VT-9 Division Chief

I was at VT-9 Meridian, Mississippi temporarily for a year.  Not having a longer time meant it was difficult to assign me a permanent duty status so a billet was created for me.  This was a large squadron, and there were eight other Senior Chiefs in it along with myself.  The Maintenance Control Chief, named McLean, joined several shops together, each with its own Chief, called it a Division, and named me the Division Chief.  My Division consisted of three Airframes Shops, Structures, Hydraulics, and Emergency Equipment, as well as the Power Plants Shop which was concerned with engines.

None of these Shop Chiefs had been working under a Senior Chief, and saw no reason to begin now, so there was a certain amount of animosity, jealousy, or at least resentment to this new arrangement.  I informed the various Shop Chiefs that anything involving any of the shops would go through me if it had to go to any higher authority.  I wanted to know what was happening within “my” Division.

Christmas was near.  Every year at this time more personnel wanted to take leave than was allowed.  Large numbers always wanted to go home for Christmas.  I couldn’t blame them, but it was my responsibility within this division to keep sufficient manpower there to complete the required aircraft maintenance.  Squadron policy was to allow 50% of all manpower to take Christmas Leave.  They had to return by December 28^th at which time as many of the other half as wanted to could then take leave.

The Power Plants Shop, which did all aircraft engine repair, sent their leave requests to me for approval.  There was one more person requesting leave than was allowed.  I told the Shop Chief, who was a much older man than myself, and had much longer time in the Navy than me also, that one man had to be cut from the requests.  I left it up to him as to who that would be.  He said, “I have approved all of these requests.  I know how to run my shop.  I can run it with this many men gone for a week or so.  I want them all to go as long as they want to.”

I agreed that I’d like to see them all go too, but rules and regulations said it was not to be.  I told him again, “Cut one man, or I will, but I don’t want to.”

The old Shop Chief said, “Then you do it.  I’ll tell him you said so.”

Not knowing any of the men, I really didn’t want to make the choice, but I knew my duty.  I chose one at random, and told the Shop Chief who I had chosen.  As the day progressed all of the various shops turned in their leave requests to me.  As it happened, taking the Division as a whole, I could allow one more man to go on leave.  I looked up the Powerplants Shop Chief and told him I had found a way for his man to go on leave after all.  I don’t think he ever believed what I did was within the rules, but he didn’t care.  All he wanted was for his man to go on leave, that he knew he could get along without, and I had told him it was okay.  I’m sure it vindicated him as being right the entire time, and that was fine with me.