So this happened at Navy Hospital Camp Lejeune in December 2006.

Main Cast:

Me: OP (HR E-1) Idiot In Charge: HN Dumb@$$(E-3) LPO: HM1 (E-6)

I had recently graduated from Navy Hospital Corpsman School and was temporarily assigned to the Navy Hospital on Camp Lejeune to await the start of Field Medical School with a group of about 25.

One of the shop office area was supposed to get a new carpet and fresh paint so a few of up were voluntold to disassemble half of the cubicles and desks. I unfortunately was one of the lucky few chosen. I had always been good at Tetris and building with Legos so build and taking things apart came natural so I took note of how odd some of the desks had been set up (Large gaps due to the setup). We finished for the day and went back to out barracks rooms.

I somehow managed to not be voluntold the next day for the other half. A few days later after the painting and new carpeting were completed. I unfortunately was again voluntold to help put the office back together. HM1 has put HN Dumb@$$ in charge since he was the ranking person on the detail. (Rank does not always mean intelligence.) We started bringing in the cubicle and desk pieces for set up.

First up were 4 parts that made up one of the oddly built desks. HN Dumb@$$ and another 2 sailors not important to the story were attempting to put the desk together but couldn’t figure out how it was beforehand. I pointed out how it was setup prior and HN Dumb@$$ told me that it was impossible because it would creat a large gap. I told him a printer had been in front of it and cords went back there. Apparently I was wrong according to HN Dumb@$$.

I just stood there watching as they attempted multiple different builds, but nothing was right. Any attempt on my part to suggest the right setup was met with, “Shut up OP.” After and hour of standing and watching them they finally set it up how I had originally told them to. I said, “Isn’t that how I told you it was supposed to be an hour ago?” This was immediately responding with me being told to shut up again. I just stood there watching them rebuild more cubicles.

A half hour later HM1 came to check on the progress and saw me standing there and asked, “HR OP why aren’t you helping them?”

I answered, “HM1 I told them how this desk was supposed to be put back together over an hour ago but was told to shut up multiple times. After an hour they finally put it together how I suggested. I refuse to help them waste my time.”

HM1 looks at them, looks at me and just says to me, “Carry On.”

We were dismissed about 45 minutes later. I was not voluntold to finish it with the others the next day.