Changing of the Guard

Posted on 09 Dec 2021 @ 11:21 by Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Watts & Lieutenant Commander Ciara Mcclellandi

Episode: E1: A Historic Voyage
Location: USS Arizona, Ward Room
Timeline: Date 2025-04-03 at 1000

Who wanted to be a morning person when they didn't have to be? That was what Liz wanted to know as she climbed the gangplank from the dock to board the USS Arizona for the first time in months. She had text the ENG the night before and told her that she'd meet her for coffee and turn over of official duties at 10:00 in the ward room. She had been glad to not do it when the watch the ENG was currently standing started because she was still asleep tangled in the sheets and arms of her friend, Jon, and not at work. The drive had taken about forty minutes which was a bit longer than she'd expected but she'd still arrived at the ship's gangplank and parked in her official spot by 09:50.

Liz reached the top of the gangplank and saluted first the national ensign and then the Duty Officer, a junior officer, and a petty officer likely from the same department who she didn't immediately recognize. They were both armed with sidearms in ridiculous looking holsters that probably could have been a bit more subdued for professionalism in her mind, this wasn't a movie.

"Request permission to come aboard, sir," she said.

"Welcome back ma'am, please come aboard," the JO responded. They exchanged salutes again this time the JO saluting the ship's executive officer. He moved a magnet from the ashore box to the aboard box on the white board that displayed the status of the command triad and department heads at all times. He then picked up a portable radio and spoke into it, "XO aboard."

"Good seeing you both," she said, she had just her laptop bag slung over her shoulder despite having more to bring aboard the ship it could wait until later business was more pressing. She made her way, greeting all she passed, heading straight for the wardroom. When she entered she grinned, "Ciara!"

That made Ciara look up from her coffee and duty roster, with a grin she responded, "The prodigal XO returns. Welcome back."

“I prefer prodigal prospective captain, but I guess I’ll take it,” Liz responded. “Let me grab coffee and then we can get down to business,” she said, heading directly for the coffee pot which looked like a fresh near full pot.

“Looking forward to an XO tour next?” Liz asked, as she grabbed a mug with the ship’s crest on it and the letters XO around the opposite side from its normal position in the rack and poured coffee.

"It's more work then I thought." She joined for a refill. "But yeah, I am." More coffee was poured. "Boat's still here, no one's facebooked classified information, I'd call that a bloody success." Her accent, always drew reaction, the odd mixture of West Texas and Ireland drew curious stares, she was used to it.

“How’s the old man?” She asked. The Captain had been a bit annoyed at the sudden departure of his XO even despite the good cause. He depended heavily on her as he dealt with some family strife that frankly Liz thought had crossed the line into interfering with his ability to command. She thought no less of the man and respected him greatly but she was concerned for his well-being and as the XO had to think of their ship first.

"He's been ok." Ciara began, "A little stressed but with the ramp up that's not surprising. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."

“I’m sure,” Liz said. “I’ll find him when we’re done with turn over… I’m sure he’s ready to get his chance for leave now that I’m back.”. It was policy that both the Commander and the Executive Officer could not be away at the same time on leave as one of them needed to be available to the officers and crew.

“Personnel issues?” she asked. The submarine had been at full staffing since prior to her departure but the continuous training and of course clash of personalities often contributed to issues with the ship’s crew.

"Only thing I can think of is a couple of Sonar techs had a bit of an altercation, about Mobeius Silver Surfer vs Kirby Silver Surfer. But that was handled by their LPO. I figure some extra duty should handle it."

So I can assume from the Crimson Tide reference that there isn’t much of anything happening personnel wise?” Liz said, sipping her coffee.

"Not much, the scuffle was actually over a woman, pretty typical." She sipped the coffee. "But aside from that, nothing major.”

“Wonderful,” Liz said, rolling her eyes. “Just what we need on one of the block Vs where we are supposed to be proving that this can work.” Females had been aboard submarines since 2011 and in the fourteen years there had yet to be a major issue that threatened to end that but she was still paranoid rightfully so or not about losing this program. She’d become the poster child for it which was, in her mind, ridiculous seeing as she hadn’t even been one of the first females to join the service just the first one to make it to this role.

"It wasn't over a crewmate, a local woman. Turns out both gentlemen thought that they were the sole recipient of her affections."

“Still it happened on this boat,” Liz responded. “I assume the Command Master Chief is in on this?” she asked.

"Yes, I figured let the CMC handle it informally. He's instructing the young me on the proper decorum on a vessel."

“Good,” Liz said. “Any other crew wellbeing issues before we move on?”

"Nothing at this time." There were the usual minor gripes, but nothing that couldn't be handled down the chain of command.

“Any word on operational orders?” Liz asked, next. They were all well aware they would be circumnavigation North America and that it would be well publicized but no official operation orders had come through yet as far as she was aware. As Executive Officer the plan of the day was her responsibility and with the length of the journey and having to make specific time slots for each port call she needed to sit down with the NAV to get things in order as soon as possible. It had been her understanding before departing that the ship would be departing by the end of the month but a lot could have changed in four months.

"We've gotten no word on any op orders."

“I’ll have to put feelers out tomorrow then,” she sighed. “Group or Squadron operations should have this information by now to start getting preparations for departure together.” This of course was not speaking out of school seeing as Liz had served as Operations Officer for Submarine Group Nine prior to being assigned as Executive Officer of the Arizona which was the group the squadron Arizona belonged to was subordinate to.

“Talk to me about the ship’s status from the engineering department prospective,” Liz said, knowing that she was going to move through things quickly but she had four months of development to catch up on. She knew at least that things would have been handled well in Ciara’s hands and fully expected her to be screened successfully for XO after this tour especially if she or their captain had anything to say about it.

"Engines are 100%, getting the crew trained up, on the systems, the reactor, my Enlisted Advisor has been a godsend, he's got a Bachelors in physics so we can speak geek to each other. We've had a preliminary ORSE mid March, passed, but we're going to have the qualification one in the next few days and we can improve." A brief system report, including any 'gripes' that had been submitted and their priority and status. ".... we should have the last of the minor gripes done by next week at the latest."

"Sounds good," Watts said. "I haven't logged into my email since I've been on TDY so I'm expecting to have to search for it. If you have any hard copies you can spare if you can send someone up with it, I'd appreciate it. Why don't you take charge of what you have next. I plan on checking in with all the department heads but I need the outgoing XOs take too," she said, with a grin.