JUMPING INTO THE CHOW LINE GETS YOU THREE DAYS IN THE BRIG ON BREAD AND WATER
ON THE USS YORKTOWN

Captain Jackson, the Yorktown's Executive Officer in 1953 had made it his policy to attend at least one meal a day to see that the crew was being fed well.  This sat well with the crew as it showed them that the officers cared about them.  Because of this, the crew would do anything for the captain and the executive officer.

This attitude showed up in the effectiveness and cleanliness of the Yorktown.

Soon after the Yorktown was recommissioned in 1953, the practice of chow-line jumping began.  The lines were long.  To avoid waiting, one man would get in line and then when he got near the front, he would let several friends get in front of him.  Each man in a given group would take his turn holding in place in line for the others.  This got to be quite a problem on the Fighting Lady.  the crew was getting unruly at meal times.

Captain Jackson got wind of this, and he began standing in line, observing the practice.  The next day in a statement appeared in the Plan of the Day.  This said

 "Anyone caught jumping the chow line, and the shipmate that lets him in front of him, will automatically get three days in the brig on bread and water.  There will be no mast, no excuses. 

The MAA's will take the guilty parties from the chow line right to the brig.*" 

  The next day, four sailors went to the brig (the ship's jail), and on the day after that two more went.  After that no one ever cut into line again.  The men appreciated the firm stand the executive officer had taken.  No sailor ever had to wait in line for more than 20 minutes after that.  Paying attention to small matters like this always paid off for the Yorktown.  Captain "Jocko", the Yorktown's first captain had done it, and so had all the captains who followed him

(*Master at Arms, the ship's policemen assigned to patrol both the ship and the mess deck.  The "Captain's Mast" is an at sea trial with the Captain as judge)

Pacific Carrier ©1988 p. 265, 266