of being relieved of CATCC watch? Finally, he was able to get it out.
“After Sponge nicked the top loading strap with fumes remaining, I’m thinking, ‘Fuck it! Punch out now — and live! Break the chain.’ I made a recommendation and Saint goes ballistic, adding no value.” Wilson felt like he was whining.
“I’da done the same.” Weed said.
“Well, better not, or you’ll be relieved, too.”
“Saint isn’t qualified to carry your helmet bag.”
Both pilots knew about Saint Patrick’s carrier bona fides. As a junior officer, he had made one deployment, and, as a department head, was in a squadron that had a long turnaround between deployments. Saint had rotated out before they went across the pond.
Weed shook his head and resumed, “Three hundred and ten career traps. Smoke has more than that. And XO has never been CATCC watch on cruise in his life, not even this cruise. Hey, why don’t you schedule him for one?”
Wilson allowed a faint smile. “Because I care about you guys.”
Unfazed, Weed continued. “Saint knows paperwork though! That’s the way to command. Admiral’s aide, staff weenie, War College, Pentagon Joint Staff. Punch tickets and visit a cockpit once in a while, a long while. Having the right last name helps, too.”
Wilson appreciated the comments of his indignant roommate. If he wouldn’t — or couldn’t — unburden himself, Weed would do it for him.
“And then a middle-management job as XO/CO… Let’s send Saint to the Ravens. They are due to be brutalized. I mean, how much damage can one incompetent commander do in one tour?”
“The horror, the horror.”
“Yep. Where do we get such men indeed?” Weed got up and clapped his hands to end the bull session. “Been to the ready room?”
“Uhhmm… to help Prince with the initial mishap report. XO made the call to Norfolk.”
“C’mon, man. Let’s go to the ready room and help Dutch write up the follow-on message. Then we can go to midrats and get a slider.”
Wilson lifted himself up in the chair and exhaled. “Those things can kill you, ya know.”
“Yep, but since we are surrounded by machinery, tons of ordnance and jet fuel below us, teenagers everywhere, homicidal maniac XOs, the raging sea outside and hostile countries over the horizon, I’ll take my chances. And I’ll have mine with cheese.”
“You forgot the nuclear water we drink.”
“Which makes great bug juice and mixes well with scotch… or so I’m told.”
