America 1982-Chapter 335 - 25: Tony’s Best Choice_2
"A brother of mine within the SSD of the Naval Academy, his father works in the Navy Veterans Affairs department in Washington, told me if I wanted, I could be arranged by his father to serve as a Warrant Officer Assistant at the Washington United States Navy’s Legislative Affairs Office. I wouldn’t have to serve at various bases and would have more opportunities to interact with important figures. That office is in charge of communication between the Navy and the United States Congress. My brother gave up this opportunity for me and chose to serve on board a ship instead," Tony said to Tommy as they walked, sharing his own situation:
"There are two other options. One is to return to Rhode Island. As you know, there is a naval military base there, and I could work at the Navy Surface Warfare center’s Ship Systems Engineering Station. Ashley really hopes I can serve in Rhode Island, since it is our hometown. The other option is to serve with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in Philadelphia, mainly to maintain the various classes of ships stored there since World War II, ensuring that, should war break out, these giant relics can be reactivated and deployed to battle immediately."
Tommy, with his arms crossed, listened to his brother’s briefing and nodded slightly but did not rush to give his own suggestion.
His brother seemed to be doing well at the Naval Academy. For most cadets, these three service options were very good ones. Firstly, they all had one thing in common: if war broke out, these three units would not need to be on the front lines immediately; all the work was at the rear and, unlike some bases far from the US mainland, they wouldn’t spend years without holiday leave to visit family back home.
Warrant Officer Assistant at the United States Navy’s Legislative Affairs Office in Washington seemed like the best choice. It was a more difficult position to secure than what David Schafer had before when he went to Washington to be an intern assistant for a senator. Put simply, working in that office meant Tony could be in daily contact with big names from the Pentagon Navy Department and the United States Congress.
The Rhode Island Navy Base was the most heartwarming choice. Rhode Island was the home state for the two brothers. At the United States Navy Base Atlantic Fleet’s Ship Engineering Station, the main task would be to conduct regular maintenance on those ships, without much emergency business; one could have leisurely days with punctual knock-offs, returning home for dinner with the family every evening.
The Philadelphia United States Navy Atlantic Reserve Fleet was the safest choice, watching over the Navy’s own scrap heap, ensuring that, in the event of war, these old vessels could leave the dock and bluff.
"Going to Washington is certainly a great choice. If I had finished the Naval Academy myself, I would work in Washington. I would try to flatter those big shots, wrapping around them slowly like Fuhrman until we became a symbiotic system. But you can’t, Tony. Those old folks aren’t naval academy rookies to be won over with a few stiff drinks and friendly gestures. Washington is not for you, mainly because you have no foundation, no family in the military to rely on, and my business currently has no cooperation with the Navy, so there’s no way to provide better future development for you there. If you choose that, you might just be serving coffee and water in the office for three years until your time is up and you retire, or you have to start all over again somewhere else," Tommy shared his thoughts with Tony:
"Unless you accept my previous suggestion to break up with Ashley, and then I’ll help you find a suitable father-in-law, so you can go to Washington with ease..."
Tony interrupted Tommy: "I won’t break up with Ashley, just like you wouldn’t split up with Odelia, Tommy. She’s already part of the Hawk Family."
"Good, then let’s cross off Washington as an option. Navy Base Ship Engineering Station in Rhode Island, let me put it this way, if you choose to return home, that would mean giving up your entire career for a moment’s pleasure. It certainly suits you, like when you used to fix cars, dealing with machines every day, clocking off punctually. But dealing with machines and not people means no chance of promotion. Those cold machines won’t decorate you with medals." Tommy didn’t press on, knowing his brother inherited their father’s faithfulness and wouldn’t flirt around once committed to a woman.
Hearing his brother’s words, Tony asked, "So, that leaves Philadelphia?"
"Philadelphia, if you could sell that scrap to other countries for the United States Navy and make a big profit, that’s an opportunity to climb up quickly. But that’s another kind of promotion within the Navy. You make money for the Navy big shots, they give you medals. The moment their corruption is discovered, you’d be sacrificed—the same thing that is suitable for me, but not for you. Also, there’s no need for us to choose such a risky path now; we’re not lacking in money," Tommy shook his head, dismissing the third option as well.
Seeing all the options rejected, Tony frowned slightly and reminded Tommy, "Tommy, Rhode Island and Philadelphia are the best choices I got through my honors at the academy."
Tony’s college journey couldn’t compare to his brother’s experience at Stanford University. He only had two achievements that he could proudly present from the Naval Academy.
One was the Sandhurst Military Skills competition, organized by West Point, which involved cadets from military colleges across the United States, Canada, Australia, and England, lasting two days. His Naval Academy team of nine midshipmen defeated the defending champions from the Royal Military College of Canada, eliminating West Point’s toughest competition.
