There are two different classifications for people who are serving in the United States Navy. The people who were commissioned to be in the Navy as officers are in one group. Those who enlisted in the Navy are members of the second group and can be promoted, but are considered noncommissioned officers (NCOs).
During the Revolutionary War an enlisted sailor would be assigned to an Officer. This enlisted man would serve as an orderly and attend to the personal needs of the officer. The officer would reimburse the enlistee for all of his expenses and pay him in recognition of all the time the man had spent making sure that the officer’s food, clothing and lodging were taken care of.
Today each officer is responsible for their own personal needs, but each officer knows that their success depends on the support they receive from the enlisted men and women in their charge.
The Navy has a tradition to remind a new officer of this dependency. Immediately after commissioning, a new officer will hand a silver dollar to the first enlisted person that offers them a salute. This ritual can be seen in the movie “An Officer and a Gentlemen.”
The commissioning ceremony includes the oath of office, the donning of the insignia reflecting their new rank and the ceremonial exchange of the first salute.
Midshipmen who are graduating in May are sending out their invitations now to the people who were important in their lives and will play a role in the commissioning ceremony. They also are searching for a silver dollar that symbolizes the guidance, mentorship and assistance given to them on their journey to become a commissioned officer. It will be given to that special enlisted person that they have chosen to give them their first salute.
If that silver dollar looks a little dull, a new officer knows that a little toothpaste can make that silver dollar become bright and shiny.
