This one's in English, fellas. So I've finished my training. All is said in done. I didn't pass the final exam, but I came REALLY close. I needed a score of 2, 2, 1+. What I got was a 1+, 2, 2. I've never really been all that great at taking tests. The good news is, I was only one question away from passing, and my grades throughout the course have been astounding. My teachers presented a nice (albeit, flustered) case to my chain of command over how excellent a linguist I was. My teaching team leader (a Colombian woman) flew into a Latina tantrum to my chief. It went like this.

"Heis a goot linguist! He ken dew eneh thing he wonts with de language! He iss de best in de whole class. And I kennot belief that chew are going toolet this amazing guy slip by jes becoz of a stewpid test. Yew know, I've hated that test sence they made it. It doesn't grade them well. And iss an aweful test."

The rant went on like that for nearly 45 minutes. I'm pretty sure my chief started cowering (I don't know how many of you have ever upset a latina... but even a Master Chief would wet himself when dealing with one he couldn't control. She is a civilian after all).

After she stopped, took a breath, wiped her brow, fixed her hair... my chief reached into his desk drawer.

"Professor *****, we've seen his grades and seen him using the language." At which point he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her for review. "We know. We fully agree with you. But it was never up to me. It's up to the school and the high brass."

She took a breath as if she was going to start into him again. That's when her eyes fell across the page title.

"M16-13 Waiver. Sailor's score has been waived in leui of his apparent ability to manipulate a target language at an above average level. Sailor has been authorized to continue as intially stated in orders: To proceed to ****** for further training and to assume the Rank, pay, and title of a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive Type 3rd Class Petty Officer of the Navy. Sailor is entitled to all bonuses or incentives intially granted upon enlistment. Flip Language pay will follom upon the completion of the DLPT on a satisfactory level Sailor restricted from further advancement until DLPT is retaken and passed at a satisfactory score."

In other words, I didn't pass. But the navy said "Screw it. You're going to be a linguist anyway." And I said. "K."

And thus, Seaman become Petty Officer. I put my crow on this Thursday. To any of you fellow Navy personel reading this: throw back a beer for "Petty Officer" Inky. For those of you that thought I'd never make it: IN YO FACE! Throw back a beer to forget your shame. To those who knew I would: Throw back a beer for me. To everybody else: Throw back a beer because beer is awesome... and legally, I can't drink it myself until April, so I live vicariously through you all (I can handle a lot of beer, being German, Irish, and Scotch...)

DRINK I SAY! That's an order!