Navy·Consolidated / merged·In Memoriam
The 2016 Rating Massacre
Served: 29 Sep 2016 – 21 Dec 2016
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus eliminated *every* enlisted rating title overnight. No more "Gunner's Mate." No more "Boatswain's Mate." No more "Hospital Corpsman." Replaced by NOS codes and the generic "Petty Officer."
The Story
The shortest-lived disestablishment in US Navy history. Eighty-four days. The institution learned the hard way that ratings aren't just job titles — they're identities. The Navy is famously slow to change, and this is exactly why.
Epitaph
“Killed every rating. Killed itself 84 days later. Buried alongside.”
Sources
- USNI — Navy Restores Rating Titlesnews.usni.org
- Navy Times — Inside Storywww.navytimes.com