Butch in the Box sent me a PowerPoint brief demonstrating the tough love culture of naval aviation. The brief itself can be found here (right click, save as) but highlights are provided below:
In the beginning was the jacket, and the jacket was precious on account of the “been there, done that” patches, but it got left behind.
And the Training Officer found the aforementioned bit of flight gear laying adrift, and like any good Training Officer he made things right. And that’s when the unassailable court of squadron opinion was benched:
The evidence -
(Friday, October 15, 2004)
Wally’s jacket is found unattended in Bldg 797 classroom by fellow aviator.
Attempts to locate Wally are unsuccessful.
Jacket is placed in Training Officer’s locker for safe-keeping until Wally and his patch-saturated jacket are properly reunited.
(Thursday, October 21, 2004 8:15am )
Wally sends an e-mail to “all VS-41” inferring that the jacket has been stolen. He claims to have had it in his possession “just last night”.
(E-mail of Thursday, October 21, 2004)
“Last night at 1600 I left my flight jacket where I left it for the past 6 months, on the back of my chair in room 202 in bldg 797. When I came in this morning at 0730 it was missing.”
(The jacket had been in the TO’s locker for 6 days at this point…)
The Charges-
Failure to accept responsibility for his own actions when he lost positive control of his crap.
Not once did he ever mention that the jacket might have been “lost” or “misplaced”.
Implying that there are thieves among your co-workers is not very neighborly.
Acting like a Drama-Queen in describing the loss of his jacket and patches.
Specifically,
(E-mail of Thursday, October 21, 2004)
‚ÄúIf you might know where it is I’d really appreciate getting it back, it’s irreplaceable‚Ķ and it serves a personal memento of my operational experience.‚Äù
Sounds like you’re describing your cruise sock…
The penalty assessed -
If you want to act like a whiny broad, you might as well dress like one too…
Here endeth the lesson.
26 responses so far ↓
1
Steve
// Apr 3, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Hmmm… Kinda looks like he landed on the wrong deck
2
FbL
// Apr 3, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Yikes! Lesson learned, I hope.
3
AW1 Tim
// Apr 3, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Cap’n,
Heh. Perhaps he was in receipt of orders to USS San Francisco?
Aviation always takes humour to a whole new level….
Respects,
4
Brian
// Apr 3, 2007 at 9:09 pm
“Sounds like you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re describing your cruise sock?¢‚Ǩ¬¶”
That was funny as hell.
I really like the little pink fluff balls, myself. Maybe we should adopt that practice -one for each trap…;-)
5
Justthisguy
// Apr 3, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Ah, yes, brutal honesty is, I’m afraid, a necessary thing among those who risk violent death even in peacetime.
Most ’specially toward those glib socially facile folks who just don’t “get” what’s serious and what ain’t.
It may be permissible to lie to your enemies, but not to friends and comrades.
It really is that serious.
Am glad the punishment was so light-hearted and easy-going.
I hope it worked.
6
Justthisguy
// Apr 3, 2007 at 11:49 pm
P.S. I think some brutal honesty, had it been applied, might have saved Kara Hultgreen from a nasty death, and the Navy from a scandal.
7
OldRetiredChief
// Apr 4, 2007 at 12:35 am
Could’ve been worse, could have been dyed pink. That has been known to happen. Flight jackets (especially leather flight jackets) have always been a high pilferage item. Amoung the enlisted aircrew ranks during my day the ransom of a flight jacket was a case of beer - minimum.
8
ASM
// Apr 4, 2007 at 3:36 am
Now that is funny! I think he’ll have to retire that jacket, get a patch free issue jacket and move on. He was ok until he questioned the honor of his shipmates, then all bets were off.
Semper Fi,
ASM826
9
badbob
// Apr 4, 2007 at 3:56 am
This one still lives, eh? I would have sent it to you as it unfolded but I hadn’t found your site yet.
I think the test article made it to eBay, too.
The epilogue to this is that Wally is now a Hornet bubba. His F.I.G.M.O. status during this “incident” most likely contributed to his malaise, as y’all can imagine…..
b2
10
Tammi
// Apr 4, 2007 at 6:15 am
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
11
MajMike
// Apr 4, 2007 at 6:23 am
maybe could have used some spangles at the waist line, i hear they appear very “slimming’…
12
EJ Smith
// Apr 4, 2007 at 6:38 am
That’ll learn him!
I don’t see any bells though. I think bells would go along with the whistles that he is sure to get wearing that!
13
Kris, in New England
// Apr 4, 2007 at 7:09 am
MajMike: “…maybe could have used some spangles at the waist line, i hear they appear very ?¢‚Ǩ?ìslimming?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢?¢‚Ǩ¬¶”
No, that would be to make it an Empire waistline - up higher on the chest so as to fall in a flowing manner beyond the hips. Trimmed with the pink stuff and accented with the glorious fringe and voila - a punishment indeed.
14
prowlerguy600
// Apr 4, 2007 at 7:50 am
Umm, not to wet anyone’s cornflakes with unauthorized liquid, did anyone else notice that the original flight jacket and the “purty” one are not the same? The second one seem to be a spoof, since patches are placed at random places (notice the 200 traps scroll all by itself on the right shoulder), there is no nametag, and the POW/MIA is no longer on the left sleeve.
15
Monkeyboy
// Apr 4, 2007 at 8:51 am
I don’t care who you are, thats funny right there.
“No slack in medium attack.”
16
George AC1 Retired
// Apr 4, 2007 at 9:46 am
I thought this was a site for NAVAL aviation, looks like an Air Farce flight jacket to me!
17
CPT J
// Apr 4, 2007 at 10:44 am
Flight Jacket,Village People, aviation, standard issue…
“IN THE NAYVEEEE….”
18
prowlerguy600
// Apr 4, 2007 at 10:51 am
AW1 Tim - Heh. Perhaps he was in receipt of orders to USS San Francisco?
Nahh. He was going off to become a Fighter/Attack Guy. When in Rome, …
19
Rick
// Apr 4, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Should have been required to wear it during Shellback initiation!
20
Jim C
// Apr 4, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Oh, ouch… Pay backs a b**ch.
21
chic[k]pilot
// Apr 4, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Beeeeuteful! I thought the jacket was a bit flaming before the added…. flair, but hey, us AF pilots let our flying do the talking, not our apparel. And thanks for specifying “whiny broad,” as most female pilots are known as “cool chicks.”
22
SJBill
// Apr 4, 2007 at 9:23 pm
prowlerguy600
Concur your observation 100%. None of the patches match up — neither arm matches, neither front panel matches. The 200 trap and 1000 hours scrolls sit by their lonesome.
If’n it was real, I’m sure theyda done a better job. Looks like some Blackshoe April Fools prank to me.
-SJBill
23
Glenn M. Cassel, AMH1(AW), Retired
// Apr 4, 2007 at 9:47 pm
You had to mention VS-41? North Island Non-Hackers. OK, Maybe passable tankers?
VA-145(79-82), VA-128(82-85&89-92)
No further discussion required.
24
badbob
// Apr 5, 2007 at 4:46 am
I always like to see a metal-bender, E-6, Air-Warfare o’course, retired, branding a squadron-community as non-hackers…..sounds mean & petty. Take yourself below to WC 110.
Yes, the second jacket was staged. But I have heard it was forwarded to VFA-125 (RAG) for LT Wally’s “Hail”. Of course his jacket was returned to him beforehand. It does get chilly in Lee-More. JOPA is ruthless but not un-humanitarian.
As y’all can see Wally was formerly in Byron’s son-in-laws old squadron. Small world. I’m sure you’ve all noticed.
b2
25
Bill
// Apr 6, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Mines been hanging in the attic closet for 15yrs now. Don’t miss it much. Now my cruise sock… ha, always felt bad for not pinning a SWASM on it - after all it was right there with me, through thick and thin… so to speak
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