The sailors had their noses painted by a trident-wielding king with blue hair. here’s why

The “Order of the Blue Nose” has a handful of new members after the sailors of the Roosevelt destroyer Completed the list of King in the North challenges.

Ten sailors took part in a unique Navy ceremony this month in which two of their leaders played Boreas Rex, the blue-haired, trident-wielding King in the North, as they crossed the Arctic Circle. The sailors, who completed an obstacle course and the rest of the King’s Challenges, were officially designated “Blue Noses” by Command Master Chief James Kuroski and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew Hicks.

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Kuroski called the Order of the Blue Nose ceremony “an exhilarating experience for body, mind and soul.”

“Operating above the Arctic Circle is an honor that is not lost on this crew,” he said in a Marine Press release.

The Roosevelt was one of three Navy destroyers to enter the Barents Sea above the Arctic Circle this month. It was the first time Navy ships had operated there, off Russia’s northern coast, since the Cold War.

The crew celebrated the occasion with the Blue Nose Ceremony – one of many held at sea when sailors operate in unique areas. When a ship crosses the equator, for example, sailors go through another ceremony in which they transform from pollywogs to shellbacks.

Some of the Roosevelt sailors who would become Blue Noses above the Arctic Circle are also shellbacks, which Information Systems Technician First Class Russell Elliott says makes them part of two small groups in the fraternity. of the Navy.

“[These ceremonies] bring the crew together as a family, and everyone now has a story to tell their children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren one day,” he said.

As the Navy increases its presence in the Arctic, more sailors will likely have a chance to join the Order of the Blue Nose – but that’s only if they complete the tasks Boreas Rex and his subjects assign.

— Gina Harkins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ginaharkins.

Related: Navy ships transit the Barents Sea near Russia for the first time since the Cold War

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