What is the Navy tradition for crossing the equator?
U.S. Sailors and Marines participate in a line-crossing ceremony aboard USS Blue Ridge as the ship passes the Equator May 16, 2008. It has been a long naval tradition to initiate pollywogs (sailors who have never crossed the Equator) into the Kingdom of Neptune upon their first crossing of the Equator.
What is crossing the line in the Navy?
Back in the days of wooden ships, Crossing the Line ceremonies were designed to test young Sailors on their first cruise out in the open sea.
What is it called when a sailor crosses the international date line?
The shellback is simple enough: A sailor on official duty “crosses the line” of the equator. A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they’ve crossed the International Date Line. Even rarer, crossing at the Prime Meridian grants you access into the Order of the Emerald Shellback.
Does the Navy still do shellback initiation?
Crewmen aboard the destroyer USS ARTHUR W. RADFORD (DD-968) participate in the traditional shellback initiation ceremony during exercise Unitas XXI. The shellback initiation takes place anytime a U.S. Navy ship crosses the equator.
What is a water fountain called in the Navy?
Scuttlebutt: The Navy term for water fountain. The Navy History Museum describes the term as a combination of “scuttle,” to make a hole in the ship’s side causing her to sink, and “butt,” a cask or hogshead used in the days of wooden ships to hold drinking water.
What is a diamond shellback?
Another rare status is the Golden Shellback, a person who has crossed the Equator at the 180th meridian (International Date Line). The rarest Shellback status is that of the Emerald Shellback (USA), or Royal Diamond Shellback (Commonwealth), which is received after crossing the Equator at the prime meridian.
What happens during a Shellback ceremony?
THE SHELLBACK CEREMONY dressed the “baby” in a diaper and smothered his belly in lard. The Pollywogs then were required to crawl on their hands and knees to the Royal Baby and eat a maraschino cherry out of his navel.
Why is it called a gig line?
The straight line that runs down the front center of the torso formed by the alignment of the shirt, belt buckle and trouser fly. Failure to align these elements when wearing the uniform results in a “gig,” or recorded fault during inspection.
What is a blue nose sailor?
The “Order of the Blue Nose” is a Navy tradition which dictates that when Sailors cross into the Arctic Circle, they enter the realm of Boreas Rex, King of the North. The only way to be accepted into the order is to successfully complete his list of challenges.
What is the Blue Nose ceremony?
During the ceremony, Roosevelt Sailors completed an obstacle course laden with frigid tasks. An audience with Boreas Rex, the King of the North, is the culminating event. Once Boreas Rex deemed their frozen quest a success, Sailors are marked with a painted blue nose.
What does salty mean in Navy?
an experienced sailor
“Salty” is a term from the United States Navy used to describe an experienced sailor – someone for whom the romanticized idea of ship life is gone and replaced with sea salt.
What do Navy sailors call each other?
In the United States Navy, “shipmate” is a term used by anyone in the Navy to reference anyone else in the Navy. It can be used with a range of connotations—most often as an expression of camaraderie, but also as a respectful way to address other crew members whose rank or naval rating is not clear.