The Official Military Thread. Vol 1

[thenewjs23]

That MCPON was on his way out and of course he is under investigation for a toxic work place.

But we as a Navy have become a very REACTIVE force and not proactive.

Our dry dock availabilities haven't changed in years. They should have had proper housing for those Sailors.

If Sailors were sleeping in thier cars and upper chain of command knew...shame on them.

One of my Sailors had an housing issue and as soon as I caught wind of it, I marched right up to CMC's off and told her this Sailor needs housing right now...

And we made it happen.

7th fleet is a different animal but man....come on. Do better.

When I was assigned to the Nimitz In Sep 2000, it was in Newport News in its last year of RCOH. Now one lived on the boat. There were E-3 and below in Hunington Hall and some were at Ft. Eustis. E-4 and above were in apartments out in town. Those without dependents shared apartments with other sailors.

When I got to the boat it was not livable at all. There was a floating barge near the boat where we could eat and sleep on duty days.

When I was there, Newport News wasn’t built to handled more than 1 carrier at a time. The Reagan was coming online and by early 2001 we needed to leave, so detailers could begin assigning sailors to it. At the time they only had a few hundred or so folks. We limped out of there and hung out at Norfolk until Sept 2001 and headed for San Diego.

I read Stories about sailors complaining about the work. All true and happened during my Time but we had excellent accomodations.

 

[tupac003]

thenewjs23 bro, I served on Nimitz from 2009 to 2014. She was in SD and homeport shifted to Bremerton for a dry dock.

Same thing. Nobody lived on the ship. Everyone was in barracks or the barge.

We were stationed up there with the Stennis. Barracks were tight but they gave all E4's BAH and kept all of the E3 and below in barracks. If you were a Geo Bachelor, you could be an RA or live on the barge.

I thought the GW was still in 7th fleet...to find out its in VA and they are having these issues is insane....

 

[thenewjs23]

thenewjs23 bro, I served on Nimitz from 2009 to 2014. She was in SD and homework shifted to Bremerton for a dry dock.

Same thing. Nobody lived on the ship. Everyone was in barracks or the barge.

We were stationed up there with the Stennis. Barracks were tight but they gave all E4's BAH and kept all of the E3 and below in barracks. If you were a Geo Bachelor, you could be an RA or live on the barge.

I thought the GW was still in 7th fleet...to find out its in VA and they are having these issues is insane....

Newport News is the only place nuclear carriers can have there reactors serviced.

Before the Nimitz went into RCOH it’s home port was in Bremerton. They actually did a Med Cruise and headed straight to Dry Dock.

I left the Nimitz in 03.

 

[spiderjericho]

What is a Barge, Navy Brethren?

 

[solewoman]

What is a Barge, Navy Brethren?

Floating ship next to yours. Usually temporary housing and a place to cook for watch standers

 

[executive76]

 

[spiderjericho]

Floating ship next to yours. Usually temporary housing and a place to cook for watch standers

So they don’t have adequate billeting/barracks at Yakota, Norfolk, 32nd Street, etc?

That’s wild. With rotations, we can have enough space on a Marine base.

 

[solewoman]

So they don’t have adequate billeting/barracks at Yakota, Norfolk, 32nd Street, etc?

That’s wild. With rotations, we can have enough space on a Marine base.

It’s when your ship is undergoing construction and inhabitable. When in yards gives the crew a place to work and stay when on duty.

 

[thenewjs23]

So they don’t have adequate billeting/barracks at Yakota, Norfolk, 32nd Street, etc?

That’s wild. With rotations, we can have enough space on a Marine base.

I had to look it up, but we referred to it as the "FAF" (Floating Accommodation Facility). Essentially a barge with a building on it. It housed the Mess Deck, Medical, Personnel, leadership offices and a berthing for the restricted and those on duty. Only the restricted lived on the FAF, usually 45days.

On the boat you were either needled gunning, painting or on fire watch. By the end of the day you look as if you just emerged from a coal mines. The thing I liked was no time for early morning PT and PT Tests were waived during that time.

 

[tupac003]

Newport News is the only place nuclear carriers can have there reactors serviced.

Before the Nimitz went into RCOH it’s home port was in Bremerton. They actually did a Med Cruise and headed straight to Dry Dock.

I left the Nimitz in 03.

You are correct. All the RCOH's happen in Newport.

But they perform DPIA's in Bremerton where there is a dry dock facility.

The Bremerton dry dock services all of the carriers on the west coast for thier DPIA's.

 

[spiderjericho]

Floating ship next to yours. Usually temporary housing and a place to cook for watch standers

So it's for duty standers? Not actual folks stationed/assigned to the Naval Base?

Also, nuclear reactors...who works on those when it's afloat?

 

[tupac003]

So it's for duty standers? Not actual folks stationed/assigned to the Naval Base?

Also, nuclear reactors...who works on those when it's afloat?

The barge is for anyone that needs it who is attached to the ship.

When we moved off the ship and there weren't enough barracks available, we lived on the barge until the barracks opened up. If you have duty you could sleep there but we cot's in the shop I was in and we would just sleep in the shop since we could leave after duty the next day.

There is a reactor department that mans the reactors when we are afloat.

 

[spiderjericho]

Is it enlisted folks manning the reactor department? Or is it all officers or FSRs?

 

[tupac003]

Is it enlisted folks manning the reactor department? Or is it all officers or FSRs?

Like any division, you got enlisted and officers.

 

[spiderjericho]

That’s wild. I wonder what kind of school they go through?

I never liked ya bit our diggie cammies but I got respect for my ship mates. The US Navy is appreciated.

I went to the USS Midway Museum on Saturday. My boy asked me if I had ever been on a ship. He was on a MEU, the Boxer. I responded the Bataan and Bon Homme Richard (RIP).

 

[numbah1]

Nuke school is notoriously difficult. Wouldn't wish that on anyone LOL

 

[art vandelay]

Nuke school is notoriously difficult. Wouldn't wish that on anyone LOL

I was stationed in Charleston, I lived on base, my first neighbor was a Nuke Master Chief, real chill, real nice family. Once he moved out a student and his family moved in. Super, SUPER, weird dude. But I didn’t bother him because that school is so so hard. So if it’s 0700 and your between houses doing tai chi, good on you, because he was chunky and pale and I guess whenever you can get the work out in then go for it.

 

[thenewjs23]

Nuke school is notoriously difficult. Wouldn't wish that on anyone LOL

Don’t forget they are tested yearly. If they fail a test they are forced to cross rate.

When I was in, NUKEs advanced fast. They went into A school as a E4 and by the time they make it to their first command they were E-5s. My ship had a few 25 yr old E-6s and under 30 E-7’s. They got massive re-enlistment bonuses. They also had horrible work-life balances.

 

[spiderjericho]

Don’t forget they are tested yearly. If they fail a test they are forced to cross rate.

When I was in, NUKEs advanced fast. They went into A school as a E4 and by the time they make it to their first command they were E-5s. My ship had a few 25 yr old E-6s and under 30 E-7’s. They got massive re-enlistment bonuses. They also had horrible work-life balances.

As it should?

That sounds like a crazy job.

 

[tupac003]

That’s wild. I wonder what kind of school they go through?

I never liked ya bit our diggie cammies but I got respect for my ship mates. The US Navy is appreciated.

I went to the USS Midway Museum on Saturday. My boy asked me if I had ever been on a ship. He was on a MEU, the Boxer. I responded the Bataan and Bon Homme Richard (RIP).

So the MEU is attached to the Boxer. I was stationed on the boxer in 2019.

The integration of the MEU with ships company is nuts.....Marines just hanging around taking up space. Lol

And that Nuke/engineering life ain't it...I could never do it.

 

[spiderjericho]

So the MEU is attached to the Boxer. I was stationed on the boxer in 2019.

The integration of the MEU with ships company is nuts.....Marines just hanging around taking up space. Lol

And that Nuke/engineering life ain't it...I could never do it.

My man said it in a few good men…

You give us rides.

With jets, subs, and future rail guns…ships can project power. But we’re there to be devil (dogs) or angels on land.

But I can understand that…

A ship is a weapon system…the crew performing specific or general functions on that. Marines don’t bring anything except for additional hands for working parties.

I respect the Navy. The Marines wants us to be all around, diverse. You guys have to be technical. It’s actually frustrating for promotions because we don’t use tests to gauge a piece of the persons proficiency or affect promotion opportunities.

 

[tupac003]

Today was the day I realized it's time to retire.

Went to the Abraham Lincoln today to verify some ordnance that's getting offloaded tomorrow.

The ordnance was on the 7th deck of the magazine and you gotta climb down the ladder to get in those mags....

Climbing down wasn't too bad...getting back up and out....

I got out the mag and my back never hurt so bad...lol I felt like this...

Good luck to those who applied for LDO/CWO this year. Board started today.

 

[spiderjericho]

I won’t lie. Jonathan Majors almost got me to come out of retirement and commission in the Army lol.

 

[tupac003]

How my Navy folks doing?

Man....getting closer and closer to retirement.

If I don't get the follow on orders I want, it's a wrap.

They continue to ask us to do more with less while we can't have a PSD to support us.

Can't pay GTC's and folks aren't even getting DD-214's on time....

 

[art vandelay]

How my Navy folks doing?

Man....getting closer and closer to retirement.

If I don't get the follow on orders I want, it's a wrap.

They continue to ask us to do more with less while we can't have a PSD to support us.

Can't pay GTC's and folks aren't even getting DD-214's on time....

Fam, I’m at expeditionary in Bahrain right now, as soon as I saw GTCC……we got two cats here that are owed $13k for their GTCC, we got cats who retired being owed money. The GTCC is a bad idea, perhaps it wouldn’t be as bad if like you said, we had actual PSDs. These young kids just don’t know how crucial a PSD was. It’s like how the hell you can’t have DD-214s ready for folks who did what they had to do, it doesn’t make sense. I came here already knowing this is it, I can’t imagine sticking around longer than my EAOS. I have gotten enough, and I have given more than enough. Missed time with both of my parents, both gone now, missed actually watching good portions of my kids growing up, both grown adults with their own lives, missed quality time with my wife, she has her own career now, and a life outside of being a military spouse. Brought new cars, a house, but I’m not there to enjoy or watch my family enjoy any of it. Plus at this point I’m not the hip relatable older guy, I’m just the old guy, it’s time for me to ride out. Yesterday was the first time in 23 years that I’ve 100% honestly filled out my pha, getting ready to have a lot of appointments for stuff that I just “manned up” and dealt with because the job had to get done.