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TO: NAVOP
UNCLAS //N01610//
221529Z DEC 71
RESPONSIBILITY FOR STANDARDS OF SMARTNESS
1. DURING RECENT VISITS TO SHIPS AND STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE NAVY,
I HAVE SEEN INDICATIONS THAT A FEW OF OUR PEOPLE ARE INTERPRETING
SOME OF THE INITIATIVES WE HAVE INTRODUCED AS INDICATIVE OF A
SHIFT TO A PERMISSIVE NAVY, ALLOWING A RELAXATION OF TRADITIONAL
STANDARDS OF SMARTNESS AND CLEANLINESS. IN ADDITION, A RECENT
RETENTION STUDY GROUP UNANIMOUSLY STATED THAT THERE IS A NEED
FOR FURTHER DEFINITION OF ACCEPTABLE GROOMING AND CLOTHING STANDARDS
SO THAT THIS MATTER CAN BE LAID TO REST, AND ALL HANDS CAN GET
ON WITH MORE SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES.
2. AS AN EXAMPLE, Z-57, CONCERNING THE ELIMINATION OF DEMEANING
AND ABRASIVE REGULATIONS, HAS BEEN ERRONEOUSLY INTERPRETED BY
SOME TO SUGGEST THAT SALUTING AND OTHER MILITARY COURTESIES CAN
BE DISPENSED WITH. ALSO, INSTANCES ARE STILL OBSERVED OF MEN IN
PUBLIC WITH DIRTY OR TORN UNIFORMS, HAIRCUTS AND BEARDS WHICH
ARE BELOW Z-70 STANDARDS. THEREFORE, I WISH TO REEMPHASIZE ONCE
AGAIN, THAT OUR NEW INITIATIVES DO NOT LOWER OUR STANDARDS OF
SMARTNESS AND CLEANLINESS.
3. I HAVE STRESSED THE NEED TO PLACE INCREASED TRUST IN EACH INDIVIDUAL
AND WANT TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND THIS RECOGNITION OF CONFIDENCE
IN HIM. IN RETURN EACH INDIVIDUAL MUST ASSUME ADDED RESPONSIBILITIES
FOR OWN APPEARANCE, CONDUCT, AND PERFORMANCE. IN CASE THE LATTER
HAS NOT BEEN FULLY UNDERSTOOD, COMMANDERS AND COMMANDING OFFICERS
MUST REEMPHASIZE TO ALL HANDS THAT MILITARY COURTESIES, INCLUDING
CUSTOMARY SALUTING AND DEFERENCE TO SENIORS, AND ADHERENCE TO
TRADITIONAL STANDARDS OF CLEANLINESS, NEATNESS, AND SMARTNESS
WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR NAVY AS THEY HAVE
BEEN SINCE OUR BEGINNING. THOSE STANDARDS ARE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
OF A PROUD AND PROFESSIONAL FORCE. COMMANDING OFFICERS CONTINUE,
AS ALWAYS, TO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY AND FULL AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE
THESE STANDARDS.
E. R. ZUMWALT, JR., ADMIRAL, U. S. NAVY,
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.
Note: The original unclassified message is entirely double-spaced
with all letters capitalized.