I joined the Department of the Navy because I believed in public service, in the mission, and in the people. After serving nine years on Active Duty — including multiple deployments — I was fired six months into my civilian career, not for failing at my job, but for sending a limerick in response to Elon Musk’s new requirements.
Beginning on February 24, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has directed federal civilians to provide five bullets responding to the prompt, “What did you do last week?”. On March 17, I answered the fourth round of emails with five lines of rhyme – a limerick sent on St. Patrick’s Day. When leadership reduced our work to unclassified and meaningless bullet points, they got a response commensurate with the assignment. I was subsequently terminated for poor conduct; my termination letter cited the limerick as the only evidence.
