Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James L. Herdt told the USS Nimitz crew on Friday that he favored the recent introduction of higher physical fitness standards, an emphasis on the warrior spirit and sailors changing jobs if they want to get promoted.

In short, he favored the types of initiatives that don't exactly ensure more stress-free days ahead for rank-and-file sailors. But he also told the sailors he favors giving housing allowances to more lower-ranking single sailors than currently merit it, speeding up the results of promotion tests and not making sailors live on ships where they are homeported.

Herdt became the Navy's top enlisted person in March 1998. He joined the Navy in 1966 and left the active duty Navy for four years starting in 1974.