Mark Conley
Active member
No...That’s not quite right...
One of the things that certain sailors did at the officer medical course, was to teach us other services exactly how entertaining they could be when it came time to expressing themselves to their own command structure. Take some of their traditions...please!
One of the most unusual things was the attempts to sabotage any official change of command ceremony by having, in some fashion, The initials to the term "Fun Time Navy" somewhere in the official photograph they take as the admiral or what ever transfers the command to another officers. The one that I was intimate with still makes me shake my head in wonder at the ingenious ways these guys pull it off...and no one tells a soul how its done. Fortunately, I wasn’t sworn to secrecy...and this tale can be told.
I was one of the graphic aide developers at the course. I made essentially, all the signage for exhibits, special events and such, when I wasn’t out in the field teaching the doctors. One such special event was change of command ceremonies for the Navy personnel. Now in all of the services, CoC is a very big shindig, but with the Navy, well, they made it an awesome ceremony. Guys would pipe the officers on "Board" with the little Bo'sums Whistles. The guys would "line the rails" in their dress whites. They were very traditional ceremonies.
Well, one of the petty officers came to me at the last minute, and said they needed signage to mark the official spots for the parking of the Division Commanders Distinguished guests. His examples showed me exactly how the lay out was to be, the color of the wording, and the whole nine yards. I was instructed not to deviate from the wording or the lay out at all. So, I did as was instructed, and produced the items required that day in the shop.
It wasn’t till after the CoC, that I was called into the Air Force executive officers office, post haste. When I got there, there was one AF Colonel Laughing his tail off, and one red faced Navy Commander that was glaring bullets at me. In all my innocence, I respectfully asked what the problem was. That was when they showed me what the signs were all about.
I had made 15 Distinguished Visitor placards, with graphics of mermaids, anchors and such that fit around words that fit on narrow six inch wide parking signs, all like this:
Reserved
For The Navy
DIVONCC
Inspection
Party Only
Each one of them had stood at the head of each parking spot for each Naval Distinguished Visitor. Not only had everyone not noticed it till the signs were picked up later: There were several photos of people shaking hands in front of the signs in the parking spaces, after the change of command was over.
Fortunately, the guy that given me the layouts had signed out to a new berth on the west coast over the week end, leaving me to hold the inevitable bag. From the look on my colonel’s face, I knew I didn’t have anything to fear from him. It was that now, on board naval commander that was going to be my boss for the next year in training, which was going to be the problem.
Sheeessshh.
One of the things that certain sailors did at the officer medical course, was to teach us other services exactly how entertaining they could be when it came time to expressing themselves to their own command structure. Take some of their traditions...please!
One of the most unusual things was the attempts to sabotage any official change of command ceremony by having, in some fashion, The initials to the term "Fun Time Navy" somewhere in the official photograph they take as the admiral or what ever transfers the command to another officers. The one that I was intimate with still makes me shake my head in wonder at the ingenious ways these guys pull it off...and no one tells a soul how its done. Fortunately, I wasn’t sworn to secrecy...and this tale can be told.
I was one of the graphic aide developers at the course. I made essentially, all the signage for exhibits, special events and such, when I wasn’t out in the field teaching the doctors. One such special event was change of command ceremonies for the Navy personnel. Now in all of the services, CoC is a very big shindig, but with the Navy, well, they made it an awesome ceremony. Guys would pipe the officers on "Board" with the little Bo'sums Whistles. The guys would "line the rails" in their dress whites. They were very traditional ceremonies.
Well, one of the petty officers came to me at the last minute, and said they needed signage to mark the official spots for the parking of the Division Commanders Distinguished guests. His examples showed me exactly how the lay out was to be, the color of the wording, and the whole nine yards. I was instructed not to deviate from the wording or the lay out at all. So, I did as was instructed, and produced the items required that day in the shop.
It wasn’t till after the CoC, that I was called into the Air Force executive officers office, post haste. When I got there, there was one AF Colonel Laughing his tail off, and one red faced Navy Commander that was glaring bullets at me. In all my innocence, I respectfully asked what the problem was. That was when they showed me what the signs were all about.
I had made 15 Distinguished Visitor placards, with graphics of mermaids, anchors and such that fit around words that fit on narrow six inch wide parking signs, all like this:
Reserved
For The Navy
DIVONCC
Inspection
Party Only
Each one of them had stood at the head of each parking spot for each Naval Distinguished Visitor. Not only had everyone not noticed it till the signs were picked up later: There were several photos of people shaking hands in front of the signs in the parking spaces, after the change of command was over.
Fortunately, the guy that given me the layouts had signed out to a new berth on the west coast over the week end, leaving me to hold the inevitable bag. From the look on my colonel’s face, I knew I didn’t have anything to fear from him. It was that now, on board naval commander that was going to be my boss for the next year in training, which was going to be the problem.
Sheeessshh.
