Mac,
Don't forget that HM is/was the largest rating in the Navy, having earned more Medals of Honor and Silver Stars than any other Corps in the Navy. With over 63 NECs throughout my 24 year career as a Hospital Corpsman, I understood that many of those NECs had little opportunity to serve at sea, nor to make HMC or higher. My Primary NEC was HM8402, Independent Duty Hospital Corpsman (Submarines), serving over 20 years at sea. I was selected to HMCM, but I turned it down to retire. On the other hand, I could not be selected to any commissioning program because of the criticality of my NEC. I really loathe the idea that Enlisted Sailors somehow should be lumped together and parcelled out with no real distinguishing characteristics between them except for a handful of computer-based modular training courses. What a slap in the face to the professionalism of all honorable Enlisted Sailors, without whom the Navy could not function!
Also, I am concerned about about how the Navy will distinguish those Enlisted sailors who are officially noncombatants under international law in the future.
Bill Morrison