The lions startled us by moving ever closer to our position. We take a step back, and, in doing so, push a small rock over the edge of the cliff. For a brief moment, we follow with our eyes the path of the rock as it tumbles toward the bottom of the abyss. The rock hits the bottom, but, due to the distance, we did not actually hear it hit, but our mind replaced the brief gap of silence with its own crashing sound timed with the visual of the rock exploding into a million pieces. One step closer to the edge and we would have met the same fate as the rock! Time slows down, our senses intensify, and we feel like all the blood is starting to drain from our extremities. Just then, we can hear a growling that sounded as if it was produced by the devil himself. Unlike the cliff, the lions provide us with a very different and more immediate threat. We don’t turn to face them straight away; maybe in a hope that they might just go away and leave us alone, but, as the seconds pass, we realize that is clearly not going to be the case. We slowly turn to face the lions while trying not to make any sudden moves that may trigger an attack. Now, our attention has fully returned to the lions. We are so overcome with fear we cannot even count how many there are. We have fixed our eyes on the largest and closest feline. Even with his mouth closed we can see large teeth, but those are not what grab our attention. We fixate on the pupils of his eyes, they seem as big around as quarters, and, when we look deep into them, we realize we are the only thing that lion has on his mind; we are his prey, and he is hungrily sizing us up for the kill. Tears are now starting to well up, making everything a bit blurry, and we are too afraid to blink. Oh God, what do we do?

Launching ourselves off the cliff would be taking our own life; we may suffer less, but how would it affect our after-life? Most religions frown upon people taking their own life. Besides, if we jumped, our bodies would quickly reach terminal velocity, we would be gasping for air, as it would be like trying to breathe with your head poked out a car window at about 120 miles per hour. The sudden stop against the hard, uneven ground would break every bone in our body, and death would be instantaneous. On the other hand, the lions would each bite and rip into our flesh, tearing the organs from our body as we watch in horror. We may even stay conscious long enough to hear the popping sound our leg would make as it separates from our torso. Are we having fun yet?

The bodily pain from jumping of the cliff will be very short lived. With any luck, we may lose consciousness before we even hit the ground, but the pain which will hurt the most will be the mental anguish we will experience from the fact we will not be able to say goodbye to those left behind, and the pain brought on by the wondering of whether or not we made the right choice. Conversely, the pain we will experience at the claws and jaws of the lions will be mostly physical in nature. The trauma of having our flesh ripped open by the multiple predators will generate unbelievable amounts of physical pain that our only thoughts will be in its relief. Death is moving ever closer, and as the pain becomes more than we can bare, we will ultimately embrace the concept of our death and wish it to hurry along.

We are ultimately defined by what we do with the things we can control and how we react to the things we cannot. Even in our no win scenario involving the cliff and the lions, we had only two real choices to make; admittedly, each leading to a closed casket funeral, but provided tons of information to reflect upon. In life, we are confronted with various challenges, and a majority of those choices will not have to deal with life or death, but know that each decision we make is an example that others may use to help guide their future actions.

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Launch or Dinner?

At about noon, the ship stopped all engines and went dead in the water; the “Steel Beach Picnic” was now underway. The picnic was an event that would make any outdoor party fanatic proud. It was our first day off in a month. We were blessed with a perfect, cloudless day with a light breeze that made the mid-summer heat bearable. Eight grills were laid out end to end, covering about 25 yards of the flight deck. Each one loaded with hot coals at the ready, and seemingly begging for the juices that would be produced from the searing cuts of beef. The coals appeared to be just as hungry as those they were giving their all for. The steaks hit the grated cooking surface with a sizzle and sent the smell of freshly grill steak in my direction. A freshly grilled steak smell has many medicinal properties I won’t get into for now, but I can assure you that it cured any amount of depression I may have felt up to that point. Oh, and what is a party without good music? There were six different bands consisting of talented crewmen, playing various genres of music, and strategically placed around the remaining 90,000 square feet of the ship’s runway. I ate until I could hardly move while soaking up the festivities; this day was shaping up to be a truly memorable day.

As the clean up from the day’s festivities came to a conclusion, you could see the other ships in our battle group start to position themselves closer to us. Each ship maintained a couple of miles separation from the others, and maneuvered themselves until the entire group formed a large circle. Then, as if on cue, the sun appeared to extinguish itself in the sea. If you haven’t seen a sunset while in the middle of the ocean, I suggest you put that on your “bucket list.” It is an amazing sight. Once the sun had completed its journey beyond the horizon, a loud cheer from the ships crew numbering about 5000 seemed to summon the stars to our celebration. I promise you, they showed up to provide a most excellent backdrop for what was going to happen next.

Strategically placed along the perimeter of our ship were mounted .50 caliber machine guns, four along the starboard side, to be used for protection during our planned transit of the Suez Canal, but this night they would serve another purpose. With military precision and timing, each of the four machine guns began to fire producing flame from their barrels accompanied by an obstreperous din. Every fifth round from the guns was a tracer round that produced a red stream into the night air. It was then the other ships joined in the action. The other ships, frigates, destroyers, and cruisers were equipped with 5-inch deck guns and other weaponry they used to fire star-burst rounds that would make it appear as if the sun had returned. America and its power were on full display that night, and I had a front row seat.

On that glorious day, we celebrated our nations birthday nearly half way around the world from home. Remembering those who came before me, I stood consumed with national pride, a since of purpose, and deep emotion. Every concussion from the various explosions sending chills down my spine. It was the first Independence Day in my life I felt I understood what it meant to be an American. Every July Fourth since that day I look up into the night sky and become so overcome with pride that tears fall down my cheeks. Not the kind of tears you might try and hide when you watched Ol’ Yeller meet his demise, I am talking pride tears and they are cool.

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

My Favorite Holiday

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 use the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) to make recommendations for an individual’s physical/psychological condition to enter Naval service.

Nearly a decade ago, in an effort to reduce applicant waiting time (which often times extended three months or more), CNRC added to the staff a medical department. Commander, Navy Recruiting Command’s medical staff (CNRC 00M) which includes a doctor and a small cadre of Navy Corpsman who work at the CNRC headquarters in Millington, Tn. now makes the medical recommendations to the Admiral in a fraction of the time.

The Process:

You first must be permanently disqualified (PDQ) by the MEPS medical department. The disqualification could come from your initial medical document reading, you do not make a trip to MEPS, or during your physical at the MEPS the doctor determines you to be permanently disqualified. Temporary disqualifications are not reviewed for medical waivers. Here is a post I made last year which lists many of the medical conditions that may be waiverable. Conditions not normally considered for a medical waiver.

If the MEPS PDQ’d you based on the medical documents submitted, CNRC 00M must direct MEPS, if 00M determines a waiver may be possible, to provide you with a physical. 00M’s direction to MEPS may include consultation(s), a visit to an outside specialist like an orthopedic doctor or a cardiologist.

Note: You need to be prepared to make more than one visit to MEPS depending on consultation requirements.

Once the final results of the MEPS physical and consultations are complete (including blood work), those results will be sent to 00M for review. 00M will then make a recommendation to the Admiral (usually within 3-5 days depending on back load).

If the MEPS PDQ’d you during the physical then 00M may direct further testing via consultation, or make a final recommendation to the Admiral for approval or disapproval without further medical tests.

I hope this helps you understand the process for a medical waiver, and hopefully make it a little less intimidating. As always, feel free to email your questions!

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Navy Recruiting Medical Waiver Process

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 the computer’s log, where it still resides, with the fifth entry for September 9, 1945 at 1545R: “Relay #70 Panel F (moth) in relay. First actual case of bug being found.”

Some background on our famous Navy Debugger, Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, USNR, courtesy of navy.mil;

Grace Murray (Hopper) was born in New York City on 9 December 1906. She graduated from Vassar College in 1928 and received a PhD in Mathematics from Yale University in 1934. She was a member of the Vassar faculty from 1931 to 1943, when she joined the Naval Reserve. Commissioned a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) 1944, she was assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance and immediately became involved in the development of the then-embryonic electronic computer. Over more than four decades to follow, she was in the forefront of computer and programming language progress.

Leaving active duty after the war’s end, Dr. Hopper was a member of the Harvard University faculty and, from 1949, was employed in private industry. She retained her Naval Reserve affiliation, attaining the rank of Commander before retiring at the end of 1966. In August 1967, Commander Hopper was recalled to active duty and assigned to the Chief of Naval Operations’ staff as Director, Navy Programming Languages Group. She was promoted to Captain in 1973, Commodore in 1983 and Rear Admiral in 1985, a year before she retired from the Naval service. She remained active in industry and education until her death on 1 January 1992.

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Happy Birthday Computer Bug!

For the rest of the 2010 list here is a copy of the NAVADMIN ->>>> NAV09230

            NCRC  - CHIEF NAVY COUNSELOR (RECRUITER)
      4715  ANDRADA KARL      047         3581  ARCILA CARLOS     045
      5320  BARTHEL MATTH     031         6485  BENJAMIN DEWA     030
      3884  BOMAN JEFFREY     025         0953  BOROUGHS MONT     009
      3055  BRUMFIELD MIC     040         5341  CANNON STEPHE     024
      0856  CHARARA HEATH     067         6193  CONNELL RYAN      026
      7175  COUSINS CHARL     074         2579  COWHAM RYAN D     039
      7037  CRAYNE RICHAR     016         0209  CULLIVAN ANGE     052
      0294  DEPALMA RICHA     076         9345  DEPRE DENNIS      018
      2824  DRAKE MICHAEL     055         9241  DUNLAP SHAWN      056
      9143  DURRAH WAYNE      077         1247  EASLEY STEVEN     054
      7937  EISENMANN WAL     038         2165  ELLIS ANDREW      013
      0739  FRISSON WILLI     001         9159  GARZA LOUIS D     043
      7082  GOLDSMITH ERI     049         7318  GOLEACH DANIE     065
      0269  GOLTZ ARTHUR      002         5147  GOOD GERALD B     020
      1901  GRIFFITH SARA     048         2967  GUAN VICTOR       062
      2939  HENRY RODERIC     068         8593  HORNER MARTIN     003
      7743  HUYNH VU DOQU     042         9332  JARDINA AARON     061
      7736  JOHNSON JOSHU     017         0307  JOHNSTON KATH     063
      8694  JONES KENDALL     004         8841  JONES TABATHA     012
      2490  JOSEPH RODNE      050         3042  JULIAN ADAM C     064
      4914  KAMMERER DAVI     036         4015  KIKAWA KEVIN      066
      7767  KINGERY DONAL     044         5147  MCGAHAN RODNE     015
      4497  MCNAIR SALEEM     046         8494  MOORE BRIAN D     051
      0899  MYNATT SCOTT      006         6451  NELSON ERIC A     075
      8099  OESTEREICHER      058         3962  ORGIAS KEVIN      007
      3305  OZUNA JOSE OM     027         2187  PEARSON CARL      005
      2298  POPE ALPHONZO     079         4649  RAAB SHANON E     033
      9281  RAINEY JONATH     010         9405  RAMBERG JAMIE     034
      1880  RAMSEY TIMOTH     035         3761  RAYBURN JAMES     059
      0828  REALUBIT HOME     073         3776  RICE TERRANCE     014
      6012  RIVERA DANIEL     053         3690  RUIZ GABRIEL      029
      9222  SALVATORE LOU     022         2223  SANCHEZ ERIK      069
      0328  SANCHEZ RENE      011         3830  SCHRAMM PETER     023
      8700  SEESE DAVID A     028         1193  SEYMOUR ALAN      071
      5066  TORRES JOHN P     037         9518  VANHORN JASON     070
      1902  VANSICKLE CHR     008         1013  VEACH CHRISTO     032
      6661  VINSON JOSHUA     019         1960  WESTCOTT MICH     021
      5289  WHITE SHAWN A     041         6976  WHITTEN MARK      072
      5830  WIENEN JENNIF     078         5337  WRIGHT KENNET     057
      5678  WYANT NATHAN      060

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

FY 2010 CPO Selects

The C-SORT, when combined with the PST run and swim (run time and swim time added together) is predictive of success of a candidate in the training pipeline. The band scores (scaled from one to four) are added together. The two band scores added together have to be four or greater to be eligible for SO classification. The candidate still must meet the basic PST requirements and program requirements, in addition to the combined C-SORT/PST band score. If a candidate does not meet all requirements, he should be told “NOT NOW” and encouraged to improve his PST Score. The C-SORT cannot be re-taken. If a candidate does not qualify, he should be considered for classification into one of the other Warrior Challenge ratings.

ASVAB line scores required for SO are GS+MC+EI=165 or VE+MK+MC+CS=220

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

C-Sort is Now Required for SO

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
W-5 Warrant Officer                              52
W-4 Warrant Officer                              520
W-3 Warrant Officer                              563
W-2 Warrant Officer                              488
TOTAL                                                1,623
Total Officer Personnel                        51,648

Enlisted Personnel
E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer           2,634
E-8 Senior Chief Petty Officer            6,585
E-7 Chief Petty Officer                          21,799
E-6 1st Class Petty Officer                   45,267
E-5 2nd Class Petty Officer                 66,035
E-4 3rd Class Petty Officer                  54,284
E-3 Seaman                                        38,670
E-2 Seaman Apprentice                       18,111
E-1 Seaman Recruit                              15,017
Total Enlisted                                      268,402

Total Officer and Enlisted                   320,050

Midshipmen                                         4,350

TOTAL END STRENGTH                      324,400
MPN Justification Book

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

2010 Projected Navy Active End Strength

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 still went on to join the Navy where he completed a six year enlistment as an ET Nuke aboard the USS Nimitz. Upon discharge he utilized his Montgomery GI-Bill and completed his undergrad in political science.

I like the way he was able to show how his extensive life experiences has made him a better person. His personal statement;

The first time I sat down in the reactor operator’s chair of a nuclear power plant, it hit me; here I was, too young to consume alcohol, operating a multi-billion dollar piece of equipment. How was this possible? Sure, I had received extensive training in nuclear engineering, reactor plant design, nuclear physics, chemistry, plant operation, etc. but surely there is no training on how to overcome the fear and excitement of having the responsibility associated with sitting in the reactor operator’s chair. Less than a hundred feet from me, neutron fission reactions were taking place creating enough energy to power a small city. How in the world did I get here?
Between my father’s time in the military and my own service as a nuclear reactor operator in the United States Navy, I was given the rare opportunity to live all over the United States and travel all over the world. Before I was twenty-five I had lived in twelve states and traveled to ten countries. Most people express sympathy when I tell them this but the truth of the matter is that I feel extremely fortunate. Because of my travels, I have been able to experience the broad scope of humanity. I have lived in impoverished areas such as Camden, New Jersey and I have also stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Dubai, U.A.E. I have seen the human trafficking in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. I ran from the erupting geysers in Iceland and I watched as a mother kangaroo hopped around with her joey in her pouch in Perth, Australia. I would not trade these experiences for anything. It is I who feel sympathy for others.
After six years of service to my country I decided that it was time to serve the American people in an area more suitable to my talents, and also where I would be able to better apply my wide array of diverse life experience. My heart and my mind led me to the law. Never have I been more fascinated with a subject. Even during my undergraduate education in political science, I have had the opportunity to see the legislative side of the law during my internship with the Tennessee State Legislature Senate Judiciary Committee and the process of litigation and adjudication during my internship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
My internships allowed me to see the real world workings of law and government and apply much of the knowledge I had collected during my undergraduate studies. I felt very fortunate to have had the chance to work with these professionals who exude the same dedication to service and civic commitment that I have. During my time working at the state and federal levels of government I learned many valuable lessons about the challenges associated with justice and politics. I was consumed with a passionate desire to find an outlet in which I too could become civically engaged. The prospect I was seeking came in the form of a state level student government with close ties to the same legislature which had sparked my interest in public service.
During my sophomore year of college, I applied for and was chosen as a representative in the House of Representatives of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL). TISL is an organization where colleges from all over the state of Tennessee send representatives and senators to the state capital in Nashville to propose legislation and debate bills. This proved to be a very enjoyable and educational experience. During the 38th General Assembly, I was given the chance to serve as vice-chairman of the Committee on Education. The legislation I proposed concerning Sunday alcohol sales swept through the house and senate and was chosen to be published in the TISL Bluebook. I was so impressed with this organization that I decided to run for a political office within TISL. My interest in law and devotion to service led me to campaigning for the position of Attorney General.
On the last day of the 38th General Assembly, I was elected and sworn in as Attorney General. I also was selected to serve on the Executive Council which is the administrative board for TISL. My time as Attorney General taught me many valuable lessons. I litigated an impeachment, drafted numerous pieces of legislation and important constitutional amendments, defended the TISL Governor in an appellate level case before the Tennessee Intercollegiate Supreme Court, and wrote several Attorney General Opinions on various issues that arose during my tenure.
As Attorney General, I was also given the opportunity to represent the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature at the Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge (AMC3). AMC3 is an appellate level moot court competition held each year where colleges and universities around the state send teams to compete. The teams prepare cases and briefs for an appeal and then take turns arguing both sides of the case before a panel of judges. My team and I performed exquisitely and won, not only the case, but the competition. It was a very proud and rewarding day for all of us seeing our hard work pay off.
My experiences have taught me many valuable lessons in compassion, integrity, and honor. I could say that I’ve been lucky but that would be an inaccurate representation. I have worked very hard for my achievements and it is only through hard work, perseverance, and self-motivation that I have come to be where I am today. Furthermore, I owe a lot of gratitude to my friends, family, and colleagues who helped me along the way. As I continue my education in the field of law, I see worlds of opportunity in which I may serve the very fabric of our nation and its people. I sincerely appreciate your consideration of my admission.

I think he will do just fine

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Nuclear Lawyer

Yankeetown Coast Guard Station

Oh, and i would be amiss if I didn’t show a picture of the Yankeetown Coast Guard Station located on the same river. What a great set of orders this duty station must be.

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Couple of Minutes on the Withlacoochee

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 Palm courses (staying at the hotel is not a requirement for the discount).

To establish your tee time or to seek additional information you can call Disney Golf at (407)939-4653.

Thank you Disney! FORE!!

2009 Military Pay Chart
2010 Military Pay Chart

Military Discount Golf at Disney