Jim Perks – Being promoted to DACOS Ops

Funny old thing, I’m lucky. I get a phone call out of the blue from who was then COM Ops, the Admiral, saying, “I want you to be DACOS Ops.” I said, “But Phil’s DACOS Ops.” “He’s just been promoted.” It’s happened again, “and you’re available now so we’re going to promote you a bit early and off you come.”

Oh, bloody hell, and again that’s another big job. You think, ooh, that’s a big step up as a newly promoted Captain. Usually that’s a second or third job cap.

This is why I wanted to do it last in my career. I thought, oh, that’s an ask and that part was the Admiral. He said, “Jim” and I’d known him well, “this is really tough. I’ll give you 3 months to settle in and then I’m going to start taking names.”

Oh ho and did he.

Yeah, great learning experience but wow! Intense, fabulous, it’s one of those seat of your pants jobs, it’s all about decision making.

You have to sit there and write long papers about stuff, it’s about doing, you know, directing. Brilliant, brilliant fun. Intense, consistently on the phone.