1130 Hours Local, August 1, Royal Navy Conference Center, Diego Garcia,
Indian Ocean
Walking out of the intelligence conference opening session with LTC Roberts Mac couldn't help herself. 'Lieutenant Commander Roberts? Wow! It's hard to believe how far he's come since our first meeting.'
"Colonel? Ma'am are you okay?"
Mac snapped out of her daydream. "I'm fine. I was just working to get a grip on the vision of you with the extra half stripe. By the way, that was good work this morning with the briefing, and the rough handling during the Q&A."
"I've spent the last few days trapped between Adm. Boone and Commander Rabb, excuse me, Captain, on this material. I'll promise you that this morning's round of 20 questions was a walk through The Rose Garden compared with some of those sessions.
"I can't start to tell you how tense some of those meetings were, but it was a great study in command presence. The CAG and Harm, at times, would be screaming at each other over some point or another, but when that issue was settled it was over. A lot of the stuff was extremely sensitive, and the direction the new program is heading will be a very hard sell when it's presented to the SECDEF. Even Adm. Chegwidden is a little tense about how this will all work out."
"Well, Bud, the only thing I can tell you for sure is 'all of that is thousands of miles away now.'"
0005 Hrs Local, August 1, Blair House, Washington, DC
It had been one of those Alice in Wonderland days, starting with a command performance with the SECDEF that turned into a briefing of the Vice President and the Secretary at the VP's office in the Old Executive Office Building. The day's second command performance was an appearance at a reception and later a dinner at the Vice President's residence.
Walking into the reception at The Kennedy Center much earlier in the evening Harm entered the most elevated political and social circles in Washington. As one of the secretary's aides handled the introductions Harm was surprised at the breadth of political thought present. The Georgian who was the former speaker of the United States House of Representatives anchored one end of the political spectrum. The other extreme was ably handled by a Congresswoman from California more known for her opposition of anything Republican.
Moving from person to person the SECDEF had a positive word, a joke, or a compliment for everyone in the room. When he approached Harm it was with a warm smile. "Welcome captain. I am pleased you were able to join us. It's going to be a little hectic here, but after the concert and dinner please plan to stay around for a bit. Some people would like to meet you." With that he moved on.
The National Symphony's performance had been spectacular and dinner was a warm, intimate affair among friends. Once after dinner drinks were served the evening's political work started. A plainclothes agent escorted Harm to the small study off the main foyer at the residence, and when he entered the Vice President and the Secretary both stood.
"Captain, welcome to Blair House, and thank you for remaining as the evening has wound down. I am sure it's been a long day for you, but I would like to have a few more minutes of your time," the vice president opened. "The work that you and Tom Boone have turned out is excellent, but I am sure you have managed to infuriate most of the establishment with the conclusions offered.
"Son, there's no doubt in my mind that we're going to have to face up to some enormous political, economic, and military challenges in the months ahead, and the boss doesn't want to be caught on the blind side. That's why the DOD has been tasked with self-generating a new mission and why it is critical that all of the services start looking at the whole 'big picture' rather than watching their respective backsides.
"The Navy, at least at this point, seems to have managed to put more of its parochial interests in the bottle and start moving toward the future. I'm frankly amazed, but I guess Don was on the right track when he slotted Chegwidden into his office and in turn pulled Tom Boone back into harness.
"Here is where we are right now: Things are going to change because the boss wants more bang for the taxpayer buck, and he wants more flexibility in how we respond to events in the world. Captain, the President wants to be able to swing a big bat if he needs one, and our responsibility is to give him one.
"Thank you again for coming this evening. I suspicion we will be seeing more of you in the months ahead." With that the Vice President shook hands and walked away, and when Harm walked out of the study the party had broken up. With a nod from the ever-present Secret Service team he retrieved his car and pulled out of the residence into the light late night traffic.
0045 Hrs Local, August 1, Pennsylvania Ave., S.E., Washington DC
Still keyed up from the day's events Harm realized he would not be able to sleep, so he parked along The Avenue and walked into one of the little bars that lined the street, and a trio was finishing up a jazz set as he made his way to the bar to find a seat and a beer.
The Sam Adams was just starting to cut through the tension that always built up between his shoulders when he was under pressure as a firm hand clamped down on his right shoulder. Harm glanced up to the back bar mirror and saw Tom Boone at his side.
"Good job today counselor. How were things in Fantasyland?"
"CAG, I'm not sure. The SECDEF and the VP both had good things to say about our little project, but I can't help but think that we've just scratched the surface of what they want. The Vice President was pretty pointed in talking about the 'parochial interests' of the various branches as opposed to a focus on the 'big picture.' I get the impression that we're in for a rough ride."
"Son, you are probably right," the older man nodded, "but none of that makes any difference right now. You have done remarkably well in a nasty job that's probably not going to get any more enjoyable. So, have another beer or three; take three or four days off, and I will not expect to see you for a few days.
"By the way, you are expected at Pax River Monday morning early for a Super Hornet transition course that should keep you out of trouble most of the week. Don't put the bird in the mud and report back in the following Monday.
"Also, to be safe, keep Coates posted with a phone number and location and don't forget your cell phone. It's hard to predict when the Navy's brain trust may want something else." Adm. Boone paid the tab and faded into the crowd leaving Harm at his post at the bar.
0715 Local, August 6, NAS Patuxent River, MD
Harm had spent most of the weekend with the new Super Hornet flight manual getting ready for his transition training, and while he was impressed with the performance numbers the Plastic Bug's systems had his mind reeling. His ground and systems training instructor hadn't helped his state of mind much either with his opening remarks.
"Captain, after looking at your records there's no doubt in my mind that you can probably fly the bird, maybe better than most. But, jumping from the current F-14 to the F/A-18 your big challenge will be getting up to speed on the systems. Your airmanship is outstanding, but if you don't master the 'switchology' you will never master the jet. And if you don't master the bird it will kill you or worse it will embarrass you and leave your ass hanging out in the wind."
With those warm, encouraging words still ringing in his ears Harm was shoved into the hard work of learning a whole new means of managing a new, better, and more lethal bird of prey. It was a bitch.
After struggling with the ground procedures trainer and computer based learning systems for most of the day the setup of the Hornet's systems, avionics and weapons systems finally started to make sense, and by the time his brain overloaded and went into the involuntary shut down mode at 1600 Harm had started to have a little hope.
1645 Local, Officers Club, NAS Patuxent River, MD
A toddy or two and dinner looked really good to Harm as he strolled into the club. Making his way to the bar he recognized a few faces and handled the greetings before making his way to a stool at the end of the long bar. As he sipped the Crown Royal Harm could feel some of the tension starting to slip away and be replaced with confidence that he could FLY THE GODDAMN JET.
By the time a second Crown was on the bar he was eager to get out of the classroom and into the airplane.
An obviously female voice with a faint New York accent interrupted his mental pep talk. "Hammer? Jesus, it is you. How the heck are you and why are you here without some advance notice? I thought you knew better."
'Skates! How are you and what the heck are you doing here? I thought you were deployed.'
Elizabeth Hawkes was closer to Harm than almost anyone in naval aviation, and she shamelessly took advantage of that relationship most of the time. "I'm stuck for the moment. My nose gunner and I are TAD (temporary duty) here to complete a test program then ferry a replacement '14D back to the fleet. Maintenance has its head up its ass, as usual, and they can't cut the bird loose until sometime Wednesday.
"Now, back to the original question: What's up with you down here with the flying troops rather than keeping your chair warm in the CAG's office at the puzzle palace?"
'Skates, that's Captain Chairwarmer, so show a little more respect.' As she rolled her eyes back, Harm pressed on. 'Apparently there's a shortage of highly qualified four stripe Hornet drivers so I've been selected to represent the old and retreaded in a new program designed to makes us crazy.'
"Hammer, you will love the Bug once you figure out what all of the switches do. Trust me here. Now that it has enough fuel to haul a little ordinance out of sight of the ship without a couple of stops for gas you'll love it.
"The glazed eyes would also seem to indicate that you are deeply involved in the 'this switch does that, but doesn't do something else you thought it should' phase of the program. Hang in there and it will all snap into place along the line.
"I hate to harass and run, but I've got to find Stargazer before he gets lost. I'll see you around the campus before we get away."
2015 Local, Officers Club, NAS Patuxent River, MD
A brandy was on Harm's mind as he walked back into the club after dinner. A quick drink and a hike back to transient quarters were all that was on the agenda when he sat down at the bar, but about half way through the brandy a new distraction popped up.
If Maj. Majorie Gordon, USMC, could disrupt conversations walking into a bunker wearing a poncho and muddy camo utility gear, her current attire could stop an atomic clock. Dressed in a clinging black cocktail outfit accented with the basic pearls and a killer pair of "DoMe" heels she generated a cone of silence around her as she walked, if you dared call it that, across the club to the bar.
Stopped short by Harm's presence, she turned and slipped onto the stool to his right. Lost in other thoughts Harm didn't immediately notice the leggy red head to his right. One hint of exotic perfume, however brought his fighter pilot reactions immediately to the surface and, without conscious thought, he turned to engage.
It took a couple of moments to complete the involuntary target scan from bottom to tawny red top, but once Harm made it to the face belonging to the stunning redhead to his right he was met with a mirror image of his well-practiced killer fighter pilot smile. It was a startling experience, and it took about a three count to realize he recognized the face behind the smile.
"Good evening Major. It's a pleasure to see you here in the Land of the Big PX."
"Captain, 'evening. It's nice to see you too, sir," was the expected, correct response under the circumstances. "By the end of the week you may not be quite so happy to see me, though."
'Flashy Gordon' now had Harm's complete attention. "I would be hard pressed to see that. Being away from the Puzzle Palace and back with the flying troops, coupled with finding a familiar face, makes this a happy moment."
"Captain, one of the little chores I inherited when I was transferred back to the flight evaluation program here at Pax River was command of the training operation. Once you make your way through the switchology side of your transition program, I'll be your flight instructor. I've never had a two-time DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) winner as a student before." And with monumental insincerity she added, " I can't want to see you at work."
While he was trying to frame an appropriate, dignified reply Flashy hit him with another high voltage smile, said "Good evening, Sir," and took her leave.
Walking out of the intelligence conference opening session with LTC Roberts Mac couldn't help herself. 'Lieutenant Commander Roberts? Wow! It's hard to believe how far he's come since our first meeting.'
"Colonel? Ma'am are you okay?"
Mac snapped out of her daydream. "I'm fine. I was just working to get a grip on the vision of you with the extra half stripe. By the way, that was good work this morning with the briefing, and the rough handling during the Q&A."
"I've spent the last few days trapped between Adm. Boone and Commander Rabb, excuse me, Captain, on this material. I'll promise you that this morning's round of 20 questions was a walk through The Rose Garden compared with some of those sessions.
"I can't start to tell you how tense some of those meetings were, but it was a great study in command presence. The CAG and Harm, at times, would be screaming at each other over some point or another, but when that issue was settled it was over. A lot of the stuff was extremely sensitive, and the direction the new program is heading will be a very hard sell when it's presented to the SECDEF. Even Adm. Chegwidden is a little tense about how this will all work out."
"Well, Bud, the only thing I can tell you for sure is 'all of that is thousands of miles away now.'"
0005 Hrs Local, August 1, Blair House, Washington, DC
It had been one of those Alice in Wonderland days, starting with a command performance with the SECDEF that turned into a briefing of the Vice President and the Secretary at the VP's office in the Old Executive Office Building. The day's second command performance was an appearance at a reception and later a dinner at the Vice President's residence.
Walking into the reception at The Kennedy Center much earlier in the evening Harm entered the most elevated political and social circles in Washington. As one of the secretary's aides handled the introductions Harm was surprised at the breadth of political thought present. The Georgian who was the former speaker of the United States House of Representatives anchored one end of the political spectrum. The other extreme was ably handled by a Congresswoman from California more known for her opposition of anything Republican.
Moving from person to person the SECDEF had a positive word, a joke, or a compliment for everyone in the room. When he approached Harm it was with a warm smile. "Welcome captain. I am pleased you were able to join us. It's going to be a little hectic here, but after the concert and dinner please plan to stay around for a bit. Some people would like to meet you." With that he moved on.
The National Symphony's performance had been spectacular and dinner was a warm, intimate affair among friends. Once after dinner drinks were served the evening's political work started. A plainclothes agent escorted Harm to the small study off the main foyer at the residence, and when he entered the Vice President and the Secretary both stood.
"Captain, welcome to Blair House, and thank you for remaining as the evening has wound down. I am sure it's been a long day for you, but I would like to have a few more minutes of your time," the vice president opened. "The work that you and Tom Boone have turned out is excellent, but I am sure you have managed to infuriate most of the establishment with the conclusions offered.
"Son, there's no doubt in my mind that we're going to have to face up to some enormous political, economic, and military challenges in the months ahead, and the boss doesn't want to be caught on the blind side. That's why the DOD has been tasked with self-generating a new mission and why it is critical that all of the services start looking at the whole 'big picture' rather than watching their respective backsides.
"The Navy, at least at this point, seems to have managed to put more of its parochial interests in the bottle and start moving toward the future. I'm frankly amazed, but I guess Don was on the right track when he slotted Chegwidden into his office and in turn pulled Tom Boone back into harness.
"Here is where we are right now: Things are going to change because the boss wants more bang for the taxpayer buck, and he wants more flexibility in how we respond to events in the world. Captain, the President wants to be able to swing a big bat if he needs one, and our responsibility is to give him one.
"Thank you again for coming this evening. I suspicion we will be seeing more of you in the months ahead." With that the Vice President shook hands and walked away, and when Harm walked out of the study the party had broken up. With a nod from the ever-present Secret Service team he retrieved his car and pulled out of the residence into the light late night traffic.
0045 Hrs Local, August 1, Pennsylvania Ave., S.E., Washington DC
Still keyed up from the day's events Harm realized he would not be able to sleep, so he parked along The Avenue and walked into one of the little bars that lined the street, and a trio was finishing up a jazz set as he made his way to the bar to find a seat and a beer.
The Sam Adams was just starting to cut through the tension that always built up between his shoulders when he was under pressure as a firm hand clamped down on his right shoulder. Harm glanced up to the back bar mirror and saw Tom Boone at his side.
"Good job today counselor. How were things in Fantasyland?"
"CAG, I'm not sure. The SECDEF and the VP both had good things to say about our little project, but I can't help but think that we've just scratched the surface of what they want. The Vice President was pretty pointed in talking about the 'parochial interests' of the various branches as opposed to a focus on the 'big picture.' I get the impression that we're in for a rough ride."
"Son, you are probably right," the older man nodded, "but none of that makes any difference right now. You have done remarkably well in a nasty job that's probably not going to get any more enjoyable. So, have another beer or three; take three or four days off, and I will not expect to see you for a few days.
"By the way, you are expected at Pax River Monday morning early for a Super Hornet transition course that should keep you out of trouble most of the week. Don't put the bird in the mud and report back in the following Monday.
"Also, to be safe, keep Coates posted with a phone number and location and don't forget your cell phone. It's hard to predict when the Navy's brain trust may want something else." Adm. Boone paid the tab and faded into the crowd leaving Harm at his post at the bar.
0715 Local, August 6, NAS Patuxent River, MD
Harm had spent most of the weekend with the new Super Hornet flight manual getting ready for his transition training, and while he was impressed with the performance numbers the Plastic Bug's systems had his mind reeling. His ground and systems training instructor hadn't helped his state of mind much either with his opening remarks.
"Captain, after looking at your records there's no doubt in my mind that you can probably fly the bird, maybe better than most. But, jumping from the current F-14 to the F/A-18 your big challenge will be getting up to speed on the systems. Your airmanship is outstanding, but if you don't master the 'switchology' you will never master the jet. And if you don't master the bird it will kill you or worse it will embarrass you and leave your ass hanging out in the wind."
With those warm, encouraging words still ringing in his ears Harm was shoved into the hard work of learning a whole new means of managing a new, better, and more lethal bird of prey. It was a bitch.
After struggling with the ground procedures trainer and computer based learning systems for most of the day the setup of the Hornet's systems, avionics and weapons systems finally started to make sense, and by the time his brain overloaded and went into the involuntary shut down mode at 1600 Harm had started to have a little hope.
1645 Local, Officers Club, NAS Patuxent River, MD
A toddy or two and dinner looked really good to Harm as he strolled into the club. Making his way to the bar he recognized a few faces and handled the greetings before making his way to a stool at the end of the long bar. As he sipped the Crown Royal Harm could feel some of the tension starting to slip away and be replaced with confidence that he could FLY THE GODDAMN JET.
By the time a second Crown was on the bar he was eager to get out of the classroom and into the airplane.
An obviously female voice with a faint New York accent interrupted his mental pep talk. "Hammer? Jesus, it is you. How the heck are you and why are you here without some advance notice? I thought you knew better."
'Skates! How are you and what the heck are you doing here? I thought you were deployed.'
Elizabeth Hawkes was closer to Harm than almost anyone in naval aviation, and she shamelessly took advantage of that relationship most of the time. "I'm stuck for the moment. My nose gunner and I are TAD (temporary duty) here to complete a test program then ferry a replacement '14D back to the fleet. Maintenance has its head up its ass, as usual, and they can't cut the bird loose until sometime Wednesday.
"Now, back to the original question: What's up with you down here with the flying troops rather than keeping your chair warm in the CAG's office at the puzzle palace?"
'Skates, that's Captain Chairwarmer, so show a little more respect.' As she rolled her eyes back, Harm pressed on. 'Apparently there's a shortage of highly qualified four stripe Hornet drivers so I've been selected to represent the old and retreaded in a new program designed to makes us crazy.'
"Hammer, you will love the Bug once you figure out what all of the switches do. Trust me here. Now that it has enough fuel to haul a little ordinance out of sight of the ship without a couple of stops for gas you'll love it.
"The glazed eyes would also seem to indicate that you are deeply involved in the 'this switch does that, but doesn't do something else you thought it should' phase of the program. Hang in there and it will all snap into place along the line.
"I hate to harass and run, but I've got to find Stargazer before he gets lost. I'll see you around the campus before we get away."
2015 Local, Officers Club, NAS Patuxent River, MD
A brandy was on Harm's mind as he walked back into the club after dinner. A quick drink and a hike back to transient quarters were all that was on the agenda when he sat down at the bar, but about half way through the brandy a new distraction popped up.
If Maj. Majorie Gordon, USMC, could disrupt conversations walking into a bunker wearing a poncho and muddy camo utility gear, her current attire could stop an atomic clock. Dressed in a clinging black cocktail outfit accented with the basic pearls and a killer pair of "DoMe" heels she generated a cone of silence around her as she walked, if you dared call it that, across the club to the bar.
Stopped short by Harm's presence, she turned and slipped onto the stool to his right. Lost in other thoughts Harm didn't immediately notice the leggy red head to his right. One hint of exotic perfume, however brought his fighter pilot reactions immediately to the surface and, without conscious thought, he turned to engage.
It took a couple of moments to complete the involuntary target scan from bottom to tawny red top, but once Harm made it to the face belonging to the stunning redhead to his right he was met with a mirror image of his well-practiced killer fighter pilot smile. It was a startling experience, and it took about a three count to realize he recognized the face behind the smile.
"Good evening Major. It's a pleasure to see you here in the Land of the Big PX."
"Captain, 'evening. It's nice to see you too, sir," was the expected, correct response under the circumstances. "By the end of the week you may not be quite so happy to see me, though."
'Flashy Gordon' now had Harm's complete attention. "I would be hard pressed to see that. Being away from the Puzzle Palace and back with the flying troops, coupled with finding a familiar face, makes this a happy moment."
"Captain, one of the little chores I inherited when I was transferred back to the flight evaluation program here at Pax River was command of the training operation. Once you make your way through the switchology side of your transition program, I'll be your flight instructor. I've never had a two-time DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) winner as a student before." And with monumental insincerity she added, " I can't want to see you at work."
While he was trying to frame an appropriate, dignified reply Flashy hit him with another high voltage smile, said "Good evening, Sir," and took her leave.
