Either the BBC was wrong, or the Burmese ruling junta changed their mind. Either way, we don't currently have permission to enter their territory. That said, we may do it anyway. Apparently the SecDef said something like "I don't envision a circumstance in which we violate Burmese sovereignty. But we do intend to deliver aid to their people somehow." To me, that sounds like a somewhat non-specific denial. Without the Harriers we're not exactly set up to defeat a major air defense network. But from what I hear of the circumstances on the ground over there, they never had much of a defense net, and what they had is probably wrecked right now anyway. We're planning to go in.

The internet continues to be spotty aboard the ship, but at least now I know why. There's a motor that rotates our satellite dish to keep it pointed in the correct direction. Apparently that motor is acting up. The ship's crew was going to work on it yesterday afternoon, but then things went all crazy.

I'm still dehydrated from yesterday. I've not spent much time of the flight deck today, but I'm thirsty and pounding water. It's 1035 and I've chugged three liters in the last four hours. Everyone was working so hard yesterday that their water absorption just couldn't keep up. We had a guy go down as a heat casualty in the berthing this morning. He got up crazy early, put in a couple of hours at the gym (apparently not drinking water), came back to shower up after the workout, and passed out in our berthing's head. We didn't call a "man down" and wait for a stretcher party from medical; a bunch of the guys grabbed a blanket off a nearby bunk, soaked it in cold water, and used the wet blanket as a stretcher to cool him and simultaneously hustle him to medical. I hope someone brings him some clothes. No word on what the SgtMaj is going to do to him, but I'll wager she's most unhappy. We're short-handed as is, we can't afford people going down because they're being stupid during their off-time.

Speaking of short-handed, I get to put on another hat. The whole ordnance shop went ashore with the skids to show the flag with the exercise in Thailand. We're doing a servicing phase on one of the CH-46's still on the boat, and there are a couple of required tasks that are to be done by the ordies. So I think I'll be getting a temporary ordnance CDI certification so that I and my workers can do their jobs.

That works out well for me, because all ranks up to Corporals are given numerical scores that govern their promotion. As a Sergeant, I now have a semi-annual Fitness Report. I'll have to write up a bullet list of accomplishments, and cross-training outside your field always looks good. Also, the shop's SNCOIC assigns the scores for E-1 to E-4, so I've always been evaluated by my Sergeants, Staff Sergeants, and Gunnys. E-5 abd up get FitReps, and are evaluated by the first officer in their chain of command. So now I get graded by the Captain, not by my Gunny. Of course, Gunny still gives me my daily instructions, and I answer to him; and I'm sure the Captain will consult with Gunny while grading me. Still, it's an interesting difference.

Also, I looked at my latest paycheck. Woo hoo! E-4 to E-5 is the second-biggest pay increase out there, percentage-wise. (The only one bigger is Captain to Major, O-3 to O-4). The same two reasons for the jump apply in both cases. First, anyone that's not a screwup can make it to E-4 or O-3 in their first term of obligated service. But E-5 and O-4 are the start of the career ranks. The pay increases to encourage people to stay. Second, the biggest jump in responsibility happens at E-5 and O-4. Those are the levels at which you are assumed capable of operating independently.

Posted by: Boviate at 11:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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