It’s “that” day again. Post your posts if you have them!

“Sea Story” of the day:

On Monday, I blogged that it had been 30 years to the day since I reported aboard my first command for work, rather than school. It, however, was a Saturday night, so it doesn’t count as much as today, which was a Monday 30 years ago, and my first work day in the Fleet.

The routine when arriving at any command is to be noted in the Ship’s Deck Log and the taken to the Executive Officer to commence your check in. And so it was, early that day on USS MILWAUKEE (AOR-2), still moored at Pier 2 in Norfolk. It was that time when I met CDR David Martin, a Surface Line Officer, and second in command. Tall and reasonably thin for a man in his middle age period of life, it was then when he looked in my service record and made a comment discussed here.

I had been dropped from the skies on short notice aboard MILWAUKEE. I had visions of being a Diving and Salvage Officer, but a small issue of claustrophobia manged to help redetermine my career path. Just a few weeks before this day, I had sat with the Traing Officer at the Naval Diving and Salvage School, Anacostia Navy Yard, and told him I thought I would just decline to continue for fear of hazarding not only myself, but any diving buddies int he water. I was dispatched, not to a sleek “Greyhound of the Sea,” but to what, in my limited knowledge, was a dead end job for a young man with a desire to command a ship with many weapons, with a hope of playing a strong second to the legend of Lord Nelson, John Paul Jones and many others who had gone down to the sea before me.

On the advice of a family friend, who was responsible for advising one very well known and powerful senator, I had taken the orders. This man, who had served under Chester Nimitz, provide what was very sage advice: “I can get your orders changed, but just remember, there will be a very large stamp, unseen, but well known across the outside of your service record, saying “Political Influence. Take the orders, and if in a year you feel it’s not to your liking, call me and we’ll see what we can do.” I never picked up the phone, as I found I was enjoying my job far too much….

But, there I was, a whirlwind of a morning, taken to Admin, shuttled to the Captain’s cabin, introduced to my Department Head, LCDR Frank Mueller, and all sorts of other things, but, the one detail I remember clearly was shortly after lunch, I was in my newly assigned stateroom and there was a knock at the door. I tentatively opened the door and there stood two second class petty officers. Before I could say anything, the one with black curly hair, Navy “BC” glasses and a full beard shoved a manila folder in my direction and said “You’re our new Division Officer, sign this!”

Taken aback for a moment, I said: “No, I haven’t relieved ENS Ralston yet.” “Sir, he’s on leave and we need this signed. You’re our new Division Officer.” So I took the pen and signed the casualty report.

And so went my first meeting with ETR2 Mike Krutsch and ETN2 Craig Johnson, for I was, as they so clearly stated, their Division Officer….

And that is what I distinctly recall of my first real work day in the service of the taxpayers.

It shouldn’t have hit me out of the blue as it did, but yesterday I realized I first “went to work” 30 years ago today.

It was a saturday that year, and, having arrived in Norfolk from the DC area, I knew I needed to report in. It’s not like I hadn’t stepped on a Quarterdeck before and handed over a very think manila envelope to and Officer of the Deck, but this time was different. It was my first permanent duty assignment. After several schools (4 to be exact, over a 10 month period), it was time to earn my pay.

It was early evening, and after dinner. It was dark and the USS MILWAUKEE (AOR-2) was berthed starboard side to to Pier 2 at the Norfolk Operating Base (NOB). LTJG George Parrish, the Ship’s Navigator, was the Command Duty Officer. Tall and thin, sporting a mustache, he sat down with the spouse and I in the sitting area of the Wardroom and told me what time to be at work on Monday morning. I can still recall the scene, but not the words spoken. anyhow, it was done, I had just begun an assigned three year division officer tour, which ended up lasting two years, before I was assigned to a pre-commissioning unit.

I was assigned as the Combat Information Center Officer, with additional duty as the Electronic Material Officer (CIC/EMO), leading the OI and OE divisions in the Operations Department under LCDR Frank Mueller, the Operations Officer.

The Commanding Officer was CAPT Wright, a submariner, with about one month of his command tour left. CDR David Martin was the Executive Officer. The Engineer Officer was LCDR Carl Klein, who was not a Surface Line Officer, but and Engineering Duty Officer who had convinced the Navy that large plants needed the expert attention of those who had chosen a profession of being engineers above commanding warships. The 1st Lieutenant was LCDR Leo “Mike” Pivonka. LTJG Pat Wall was the 2nd Division Officer and ENS Harry Watkins III was the 3rd Division Officer. LT Randy Rice was the Communications Officer, with LTJG Clifford Barnes aboard as the Damage Control Assistant. Bos’n Eddie Watson was in Deck Department, and in Engineering, there was one CWO4 as the Main Propulsion Assistant and a CWO3 as the Electrical Officer. The assigned Medical Officer was an OB/GYN by professional background, but our “Doc” nonetheless. He and the Supply Officer once had had a contest to see who could stay “in the rack” the longest and they were both golfers. I don’t recall who won, but I know it was the call of nature, and not the will to win that was the tiebreaker in the situation. I think they both put up a good fight….

Aboard the “Old Mil,” I began an education that taught you about seamanship, engineering and logistics, unencumbered by the flashiness of modern (or just about any) weaponry.

More to come on this topic this coming Wednesday in the Ropeyarn Sunday and Open Trackbacks series, for 4/4/1977 was my first actual working day in the Navy.

The US Marines: Total Destruction within 30 minutes or the next one’s free”

I like it!

The enlisted service members of the Sea Service who wear the khaki like officers are a special breed. This day marks the 114th year of that this position has been in place as “the backbone of the Fleet.” From Navy News:

MCPON Reflects on 114 Years of Deckplate Leadership
Story Number: NNS070330-29
Release Date: 3/30/2007 1:34:00 PM
Top News Story – Editors should consider using these stories first in local publications.

Special from Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SW/FMF) Joe R. Campa Jr.

WASHINGTON (NNS) — Following is a statement from Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SW/FMF) Joe R. Campa Jr., commemorating the establishment of the rank of Chief Petty Officer (CPO) in 1893:

On April 1, all chief petty officers, active and retired, will celebrate 114 years of deckplate leadership. It’s important that on occasions like this we acknowledge the significant contributions of the generations of chiefs who made our mess what it is today.

Every chief in the Navy should pause a moment to reflect on the strong legacy of leadership that our mess is founded on. This is a time to reaffirm our commitment to our Navy, our Sailors and each other.

Our Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles were forged in a tradition of CPO leadership, a brand of leadership that is unique only to those of us who walk the deckplates as chiefs. Those principles are the time-honored values that have been the characteristics of chiefs since our inception in 1893.

They sustained our chiefs when they raised us, and they still serve as our heritage to this day. It is critical that we maintain that heritage as our conscience and the soul of our service.

Thank you chiefs. Through your leadership of our Sailors, you’re keeping that heritage alive. But we must continue to press forward. Look at your Sailors today and you’ll know how you stand as a chief and the impact you have on your command. It is through this lens that we can only truly see how successful we are as a Mess.

My first assigned Chief Petty Officer was OSC Michael P. McCaffery, USN, and I met him on April 4th, 1977.

But we still need an ERA…

CDR Sara Joyner, Commanding Officer of VFA-105 Credit: US Navy Photo

We have females who have quite successfully attained roles of traditional male leadership, and in this case, in some of the “macho-est” hallways. But there is still the “GLASS CEILING!”â„¢ There are those women who just get it done, like the one flying with the Thunderbirds, and many others, yet there is a faction of women who desire to sit on the sidelines and carp about how they can’t get what they want. I knew men like this during my career. More often than not, the real reason they didn’t get the so desired promotion/duty/assignment was simple: They weren’t qualified.

Sometimes they we’re qualified because of things like physical limitations, other times education requirements they could not attain, and in too many other situations, they didn’t get off their cans and do the ground work to be eligible (meaning “it” had been within their reach, but they were the ones limiting their own upward mobility).

In the wake of the non-flying imam’s court case to sue those private people who called airline personnel to report suspicious behavior, Michelle Malkin has posted the “John Doe Manifesto” at NRO:

Dear Muslim Terrorist Plotter/Planner/Funder/Enabler/Apologist,

You do not know me. But I am on the lookout for you. You are my enemy. And I am yours.

I am John Doe.

I am traveling on your plane. I am riding on your train. I am at your bus stop. I am on your street. I am in your subway car. I am on your lift.

I am your neighbor. I am your customer. I am your classmate. I am your boss.

I am John Doe.

I will never forget the example of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 who refused to sit back on 9/11 and let themselves be murdered in the name of Islam without a fight.
[…]

The statement of principle continues…

Are you “John Doe?”

Doing some idle channel surfing, looking for some mental bubble gum led me to the Comedy Central a few evenings ago, where they had Bill Engvall doing his new routine “15 Degrees Off Cool.” Bill, if you’re not lighting up on the name, is one of the three comedians featured in the “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” movies. along with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy.

Anyhow, the routine is pretty good, but the last 10 minutes are the best. Bill got a call from the US Air Force Thunderbirds, inviting him to come to Nellis Air Force Base and ride along as a V.I.P.

Seek out and find the showing on the Comedy Central of “15 Degrees Off Cool” and enjoy a wildly candid, “transparent” monologue about getting a ride in an F-16 Falcon. Don’t be chugging anything liquid once he begins the tale…..

As a follow onto the successful VAW community music videos, I present this. You know, I’m beginning to wonder why there are so many YouTube type works on the Navy coming out of the aviation community. Is it they submariners and black shoes are too busy, or just not creative enough? You be the judge!

“Safety Chief”

Technical note: I guess I still have to figure out why YouTube videos don’t always play nice in WordPress, so just click and have fun!

Scary, I know. Two posts in one day where there maybe a crossroads in the belief (based on faith) of the Right (me) and the Left (I can’t name names).

Generically speaking, when I read the post about posters at the Huffington Post being upset with Karl Rove doing a little rapping last night, it got me to realize for the better part of the last several years (specifically since Nov 2004), the Left taken on faith that Karl Rove has been the master architect of all that has gone not the way they wanted.

They have no evidence, but they are hard after proving their theory. Gee…sounds like “Intelligent Design” to me…We see things of extreme complexity (hello, Al Gore, take notes) in the design of any life form, in the climate, in the solar system and in the universe, and it looks so planned, many people (myself included) cannot say it was all a case of Brownian Motion that has brought us to this point in our ability to observe.

So, welcome Lefties, to a shared conceptual view. Now if you can only see it to expand your scope to things beyond the mighty, all seeing, all knowing Karl Rove, then we will be in much closer agreement.

H/T: Little Green Footballs

On the hatchback: “Another American for Peace”

That’s good to know, but It got me thinking:

The Left accuses the Right of being arrogant, yet I believe the Left suffers from the same mental malady.

Why? Because “sloganism” politics imply America has total control of all that happens, like we cause the enemy to attack us in subtle and not so subtle ways, so, ergo, we are also in charge of stopping their attacks with a word or two.

Then again, you could extend it to them wrapping their arms harder around the “The US Set Up 9/11” conspiracies.

Yeah, right. 4.8% of the World’s population controla EVRYTHING that happens. Sounds pretty arrogant to me.