Mine was to take the Chiefs test when I had already put in my papers and had my retirement date. Was told if I didn't take the test I would be put on report. Made pretty designs on the answer sheet, made board, and retired...

I have just got to respond to this one.

Circa 1970, I was stationed at Ramey along with Charlie Kohn and Floyd Clifford. We fancied ourselves as "restorers of old cars" and as such we became fairly good with a paint gun.

The NAVFAC was facing an upcoming ORI and we were busy trying to put a new look to some pretty run down equipment. The OPS boss (who shall remain nameless) decided that the display room equipment was beyond cleaning and would be painted. He summoned myself, Kohn and Clifford and ordered us to sand, clean and paint the equipment which we did over a weekend. Now.........., I know you've got to see this coming!!!!!!!!!!!! Because the new paint was not baked on, every ounce of carbon dust in the room stuck to that newly painted equipment like glue. It was an absolute disaster!!!!!!

Not sure why the three of us were not "busted". The ORI team, rightfully so, threw a fit. The positive out of all of this was that the OPS boss was a stand up guy and admitted to ordering that the job be done. I think, because he was a system veteran and prior member of the ORI team, he got a pass and consequently, so did we.

It wasn't very funny at the time but Charlie Kohn and I had a lotta laughs about it over the years. Ed haney, who was on the ORI team at the time, never let me live that one down.

Ellis

I was at NavFac Argentia when this order must have been given by "someone" to the EMO. The task was to take one or two doors of the "MDL" and cut a square window in them and place Plexi-glass in the opening so the turning 40 magnetic bands could be seen rotating. I think it was called Mark 0 Mod (BFR)(bad fitness report).
CEC

I would like to have been the fly on the wall and seen this whole affair. It could not have happened to a better of guys....

I was ordered to get out of the E-6 mess (USS DULUTH LPD-6) when I was a cook . I was filling the fridge with various food stuff. The fatest person on the ship BM1 Brawda gave me the order. The next day he came by the galley and noticed that I was frying chicken. He had this "droopy hound dog eyes" look and said "MULE, I'm sorry for kicking you out of the mess and could I have a piece of chicken?" (Last name is Ver"MULE"N thus the nickname on the ship). He realized that he gave me a dumb order!!

When I left Shelburne in 1957 (2nd Class SONARMAN) I got assigned to the USS Weatherford EPC 618. As it happened this one day, "I did not agree with my division officer (JG) and I told him so". His reaction - He said "go put yourself on report"!! A few days later he saw that I was not on report so he asked me why I did not put myself on report??? I replied, When I go to put someone on report, I normally say to myself - "Maybe he deserves another chance"... So, "I gave myself another chance".... Never did go on report...
- Ed Smock

Way to go Ed!! Good answer!!

Bad...not well thought out orders...I think that we all received at least one of those during our careers in the Navy be they short or long! My worst one came when I was stationed at Navfac Guam in 1973/74. I was on a slow eve watch when one of the RMs came flying out of radio with a message for the WO. The next thing I know the WO is calling everyone from the CO down and they all showed up rather quickly. Apparently a couple of folks (that turned out to be drunk sailors) broke into a weapons storage facility down island at NAS Agana which caused quite a stir and since no one knew what was happening, initially, the worst was assumed to be the case. Was Guam being invaded? No one was sure but once the Ops Boss showed up (I won't name him) he decided that the T-Building needed protection. Being the lowest ranking person in the display room at the time, I was the assignee to take one of our M-16s (without ammo) and guard the front entrance to the T-Building compound. Okay, that sounds sort of reasonable (accept for the no ammo part)...that is if you are not familiar with the Navfac Guam location. So, its late at night, you are in a compound at the very northern most tip of the island with absolutely nothing around, near the base of a 600 foot limestone cliff and virtually the only lighting around is in the compound. Oh yeah, there is also a nice flat platform at the top of that cliff near a Coast Guard Loran transmitter which is directly above the Navfac. Can you say sitting duck? Knowing just how isolated and exposed the Navfac was, I had to politely suggest to the Ops Boss that having me stand out at the front gate to the compound may not have been the best idea but he was adamant until the XO heard what I was being ordered to do and suggested that I may be right and having me stand guard just inside the physical building entrance might be a better idea. That led to an argument which the CO ended. I stood guard just inside the front entrance. The Ops Boss was a bit upset with me but years later when I ran into him in San Diego at what was then called NOSC we did have a laugh about it. He said he was more angry about being stupid then anything else but in the heat of the moment it had seemed like a great idea, he just neglected to think the situation through. I didn't make a lot of points with him that night but, in the end it worked out okay.

I did not receive this order personally but was there to witness it. Circa 1983 Keflavik a fill in WO for a midwatch (who will remain nameless) said to Jane Wright, “I order you to make coffee” Jane asked everyone but no one in the section was a coffee drinker and no one cared to make it as we were very busy. Tony Racho finally made some but told all the section personnel not to drink it. Never knew what he did to it.

Randy!!! Havn't heard from you (or Tia) in years!!!! How are you guys doing?

Greg

OMG! (Is that a word?) - Anyway, Randy, I was stationed at NAVFAC Keflavik Iceland from August 1983 to August 1986 and I was Jane Wright's Watch Officer during the first half of my tour. Please tell me this happened in the Spring time; um, before my arrival! (<:

Yes, Jim it was before you got there. Greg, Tia and I have been divorced for many years... but doing OK.

Oh ****...Sorry to hear that Randy. I looked several times to see if I could find her on facebook, without any luck....Strange hoe many people I served with are NOT on any sites.....

Still, glad to hear you did okay.....If you ever get in touch with Tia, tell her I said "hi".

Speaking of Jane Wright, I do have one interesting sea story. As a "Boot" LDO Ensign on my very first assignment (Watch Officer - NAVFAC Kef) in 1983 I got into the habit of "walking the beams" as soon as HYRADS finished printing in hopes of finding initial contacts for our Watch Team. I probably found one or two before I noticed something strange had happened.

My Watch Coordinator was no longer present on the watch floor. When I queried the Watch Supervisor, she indicated Petty Officer Wright had retired to the Soup Kitchen a couple of hours ago. When I questioned OT1 Wright (who was smoking in the Geedunk Room) she informed me that she had "signed over" the watch to ENS Donovan because apparently I was now doing her job. Sure enough, I checked the Watch Coordinator log and she had done so.

I learned an important lesson that night - Officers do officer work and enlisted men and women do their jobs. I never again walked those beams unless I was invited to do so by my Watch Coordinator - which she did on rare occasion.

Then there was the chewing out I took for holding the door open for Petty Officer Wright when entering or exiting the T-building! Those who know Jane Wright can picture her gritting her teeth and glaring at me saying "Sir!!!!! Don't do that!".... Lol All in all one of my very favorite shipmates over my career.

- Jim

While at Coos Head, during a intruder alert drill I was told "not to run with that weapon" by a drill proctor. ??