The Navy has came under fire after announcing an overhaul to strip "man" from scores of job titles, with one sailor calling it "the stupidest decision ever," Navy Times reports.
Sailors took to the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson's Facebook page to defend their rating titles and posted their rating badges in protest, the outlet reports.
"Respectfully this is the stupidest decision ever," one poster commented.
Another groused, "This is a sad day for the navy … I was contemplating getting out but now I’m 100% sure…this is not for me."
An online petition to overturn the move has also begun.
"It is very disappointing to me to not be a boatswain’s mate anymore," Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda Svenson told Richardson at a meeting last week, Navy Times reports. "It’s traditional and we’re very proud of what we do and frankly, I’ll always be a boatswain’s mate and I won’t be afraid to call someone 'Boats,' either."
But, she added: "At the same time, I am interested in what I’m hearing and what they plan to do, and I’m willing to give it a chance and see how it works."