I Ran A Prostitution Ring And Didn’t Even Know It

I was nearing the end of my four weeks at a drug and alcohol treatment center, compliments of the Navy, when I was unexpectedly called into an office.

It was a particularly busy morning with service members preparing to wrap up their program and newcomers just starting theirs.

Up until now, I was genuinely enjoying my time in the program. My ship was out at sea doing work-ups and I was quite content with missing out.

Rehab felt like a vacation. The food was exceptional, we did yoga, played card games and board games, learned meditation, discussed our feelings, made friends, went to the gym, and lounged by the pool. There was a rec center just across the street where we could play video games for hours. There was even a private movie theater where we could sign up to watch the latest movies. On weekends, we played volleyball and hosted barbeques. It was fantastic. I loved it.

So, imagine my surprise when, on this fine morning, I was called into the office of a Senior Chief who informed me of a very serious matter at hand.

He proceeded to tell me that my name had come up multiple times regarding an issue that could expel me from the program. My brow furrowed as I tried to determine what I could have possibly been involved in that would raise any concern.

He inquired if I had any idea what he was referring to. I responded with a firm no.

“Are you sure?” he pressed.

“Senior Chief, what are you talking about?” I asked.

“Are you aware of the males* who have been sneaking into the female quarters after hours?”

“What?!” I was genuinely surprised. We females often stayed up late, chatting about our commands and sharing life stories. Some nights, a gal pal and I would play volleyball in the kitchen, knocking the ball into the toaster and fridge over and over because the kitchen was in the way. Whatever sexy sex was going on was in someone’s head.

The Senior Chief continued:

“That’s interesting because your name has been mentioned by several individuals as being the leader of a prostitution ring.”

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open, completely taken aback.

Suddenly, I burst into laughter. “You have got to be joking!” I exclaimed.

He remained unflinchingly serious. “This isn’t a matter of humor. Currently, there are two males who are being dismissed back to their commands because of this misconduct.”

Peering out the office window into the corridor, I noticed a familiar program participant standing beside his distraught wife. I realized he was one of the two being dismissed, especially since his wife wasn’t typically on the premises and he had another week or two left in his program. This was someone who constantly spoke about his wife and her incredible support throughout his rehabilitation journey. I knew a lot of men at my command who were unfaithful to their spouses, but this guy? He wasn’t one of them.

As far as my leading a prostitution ring, that was the most laughable, unbelievable thing I’d ever heard. I had plenty of responsibility waiting for me back at my command, where I was a gun mount Captain, PRT Coordinator, Supply PO, and the Division liaison for every damn department as required for an office admin. And right now, during these blissful weeks, I was enjoying not being in charge of anything.

Turning my attention back to the Senior Chief, I voiced my disbelief. “Senior Chief, I can’t fathom that a prostitution ring exists here. And I’m stunned that you believe it. You seem way too smart for this kind of rumor.”

To my surprise, he didn’t jump down my throat for speaking out of line. Instead, he appeared somewhat taken aback. Silence sat between us for a few beats before he thanked me for my time and allowed me to leave.

I never found out what happened when I left his office. Did he realize it was all crap and he had just kicked out innocent service members from the easiest program in the world, thus dooming them to a “failed” mark on their rap sheet that would follow them for the rest of their career? Had there been some booty calls going on and I was just too naive to figure out how they were doing it? But why would caught people say it was a whole organized crime thing with a ring leader? Were they trying to say someone made them do it?

Nothing made sense.

I remember telling my roommates about the conversation with the Senior Chief the day it happened. I plopped into a chair in our female-only space, “You guys are not going to believe this.” And what do you know, they were just as flummoxed as I was.

In the end, the entire fiasco faded away, much like all rumors do. We all completed the program quite uneventfully, with the occasional “Hey, remember when you were accused of being a prostitution ring leader?”

It’s almost 15 years later and I still can't believe that happened.

*The terms ‘male’ and ‘female’ are used in the Navy instead of man or woman, at least during my time there.