WEPS

Posted on 12 Dec 2021 @ 21:19 by Lieutenant John Williams & Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Watts

Episode: E1: A Historic Voyage
Location: USS Arizona, XO's Stateroom
Timeline: Date 2025-04-01 at 1345

Having already checked in with half of the department heads Liz decided she might as well check in with the WEPS as well. The chop was on leave and so that would have to wait until they returned aboard the ship as was the CMC who was her counterpart for the enlisted crew aboard. She was still fighting with her government issued laptop which was now setup on her desk and restarting for the third time hoping the CAC reader would actually work so she could get some work accomplished.

Liz lifted the phone handset and dialed up the control room, "Conn, XO," she said, when the watch stander answered. "Please pipe the WEPS to my stateroom," she said, before hanging the phone back up.

"Lieutenant Williams your presence is requested in the executive officer's stateroom, Lieutenant Williams your presence is requested in the XO's stateroom, that is all," was announced just a moment later over the ship wide announcing system known as the 1MC.

When Williams arrived she was just opening her email for the first time, signing into the secure system, allowing for classified communications to come through. The downloading box appeared it stated that it would take at least three hours, "fantastic," she groaned as he would arrive to her hatch that was secured in the open position.

"Good morning, Ma'am," Lieutenant Williams greeted as he reached the hatch. "I suspect you're suffering the lack of speed on the SIPRNET?"

"I wasn't even able to get it to read my CAC until a few minutes ago," Liz said, "come on in and take a seat. I wanted to check in with you and see how your department is fairing and if there were anything you wanted to fill me in on from my absence."

"Ouch." With that, Williams sat somewhere and nodded. "The contractor reps are working the last of the issues with the sonar and fire control software. Hardware is all good to go, I can report that, but we're waiting on our last tests to be complete on the software this afternoon before I would feel comfortable reporting that as good to go." Pause. "Personnel wise, I'm sure Eng told you about the scuffles among our sonar petty officers. In some ways? I'll be happy to get to sea, if only because I can keep them too busy to be picking fights."

"I heard," the XO replied, with a sigh. "I know the COB has been involved in the situation but did you have any recommendations as Department Head?" Liz asked.

"I checked their OMPFs. This is the first sea tour for both of them. Ma'am, I'm inclined to be firm but overall not particularly punitive as a result - they're high school boys thinking like the Navy is high school 2.0, and a few weeks at sea will cure that stupidity. Recommending a verbal reprimand, extra duty for 45 days, and that should be the end of formal punishments," Williams recommended. "Nothing career-altering, just a sharp figurative smack from yourself and the prospect of infinitely worse if it happens again during their tour with us, but a clear path to us forgetting about it." They wouldn't actually forget, but it never helped to make it seem like that.

"Talk it over with the COB then when they're back," Liz said, "they are on leave so for now it can wait. I would encourage you and your sonar chief have that talk with them though," Liz said. "But I concur with your assessment." Honestly Liz thought that the extra duty was a bit more than necessary but it wasn't out of control and so she would let her department head handle that as he saw fit.

"Keep me up to date on the software issues I want to know the second we can report the ship ready for departure up the chain," Liz said. "I'd like to get off the beach too."

"Got it, Ma'am. Anything else, or should I leave you to fight SIPRNet for your emails?" Williams asked with a grin.

"I need to fight the good fight, it's been four months," Liz sighed. "It's probably going to be a long hard one, thanks John."

"Don't worry, we'll send someone to check occasionally, make sure you survive," Williams joked before exiting.