While I was in the army in the 70s things got started. They took away our mess hall and replaced it with a dining facility. Nothing really changed but the name but for the rest of my hitch I called it the mess hall as did practically everyone else.
Actually I refused to call the new 'dining facility' by that stupid name. For the whole time I was in I ate chow in a mess hall.
Back in the day things like that were a source of pride. In the service (any branch) people did things a little different that people on the outside. It was a part of what made military life unique.
For centuries sailors dressed like sailors until they went through a stage where the Navy and Coast Guard made Monday morning inspections look like a bus driver convention. I do see that the Navy has gone back to Crackerjacks and Dixie Cups so a sailor can at least look like a sailor again.
It also made things a little fairer for the gentle sex as the Crackerjack pants have 13 buttons on the flap that serves as a fly. returning to the old 13 button flap gave women back 13 chances to change her mind.
(I've heard some sneaky sailors use velcro now just to prevent that from happening.)
Uniform changes over the last 50 years for the most part have been a waste of time and money. I see where the Army has gone full circle and gone back to greens and pinks which is pretty good. Soldiers now look like soldiers. I will give credit to the army for improving their fatigue type uniforms by using more modern materiels.
First Sergeants were once properly addresssed as "Top". It was an old term for senior NCO, a Top Sergeant. To First Sergeants being addresssed as 'Top' was a source of pride. They had earned the title.
Nowadays it's "First Sergeant' instead. That's yet another inside loss.
I'm somewhat surprised that Sailors and Marines still poop in a head. I'm mildly surprised some shorebound chairborne admiral hasn't changed it to 'sanitary facility' or some other dopey thing.
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