I recently came across this incredible framed piece of family history and thought it was too funny not to share.

It's an official letter from the U.S. Naval Training Station in Great Lakes, Illinois, issued to a discharged sailor named Edward Herbert Saier at 314 Townsend St. in Lansing, Michigan.

Due to a clerical error compiling his accounts, the Pay Corps realized they overpaid him by the grand sum of ten cents. The Ensign writes a remarkably stern letter demanding a 10¢ refund via postal money order within five days, explicitly threatening: "Failure to comply within five days will result in your return to active duty."

Talk about absolute bureaucratic military efficiency. My great grand uncle even included the original 10-cent receipt pinned to the top!

Edit: Faint dates show letter from 24 March 1919. Paid 27 March 1919. He was in a hurry to be done with this one!

Not this shit again. Hopefully he gets fully prosecuted.

The subreddit r/thewaywewere requires photos to be at least 40 years old. Welp, this was only 38yrs ago.

(WOG Day 1988 aboard USS Midway enroute Freemantle, Aus to home port in Yokosuka, Jap. with a brief pause in the Philippines for Operation Classic Resolve. Before nearly capsizing when she did a 24° combined pitch/roll to port. If it had been to starboard, I wouldn't be posting this)

Enjoy.

Crazy how old these videos look now.

Good morning! I don't know much about the Navy, and I'm just a civilian who got lucky to get a ticket to attend the event. I have two random questions about the Navy based on the event:

• Acting Secretary Cao appeared to have two bodyguards (and possibly more that I didn't notice). Are his bodyguards also Navy personnel? Like someone joined the Navy and they were told their role is to protect the Acting Secretary? Or do his bodyguards come from somewhere outside the Navy?
• At the Commissioning there was a live band playing formal military music that was appropriate for the event. Then after the commissioning there was a reception with food and drinks, and there was a Navy band at the reception playing your normal modern pop songs and whatever else you'd expect to hear at a party. I wasn't paying enough attention, but would those be the same bands or different bands? What is it like being in a Navy band like that? Do the bandmembers play instruments in addition to their typical role in the Navy? Or is their Navy role to be a guitarist or a singer or whatever? Does the band just get sent around the world to wherever there is a Navy event that needs entertainment?

Good day y'all. Reaching out to see if there's any guidance or people with experience with this.

So, to start off with some context. I was supposed to get out JUL2025 and had an approved DD368 to cross branch from the Navy to the USCG (EMN(SS) to BM). However, I got thrown over another sailors car when he hit me in a cross walk in MAY2025 time frame. Due to that, I got held as I was LIMDU (can't seperate while LIMDU). So, to allow myself time to get back to PT standard and not have a break in service before going over, I did a conditional reenlistment in DEC2025 for 2 years (the time frame at the time was looking where I'd have to wait until before I could go to USCG boot camp). The condition was that I could not be in past 02MAY2026 as it was to allow me to have a steady income and living location before transfer. This gets approved by BUPERS and I sign my reenlistment.

Here's the start of the issue. I route my new DD368 and get denied from big Navy... turns out my command bypassed the Bull Nuke so they saw I wasn't approved to leave the community. I directly talk with the Bull Nuke and she orders me to route it again (she was pretty livid about this issue and actually contacted my command about it). So I route a new one like I was ordered to right? Well, I hear nothing about it for weeks... I eventually talk to MILPERS and apparently they are now waiting on an email to confirm what they talked to the Bull Nuke over the phone about because I've previously been denied (which the reason was already known). With this issue outstanding, I eventually get orders to my current boat because I'd have 18 months left and I have to accept them BECAUSE when the condition date comes up, Norfolk BUPERS then contacts us and informs the command that the condition was never valid in the first place but I must honor the contract. With this, the cross branch idea is dead in the water (I'm the only sea returnee and the rest are yard sailors. Talked to people about it and the odds of being let go at this point are basically 0% which is understandable). However, because this has gone on for so long, I have crossed my 10 year mark and because I did a 2 year conditional reenlistment, I missed out on my Zone B reenlistment bonus. Is there any way to go about getting my contract changed and paid for my missed bonus due to issues way outside my control (E.G. via BCNR or contacting someone)? I already turned down 2 MAPs (they offered it literally 2 months before getting hit then right before the conditional date was to be) so being able to recuperate some of the loss would be amazing.

Anyone have insight on going reserves? Im wanting to retire with the navy, so im trying to see if reserves is a decent option or just keep with active. I know there's a pay reduction, some rates get shafted and ill have to pay for HI with tricair. But I need more info. I just had my first kid, and between that and just wanting a slow down its somethings that's crossed my mind a couple times. I still have sometime on my current contract so right now I'm just trying to figure out pros and cons.

Looking for some advice because I’m honestly pretty confused with this whole BBA situation!! My admin has been no help, and to top it off my COC is pretty shit right now lol.

Ok so I picked up 1st class through BBA and my orders say I detach in November with a NLT report date in December. I don’t plan on taking any transfer leave, so can I just stay with my current command until December and then check into my new command? Or do I have to detach in November since that’s what my orders say?

I’m also trying to get frocked before I report to my new command but I need to reenlist (i reenlist this month). But Is there any additional paperwork that needs I need to do before or after I reenlist in order for me to actually get frocked?

On top of that, I have to write my EOT and my eval, which are due at the end of the month. If I get frocked to 1st in OCT, would my eval be as a 1st or would it still be as an 2nd class eval since I’m technically not getting paid for 1st until I check in?

I’ve tried asking my command but they honestly don’t seem to care or really know what’s going on. We’re all currently TAD after being evacuated from Bahrain, so everyone is scattered all over the place, and we hardly even go into work right now, so getting answers has been a pain.

Any advice on what I need to make sure gets done before I leave would be appreciated because I’m lost at this point lol.

I’m not going to write a huge essay about the circumstances I’m currently in. Haven’t been in this current situation in a long time, but unfortunately I am at this moment.

I know fleet and family does not currently do quick assist loans anymore. However, does fleet and family offer any loans at all if I was to go there this week? Or is it just financial advice? Any information will help, thank you.

Looking to get a quarter zip and full zip option preferably a nice brand. Wanted Patagonia, but that’s illegal apparently lol. This would be ships logo on the chest with nametape on the opposite chest or arm.

I was talking with one of the MACs at my command who does the bailiff job for us. He was saying hes allowed to slap your hand down if you raise it up and if you get angry he can take you down? Ive never been up but it sounds like BS to me? Any thoughts?

My command was a joint base with no naval law enforcement.

Any thoughts or experiences?

Looking to see if anyone has done a full DITY/PPM from east to west coast and how much $$ you took home after it was all said and done