Hut, two, three, bore
Welllllll.... going out of the navy seems to be about as dignified experience as coming in was, except without the naked physical. First the punchline: So, after 4 1/2 hours of processing, I had accomplished one thing. I had peed in a cup.
The set-up: As any good senior chief would, I arrived on base about 0610, got in the pass and decal line and waited in line to get a temporary pass that would make my new car all legal. Then I headed over to the Personnel Department. I figured they'd open at 0730 to be able to serve the fine working folk of the Atlantic Fleet. Took a while to find it, but I finally zeroed in on it. GOOD GOOGLY MOOGLY! The sign says they open from 0900-1700. Ain't those civilian hours??
So I head over to McDonalds for some coffee and a paper. I have time to kill. Takes a while to find it but I circle it twice, head away from it once (while forgetting which side of the road I was expected to drive on and giving a dude in an old Ford truck just the excuse he needed to go ballistic first thing in the AM), and then accidentaly get on the correct road, which is Ajax Rd if you're keeping score at home, and stumble across Mickey D's. By this time, I too, am lovin' it.
McDonalds, located deep in the boonies of the base, does not have a newspaper machine.
Two hours passes agonizingly slow, I drive back to personnel, which is a might easier the second time around, enter the building and go to the window that says RETIREMENTS/SEPARATIONS and have a seat in the waiting area. Long story short, much to my surprise, if you are retiring or separating you do not go to this window. Or at least I don't. Instead, I get told to go to the PSD Detachment in TPU (Temporary Personnel Unit, where apparently, my personnelhood is merely temporary). Don't know how long that'll take to find, so I relieve myself of the fine McDonalds coffee I have processed and set off to find it.
I go pretty much straight there, head in to TPU PSD and they won't talk to me until I officially check in. "OK", I say, "But I ain't gonna live here." They assure me I can live wherever I want, so I fill out the check in sheet. They hand me a checklist, and the first item is GO TO BLDG 7H FOR URINALYSIS. Luckily I had just peed. Even more luckily, I have a tendency to not be able to pee when someone is staring at my parts. Someone is definately going to be staring at my parts while I do this. And he's not even friendly looking.
Two hours and fifteen minutes later, time that I will not get back, we have a full cup, there are high fives all around, and I am on my way. On my way to do nothing.
Now that I am ready, I am informed that the petty officer who will check me out is not here today but will almost certianly be in tomorrow. But this other petty officer will get me started good.
This young PO, while pleasant enough, basically had me write my name and SSN on the top and bottom of 4 forms, had me sign 6 page 13's saying I had been briefed on these various issues, which I hadn't, but then again, didn't want to be either, and then stated, "I don't really know what PN1 is gonna want you to do, so I think we're finished for now.
I went home. No wonder they say it'll take up to 10 days to out process.
I am a patient man. I am Gumby-like. I am zen and I am as one with my universe. I am gonna blow up at one of these people soon, if this doesn't get a little more organized soon. You've been tode.
Jn- Awesome trip you got planned. I would have also stopped in Rio or Brasillia for a day or 12, but still I am envious. Yes, I know my geography and yet still stick by that statement. You're off the hook for peacock bass this go round, which I'm not really sure are in Peru anyway. I know there are llamas or something kin, but I think not on the fish. DRE has informed me that they have been introduced into the canals down Miami way. I am so there. I know, I know, it's a jungle down there. But....they got the BASS!
Gotta go back to my temporary personhood and start playing navy again.
Adios, peeps and peepages.
Travelin' Ed
The set-up: As any good senior chief would, I arrived on base about 0610, got in the pass and decal line and waited in line to get a temporary pass that would make my new car all legal. Then I headed over to the Personnel Department. I figured they'd open at 0730 to be able to serve the fine working folk of the Atlantic Fleet. Took a while to find it, but I finally zeroed in on it. GOOD GOOGLY MOOGLY! The sign says they open from 0900-1700. Ain't those civilian hours??
So I head over to McDonalds for some coffee and a paper. I have time to kill. Takes a while to find it but I circle it twice, head away from it once (while forgetting which side of the road I was expected to drive on and giving a dude in an old Ford truck just the excuse he needed to go ballistic first thing in the AM), and then accidentaly get on the correct road, which is Ajax Rd if you're keeping score at home, and stumble across Mickey D's. By this time, I too, am lovin' it.
McDonalds, located deep in the boonies of the base, does not have a newspaper machine.
Two hours passes agonizingly slow, I drive back to personnel, which is a might easier the second time around, enter the building and go to the window that says RETIREMENTS/SEPARATIONS and have a seat in the waiting area. Long story short, much to my surprise, if you are retiring or separating you do not go to this window. Or at least I don't. Instead, I get told to go to the PSD Detachment in TPU (Temporary Personnel Unit, where apparently, my personnelhood is merely temporary). Don't know how long that'll take to find, so I relieve myself of the fine McDonalds coffee I have processed and set off to find it.
I go pretty much straight there, head in to TPU PSD and they won't talk to me until I officially check in. "OK", I say, "But I ain't gonna live here." They assure me I can live wherever I want, so I fill out the check in sheet. They hand me a checklist, and the first item is GO TO BLDG 7H FOR URINALYSIS. Luckily I had just peed. Even more luckily, I have a tendency to not be able to pee when someone is staring at my parts. Someone is definately going to be staring at my parts while I do this. And he's not even friendly looking.
Two hours and fifteen minutes later, time that I will not get back, we have a full cup, there are high fives all around, and I am on my way. On my way to do nothing.
Now that I am ready, I am informed that the petty officer who will check me out is not here today but will almost certianly be in tomorrow. But this other petty officer will get me started good.
This young PO, while pleasant enough, basically had me write my name and SSN on the top and bottom of 4 forms, had me sign 6 page 13's saying I had been briefed on these various issues, which I hadn't, but then again, didn't want to be either, and then stated, "I don't really know what PN1 is gonna want you to do, so I think we're finished for now.
I went home. No wonder they say it'll take up to 10 days to out process.
I am a patient man. I am Gumby-like. I am zen and I am as one with my universe. I am gonna blow up at one of these people soon, if this doesn't get a little more organized soon. You've been tode.
Jn- Awesome trip you got planned. I would have also stopped in Rio or Brasillia for a day or 12, but still I am envious. Yes, I know my geography and yet still stick by that statement. You're off the hook for peacock bass this go round, which I'm not really sure are in Peru anyway. I know there are llamas or something kin, but I think not on the fish. DRE has informed me that they have been introduced into the canals down Miami way. I am so there. I know, I know, it's a jungle down there. But....they got the BASS!
Gotta go back to my temporary personhood and start playing navy again.
Adios, peeps and peepages.
Travelin' Ed
That's what I'm about. Ramblin' Ed at 3:52 AM
3 comments:
Hang in there, Travelin' Ed. That monthly deposit by the Eagle makes it all worth it.
Sorry Ed, I don't envy you right now. By the time I get back you will be all squared away though. That should be exciting-Jn
Been there.
Pipedragger
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