The United States Navy honors its traditions, and the white “Navy Dixie Cup” hat worn by sailors is among those symbols of continuity that bind together shipmates working under conditions of isolation and stress. A lot of time and water has moved under the bridge since this 1917 poster was first deployed as a means to recruit sailors during WWI.  At last, it finally seems to have nearly come to fruition.  Female Navy recruits are now being issued the Dixie Cup, which until now has been a traditional part of the male Navy uniform for Sailors E-6 and below. This is only the most recent action as the Navy strives to reach gender neutrality in uniform for sailors. This most likely came about as a result of a media discussion in July 2015 about U.S. considerations of transgender personnel currently in the military.  Some of them were wearing the female versions of military uniforms of several countries.  After seeing this, how could...(Read Full Post)