Day 29

Friday night was my first time wetting-down to Lieutenant.
The wetting down is a tradition in the American Navy (and Royal Navy) from days of yore; typically, the newly promoted officer or officers will host a party paid for with their first raise at their new rank for all the other officers in their command. If you want to get really traditional, the newly promoted will also jump into the ocean or have salt water dumped on them. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetting-down)

We rented out Culhane's Irish Pub, and just about the whole command was there. There were nine of us who promoted recently, so we were able to throw a pretty good party with the combined funds. Toasts were made, karaoke was sung, inappropriate comments were heard; all the hallmarks of a good time. A Commander at the Air Station relayed a tradition the aviators have that I was onboard with but not enough others were, the Carrier Landing.

To execute a carrier landing, you pour beer all over the floor or a low, long table. Two people take a table cloth, roll it up into a cord, then strech it across one end of the surface. Then the officer making the landing runs for that surface and spreadeagles onto it, much like a slip and slide. As he slides face first across it, his feet catch the table cloth, much like a tailhook on a carrier.

We didn't do one last night, but I've got a lot of new experiences I have to rack up this year....