The following is a story I heard often while serving in the JFK. Seems just before Big John was to pull out she got a new XO. Shortly after departing Norfolk she was to top off her fuel. As each designated BMC began to ready their respective refueling stations and ensure their crews were prepared for this dangerous evolution the XO suddenly appeared at the station I believe was just aft of the number three elevator. If memory serves me, that station was several feet above that elevator when it was fully down and could only be accessed by one ladder. This made it very dangerous, because if anything went wrong there was no place to go. Anyway as the XO appeared the BMC walked over and barked the he could not stay in that area, it was off limits during UNREPS. The XO barked back that it was HIS ship and he could go anywhere he wanted to. So, the BMC said OK sir, but stand over there and stay out of the way. Now this BMC was an old hand at this, and had placed his biggest, and perhaps dumbest sailor next to the fittings where the hoses and lines connect to the ship during the evolution with one order, when and if he, and only him, yelled; break away, break away, break away, he was to hit the release that let go of all the lines at that station, and then to get the hell out of the way. Well, lines were passed, the hoses brought over and soon fuel was being piped aboard. It was during this part of evolution that something went amiss on one of the two ships and they suddenly began to drift further apart. Assessing the danger of the situation as the lines and hoses tightened the Boats turned and gave the command to break away, but immediately the XO stepped forward and said hold on a second. It was at that point the Boats knocked the XO out of the way with a well placed forearm to his chest and hit the release himself. Unfortunately for the XO he was hit hard enough he flew over the safety rail and onto the elevator several feet below. He was soon medevaced to shore side to be patched up. A month later he was back aboard on crutches and quickly wrote up the BMC for assault on an officer. During Captains Mast the CO listened to the XO, and then turned to the BMC and asked him, is it true, you knocked the XO off the platform? The chief said yes it was. The CO then asked why on earth did you do that? The Boats replied, ask the XO what he was trying to do. The CO got the story out of the XO, much to his amazement. He then dismissed everyone but the XO. Loud words where heard coming through the door from only one person, then the XO appeared with his head down and face red. Within 48 hours that XO was gone and a new officer reported aboard to replace him. NOTHING was brought up again to the Boats about the incident.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 17:08:49 +0000
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