NORFOLK, Va. — A former third-class petty officer whose primary qualification was being aggressively unhelpful capped off a 31-year Navy career by somehow failing upward into the rank of captain in the supply corps.
Universally described as a full-spectrum douche by everyone who served with him, Darrell Mathews consistently avoided accountability for infractions that would’ve ended most careers. Meanwhile, far more capable officers with real-world leadership and tactical skill were relieved for far less.
Colleagues described Mathews as a human bullhorn whose career was a consistent skid mark across naval bureaucracy. His bullying tactics and chronic shaming of subordinates became legendary, whispered about in wardrooms worldwide.
"He was like a magic 8-ball with a drinking problem," said Doug Wilson, who served with Mathews. "Loud, usually wrong, and always predicting a vague, unhelpful future."
Perhaps even more puzzling was Mathews' acceptance and graduation from prestigious institutions including the U.S. Naval War College. Former classmates expressed bewilderment at how someone with his reputation managed to navigate these elite academic environments.
"We all knew Darrell was the village jackass, but somehow he kept failing upward," said Donald McKenzie, a War College classmate. "It was like watching someone trip over the same rock for two years and call it a strategic maneuver."
Despite reaching captain, his dereliction as a naval officer command apparently had limits. Mathews was consistently passed over for promotion to admiral. According to sources close to selection boards confirming that senior leadership deeply hated the guy, despite their inexplicable tolerance for his prior antics.
The final straw reportedly came during a flag officer briefing, when Mathews interrupted a vice admiral to explain why ‘the real enemy is poor branding,’ prompting the room to go silent before someone finally told him to shut the fuck up. His packet was later found in a shred bin with 'ABSOLUTELY NOT' scrawled across it in Sharpie."
Retired Rear Adm. Matt O’Sullivan, known for blunt assessments, said Mathews' "entire career could have been replaced by a pamphlet. A really thin, unhelpful pamphlet."
The pervasive feeling among leadership was that Mathews' presence alone was toxic enough to warrant calling poison control.
"That man is so toxic, his DoD number should just be the 1-800 poison control hotline,” said one former subordinate, Cmdr. Mike Thompson. The sentiment resonated with anyone within earshot of his booming obnoxious voice.