Another ex-Navy nuke here. More than 45 years later, I can still practically recite both sides of my interview with the KOG,* which was necessary to get into Th

Another ex-Navy nuke here. More than 45 years later, I can still practically recite both sides of my interview with the KOG,* which was necessary to get into The Program. Here's an excerpt. Important to the story is that I was escorted into Rickover's office by a senior officer who was in training to be a submarine skipper. Also relevant is that I was younger than the usual candidate. KOG: Why do you want in my program? Me: From what I've seen of the submarine fleet, there's a lot of professionalism there; I'd like to be part of that. [Later, in nuclear power school, I switched to surface, and spent my sea time aboard the carrier USS Enterprise.] KOG: So you don't think there's any professionalism in the surface fleet? Me: I didn't say that, Admiral. KOG [to the escort officer]: Read back what the kid said. Escort officer: Mr. Toedt thinks there's a lot of professionalism in the submarine fleet and not in the surface fleet. KOG: [Angrily points out my personal failings, ending with:] You're shooting your g--damn mouth off about something you don't know a g--damn thing about. What do you think of that? Me: That's not what I said, Admiral. [At this point I started getting pissed off.] KOG: [More vigorous imparting of wisdom, ending with:] Have you learned anything? Me [angrier than I've ever been, before or since]: Yes, SIR. KOG: What's that? Me: Not to shoot my [pause] MOUTH off about something I don't know a [pause] thing ABOUT — SIR. The interview went downhill from there, including inquiries about my sex life. I figured I'd bilged the interview and would be heading for destroyer school, which had been my preference anyway (the officers at my NROTC unit had strongly "encouraged" me to apply for The Program instead). I was shocked afterwards when the nice older lady congratulated me on having been accepted to The Program and asked which of the two nuclear power schools did I want to attend. After the interview I realized that Rickover and the escort officer had intentionally been f--king with me as one of his little stress tests, the stories about which are legion [0]. * KOG = Kindly Old Gentleman. The nuke joke was that he checked the box for at most two out of those four things. [0] https://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/2009/02/rickover-stories-needed.html https://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/2009/02/rickover-stories-ne...