After 18 months waiting for my security clearance in Key West, I finally was given an interim clearance to get me thru A-School. my next stop was Naval Facility Adak, Alaska.. Not having a full blown clearance I was assigned cleaning detail. As a SN part of my duty was coffee mess. Three different coffee mess's to take care of. Officers, Chiefs and Enlisted. In my 1st week I was assigned to make sure the mess's were clean and coffee made 24/7.. One midwatch I was cleaning the mess's and at the chief's mess was this raggedy old cup with coffee residue in it like the residue you find in a well smoked pipe. Not knowing any better I took it to the head and cleaned that mug good. As I was getting off shift the chief whose mug it was yelled at the top of his lungs "Who was the bilge rat that cleaned his mug". I stepped forward and smiled saying that I had cleaned it. He then explained to me how it took him 3 years to get the seasoning of the mug just right. It was at that moment that I knew I had screwed up. A week of head cleaning along with moping and polishing the hallways in the building was my duty until my security clearance finally came thru.

- Jody J.