Leadership: January 2, 2000

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The US Navy has found Email to be as revolutionary as the civilian population back at home has found it to be. Not only can personnel keep in touch with family and friends, but officers can complete correspondence courses and technicians can get answers to technical questions in a fraction of the time that old snail-mail or long-distance telephone required. When Email first reached ships, enlisted personnel had to compose their mail on a computer and record it on a 3.5" disk; a volunteer then spent 4-5 hours sending and receiving the day's Email. Incoming Email was distributed on disks, by hand, in a system that was not very efficient. Ships are now receiving IT21 technology, which allows any sailor with a few moments of free time to access a computer in a common area and download mail from his (or her) personal account. --Stephen V Cole