A Day at the Memphis Zoo
February 27th, 2010
Today, the wife and I went to the Memphis Zoo, of which we are members, and we snapped nearly a hundred photos of the current residents. I am only going to bore you with a few of my favorites in this post.
First off, the pride of the Memphis Zoo. Only a handful of zoos around the country are able to afford the costs of “rental” and up-keep of these beautiful animals, we are very lucky that Memphis Zoo is one of them.
Panda relaxing at the Memphis Zoo
Now, I wanna side track you a second before I show you more of the animals. Right outside of the Panda exhibit, there is this Chinese symbol embedded into the ground (Read the rest of the story…)
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No Waivers for Domestic Violence Convictions
February 21st, 2010
If you are considering enlistment in the Navy, and you have questionable conduct in your past that includes a charge of domestic violence – this post may answer a few of your questions.
Domestic Violence is incompatible with military service and contrary to the Navy’s core values. If you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you are ineligible for enlistment; however, there are exceptions to the rule, which are discussed below.
If you have a conviction for domestic violence, as defined in Title 18 U.S. Code Sections 921 and 922 as discussed below, you are ineligible for all military service – not just the Navy. Domestic violence offenses may also include, but are not limited to, assault, assault and battery, and disorderly conduct convictions in which the perpetrator and victim meet the conditions of the domestic violence rule. The domestic violence rule must be applied regardless of whether or not you were charged with domestic violence.
Rule: The crime of domestic violence means any crime which includes the attempt or use of physical force or the threat of use of a deadly weapon, where you (the perpetrator) are the: (Read the rest of the story…)
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LRP for 2010
February 18th, 2010
The Navy Student Loan Repayment Program (LRP), for those who ship to boot camp in FY-2010, has now been limited to the following rates/programs:
Information Systems Technician (IT)
Nuclear Field
Aircrew Rescue Swimmer Program
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
Navy Diver (ND)
Special Warfare Boat Operator (SB)
Special Warfare Operator – SEAL (SO)
The maximum benefit is $65,000, and it is taxed as income. Loan repayments can be made to qualifying loans like Stafford, Perkins, Ford, and other loans that typically are described as “Title 4″ loans.
LRP participants may utilize the GI-Bill; however, to qualify, you must re-enlist for a second term (and have served a minimum of 24 months of that second term).
Currently, (Read the rest of the story…)
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New Minimum Weight Standard
January 22nd, 2010
The Navy has now decided to use the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a method of determining the minimum weight for an applicant who is joining. Prior to this change, a person would have to meet or exceed a minimum static number for their height. I have updated the height weight chart to reflect the current change and also provided a link to the BMI calculator that the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) will use. (Read the rest of the story…)
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2010 Navy Event Dates
December 30th, 2009
With the help of NAVADMIN 367/09 and a couple of subsequent correction NAVADMINs, here is the Navy’s CONUS outreach events for the coming year. Events include Navy Weeks, Fleet Weeks, diversity events, Blue Angels Air Shows, ship commissioning and decoms, and I have also added the upcoming MILBLOG Conf. I will update this list as more information becomes available (Yes, the next MILBLOG in Vegas too 
); so, go ahead and bookmark this page.
The list of events and dates: (Read the rest of the story…)
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December Disney Trip 2009
December 21st, 2009
Just finished up another trip to Disney! We had a couple of days left on the complementary tickets the Disney Corporation so graciously supplied veterans a few months back. They expire 23 December 2009, so what the heck! Actually, we were not the only folks doing the same – the United States military was well represented at all the Disney parks we visited. Met a couple of Sailors, in uniform by the way, at EPCOT who were visiting with their families; a good time was being had by all. I hope Disney realized a (Read the rest of the story…)
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CNRC 2009 Holiday Standdown
December 1st, 2009
Thinking about joining the Navy? This news may just interest you: Commander, Navy Recruiting Command’s (CNRC) annual holiday stand-down of applicant processing will start the close of business December 18, 2009. Processing of Navy applicants will not recommence until January 3, 2010. Processing includes, applicant physicals and waiver processing (medical and moral). However, waivers submitted prior to the commencement of the stand-down WILL be processed, but, if approved, the applicant will not be able to go to the local Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and join the Navy until Jan. 3, 2010 at the earliest. The computer system that handles Navy jobs and boot-camp assignment will also be shut down – this means there will be no new accessions, changes in Delayed Entry Program (DEP) status, nor will requests for changes/modifications in job guarantees be accomplished. And finally, nobody will be leaving for boot-camp during the stand-down. Per CNRC Notice
Holiday stand-downs have been part of CNRC’s operating procedure since (Read the rest of the story…)
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Driveway of Doom
November 24th, 2009
I had put my car in park, leaned back in my seat, and finished listening to Dream Weaver on the radio before I had to take the long walk up our steep driveway to the house. My sports car wasn’t able to make it up the steep incline due to how low it was to the ground, making it necessary to park at the foot of the driveway. My wife had an SUV, and of course she didn’t have much of an issue, rarely did she have to practice her mountaineering skills. Every time I exited my car, I’d look up the drive way and wonder what the original owners must have been drinking to build a house on the side of a cliff; then, I would realize I must have been drinking the same concoction when I signed the lease. Anyway, we were moving from Arizona to Massachusetts in late summer and we failed to fully consider the hill with snow and ice on it. My daily commute to and from work, carrying the groceries to the house, and just trying to do nice things for our children were made much more difficult because we rented the house on the hill.
Serving in the Navy, I wore a uniform and a pair of hard soled, patent leather shoes to work. The shoes were ok for walking around office spaces, but didn’t offer much traction (Read the rest of the story…)
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Launch or Dinner?
November 16th, 2009
Contemplating our own death is something we humans do, we wonder how our life will come to an end. Some would argue that religion and the thought of an after-life were created only to ease our fear of the inevitable. We all hope for a peaceful, painless demise, perhaps to slip away while in a deep sleep without any indication of its coming. But, lets face it; most of us will feel the breath of the grim reaper just before our passing, and it will terrify us. If we find the breath to have been just a warning and the end didn’t come as expected, we claim some earthly luck or divine providence, and in our future we heed the warning by not repeating the action that put us so close to becoming worm food in the first place. However, today, we won’t be afforded the luxury of surviving death; today we will die. You see, regrettably, (Read the rest of the story…)
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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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