About 6 months before my active duty enlistment was up, I drew another assignment that took me off the computer room floor. Somewhat SOP, they didn’t want those leaving close to their IBM mainframes. As my time became shorter and shorter, my uniform and demeanor become more bootcamp like. I was not going to give them any excuse to hold me longer. I also carried 60 days leave over June 1st that with the extra accumulation would give me Thanksgiving at home and 2 1/2 months terminal leave. Then they denied 17 days of my terminal leave. I was miserable and depressed those last days. Turns out they wanted to hold a formation to give me some kind of award. I thanked them but would have traded it for those 17 days in a heartbeat. So I understand there maybe moral issues with the extended mission on the Lincoln aircraft carrier. Having stayed at the disappointing Trump Las Vegas hotel, my sympathy is with the crew. Reports are that one of the crew jumped overboard and there may have been other attempts. Hegseth acts like the worst officers and NCOs I remember from the Marines. He has been purging effective command officers and as we used to say, “Spit rolls downhill.” Bob Wilson
Very likely both. My time on an aircraft carrier was depressing enough with 12 on 12 off 7 days a week and random general quarters* exercises during your rest/meal/cleanup hours. But at least we could count on getting out of the service on time. *A unique alarm sounds with the speakers wailing "General Quarters, general quarters, all hands man your battle stations!" You had a couple of minutes to jump into your gear and navigate several stairs to get to your battle station before the bulkhead doors shut.
