While the IDC on a frigate, I had two sailors miss ships movement after they had already come aboard before we singled up lines. The first hobbled aboard with crutches and an ER report. The ER doc recommended crutches, ice, elevation, no up and down ladders, etc. for a sprained ankle. I went to the CO and told him I recommend we go with the ER doc's recommendation and leave him ashore. We were just going out ISO off the VACAPES for the week so no big deal, right? "Doc, if we let everybody with a light duty chit stay ashore then it will spread like a conflagration." Roger that, captain. I went back to sick bay and told the sailor he would have to get underway. He got up and hobbled back to the quarterdeck, went down the brow, and kept going down the pier. He reported into DESRON 2 the next day and went to CO's Mast when we got back.
The other guy, different underway period, was a bona fied nut job. I had sent him to Psych and the shrink recommended admin discharge. I took it to the same CO and he said the same thing about starting a fire out of control, blah, blah, blah. I went to him once more before we got underway and told him I thought we should cut him some orders to the squadron and leave him ashore. No, was the answer. We got underway and as soon as we cleared the pier and got into the channel he jumped over the lifelines and off the fantail. Three blasts from the ships whistle and then, "Man Overboard, man overboard." We couldn't turn of course so the captain ordered the motor whaleboat in the water. It wouldn't drop. It stuck in the davit. Meanwhile we were making way and the sailor was getting picked up by a sailboat. They took him back to the pier where by then the squadron had been notified, picked him up, and took him to the Sewell's Point clinic. We were out less than a week and the commodore was on the pier waiting for us when we got back.
