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lessonslearned Double Check I


A company commander fi nds a teaching opportunity when he notices a junior offi cer is missing an important part of his uniform before a base-wide personnel inspection.


I was a company commander for my department, and the base executive of- fi cer tasked me with integrating into the command newly commissioned offi cers, whose direct appointments from college had not provided them much opportunity to learn Navy procedures. One morning, our enlisted personnel and offi cers were in formation, in preparation for a base-wide personnel inspection. I included those newly commissioned offi cers for what would be their fi rst formal inspection. As I walked down the line for a pre- inspection, I thought about how much I en- joyed working with these men and women whom I knew to be professional and enthu- siastic about their assignments. I also en- joyed working with the young offi cers, whose mistakes and misuse of what I called “com- mon knowledge” aff orded me many teaching opportunities. During my walk through


the ranks, I was checking the condition of the uniforms. As I walked, I recalled how often I had loaned my of- fi cer’s sword to the junior offi cers who complained to me a purchase was unaf- fordable. I recalled my sword had been returned after having been dropped point-down onto cement, thereby gain- ing a permanent bend at the point. I failed to notice that bend when it was returned. Just recently it had been re- turned very tightly stuck inside the scab- bard. I learned it had been used to cut a


1 02 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2014


wedding cake, and the offi cer replaced it in the scabbard without fi rst removing the icing. I wished then I had taken note while the icing remained soft. My inspection completed, I suddenly


experienced a troubling moment of un- ease; I had missed something. I turned and looked at the junior offi cers from behind and, in the second rank, discov- ered the source of my unease. There he stood with his hands slightly to the back of his legs — a junior offi cer wearing white socks on his hands rather than the prescribed white gloves. How could I explain this to the executive offi cer at my next briefi ng? It was too late to remove him, so I placed him in the back rank


attentiveness


between two large sailors and prayed he would not be required to salute while on the fi eld. Fortunately, his gloveless hand went undiscovered. This experience taught me two things:


to pay attention to details and to always act on a feeling that might be urging me to take more action or check one more time.


MO


— Donald R. Craig is a retired Navy captain and a Life Member of MOAA. He lives in Midland, Texas. For submission information, see page 6.


Tell Your Story Submit your lessons learned by email to profseries@moaa.org or by mail to MOAA Professional Series, 201 N. Washington St., Al- exandria, VA 22314. All submissions will be con- sidered for publication. Comment on the latest lesson or share your own at www.moaa.org/ lessonslearned.


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