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What I did on Active Duty |
|
What I did on Active Duty |
Date |
Event |
Rank |
August 1980 |
Joined the Navy and shipped to Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, IL for Boot Camp. |
FR |
October 1980 |
Graduated from Boot Camp. Reported to Naval Training Center Great Lakes, IL to begin Electrician Mate 'A' school pipe line. Promoted to FN |
FN |
November 1980 |
After spending eight weeks stripping and waxing the same floor five days a week in a barracks, I started Basic Electrical and Electronics Program (BEEP) a self-paced school. Being self-paced it was possible to challenge out of parts of the curriculum. When I told the counselor I intended to do this, he asked why I hadn't made that clear when I reported in eight weeks ago because I would have started then. Nobody ever told me that so I had become an expert in using buffers to strip and wax floors. |
FN |
December 1980 |
Completed BEEP in just under six weeks and moved to a new barracks to wait for my next school to start. I got lucky here because while I was checking in, the barrack's typist was checking out, and the Barracks Commander was grousing about loosing his only typist. I told him I could type (Thanks mom for making me take typing in seventh grade) and spent the next six weeks typing miscellaneous stuff and running errands which kept me off the working end of a buffer. |
FN |
January 1981 |
Started Electrician Mate 'A' School. This eight week school teaches the basics of motors, generators, and transformers. Met Herb Oldham who eventually became the best man at my wedding. |
FN |
March 1981 |
Graduated from EM 'A' School. Promoted to EM3 |
FN |
March 1981 |
Reported to Orlando, Fl for Nuclear Power School. Spent four weeks working in the Print Shop while waiting for school to start. This is where Herb and I meet Jeff Howell who was in the class behind us. |
EM3 |
October 1981 |
Graduated from Nuclear Power School and reported to Nuclear Power Training Unit Ballston Spa, NY. Assigned to the S8G prototype, the reactor used in Trident Submarines. |
EM3 |
April 1982 |
Graduated from Nuclear Power Training Unit picked up for staff. |
EM3 |
May 16, 1982 |
Married Jean Kathrine Abbott. Herb Oldham and Jeff Howell were both able to be in the wedding. |
EM3 |
July 1982 |
Promoted to EM2 |
EM2 |
August 1984 |
Departed Ballston Spa, NY and reported to Electrician Mate 'C7' School (Advanced Maintenance Training). Out of 12 students in the class eight of us had been in the same class at Orlando and done a tour as staff instructors at prototype. The class behind us had four more of our classmates. |
EM2 |
December 1984 |
Graduated from EM 'C7' School. |
EM2 |
January 1985 |
Reported to USS Nathanael Greene, SSBN-636 |
EM2 |
Date |
Event |
Rank |
February 1985 |
The USS Nathanael Greene was forward deployed out of Holly Loch Scotland. By the time I reproted to her my crew was already in Scotland taking the boat through refit. I had the privledge of flying over via commercial airline through England. This little jaunt through the Scottish country side convinced me that while they claim they speak English, the Scotts speak some very obscure dialect. I also had the privledge of riding of almost every form of public conveyance available; car, plane, bus, plane, plane, taxi, train, ferry, taxi. |
EM2 |
April 1985 |
Completed Submarine Quals. |
EM2(SS) |
July 1985 |
Due to a screw up with ordering exams I got to take a late advancement exam. Promoted to EM1. |
EM1(SS) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Silver Dolphins |
Strategic Deterrent Patrol Pin |
These are earned by enlisted crew members through a rigorous qualification process. I received mine in April 1985. |
The "Boomer Pin", is awarded after the first Strategic Deterrent Patrol and a star is added for each additional patrol. I completed three patrols. |
Date |
Event |
Rank |
May 1986 |
During refresher training prior to my third patrol the Nat Greene bounced off the bottom of the Irish Sea. The Navy chose to decommision the Nat Greene to meet the committments of the SALT II treaty. |
EM1(SS) |
June 1986 |
The Nat Greene enters the yards at Newprot News Shipyard, VA for decommisioning. |
EM1(SS) |
Date |
Event |
Rank |
August 1986 |
The USS Nathanael Greene was tasked with providing an EM1 to the USS Bluefish. At the time there were two EM1's on board, myself (logroom yoeman) and the E Division LPO. The command decided that if I went they would only have to train one person in a new job. Four days later I left my wife standing on the pier in Norfolk, VA and the Bluefish left on a Northern Training Exercise. |
EM1(SS) |
September 1986 |
Bluenose initiation |
EM1(SS) |
November 1986 |
Return home from Northern Training Exercise to a major pay mess. |
EM1(SS) |
October 1987 |
Bluefish enters the yards in Portsmouth NH for refueling overhaul. |
EM1(SS) |
August 1989 |
My eldest daugther is born. |
EM1(SS) |
March 1990 |
Honorably discharged from the US Navy. |
EM1(SS) |
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