After Reneé and I reenlisted a second time as newly frocked First Class Petty Officers, I thought we would both would stay in Norfolk. Wasn’t meant to be though. Women were starting to go on non combat ships in rolls other than only medical personnel on hospital ships. I thought she may take one there but the running joke was they were welded to the pier and may have gotten underway twice in the eight years we were there.
She found one that did go out on the water several times a year for up to a couple weeks at a time. A Tender out of Kings Bay. A submarine base. I had stayed on my ship even though I was eligible for shore duty but now it was time to call my detailer to find out what was available. It was a relatively new base so I had a choice of orders I could get there. One could even help my career.
But it was a sub base and I wore a Surface Warfare Pin. Plus they were an odd lot. 100 guys disappear beneath the water for 90 days. 50 couples come back up. Not that there is anything wrong with that, they’re just weird about it. And I would be out numbered 500-1. Not good odds.