'The clerk looked like she was gonna cry': Karen supply clerk forces newly enlisted to wear disintegrating boots, gets chewed out by CO

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Aug 18, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

There's always a bigger fish when it comes to the chain of command—well, almost always. But trust a Petty Officer to think that they're a much bigger fish than they really are… and foolishly overstep in the wielding of their authority.

This newly enlisted seaman ran afoul of a "Karen" clerk, who also happened to be well… connected with senior enlisted personnel. He starts off by explaining how this happened during his time serving in the Navy way back in the late eighties. The then-newly enlisted seaman and original poster of this story encountered a frustrating situation when he was issued a pair of low-quality boots that were uncomfortable to wear.

After just four months of use, the soles and leather on the toes had already worn out, making the boots unfit for duty. However, when the OP approached the supply office to request new boots, he was met with resistance from a supply clerk who claimed that new boots could only be issued every six months.

OP maliciously complied with their requirements, resorting to fixing the boots himself using wire and duct tape, which was truly a sorry sight to behold. Fortunately, the squadron commanding officer soon noticed the shoddy state of the OP's boots and was appalled by the supply clerk's lack of action. He quickly ordered the clerk to issue new boots immediately and gave her a stern reprimand for her negligence. Thanks to the commanding officer's intervention, the OP was eventually able to receive the new boots he so desperately needed.

The Original Poster then returned to share an additional update to the original story in the comments, sharing a story about a jacket they were framed for stealing and the eventual downfall of the supply clerk.