Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobra
I had some night shift gigs in the Navy when in dry dock in Long Beach.
|
Don't get me started on the Navy and their nocturnal "emissions": The Navy has f-upped that wet dream.
In routine steaming, not at war, the average Navy ship is a dysfunctional mess of a tired and sleep challenge crew; officer and enlisted. Just look up "dog the watch".
I could type for a week but one example will do:
When I was the Air Boss Department Head on an amphib the XO and I became friends. Naval tradition says that all Department Heads meets in the XO stateroom at 1700 to give Department reports.
That would mean, often since I was also an officer of the deck and stood bridge watches, that I had to get up from a deep sleep (let's say I had the midnight to 4am watch on the bridge) to stand around for 10 minutes.
I asked the XO why. Blank stare.
"How about I sent the Mini-Boss (another officer and we worked opposite watches and shifts in the tower on purpose) when necessary? He can wake me up if something is important..."
"Uh, ok."
Key point here is the the Mini-boss was an F-14 RIO and a really good guy...Notre Dame graduate, etc. I completely trusted his judgement. We still exchange emails and barbs.
However, you would have thought, after the first meeting Mini attended in my stead, that I had shot Admiral Spruance.
The other Department Heads, each of whom had other officers in their Departments, thought I was "cheating". Amazing: Not being a sleep deprived zombie is somehow cheating.
The XO, as relayed to me by Mini, looks at them and says, "You idiots can do the same thing."
And they did, bless their black shoe hearts.