Really? Really!

Right out of boot camp(1996) I went to Naval Air Technical Training Center, NATTC in Pensacola FL. We prepared for a visit from the Chief of Naval Operations, CNO, highest ranking official in the Navy.

We scrubbed our barracks top to bottom like he was going to inspect our rooms or something. Everything was in ship shape. His entourage arrived and had us ready and in formation for his arrival. I was a barracks section leader and required to greet him. All my training had me prepared...I was set to make a good impression. Admiral Johnson arrived and he casually reached into his pocket of his trousers. After a few seconds, I said, "We keep our hands out of our pockets shipmate." Pissed him off immediately! His eyebrows dropped and he stormed through the doors of the barracks and went straight through never even glancing at our barracks. He never said a word.

I got chewed out for about an hour, but I was right because I was told to correct anyone not following the rules. "You don't call the CNO shipmate when you've never even been aboard a ship and you damn sure don't correct him!" Sorry, that's how you trained me.

I pissed off the highest in command in the Navy and basically, I got away with it. Admiral Jay L. Johnson...mad at me for a minute but I'll never forget his face the only time I ever spoke to him. At the time I didn't think it was ballsy....but I'm proud that I did it now.