You did a four-oh job of writing this piece, Tom. You made clear that the level of someone’s responsibilities can exceed the stripes on their arms and the brass on their collars. The finest officer I ever served under in the Navy was an LDO - a Limited Duty Officer. He was just a piddly lieutenant (in the USN, an O-3). But he was a mustang: he started out before the mast, advanced to Senior Chief (E-8), then was given a commission. He’d been an air traffic controller, so he was permitted to serve in only Air Ops billets (thus the LDO designation). But by virtue of his service in the enlisted and junior officer ranks, Lt. Krug had a wealth of technical, operational, organizational, institutional, and leadership knowledge and experience. Consequently, he and others I served under - LDOs, CWOs, senior chiefs, even petty officer firsts - were given responsibilities which exceeded their ranks by a pay grade or two. But that wouldn’t matter to Vance. He’d denigrate them for being mere JGs and chiefs, never mind the responsibilities they shouldered.

Crimeny Tom, your writing got me all worked up. All I’d meant to say is this. Some time today, when you have a moment to yourself, you need to pour yourself three fingers of the good stuff, kick back, raise your tumbler, and give yourself a solemn well-earned “Well Done” for this fine bit of writing.

CLaG, former petty officer second class air traffic controller, USN (1974-78).