Side by Side

Prologue

New Directions

My time as Commander, 15^th Air Force Headquarters Squadron creates an opportunity.

A Major has been named as my replacement and is due in two weeks. Do I want to go from the number one position to the number two position? Nope. I telephone Walt Lacy, a member of the squadron bowling team who handles officer assignments for the Headquarters. “Hey, Walt! Great series last night! You were two strikes away from a 300 game.”

Walt is our best bowler. “Thanks, Lieutenant. I just got lucky. What does my Commander need today?”

You can stroke the hell out of my ego. I wait, say, “I don’t want to be the number two guy here. Think you can get me to Spain or England, actually anywhere overseas where I can take my family? I think I’ve been at March AFB long enough.”

I hear a B-47 scream into the air. “No sweat, Lieutenant. I’ll see what I can find.”

Sergeant Walt Lacy taps on my door. “Got a minute, Lieutenant?”

His smile tells me this isn’t about bowling. “Sure, Sarge. My time is your time. What’s up?”

He waves a folder. “Got something you might like. I’ll need some paperwork, but nothing we can’t do.”

Gotta be good or he would have telephoned. “Talk to me.”

His grin spreads. “I need to fill a requisition for a First Lieutenant, 7024, Administrative Officer, for a slot in…Hawaii.”

I nearly turn my chair over getting up. “Hawaii? I’m a volunteer!”

Lacy turns serious. “You’re working as a 7324, Personnel Officer. You have been hanging around with a 7024 as a secondary. Seems to me that you could swap your duty title, and I can nominate you as ‘best available’ to Air Force. I have a friend that handles assignments for Air Force, so that won’t be a problem.”

Damn. In the long run, it’s always who you know. “Gosh, Sergeant Lacy, I think I failed to notify your office when I changed my duty title when Major Magers left for Headquarters SAC.

I have a little over two months experience as an Administrative Officer.”

Walt pulls on his ear. “And I’m certain that your record reflects that change?”

It will before you get back to your office. “Of course. I’ve never been accused of sloppy records keeping. Nominate me.”

Walt retrieves his folder. “What’s funny is that Lieutenant Fagan really should be nominated.”

What goes around comes around. “Tom picked me for this job because he wanted to move into the Inspection business. I don’t think he’ll complain. Besides, he doesn’t bowl. That limits his qualifications.”

Lacy grunts. “That does matter in the long run. I’ll take care of the nomination.”

Two minutes after Sergeant Lacy left the office, I yell, “Sergeant Ledford! Front and center!”

My Officer Personnel Clerk lumbers into my office. “Did you change my duty code to 7024 the day after Major Magers left?”

Ledford, no dummy, lets my question rattle around in his brain. “Yes Sir. I’ll double check.”

Ledford is quick off the blocks. “Sergeant Lacy may call for the date. Just between us, I’m being nominated for a job in Hawaii.”

I roll the Chevie into the La Cadena Trailer Park. Phyllis gives Greg a bath in the sink. Jeff fiddles with a magazine. I take a swim suit from a bag, hold it up. My wife looks over her shoulder at me. “A swim suit? We haven’t been swimming in months!”

I twirl the suit around my head. “Yeah, but we’re going to Hawaii. I volunteered today.”

She holds Greg in a towel. “Hawaii? Assigned to Hawaii? You gotta be kidding!”

I flip a second swim suit at Jeff. “You wanted an overseas assignment. We have one.”

She still thinks I’m kidding. “Hawaii is overseas?”

I have her attention. Communication is taking place. Greg w