A young
ensign had nearly completed his
first overseas tour of sea duty when he
was given an opportunity to
display his ability at getting the ship
under way. With a stream of
crisp commands, he had the decks buzzing with
men and soon, the
ship had left port and was streaming out of the
channel.
The
ensign’s efficiency has been remarkable. In fact, the deck was
abuzz
with talk that he had set a new record for getting a destroyer under

way. The ensign glowed at his accomplishment and was not all surprised

when another seaman approached him with a message from the
captain.

He was, however, a bit surprised to find that it was a radio
message,
and he was even more surprised when he read, “My personal

congratulations upon completing your underway preparation exercise
according to the
book and with amazing speed. In your haste, however,
you have
overlooked one of the unwritten rules — make sure th
e captain is aboard before
getting under way!”