Thursday, April 2, 2009

T-Minus Seven Days... This is Barco Launch Control.

WARNING DEPLOYMENT ORDER
IMMEDIATE
UNCLASSIFIED//
FM COMNAVHOMEFRONT JACKSONVILLE FL//WTF//
TO BARCO SIN VELA II PIRATES COVE
UNCLAS//N07873//
BT
MSGID/DEPLOYMENT ORDER ISO OPERATION BARCO SHIFT/SWWBO JACKSONVILLE//STFO/APR//
SUBJ/DEPLOYMENT PREPARATIONS//
POC/MAOGWAICAT/CDR/DIRECTOR CNHF/LOC: WESTSIDE, FL/TEL: 415-276-6126/EMAIL:MAOGWAICAT@GMAIL.xxxx.COM//
RMKS/1. THIS MESSAGE ANNOUNCES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BARCO SHIFT 02-2009.
2. UNIT DEPLOYING IS AUTHORIZED TO MOVE SUPPORT VESSELS TWO (2) OCEAN WAVE KAYAKS FROM STORAGE TO READY POSITIONS ONBOARD BARCO II. IN ADDITION:
PREPARE AVON INFLATABLE LANDING CRAFT WITH EITHER 3 HP OR 2.2 MERCURY OUTBOARD
ENABLE PORTABLE MESSING EQUIPMENT AND COOKING FACILITY FOR CREW (BARBECUE)
ACQUIRE FOUR (4) CASES OF LOW COST BARLEY POPS (PBR)FOR CREW CONSUMPTION
SIX (6) BOTTLES OF FERMENTED FRENCH BUBBLY FLUID FROM SHIPS STORES
SIX (6) 1.5 LITER BOTTLES OF ITALIAN PINOT GRIGIO
THREE GALLONS OF POL FOR OPERATION OF LANDING CRAFT
DRAW APPROPRIATE QUANTITIES BBB FOR NINE DAY TRANSIT/OPERATIONS INCLUDING
TROPICAL ATTIRE FOR OPERATIONAL CREW.
3. ADDITIONALLY, ISO BARCO SHIFT, DRAW APPROPRIATE QUANTITIES OF VARNISH AND TOOLS FOR BRIEF RAV PERIOD WHILE DEPLOYED TO ENABLE APPROPRIATE SHIPS MAINTENANCE TO OCCUR/HINDER LIBERTY PERIODS WHILE INPORT. MAINTAINING/IMPROVING SHIPS APPEARANCE IS A PRIORITY.
4. MAOGWAICAT SENDS//
BT
EFTO
////

I used to hate having to respond to these things, so many years ago. I even have forgotten how to format Naval Messages, never thought that could ever happen after 20 years of creating/reading/acting on these annoyances.

69 characters per line. No mistakes or typos, because you did not really know who was going to poop in your wheaties after a minor foul up.

No such thing as a minor foul up... your message could result in deploying needed assets to some crazy place like sending Winter Coats to Djibouti, or swim wear to Iceland.

"It" Happens!

I used to arrange for ships to visit and enjoy liberty in Hurghada, Egypt. TINS!

Anyways (sp. int), I will be gathering the above for preparing to shove off next Friday. Not too big a list, since most of the gear is just waiting. The kayaks will be a small hassle, I will probably put them on the Sunroof. Beer and wine will require a cooler, we already make ice on the sundeck.

The fridge has room for all perishable food, and cooking will mainly be on the new barbecue which I will have to railmount, Saturday.

There is plenty of sandpaper and varnish to renew rails and trim while we are hanging about at some of our anchorages.

One can't possibly drink beer and wine all day, can one?

I will give it the ol' college try.

Let the fun begin!

2 comments:

Buck said...

I even have forgotten how to format Naval Messages, never thought that could ever happen after 20 years of creating/reading/acting on these annoyances.

I couldn't even BEGIN to draft a message now, what with there being 24 years between me and active duty. But I DO remember what a freakin' hassle it was... Back in the Stone Age I drafted my messages by hand, which is to say I PRINTED the message in a form, passed it off to my admin for typing, proofed it when he was done typing (in triplicate!) and then ran messages down to the Comm Center for transmission... three or four times a day. That was the unclas stuff. There were MANY more hoops to jump through for classified traffic, including getting the appropriate "release" level involved... who might or might not be available when you needed him.

I hadn't thought about THAT for years and years, LOL! Thanks for that, Darryl. I think.

Bob said...

Wow, that took me back. I didn't mess with GENSER messages as handled by the radiomen, but learned to format that stuff in "A" school. I messed about with SI (Special Intelligence) messages, myself, was described as a "spook" by most of the ship's crews, with the exception of the Radiomen, who normally referred to me as a "gummy" (gumshoe).