Well my friends, the time has come at last. My one condition when I began employment here was that my apprenticeship must end when my nation calls upon me to serve it. Alas, that time is drawing near. My always kind recruiters have recommended to me (and to every other future sailor) that, in the final few days before leaving our civilian lives behind for those in the military that we terminate our current employment. My departure, therefore, must come sooner than some may have hoped.

The time I have had here has been extraordinary. The opportunities with which I have been presented to perfect my craft with the written word has been universally beneficial: my skills have not gone dull from disuse and the permanent staff has enjoyed an alleviated workload. The stories about which I have written have covered a variety of topics (my favorite of which have come from the Far East), and while some of them may have been challenging on an ethical or moral level, I truly hope that the majority have left you, if nothing else, entertained.

The saddest part, to me, is that for nine weeks I shall be entirely cut off from the outside world, spare a letter here or there. Once this initial training regimen has concluded I must travel far south to Florida for another half year of training. This means, I am afraid, that I shall not be able to be an active member of this community during that time. Indeed, given the probability of taking voyages, my absence may even be longer!

Regardless, I would like to thank you, the staff and the fans, for allowing me to work here. These past few months would have been devoid of any intellectual challenge (hardly any employers wants to take in an employee who will leave in a matter of months), and the feedback I receive has been, for the most part, positive.

Again I say thank you. I am proud to have worked here.

All the best,

Benjamin "Mr. Ben" Littlejohn

Finally, I would like to leave you on a happier note, so here is some music that is a little more upbeat.