Escape Trainer

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

That’s a non-standard Door Engineer

That’s a non-standard Door Engineer
As will happen on patrol the troops get bored. Looking for something to do that will have impact and at the same time be free from harmful effects can be a challenge in it self. Sometimes, it can back fire.
After a particularly grueling week of drills and field days the engineering divisions decided something had to be done to show the crew was getting tired of this.
During the mid-watch on the first opportunity the stateroom door on the engineers stateroom was removed and hidden in another compartment. 
Of course he was offended and humiliated. It worked. Briefly. But, he immediately called for the Auxiliaryman of the Watch Forward. I stumbled into the weird room berthing area and was shocked to see his door gone! He demanded that I return with his door before he was in his rack. 
Being un-informed of the nature of the prank I was duped also. Returning to him as ordered but with out the door, I was ordered to awaken the off going Aux. Fwd. and have him report to the Engineer. 
The off going AuxFwd was an MM2 skimmer to Submarine sailor conversion on his first patrol. A bit of a stiff neck. 
I gave the situation no more thought until my watch was over. Since it was morning no movie was scheduled and since we had been doing field days every day for a more than a week no serious outstanding work was in the queue. I headed for my rack. I was headed off by the messenger of the watch "Report to the Engineer" (so he could tell me to search for his door for six hours). I would lend it all of the attention it deserved. 
As I walked into the weird room berthing area I was surprised to see the off going AuxFwd I had awakened several hours ago standing at attention with his right hand forming a fist held tight at his right side. I tried to greet him but he refused to talk or acknowledge me. So I looked over his shoulder to address the Eng. The Eng. told me to knock on the "door". So, that was the game. 
I knocked on the forehead of the 'enlightened skimmer' and he said 'knock-knock'. I was granted permission to enter. I turned the right hand of MM2/DOOR and pushed him backward. He pivoted on his left side, just like a real door.
In an attempt to bring some humor to his plight he squeaked as he opened. Oops!
This did not bode well for him. The Eng. immediately called for the AuxFwd. When he arrived he was ordered to return with enough graphite grease to "grease the entire length of that squeaky hinge". 
The look of fear spread across the face of MM2/DOOR.
The AuxFwd being the dutiful enthusiastic young man he was, greased the door from ear to ankle. 
Of course this was intended to strike fear in the hearts of those 'guilty' parties and have his door returned. 
Enlisted men in Submarines being somewhat "different", it had the exact opposite effect. 
For over a week various crew members stood 'Acting door'watch after standing their usual watch station duty. 24 hours a day. 
On top of that, field days were lengthened to help sap the abundant energy of a mischievous crew. 
Eventually, the X.O. had to order the door returned over the 1MC, as the Engineers two other room mates, at times, had difficulty getting the door to operate 'like the old one'. 
It just goes to show, you better watch out what you ask for... you might just get it. We did.

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