressing, you might as well be volunteering to do time in prison when you find yourself suddenly forced to accept orders to them.
Military members have shared with me over the years those commands which qualify for this category. Both shore and sea commands, I don’t have to list them here. Anyone who has an ear finely tuned to the “Navy grapevine” knows exactly which commands I’m referring to.
At these commands, morale is so low it may as well be considered nonexistent. Most sailors can’t wait to transfer out. Working conditions or the attitudes of the upper echelon tend to be so severe and oppressive, nobody in his or her right mind would accept orders to these commands unless they felt absolutely forced to in order to continue their own careers in the Navy.
A Seabee senior chief who has “been there, done that”, from Adak to Panama in his 22 years of service offers the following:
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Look at the bright side. In six months, you’ll either be transferred, your boss will be transferred or you will have a completely different job.
Take up a hobby besides the club or sitting in the barracks. There are lots of team sports to participate in and overseas lots of off base tours. Get out and meet the people, explore the culture, eat the food and just plain make the best of it.
Volunteer for collateral duties: Planning the Navy Ball, Airdale Ball, Seabee Ball etc. It can be fun, as well as challenging to help bring a grand event together; later, witnessing the fruits of your labor.
Take college classes. Most bases in the states and overseas offer a wide variety of courses. Learn a new skill, expand your mind. If nothing else, hit the gym and turn yourself into a serious hardbody.
Keep in touch with your friends and family at home. Writing letters and email can be a big moral booster, not only for you and the folks back home.
Fix up the place where you live - take some pride in your barracks’ room by making it your home. In other words, personalize it.
Make lots of friends. Remember, everyone on base is in the same boat you are - a long way from home, living in a strange place, working hard. Think about it; you already have a lot in common.
Try and not dwell on how many years, months, days, hours you have left at that command. Try to just enjoy the day and do your best. Eventually, it will be time to ship home, with lots of memories in your seabag.
A captain in the Navy says, “I’ve been to a few places and ships where I absolutely hated it, but that was because of the leaders - not the ship or station. There are definitely some places that are worse than others. What is truly amazing is how good leadership can turn a bad place into a decent place and how poor leadership can turn a paradise into hell.”
How to cope?
“It takes time. No matter what you do in a military organization, it is hard to escape a bad leader and almost impossible for a junior to do anything about it,” he says. “You just bite the bullet and try to wait it out. I think some sailors try to minimize the time they have to be around station, but it’s tough to do at sea.”
This captain’s personal way of coping goes back to his childhood days, “When Mom used to say, ‘Today is what you make it.’ So I try to make every duty station as pleasant for me as the situation permits and then I always remind myself that I could have gotten out 27 years ago!”
A chief petty officer with 21 years of service says, “I had several difficult assignments. The worst condition is isolation with no recreation - ie; small ship in isolated area with limited shore leave opportunity. One can survive the difficult much better by focusing on positive aspects of life. To concentrate on all that is wrong can be deadly.”
He believes that if you determine in your own heart and mind that you are, “a big enough person to handle the difficult and do it with a positive attitude, you will surely find that indeed you are that person.”
The response that struck me as especially inspiring came from a second class petty officer who has been in the Navy just four years.
He said, “My best way to deal with the situation is to try and make a difference. I had a bad morale problem with a command, and I figured I could do better. I worked up a plan to improve morale and sent it up the chain of command. They decided to take my plan and put it into effect. The morale did improve. So much so, they ended up awarding me a Letter of Commendation.”
After consulting my favorite chief petty officer currently on shore duty who has known his share of “nightmare” commands, he summed the issue of bad commands up best when he said, “Sit tight, hold your tongue, try to make your own life better. In time,” he smiled, “Things do get better.”
