My Favorite Holiday
October 13th, 2009
July 4, 1983, I was awakened from a deep sleep by the deafening sound of someone dropping, then dragging, a large steal chain across the deck just above my head. It was a normal occurrence, and due to its timeliness, was proving to be quite a good alarm clock. The day was starting just like every other day, continuous hum of machinery, the smell of jet fuel, and the gentle rocking to port and starboard that I had become so accustomed. Those things were now becoming barely noticeable – you can acclimate to just about anything. You see, I was deployed aboard the USS Forrestal, a United States Navy aircraft carrier, 81,000 tons of steel crafted into one of the most powerful devices of war mankind had ever developed. It was my thirtieth day of, what happened to be, my first Mediterranean cruise, and it was that particular day which would cement my understanding of what it is to be an American.
At about noon, the ship stopped all engines (Read the rest of the story…)
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Navy Recruiting Medical Waiver Process
September 17th, 2009
Over the past couple of years, I have received a large number of emails asking me about the waiver process for medical issues. The Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) may have already permanently disqualified the individual, or is concerned they may have a condition which force them to endure the process and anxiety of the medical waiver.
First of all, the approval of a medical waiver is the responsibility of the Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC). The Admiral makes a decision with input from a qualified medical authority.
To dispel a myth, Navy Recruiting does not (Read the rest of the story…)
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Happy Birthday Computer Bug!
September 9th, 2009
I bet you didn’t know that it was a Navy Lieutenant who first coined the phrase “bug” for a problem associated with a computer!
You see, LT Grace Murray Hopper, while serving on active duty, and working at Harvard University found a moth had embedded itself in a relay in the Mark II Aiken Relay Calculator (we are talking about some pretty old technology 
).
The operators taped the moth to (Read the rest of the story…)
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FY 2010 CPO Selects
July 31st, 2009
Congratulations to all the FY 2010 selectees! And I would like to send a special BZ out to all the Navy Counselor Chief Petty Officer – Career Recruiting Force (CRF)!
For the rest of the 2010 list here is a copy of the NAVADMIN (Read the rest of the story…)
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C-Sort is Now Required for SO
June 18th, 2009
After collecting and evaluating data over the last year or so it has been determined the Computerized Special Operations Resilience Test (C-SORT) in combination with Physical Screening Test (PST) scores are now required to classify Special Warfare Operator (SO) candidates. SO is the primary Navy rating for those who serve in the SEAL teams. Testing is accomplished online and is expected to take approximately one hour per test. A Navy Recruiting District Zone Supervisor will be required to administer the C-SORT. The C-SORT, along with PST, must be administered to all SO applicants prior to being classified/contracted at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). (Read the rest of the story…)
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2010 Projected Navy Active End Strength
May 14th, 2009
Active duty manpower projections by grade for FY-2010.
Commissioned Officers
0-10 Admiral 10
0-9 Vice Admiral 33
0-8 Rear Admiral (UH) 68
0-7 Rear Admiral (LH) 107
0-6 Captain 3,444
0-5 Commander 6,963
0-4 Lieutenant Commander 10,503
0-3 Lieutenant 15,726
0-2 Lieutenant (JG) 6,591
0-1 Ensign 6,580
TOTAL 50,025
Warrant Officers (Read the rest of the story…)
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Nuclear Lawyer
May 13th, 2009
My oldest Son, Tommy, is currently finishing up his internship for the United States Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. and tomorrow morning my wife and I will be driving there to pick him up (he wrecked his Mustang, whole other story…), bring him here to our home for the summer before he starts the next segment of his life, law school! Tommy has been accepted to law school at Penn State and is still waiting on replies for a couple of other schools in the Washington D.C. area. He is pretty excited to be going to Penn State, to my chagrin he didn’t even apply to U of Florida… he thinks Florida is too hot, GEEZ!
Anyway, Tommy sent me a copy of his application. His personal statement each school required is what caught my eye. As you may know he of course followed me around to all my duty stations (he attended three high schools for crying out loud) then (Read the rest of the story…)
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Couple of Minutes on the Withlacoochee
April 18th, 2009
As we returned from fishing in the Gulf of Mexico I decided to try out the video function on my really cheap, 5 megapixel camera. What you cannot see is all the turtles on the leaning palm tree and the gator under the brush – you just have to take my word for it that they were there, might be time for me to upgrade my image capturing device (Read the rest of the story…)
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Military Discount Golf at Disney
April 6th, 2009
Golf Clubs
It is time to get the golf clubs from the dark recesses of you garage and dust them off. Walt Disney World has announced starting April 26, 2009 they will discount for those with a military ID (active, activated and retired) the rate of 18 holes of golf at all their golf courses.
To play before 1000 the rate is $59.00, after 1000 it is just $39! Yes, that includes the Magnolia, a PGA course which hosts the Children Miracle Network Classic golf tournament where Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Mark O’Meara are a few of the professionals who have won the championship trophy in the last few years.
We will be using our complimentary and discounted 5-Day Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Tickets with the Park Hopper option and Water Park Fun & More Option.
Tee time is set! We will be mixing golf with our visit to the parks over a few days in late April staying at the Shades of Green which is nestled right between the Magnolia and (Read the rest of the story…)
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Salutes and Honors
April 2nd, 2009
Flag of the United States
The following NAVADMIN provides clarification to the rendering of honors to our flag.
R 012345Z APR 09
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
BT
UNCLAS //N01710//
NAVADMIN 098/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/APR//
SUBJ/SALUTES AND HONORS TO THE NATIONAL FLAG//
REF/A/DOC/U.S. NAVY REGULATIONS, 1990//
REF/B/DOC/OPNAVINST/15JUN01//
NARR/REF A IS U.S. NAVY REGULATIONS, 1990. REF B IS OPNAVINST
1710.7A, NAVY SOCIAL USAGE AND PROTOCOL MANUAL.//
RMKS/1. The intent of this NAVADMIN is to eliminate any confusion regarding appropriate honors to the flag by Navy personnel. By custom and tradition, Navy personnel do not render the hand salute when out of uniform or when uncovered; that has not changed.
2. During the playing of the national anthem, or the raising, lowering, or passing of the national flag, Sailors will continue to follow the policy and procedures outlined in ref b. Specifically, Sailors not in uniform will face the flag, stand at attention, and place the right hand over the heart. If covered, Sailors not in uniform will remove their headgear with the right hand and place their right hand over their heart. When the flag is not present, Sailors will act in the same manner while facing the direction of the music.
3. In cases such as indoor ceremonies, when Sailors are in uniform and uncovered, they will face the flag or the direction of the music when the flag is not present, and stand at attention.
4. Our sharp appearance – in and out of uniform – is a reflection of our commitment to excellence in service. Our pride in that service as members of the world’s finest navy should shine through in all that we do. Leave no one to doubt the seriousness of our commitment or the depth of our pride.
5. File and retain this interim change with ref b until these changes have been formally incorporated via instruction revision.
6. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//
BT
#0001
NNNN
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