I’m kinda sad these days, because I was a hard working Navy EM in the 80’s and got out of the Navy in 1992 as EM1 at the end of the Cold War, with a check for 30k in my hand because the President and the US saw no further need for my services. Big draw down kinda like now, but with more money. Then I ran into a nice gentleman who was a retired C/E who urged me to go merchant and I balked. He offered to mentor me, and I dug my heels. Wish I’d listened to him, but I was hard headed. Before I got out of the Navy, I had to attend a Transitional Assistance Program (TAP) class and nobody from the maritime unions or MSC came to speak to us, so I knew nothing other than what my friend (his wife took care of my horse) told me. I went on to use my GI bill to earn a bachelors degree (while working at shipyards) but I wonder where I’d be now if I’d have listened to my retired C/E friend. Then I went to work at a local shipyard for a long, long time.
My first real encounter with the merchant marine came about 6 years ago with my stint as a port engineer. I was there a couple years. I was good at the technical aspects of the job but I was gone more than some of the crew on the ships I managed and I began to wonder about the cost/benefit. I met a lot of great people, though, and that got me thinking again about what my old friend had advised. But I figured I was too old.
What really kicked me in the ass was when I came to my current company, marine tech services and chemicals, which I am trying to leave for a sailing job.
My boss’s boss was an upper level exec who was a USMMA graduate (did not sail on his license), a real pretentious prick, born in Texas but a wanna be New Yorker- and he decided to shit all over me one day because I rode a motorcycle to a quarterly business review meeting with a prominent government customer (MSC). I rode from Norfolk to New Jersey and took the Cape May- Lowes ferry as part of my route. I planned to attend a military funeral in Delaware on the way back, as I was taking part in Patriot Guard rides at that time.
He took my boss aside, and told him that a woman who rode a motorcycle was “sleazy” and that I gave the “customer” (MSC) a bad impression even though I was nicely attired in business wear when I sat down at the conference table. My clothes were top notch business wear and I’d had my hair done to the tune of $150 plus but this prick saw me arrive in Boonton NJ on the M/C, and that was it. I caught so much shit from this guy and it made me physically sick. PS- nobody from the MSC contingent gave a damn how I got there and the only one who raised a fuss was Mr. Kings Point.
Guess what I thought about USMMA grads for a long time after that. First impressions matter. Think on that if you are a USMMA grad and you get the itch to crap on someone you think is beneath you for some odd reason. What goes around comes around. I served my country on active duty for 13 years and my two sons are also veterans one of whom served in Iraq. All this guy owed for free college was an annual reserve stint, but he thought I was fair game to kick around because he had a hard on for women on motorcycles. Good thing I didn’t have a bunch of tattoos, he’d have needed cardiac resuscitation. He’s 15 years younger than me though, and runs marathons. In a fair fight I’d have a shot, though, because I am strong and I am a vicious bitch when you stick a knife in me.
My current philosophy is to keep conversation to a minimum and go about my business because the caste nazis are everywhere in this business, and there is no way to be rid of them. All I have is my skills and work ethic, and my self respect, which no pretentious ass can take from me. I love machinery and like good hard work and no bullshit, and if I end up your oiler or wiper you won’t be sorry.