One of the NATO support ships, somewhere in the waters off Yugoslavia, cut in front of the lead ship, missing it by inches.
A few minutes later a young sailor brought a message to the ship's captain, on deck with his junior officers.
"It's from the admiral, sir," said the sailor.
"Read it aloud, sailor," beamed the captain.
"Very well, sir," said the sailor. "You sorry excuse for a deck hand. Your blundering maneuver nearly caused an accident!" the sailor read.
"Right, sailor," the captain snapped. "Now go back to the radio
room and have that message properly decoded."