As the School of Music's Master Chief Petty Officer of the Command, MUCM Jack Dye's office was across the passageway from the master-at-arms' shack. Whenever the MAA posted a new watch bill, students would gather in the passageway and complain loudly:
"The dog watch again; they can't do that to me."
"They sure can't. It's not fair."
"That's three watches this week--they did it to me again."
Realizing that such students did not appreciate their positions in the military hierarchy, Jack had a special name tag designed. Instead of his name, rank and title, it had only one word on it, spelled out in upper-case letters. The next time a crowd of irate students gathered at the bulletin board, Jack pinned his new name tag onto his shirt and stepped out into the passageway.
A corporal was advising a private to complain about a certain watch. "I'd take this up the chain of command. They can't do that to you."
Jack interrupted the discussion, asking, "Excuse me, men, is there a problem I can help you with?"
The two soldiers, naturally, looked at Jack's name tag to see who was addressing them. Like I said, it had only one word on it:
"THEY."
Frank Mullen's very unofficial source of poop, skinny and bitching for present and former U.S. Navy Musicians.
