Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus visited General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard Wednesday to talk to sailors and shipbuilders about the future of the Navy.
Mabus thanked shipbuilders for their work in building and maintaining the U.S. fleet and answered questions from the audience.
Mabus was asked about the Navy’s decision to drop many of its traditional ranks, like Boatswain’s Mate and Gunner’s Mate, which the Navy has used for hundreds of years.
Since the decision was announced in September, the move has drawn criticism from sailors. Mabus said the former system made it difficult for some sailors to advance and the titles were confusing to potential civilian employers.
“I think that as sailors know more about this and the goodness that’s involved, that they’ll have more choices in duty stations,” Mabus said. “And when they transition out of the Navy, they’ll be better prepared to get a job very quickly.”
The effort was also designed to make ranks more gender neutral, though traditional titles like midshipman and seaman are expected to remain.
Mabus is the longest serving Secretary of the Navy since World War I, but he’s expected to leave when a new president is elected.
