Mass Communication Specialists, or MCs, came together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of rating, June 30, at an event hosted by Navy Public Affairs Support Element West at Naval Air Station North Island.

The room was filled with Sailors and civilians. Some of the individuals that filled the room were exclusively MCs, while others were legacy MCs who began their careers as illustrator draftsmen (DMs), photographer's mates (PHs), journalists (JOs) or lithographers (LIs).

Laughter echoed throughout the hallways as Sailors and veterans shared sea stories about how the DMs, PHs, JOs and LIs were all brought together to become MCs, July 1, 2006.

Before the MC rating was born, Sailors in those legacy ratings faced many obstacles.

"Before the merger, working with the photo lab and the PHs sometimes could be a challenge," said Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jon Rasmussen. "I would go shoot pictures to go with a news story and when I went to the photo lab the person at the desk would tell me it would be three days to get my pictures back. That doesn't work when you have an hour to get a story out. I remember [it] being a challenge because their perspectives were primarily documentation and ours was pushing news stories."

The need for efficiency was apparent, and bringing the ratings together was a sure way to achieve that.

"The leadership within the Navy began to realize that it was time to start bringing these ratings together and getting them into a mixture of things because they needed each other," said retired Master Chief Mass Communication Specialist Wayne W. Edwards, a former PH. "They were already working together, but there was always a challenge because they did not understand each other's needs."

One of the biggest obstacles Sailors faced during the merger was learning to adapt to a new way of doing things, and in the beginning, many of the legacy MC's were concerned.

"To be honest, coming together was a bit of a painful process," said Edwards. "But it was good. It pushed people out of their comfort zones. The Navy is always changing, and if you want to have any longevity in this field then you have to adapt to change."

Though the creation of the MC rating was initially met with some push back, the merger has given legacy MCs, such as Rasmussen, the opportunity to become more well-rounded communicators and public affairs specialists.

"I've gotten to work with many elements of the rate I wouldn't have before," said Rasmussen, a former JO. "I've gotten to do a cruise book for one of my ships, which was traditionally something that the PHs, LIs, and DMs kind of worked on. I've even been able to do graphic design, video and a lot of photography and I've gotten to work on a newspaper staff. Being a journalist that tells the Navy's story has been really rewarding."

Furthermore the rating merger has paved the way for a new generation on MC's to take on any number of tasks in order to also tell that story.'

"This new generation of MCs can do everything," said Edwards. "Instead of sending two people to tell a story, as it was back during my day in the mid '80s, where we sent a JO and a PH, these MCs now can do both. That's an added benefit that makes us better."

As for the future of the MC rating, Edwards said he feels confident that the rating will continue to advance and remain a vital aspect in telling the Navy's story.

"I feel that there is a need for the Navy to have MCs to continue to tell the Navy's story, because there is more than one aspect to the Navy," said Edwards. "So I'm hoping that the MC community will be around for years to come."

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