31 May 2007

Seconds after recieving the frocking letter

So today I receiving the frocking letter from Rocket 1, my life changes literally seconds after the frocking ceremony ends. I am told that for the weekend duty I am the section leader, not a problem been there and done that when I was a second class in another command. Then everyone else in the section mobs me like little birds chirping for their food.
"I can't stand this watch AT1."
"I need to switch because my wife/girlfriend/mother-in-law needs..."
"I would like to switch because I am standing watch the night before or..."
Same old excuses I have heard all the time. Got to love being in large and in charge. So two large asprin later I think I have a handle on things.

The best piece of advice that I heard was from one of my LCDR's today and that this:
"What I wouldn't give to be a Lieutenant or Second Class Petty Officer again. Why? Because I was old enough to be in charge, but still sort of young enough to shrug my shoulders and admit that I didn't know better when I made a mistake. I will give you 24hours after which the light at the end of the tunnel is in reality the oncoming train of more responsibility."


Yours truly after reciving his letter of frocking.
Oh and for those of you that don't know.
Frocking is what we in the US Navy do to the enlisted personnel about thier promotion. They are authorized to wear the uniform of the next higher pay grade and recieve some of the bennies but aren't allowed to actually get paid for it until the actual promotion warrant comes through. Sort of like being a college graduate. You have this piece of paper telling you that you have a degree in underwater basket weaving from U of State. It doesn't mean anything till you actually get a job paying for underwater basket weavers.

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