Navy’s top enlisted sailor denies telling George Washington crew to ‘lower your standards’

[Tony]

In the weeks since the Navy’s top enlisted sailor addressed the crew of the troubled aircraft carrier George Washington, Reddit and other online forums have abounded with allegations that Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith told some members to “lower your standards.”

Since Smith’s April 25 all-hands call — which came as GW’s crew was grappling with several suicides and substandard living conditions during a seemingly endless maintenance overhaul — “lower your standards” has become a meme and a rallying cry for those disaffected by Navy life.