Battlefield promotion

About the term: In time of war, people in command positions from corporal up to and including generals are lost via WIA, MIA and KIA. You can't tolerate vacancies in a command structure so the best available person gets promoted to fill vacancies on the spot. Sometimes in intense battles, positions like platoon leader may change hands several times in a single day (albeit a very bad day).

But what about at the census?
It turns out that the census has adopted the same procedure in case people go missing for any reason. Last Thursday morning I reported for work at 7:30 am for a nice relaxing day at the office. At about 8:00 am our new AMA (Asst. Manager for Admin.), Vasantha, called me aside where nobody else could hear us and asked me if I'd like to become an OOS (Office Operations Supervisor). I told her no. She stepped back a quarter step then told me that they needed a night-time OOS, probably as soon as the next week and they really need me. I hemmed and hawed and finally caved in. Then I went back to work.
Let me step aside for a moment and tell you a wee bit about our night-time OOS extant. She was a very nice oriental woman of 30 something who is super quick on the keyboard, very knowledgeable about the census systems, and who has worked as an admin at the census for at least a year. She is also a single Mom who doesn't really like working nights, but couldn't work days because she has a home and child to operate. She had some issues with Vasantha, but I don't know what they were.
So back to last Thursday. I got the news at about 8:00 but it was a week away. No worries. Vasantha pulled me aside again at 8:20. She said they really needed an OOS right away and how late could I stay that night? We dickered a bit and I agreed to work until 10:00 pm. YaHOO! Overtime. And I got a battlefield promotion that very morning. My promotion was processed and official by 11:00. I got new computer permissions by noon. I got building access codes by 3:00, and I got congratulations from all kinds of people, high and low, in all the various departments. Many people were very kind in the things they said.
But what about the previous OOS, you ask. Her status changed even quicker than mine. She was going to stay in Admin as a regular worker - then she was going to work in Field Ops (in the room next to ours) - then she was going to transfer to QC at the other end of the building. She came by and picked up her few personal items after a while and then she was gone. I don't know if she'll be back or not. I spoke to her briefly - we are friends - but she was too emotional to say anything. It all happened so fast I felt kind of disoriented.
FYI, I did not take over the old OOS's desk. It feels kind of haunted or something, so I took over another one.

What does this mean for me? MORE MONEY!! Oh yeah, and more responsibility. It's not really that hard, but I have to keep an eye on things and people constantly ask me what they should do next. I'm not very good at telling other people what to do, but I'm trying. I'm still mostly doing what I was doing before: hiring, firing, and processing time cards. In the end, the job will only last another month or two, so why worry? I will work 2:30 - 11:00pm weekdays, Wed. off, and half days Sat. and Sun.