He remarked, “Two to three months, huh? Well, if anyone can do it in that amount of time, I guess it’s you. I’ll give you full discretion and authority again. Your flagship is the cruiser, James. The personnel are a real bunch of misfits. I hope you’re up to the challenge.”
“Yes sir. I’ll do my best,” I said as I saluted before I left. Already my mind was contemplating what I could do with the 13th Squadron. I reached the outside and joined Majel and her personnel. “Here’s our assignment. According to the Fleet Admiral, we’re in for a rough one. Something tells me that he’s only partly right. Let’s get there and see for ourselves.”
We left in the hover provided for us by the Fleet Admiral and arrived at the new squadron site a few hours later. Already half the day was shot just to get there. I started going through the ships one by one with Majel following close behind. If nothing else, the Fleet Admiral was right about those personnel being misfits. I’d never seen a whiskey still on board a warship before, but I found one. I had to admire the ingenuity of whoever created it. I left it alone for the time being, unsure if I could turn it into part of the training or not. There would always be plenty of time to destroy it later if it proved to be an obstacle. The ships, for the most part, were almost the worst I’d ever seen. Even I wouldn’t want to face the enemy in some of them. Majel seemed as shocked as I at some of the glaring deficiencies we found.
“Well, let’s find our personnel and see if we can shake them up some,” I said as we exited the last of the ships.
“You going to do it like you did the last squadron?” Majel asked.
“Depends on where and how I find them,” I replied.
We began our search at the recreational hall where we found a number of personnel, officers and enlisted, in a drunken state. I decided that I didn’t want to be shot by a drunk, so I didn’t pull my projectile weapon and fire a shot. Instead, I went to the bar, found the bartender, and told him that the bar was closed effective immediately until I ordered it open again.
Majel and I then went through the officers billets. We continued to find scenes of debauchery. More than once, we walked into the middle of couples and small groups of men and women engaged in sex with bottles of liquor lying about. I could see that it was definitely going to take some time just to get them sober and acting like Navy personnel again. We started rounding up the personnel we found sober enough to walk and herded them outside as they were where Majel kept them together in a loose formation. A few of the personnel were sober enough to be embarrassed by their state of dress. As for myself, I didn’t care what they did or looked like on their own off duty time. What I was after was putting a squadron into shape.
It took almost the remainder of the day to round up everyone from wherever they were and herd them where Majel could keep them together. A lot of them got sick over thinking what was about to happen to them. I finally had them all together just about seven that night. Then I started in on them, saying, “You are going to stay out here until you’re sober. We’re not going to dish out No-Alk, either, to sober you up. I don’t care how you’re dressed or whether you’re hungry right now. You might as well find the softest piece of concrete you can within arm’s length because you’re not going anywhere. Anyone who tries to leave this formation will be shot. When you feel that you’re sober, you can stand up to be recognized and motioned forward. One of us will test you to see that you are. Only then you will be allowed to get cleaned up, dressed, fed and maybe get some sleep.” I turned to Majel. “Send a couple of your people over to the dispensary to get alcohol testers and bring them back here. Also, have one of them get over to the Dining Facility and tell them that I want a table out here with coffee and cups, plus a trash can. Send someone else over to supply and have them send out a portable toilet. Then send your people to get some supper and send some back for us.”
Majel went over to her personnel and sent them on the different tasks while I kept watch over the squadron. I could tell that it would be a long night.
The tasks were completed soon. Majel and I sat eating our supper as we watched over the squadron. So far, only about thirty personnel were sober enough to be released from the formation. I sent them to clean up the recreation hall. I wanted a place big enough where I could brief everyone, especially my officers.
Gradually during the night, a few more personnel sobered up and were sent to perform various tasks. Most of the personnel didn’t even know who I was yet. I hadn’t introduced myself. The only thing they knew about me was that I was a Captain who threatened them. I was a little surprised that none of them tried to shoot me instead. By morning, most of them were waking. I had Majel march them to the Dining Facility, as they were, to get some breakfast and round up the others from their billets, either in the officers’ quarters or from the ships. By then most of them were sober enough to understand instructions. After breakfast, Majel moved them to the recreational hall where I was waiting for them.
“I am Captain Oden, your new squadron commander. From now on, you will not be drunk or carousing around while on duty. You can do those things while on your own time. This squadron is going to shape up now. This is not negotiable. In a few minutes, I am going to give you all assignments to carry out and you will carry them out immediately. This squadron is going to learn how to fight both as a squadron and as individual ships. When we go into battle, we will win. I want all ships’ Captains and First Officers outside right now! Majel take over.”
I walked outside and was met by a mostly undressed bunch of officers who stood around looking at me. “First Officers, you will assemble your crews and take them to your ships. There you will conduct an inspection of your ships and locate all deficiencies. Then have maintenance work on them. I expect most of the repairs to be completed by noon tomorrow. I have already spotted a few problems that will take longer. Move out! Ships’ Captains, you’ll go to Headquarters and pick up all the personnel records for everyone in the squadron. Report back to the recreational hall with them where you and I will go over every one of them together. Move out!”
A few hours later, maintenance was already at work on some of the deficiencies. The ships’ Captains had returned with the personnel records. The ships’ Captains looked a little more like officers since they were all finally dressed. We spent the next four hours going over their personnel. Amazingly, most of the captains actually knew most of their personnel. It gave me a little hope that they might shape up sooner than I feared.
Then I started with them, the First Officers, and the pilots as I taught them how to run the squadron with ships’ Captains having the option of individual initiative. Strangely, they seemed to like the idea a lot more than other naval personnel.
Eighteen of the ships were ready by noon the next day and minus one whiskey still. I pulled the first scramble right at supper time. Their time was pitiful. I released them to get supper instead of having them take off into space. At least I had some idea of how badly they were going to perform at night. By the next morning, the last two ships were ready and we took off into space to do our initial drills at battle stations along with weapons testing.
I pulled a scramble two nights later and their time was about the same as for the earlier daytime scramble. I then told them that I would leave the next time whether they were on board or not when we got back to port. “Men and women take note. The next time we scramble, you have exactly five minutes to be on board or you will be left behind. I don’t care if you’re twenty feet away when the five minutes are up. The hatches will shut and the ships will lift off whether you’re in the way or not. I don’t care what you look like when you get on board, just be on board before the five minutes are expired. Do not disappoint me for you’ll only be getting yourself killed by the ships as we launch.”