So I Called Up the Captain
March 23rd, 2009
The internet is a wonderful thing.
Just the other day I received a friend request on Facebook from a person I hadn’t seen or heard from in over 20 years. This isn’t some long lost high school friend (although I get those too), I am talking about a friend who is from another country I met while attending a NATO school on the Italian military base Borgo Piave in the middle of nowhere outside the town of Latina, Italy.
SATCOM Classmates
The school we classed up for would keep us there for about 3 months, the classes we attended prepared us for working on NATO’s satellite ground terminals. We arrived in May 1988, the class was made up of people from many NATO countries but five of us formed a bond I recall often and do cherish the memories.
They called the five of us the Beastie Boys. Three from the United Kingdom, one each from England, Wales and Scotland, one Canadian and myself.
Arriving in May (Read the rest of the story…)
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Navy Right Spirit Is Effective
February 25th, 2009
Since 1980, the year I went to boot camp, our military has seen a dramatic reduction of deaths as a result of an accident. The 2007 American War and Military Operations Casualties report provides the actual statistics.
The reductions in death from accidents and accidents in general, I think, can be directly attributed to two policies. First, the drug testing program and the earlier move from forgiveness (Read the rest of the story…)
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ASVAB Confirmation Test
February 20th, 2009
For some time now I have been getting email questions regarding the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), specifically about the confirmation test and what is it about. I answered each question confidentially and tailored to the individual, I will continue to do that, but those questions prompted me to put the regulation into, hopefully, an understandable way. So here it goes! (Remember, the AFQT score is what is used to indicate your aptitude for service; it is not, by itself, the score used to determine what Navy job you may qualify for – that is what the ASVAB line scores are used for.)
Confirmation testing applies (Read the rest of the story…)
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Accession Numbers January 2009
February 10th, 2009
Recruiting continues to go well. The services are having similar success with attaining their new contract objective. Remember, accessions are people who shipped to boot camp after time in the delayed entry program (DEP).
When recruiting is tough, the branch having difficulty will lower standards – i.e. take more non-high school graduates, except people with borderline height weight issues, favorably consider more waivers, reduce ASVAB requirements, etc.
The opposite is true when (Read the rest of the story…)
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Navy Dependent Definition
January 24th, 2009
I get a lot of questions via email about the definition of a “dependent” for Navy Recruiting determination of an applicants qualification for service. The below information is taken from the recruiting manual. Keep in mind the definition does not apply to entitlement of military pay and allowances, medical care, exchange and commissary privileges, or other benefits. Such determinations are made only after enlistment or affiliation and your Recruiter shall not render opinions on future entitlements. A dependent for enlistment and affiliation purposes is defined as any of the following: (Read the rest of the story…)
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Stormy and Cold
January 6th, 2009
Today has been a rainy and cold day here in the Memphis area. We have been hovering around the freezing mark and ice has formed on the trees. When you walk outside you can feel the chill attempt to make its way to your bones. Gloomy is a good way to describe it.
It is when we have weather like this we find ourselves reminiscing about our time in Iceland. For two and a half years my family and I lived on the naval air station in Keflavik. I was stationed at NATO Satcom, NSGT F-15. A ground satellite terminal with the big dish and everything.
Summers there were somewhat mild, I think the warmest day we experienced while there was about (Read the rest of the story…)
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Donate to the USO
December 18th, 2008
Admiral Mullen at the end of the following article is quoted to have said, “It’s something that they will remember for life, and I hope that as the years go by they remember and do something for USO.” It is true, the memories remain strong.
I remember the first show I saw aboard the USS Forrestal while deployed in the Med. The only time I saw Bob Hope perform live was a USO show on the flight deck while in the shipyard in Philly, he was a class act.
One of my favorite opportunities was an impromptu performance in one of the hangers at about 0200 at NAS Keflavik, Iceland with the band Kansas (Dust in the Wind, Carry on Wayward Son), their plane was diverted to the island so the members of the band decided to treat about 20 of us to a live concert!
The shows are just one of the many things the USO does for servicemembers. The USOs in the various airports around the world are a welcome oasis to the military members in transit. For a number of us the years are passing, the Admiral’s hope really should come true. Donate your time or even some cash to the USO, it will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside 
– here is the LINK! (Read the rest of the story…)
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Before you get your next tattoo!
December 11th, 2008
If there was one branch of service that was synonymous with tattoos I think it would be the Navy. The days of the Sailor pulling into some exotic far east port, having a few drinks then heading to the local tattoo artist have been seriously hampered by political correctness. The Sailor can still get a tattoo but must consider a number of things before picking the location, size and content before moving forward.
The rules of tattooing, branding and body art extend to those wishing to join the Navy. Below I have quoted a section of the Navy recruiting manual which discusses the topic. (Read the rest of the story…)
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USS George Washington Battle Group
November 20th, 2008
I have a Nuke Son serving on the GW, he sent me this latest photo of the battle group.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ian R. Schoeneberg
PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 19, 2008) U.S. Navy and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force aircraft fly in formation over American and Japanese ships during a photo exercise. The permanently forward deployed George Washington Carrier Strike Group (Read the rest of the story…)
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Team Navy 2008 Valour-IT
November 18th, 2008
I know the economy is hurting and money may be tight but think how much you saved in gas alone over the past couple of weeks. Just think if everyone donated their saved travel costs since the price of a gallon of gas was cut in half! Help leverage technology for our wounded veterans, thank you and may God bless.
The Navy team for Valour-IT (Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops).
Team leader – Information Dissemination
Steeljaw Scribe
Chaotic Synaptic Activity
HIStalk
The Stupid Shall Be Punished
Smadanek
NavyWife
Haze Gray and Underway!!!!
Some Soldier’s Mom
Marvin’s Word
EagleSpeak
Boston Maggie
Bobo Blogger
Ironic Surrealism
Here, There and Back Again
Sailor Bob
The Barton Bulletin
The Lizard’s Life
Rhymes With Right
LT Nixon Rants
pamibe
The Jawa Report
enrevanche
The Carrier Project
Under the Sea
Grouchy Old Cripple In Atlanta
Searchlight Crusade
Dan Melson’s La Mesa Real Estate and Mortgage
Instapinch
View from the 8th Floor
The Political Jungle
Last Refuge Of A Scoundrel
Boudicca’s Voice
DelinquentAngel
gCaptain – Maritime Monday
Some Kind of Incredible
Through project Valour-IT Soldier’s Angels is able to provide some of the following technologies to our wounded veterans; (Read the rest of the story…)
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