This post was written by a RN Millenial Sailor to share insights about the frustrations about the RN.

D’you hear there: Millennials Leave the Royal Navy, Why?: An Open Letter to the First Sea Lord.

Dear Admiral Sir Philip Jones - Sir.

I write this letter with the intention of only one outcome, to stimulate the conversations for change over the increasingly worrying manpower issue within the Royal Navy(and by extension the 4 forces of the MoD) but also, because – as a Millennial within the RN, we are in a constant state of uncertainty and vulnerability with/to the hierarchy. I do not have the answers but will offer my insights from a lifetime of aspiration and admiration of the Royal Navy, until recently.

I joined the Royal Navy as a rating(non-commissioned/non-management) and originally chose the route that would allow working experience before a management role within the Officer Cadre. The plan was to go commission and work on creating a tangible difference within the service. The working experience as a rating has been a real eye-opener into the more subtle, discreet issues within the RN and wider MoD, has it encouraged me to continue naval service? Or apply for a commission? Quite the opposite.

It’s been a long-standing tradition that sprogs (new service personnel) have been labelled as ‘lazy’, ‘entitled’, or have become de-sensitised to the phrase ‘Well that’s life in a blue one’(military slang for tough shit). Which is fine, it is the military and a certain degree of ‘character building’, discipline and military bearing is required. But is the treatment acceptable to the new millennial sprogs, junior rates(JR’s), and young officers (YO’s), who are leaving the mob in their thousands because morale is desperately low and their future career is in the hands of those with no intention of developing their careers? You can do better - Sir. And so can we.

If I had to give a buzzword to this letter it would be culture. The Royal Navy has plenty of culture that has been translated from its glorious history into service life. But it’s the same culture which is consistently causing fewer Millennials to join and more of your Millennials to leave in the early stages of a brilliant career. I like to think we would agree that the current culture is causing low morale and needs an update.

So what’s wrong with morale? A couple of things.

· The Number Game

Your organisation treats everyone as an expendable number, I get it – it is the military.

This is referring the WWI battle GALLIPOLI if that wasn't clear.

Watching the movie Darkest Hour, and Winston Churchill is blamed for the Gallipoli disaster, to which he responds "Our troops were chewing barb wire in Flanders and I saw it. Opening a seperate front, outflanking the Turks was a serious military idea that could have damn well worked if the Admirals of the First Sea Lord didn't dither away our element of surprise!" Is that an accurate assessment? Debatable?

Also if someone could clarify Churchill involvement and culpability in Gallipoli because he mentions that no one trusts him since that campaign. Has he been redeemed at all while looking at it from what we know today?

Im in the US Navy, I'm curious how you guys announce admiralty, or high ranking officials aboard your ship, if you even practice that custom. God forbid they do, you'll be cleaning for weeks prior.

I've been using Luxurious Sea-Lord on Chongyun since the event, but I was doing some pulls on standard banner and ended up getting Skyward Pride. I don't really have any other claymore characters to use it for.

Anyway, for reference, my Chongyun is a 4pc Blizzard Strayer build, and I often use him with Xingqiu as a freeze team comp + burst damage

Basically, which weapon would be better?

Which one is better in term of overall damage?

For Context:

I'm F, in my 30's, from Europe, born and raised in the Church, Single, not married.So in my home country I didn't really hear much regarding unmarried couples breaking the Law of Chastity .

However, talking to church members from the US, or reading what people comment on US American church related Instagram accounts I am having the impression, that some members in the US don't seem to take the Law of Chastity very serious.....I mean what I read or the people I talked to might not be really representative for the whole church population, but it's something I noticed recently.

Of course, we have the Atonment, and people, who have broken it, can repent and be cleansed from their transgression. That's what the Atonment for.

But it sometimes make me feel a bit bitter, because I am here, single since 10 years , living a live completely void of any kind of intimacy. I cannot find someone in church (check out my post history if you need context) , and I am keeping away from non church members, because I am afraid they might expect physical intimacy from me, which I cannot give them- because I want to keep the commandments!!!!!!!!

So I avoid any situation that could lead to me breaking the Law of Chastity. The Loneliness feels very painful for me sometimes. Does the Lord even recognize what I am doing to keep the commandments and promises I made ein the temple?

Or why shouldn't I just start seeing someone from outside the church, to be able to enjoy some intimacy, and then just break it off and repent, because in the end it's the same anyway, in the eyes of the Lord???

(Disclaimer: I don't mean to generalize things, or insult people. This is just something I personally observed recently. I could be totally wrong. I hope nobody feels insulted by this post!)

Edit: Thanks everyone for your replies. I never expected so much feedback to my post! I will go through all of your comments and reply, but it will take some time.
Thank you.

https://preview.redd.it/zfo9gda00lq71.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=d6ef2e48f0601f07e0ba60d659969022fcf2a40e

https://preview.redd.it/ey2t1ea00lq71.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=f56bb0187e2fb31ad87db29c8fccf1c77616beb6

Yeah. It took me 11 goddamn months and even then it ended at 90k words (given the story only covered pre-shippudden stuff) but still, this has been the longest writing project I've ever seen to completion and this experience right now is awesome, and weird but it's still awesome and gratifying and....yes, I can go on and on.

I've seen my writing improve over the course of this fic and I've seen how much it has helped me along the way. It's not my best work, far from it but this fic will always be my dearest, because goddamn – it's my first.

Anyway, just wanted to share it with this community because y'all really got me immersed into this fandom and I'm never looking back.

Thanks for reading this post!

Have a good day. <3

Edit: here's the link y'all, I'm forgetful as all shit rn.