Yesterday, my relief and I spent some time out of the office and some inside. We didn't knock too many doors down as it was Sunday and reaching folks might be a challenge. Today, though, we headed out right away. I wanted to do for him what wasn't done for me. This job was dropped in my lap and not much at all was turned over to me. I had to take it by the horns and reinvent the wheel. I really didn't want to see all I accomplished just disappear because of a poor turnover. First by foot and then by vehicle, I gave him the base tour along with a few meetings with critical players where relationships are everything. You know how when you're talking to someone and they are gazing off in a different direction and look "annoyed" at the sound of your voice? No interest in what I was saying and no questions. That's pretty much what I was getting from the guy who is taking over my job. At times, I'd give the background story so things could be put in context and better "absorbed" but I think it was going in one ear and out the other. I wanted to say so many times: "You just wanna head back and call it quits?"...but I didn't. I figured that I'm turning over all of the critical parts to do this job well and it's his choice to ignore it. I wanted zero regrets about putting a bookend on my job and deployment here.
Once our tour was complete, it was nearing lunchtime where a whole lot of us went together, including our new Marine colonel. He definitely pointed much conversation at the lunch table towards me and my return to "Kansas". Being married for nearly 30 years and the entire time spent in the Marines as well through many, many deployments, he had lots of stories about experiences with his wife and kids and painful lessons learned that he shared with me. Afterwards, it was back to the office for the 1pm videoconference that I have every Monday. During this, I always brief one section and I wanted my relief to see that brief so he'd have a model to take away and do it in the future. I also wanted him to see the relationships forged that didn't exist before me and how they heavily rely on me...especially for the winterization material that is still in the pipeline...and winter is coming! Once done, I had less than a half hour to go to 3pm...the time to check in to the Navy. With less than 10 minutes to go before I had to start walking nearly a mile to that meeting, NOW my relief had questions. I started to grow very frustrated as not only was he asking a million questions all of a sudden but he was insulting the very work I had done, created, and fine tuned into a very well-oiled machine. Not only did he have all of my work but he had detailed instructions on how to pick up and run with it all. Still, all he wanted to do was make changes. As I was trying to explain the "how" and "why" to his questions, he clearly wasn't listening to anything because he'd start his next sentence before I even finished talking. It was making my blood boil because I was starting to see the very fabric of my work of 6 months start to unravel before my eyes. Not only is my work fine tuned and managing over $40 million worth of inbound material, but it's doing it in such a way that serves the customer very well and provides real-time tracking and up-to-date information 7 days a week at any given moment. Over 120 different projects spread among the eastern and northern parts of the country make up the responsibility of the job...a job where I have been the "center of the supply chain wheel." Zero experience, zero willingness to listen and learn, and a "know it all" attitude...combine that with a very, very tight timeline to conduct turnover and it could all eat me alive...if I'd let it. However, I am going home...no matter what...I am going HOME!!!! It sounds bad but all I could do is turn my back and flip the switch. My job is done. The warfighter has been served and done so with excellence, professionalism, and a heart of service. I cannot force those things to the next person. They have to want them for themselves and for our customers...the war fighters. It will, in my opinion, be a rough road ahead for him but it is what it is. I cannot direct that path any longer because at 3pm, the Navy took me back. (Rest assured, this is not easy for me. I am Type A all the way and take my work very seriously and expect nothing but the very best from myself. I hear it all the time: "I'm done! Forget it!" Easier said than done but honestly, I have no choice. The very best thing I can do is to just to walk away and not look back...difficult but no other option exists.)
No greater words than these could've been spoken when I sat down with 6 other sailors this afternoon: "Congratulations. You're going home." What followed was a short 15min brief where we filled out some paperwork and our flight reservations out of the country were conveyed to us. I was also happy to hear that we have a brilliant weather forecast this week so I'm hoping for no cancellations of any flights that could keep me hear one moment longer. After we heard the details of what we've been longing to hear, we headed on out. I went back to Green Beans Coffee and grabbed an Iced Espresso Chai Latte and then caught the shuttle bus back to my room. NO WAY in the world was I going back to the office. I am done...the Navy said so!!!
The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent doing some e-mailing, packing, and just miscellaneous stuff in the room, dozing off here and there. I did watch Sunday's 60 Minutes broadcast where they dedicated it to Steve Jobs and interviewing the man who wrote his biography which just so happened to hit the market today. Pretty interesting episode, that's for sure. So with that, Day 198 comes to a close. Now I wait...a C-17 is in my future and only time stands between me and my seat on that bird. The day I step on that aircraft will also be the step aboard the Yellow Brick Road. On the other end? Kansas.
Goodnight, everyone.
Happy for you. Safe travels!
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