Simviation Forum - Anchors aweigh!

Sep 26^th, 2010 at 5:50pm

flyboy 28 Offline
Colonel
Jacksonville, FL

Posts: 13323

Hey guys, just checking in from warm and sunny Great Lakes, Illinois, and more specifically, Recruit Training Command. I've been spending the last two months learning how to become a sailor, or as our Marine friend would say, on vacation. Grin

The process certainly wasn't easy, but not terribly difficult either. I quickly learned to take everything day-by-day and not to let anything get to my head. All I can say is, it's great to be semi-free again. I leave here on Tuesday morning for Pensacola, Florida for what's called Class-A school, or Apprentice school. It's basically college for the navy. I'm contracted to be a Cryptological Technicial, with my specialty in electronic warefare. Not much else to report, other than I'm now nine weeks (involuntarily) smoke-free, which I'm pretty proud of. Mostly I'm proud that I didn't cave during the last few days on liberty. But when I'm able, I'll see if I can throw up a few pictures from my graduation if anyone is interested.

-James

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Reply #1 - Sep 27^th, 2010 at 3:59am

expat Offline
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Deep behind enemy lines!

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flyboy 28 wrote on Sep 26^th, 2010 at 5:50pm:

I've been spending the last two months learning how to become a sailor, or as our Marine friend would say, on vacation. Grin

The process certainly wasn't easy, but not terribly difficult either. -James

Hot bunks and the company of 5000 other men............what ever floats your boat Grin

Matt (ex air force.....Hotels, clean cool sheets, and cold beer by the pool Cool

)

PETA People Eating Tasty Animals.

B1 Boeing 737-800 and Dash8 Q-400

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Reply #2 - Sep 30^th, 2010 at 3:36am

BigTruck Offline
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Former Sergeant of Marines
Tuscaloosa, AL

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How's that tan coming, squid. Rough 8 weeks? Grin

While you are in Pensacola be sure to hit up Orange Beach (my in laws have a condo there) and Gulf Shores. Plenty of hot women there who would love a Marine but would settle for a sailor.

Wink

ALSO, hit up the FloriBama bar, it's world famous and a terrific hang out. Live Bait is also an freaking awesome place...bloody maries for breakfast there!! Excellent food too! I am trying to get stationed in Pensacola because of these places. (They're in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, about a 30 minute drive west)

Oh yeah, congrats man, and welcome to the naval services. Wink

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Reply #3 - Sep 30^th, 2010 at 3:58am

patchz Offline
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What, me worry?
IN THE FUNNY PAPERS

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There are several excellent places to eat in Gulf Shores.

If God intended aircraft engines to have horizontally opposed engines, Pratt and Whitney would have made them that way.

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Reply #4 - Sep 30^th, 2010 at 6:42pm

H Offline
Colonel
2003: the year NH couldn't
save face...
NH, USA

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patchz wrote on Sep 30^th, 2010 at 3:58am:

There are several excellent places to eat in Gulf Shores.

Is the food cooked in oil?
Sorry, couldn't help but ask...

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Reply #5 - Sep 30^th, 2010 at 11:27pm

beaky Offline
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Newark, NJ USA

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Good to hear from you... keep up the good work!!

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Reply #6 - Sep 30^th, 2010 at 11:33pm

patchz Offline
Colonel
What, me worry?
IN THE FUNNY PAPERS

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Posts: 10589

H wrote on Sep 30^th, 2010 at 6:42pm:

patchz wrote on Sep 30^th, 2010 at 3:58am:

There are several excellent places to eat in Gulf Shores.

Is the food cooked in oil?
Sorry, couldn't help but ask...

Depends on whether you order your shrimp fried. Roll Eyes

If God intended aircraft engines to have horizontally opposed engines, Pratt and Whitney would have made them that way.

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Reply #7 - Oct 1^st, 2010 at 4:59pm

H Offline
Colonel
2003: the year NH couldn't
save face...
NH, USA

Gender:
Posts: 6837

patchz wrote on Sep 30^th, 2010 at 11:33pm:

H wrote on Sep 30^th, 2010 at 6:42pm:

patchz wrote on Sep 30^th, 2010 at 3:58am:

There are several excellent places to eat in Gulf Shores.

Is the food cooked in oil?
Sorry, couldn't help but ask...

Depends on whether you order your shrimp fried. Roll Eyes

Before or after pulled out of the Gulf...
would this be ordered as the BP Special?

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Reply #8 - Oct 2^nd, 2010 at 3:24pm

flyboy 28 Offline
Colonel
Jacksonville, FL

Posts: 13323

Thanks guys, it's nice to be back.

Regarding the oil, believe it or not, there's really not a trace to be found. Though I've heard that there's a tar ball that washes up every now and then. The worst of it is over.

Quote:

While you are in Pensacola be sure to hit up Orange Beach (my in laws have a condo there) and Gulf Shores. Plenty of hot women there who would love a Marine but would settle for a sailor.

Eh, I already have someone who settled for me. I quite like her.

Regarding getting stationed here, I really can't say if that's a good idea or not. Where I am at Corry Station, there's a lot of problems with crime outside the gate. I know that's the norm at any base, but only a few months ago, a sailor got shot in the head while jogging about a half mile off base. Also there's plenty of rape, muggings and all the other crap that dirtbags do to prey on naive service members. Aside from that, I hear NAS is nice... Roll Eyes

Also, I've run into a few marines on base. Y'all are freaking weird. Tongue

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Reply #9 - Oct 4^th, 2010 at 3:08pm

Jeph Offline
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Not for the faint of heart.
0.7 nm north of KPNE

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I went to school at NATTC P-cola myself. Aviation Electrician's school I got dropped from because my Chief felt that duty came before school. I had to stand late watches. Anyway, P-cola isn't bad. Had a lot of fun in my four months there. We relieved ourselves while standing on the wing of the AV-8B separating the USN/USMC barracks. The marines didn't like that. Grin

Boot camp was a joke, aside from battlestations/ARFEPS (or whatever the USN calls it now). but I've heard they don't even curse at the recruits anymore? Sad if true. I left boot camp in late September of '97.

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Reply #10 - Oct 4^th, 2010 at 10:47pm

BigTruck Offline
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Former Sergeant of Marines
Tuscaloosa, AL

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Posts: 7161

flyboy 28 wrote on Oct 2^nd, 2010 at 3:24pm:

Also there's plenty of rape, muggings and all the other crap that dirtbags do to prey on navy service members.

Fixed that for you squid. They don't mess with Marines. Wink

I went to Corry Station for electronics warfare school, back in 06, had a great time there! We used to go to Kooter Brown's everyday after class. Great food and atmosphere. I was in the building near the quarter deck that's all fenced off and has no windows.

What do you mean we're weird? Huh

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Reply #11 - Oct 5^th, 2010 at 10:09pm

flyboy 28 Offline
Colonel
Jacksonville, FL

Posts: 13323

Jeph wrote on Oct 4^th, 2010 at 3:08pm:

Boot camp was a joke, aside from battlestations/ARFEPS (or whatever the USN calls it now). but I've heard they don't even curse at the recruits anymore? Sad if true. I left boot camp in late September of '97.

Oh, they still curse plenty. I think the only difference is that they're not allowed to physically touch you anymore, a la Full Metal Jacket. Boot Camp itself was pretty easy, my main challenge was dealing with 87 other idiots from Cowfart, Texas. Roll Eyes

Battle Stations was pretty sweet, actually. They updated it expansively a few years ago to simulate pretty much every single shipboard damage control scenario imaginable (or, the ones we learned). Here's a quick vid of what it looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jibm7kyIGcM

BigTruck wrote on Oct 4^th, 2010 at 10:47pm:

I went to Corry Station for electronics warfare school, back in 06, had a great time there! We used to go to Kooter Brown's everyday after class. Great food and atmosphere. I was in the building near the quarter deck that's all fenced off and has no windows.

What do you mean we're weird? Huh

That's pretty much what I'll be going to school for once my clearance comes through in a few weeks. A few years ago the navy merged the Electronics Warfare and Cryptological Technician (Technical) rating into just CTT, so I'll be learning both the intel gathering side and "E-dub" side, as it's called around here. I think I know which building you're talking about, there's three of those depressing-looking compounds on base which are the schoolhouses (which used to be P-40 hangars!), and I should be in the same one you were. I really can't wait to get going with learning this stuff.

Regarding you all being weird, I was in the smoke pit today and a Marine came up and asked me and another sailor if we had ever been to Canada. I said "Yeah, why?" and he just laughed and walked away. Is that some sort of inside joke, or should I be offended? Tongue

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Reply #12 - Oct 6^th, 2010 at 2:13am

BigTruck Offline
Global Moderator
Former Sergeant of Marines
Tuscaloosa, AL

Gender:
Posts: 7161

flyboy 28 wrote on Oct 5^th, 2010 at 10:09pm:

Regarding you all being weird, I was in the smoke pit today and a Marine came up and asked me and another sailor if we had ever been to Canada. I said "Yeah, why?" and he just laughed and walked away. Is that some sort of inside joke, or should I be offended? Tongue

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