LEAVE

Thank you for taking the time to read this short story. It means a lot to me.

I spent twenty years and four days as a sailor in the United States navy, from the years 1983 to 2003. I traveled to many places, seen many things, and met many interesting people during that time. The navy was a wonderful place for me – for the most part. However, from the time of my recruitment to the time of my retirement, it changed an awful lot…and, I suspect, I changed right along with it. Mostly for the good, I hope.

The Nineties, in particular, was a decade of change for the navy. From “Tailhook” to “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” to women finally being allowed to serve alongside men on combatant ships at sea, change came hard and fast. Consequently, a thing called “sensitivity training” was introduced as a means to help condition us callous and resistant sailors to the change. I’m not sure how effective it was, but it sure did create some lively discussion among the rank and file, to say the least.

This story is an attempt to provide fictional insight into what it may have been like to have been stationed on a warship when the first women dared to bravely go where no other women had gone before. I’m not so certain I would have had their courage.

If you like this story, you just may like my novel The Sea Trial of an Unfortunate Sailor. Set in Yokosuka, Japan, it’s a tale about the harsh realities of life onboard a warship during the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era.

Again, thank you for your support. I hope you take the time to let me know what you think of this short story by leaving me a review at Amazon and Smashwords (where you can download it for free for any ereading format).

Fair winds and following seas, my friend.
Kurt

kurtbrindley.com