Gaza 2014 pics

FASTBOAT TOUGH · #1 February 12th, 2015, 05:25 AM

I guess these things are relative. Never had anyone shoot at me or breakup your daily routine by shelling you enough to leave the message that we know you're there and we have the range. The "Old Man" was relieved by my career choice, as he saw too much of that in Italy, Korea and to a lesser degree in Vietnam (A very early adviser tour.) before the troops landed in his 28 year career. Our world was 4 to 4.5 hrs of sleep, work, training, drills more training and more drills all to prepare us for our job we hoped would never come to pass because we'd have nothing to come home too. You never saw more people concerned with the world news then us. But on the bright side we had "field day" Saturdays! The most fun was coming off the mid-watch, lay for about an hour/hour n half, be roused up by the beautiful sound of general quarters gong gong "Security Violation in ..." gong gong..., get that done then "Commence Field Day" (I remember when it meant a day of track events etc. on the last day of school!) when we grabbed our combat gear of buckets, sponges, "foxtails" and dust pans etc. in those four hours I promise there is no cleaner place on earth at 800ft give or take below the surface. This would be followed a gourmet lunch of sliders with or without cheese with fries. Those of a weaker constitution might find themselves back in the "heads" they just cleaned!?! If we got lucky we got a "family gram" where CINCLANTHOME had 35 words to let me know what happened over the last 2-3 weeks. Then things would slack off ending in movie and pizza night and Sunday "quiet" routine. But the job was always in the back of your head and we would do what we were trained to do. That's why the Providence was important to us, it's was always better to be the "Hunter Killer"! What would be strange to most is we never thought about the environment around us. It never was a thought until I saw the movie "ABYSS" and I got over it after a day or so. I suppose the bottom line is no matter where you served it was about routine, a flash of excitement as a relative term and routine again. I know I'd do it again without hesitation. Sometimes I still think about those "sliders w/cheese!

Gingertanker good to have you back. About that steak depending on thickness 4 to 6 minutes to a side, and leave it alone!?!

Not to worry I can say 800ft anything else...well I'd have to feed ya to the "fishies"!

Regards,
Pat

gingertanker · #2 February 12th, 2015, 06:27 AM

I actually found that during this "war", we had more free time. during training the schedule is filled to the brim by officers who find and invent ways to use our time...But during operations and even more so during emergency operations, all the BS is cut down to a minimum. So yes, there were a few days I did not sleep at all or have time to rest. But there were some days I had nothing at all to do. Those were harder frankly.

FASTBOAT TOUGH · #3 February 12th, 2015, 12:35 PM

Command wide training was called GMT/General Military Training or as we would kindly refer to it as General Misuse of Time.

Regards,
Pat

Suhiir · #4 February 12th, 2015, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gingertanker

I actually found that during this "war", we had more free time. during training the schedule is filled to the brim by officers who find and invent ways to use our time...But during operations and even more so during emergency operations, all the BS is cut down to a minimum. So yes, there were a few days I did not sleep at all or have time to rest. But there were some days I had nothing at all to do. Those were harder frankly.

I have to agree wholeheartedly with this.
Probably the thing I noticed most during "war" was the way the routine mounds of paperwork disappeared and things still got done without it. Amazing!