Getting back to the final week of deployment...which I didn't finish before we returned home and I got distracted by all the homecoming things. During the deployment we ran two sets of Damage Control Olympics, the winners changing between the two events, which is great for fostering true competition. At some point in the second competition, my Junior Officers starting competing within their Repair Lockers and decided that for the final DC Olympics, the wardroom would field their own team. This is somewhat amusing because other than at schools, Officers don't do the actual work, they direct and monitor the repair efforts. We knew they wouldn't win, but it's good for everyone when the Officers do something that's out of their normal range.
There were a few truly comical moments, as when this team decided to show how confident they were in their pipe patching efforts moments before the water was opened full bore. They got soaked...
At some point I noticed this trio was doing most of the work, so I grabbed the senior Department Head and told him to pick a team for the next event, which involved setting up a water powered fan used to take smoke out of a space following a fire. I should have been more specific, because he picked me and the XO. That last time I'd set one of those up was probably in the early to mid 1990s and the XO was only a few years more recent than me. We were going to be fumbling like dummies out there - I even considered saying no, but in the end I joined in. I could say it was all about setting the example, but really, I just have too much pride to back out like a scaredy cat. We watched one team run the course and decided on a game plan.
We beat the three other teams by a full minute. It's always good to add some credibility to the bank, you know?
Well, of course you beat the other teams! If you were smart enough to have a roll of duct tape with you, you could accomplish just about anything!
Posted by: Susan | May 16, 2011 at 02:19 PM