Work Week

                             C077 February 21-April 25 1990

Infamous work week. A week, where we were, got to be sort of left to our own. The week the CC's called I and I week, Intercourse and Intoxication.

Our company was split up all over the base. Most of us went to the Galley. I did like work week, it did turn out to be fun. All of us Galley workers got us before o' dark early and made our way to the Galley.

I do not recall how exactly they gave out the jobs, but I got to be a milkman on line 1. It was pretty straight forward, keep milk in the cooler. Clean the cooler and the area around it. The hard thing was setting the milk container in the cooler without making a massive mess.

The first time I tried to put in a new box of milk, I made a massive mess. But, I learned how to avoid that next time. The job was not hard. We were on our feet a good deal that week. It was fun getting time to be yourself a little and talking to people. I worked with a young lady from our sister company SR Ribbett (sp) (I hope that is her name. I remember so few of them). She was really nice.

We started talking almost the moment we were put on the same line. She took care of the tables, writing down the time, keeping them clean, and keeping them stocked. There was another girl from a different company, didn't talk to her much.

So, your SR Ribbett and I are talking one day, and she tells me she has to deliver messages from some of the girls to guys in our company. They were setting up dates for controlled liberty. Not like that is a shock. So, I help her make the deliveries that she needed to. I get a shock, she has one for me. At the time, I was engaged, and at that time, my fiance was coming to my PIR. I had to turn the young lady down. I know, crazy. Other dates for controlled liberty were made during this time. I was joined by another guy from a different company. While we were talking, I mentioned Rochelle, Illinois. It seemed his mom was from there. He spent summers there at his grandparents. I went to high school in Rochelle.

On parent's night, he found me and introduced me to his mom. Our moms looked at one another, they went to high school together all those years before. 

If we were finished cleaning our station after each meal, we would help the girls clean It helped everyone out in the end so we could get an extra 10 or 15 minutes downtime. One afternoon we had to use buffers to scrub the floor. That was actually impressive to see the whole group work together for the common goal. It was my first of many times I used a buffer. We knocked out that floor and had it reset in plenty of time for chow. I think we even got some time off.

My work week, like so many others, was cut short due to dental work. I still had my wisdom teeth, so I was off to get them pulled. I did enjoy my time working with SR Ribbet (I hope I remember her name correct). We did get to see each other in class after that or when we passed them on the street. We would smile at one another when it happened. After PIR, I never saw her again.

One meaningful encounter with a Senior company came during a storm. The group was almost done eating when the streets were secured. Ribbet told them their time was up. One particular recruit was being an ass. He said the streets are secure, and I am not moving. She asked me to talk to him. I tell him the same thing, it is time to go. You will have to wait to go out, other companies need to sit to eat. He told me to F off or something like that.

One of the regular Galley staff PO saw us talking and came over, “Is there a problem.”
“Yeah, work week wants us to get up. The streets are secure.”
The staff PO askes us if we told them to get up. Both of us reply, yes. He pulled a street mark from the guy and told him to get the F up and go up front so others can eat.

Dental was not all that thrilling. Well, we did get bed rest and light-duty afterward.

I never understood why they only pulled two of my wisdom teeth and left the others. That was taken care of at Great Lakes later on.

The Lt. broke one of mine, taking it out. He had the CDR come over and show him how to finish the extraction. Although I have bad teeth, dental work did not bother me much. All four of my wisdom teeth had fillings in them. I was given pain killers and that oh so important bed rest and light-duty paper. Two days of each.

On the way back to the compartment to sleep, I ran into a couple of CC's. The first noticeable thing was I was not double-timing. The second was my fat cheek. I address them as best I can.
"And Halt. WTF Adams, you on work week?”
"Yes, sir."

“Oh, looks like some dental work. Does it hurt?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, Get your ass outta here.”
Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Off to my compartment to enter. Pound on the door and try to sound off. That didn’t work well. But two days to sleep and lay around.
We had already been warned the day after work week we were getting cycled. It was all part of the game. BUT! I had light duty.

I do not recall if a garbage can was used of just their voices, but the CC’s had up out of our racks and on the line. I heard the words medical chit and step forward.
“The rest of you, DROP!!!”

As the rest of the company was getting cycled us with light-duty got an earful.

Work week was over. C077 and K051 were on the way to being senior companies!

*Side Note - The pictures are from Orlando NTC, not RTC. I did the best I could.*