Papa Tango Whiskey
Airman 1st Class
US Navy. '75 to '92. GMG1
How Many Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines.......
- Thread starter Lucky13
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My boot camp company commander was a GMGC. We used to call him "Gunny". Somehow it didn't seem to please him; can't understand why. In fact, it seemed to downright piss him off! "I ain't no damn Jarhead!" We ran a lot of laps, did a lot of pushups, laughing all the way. Chief Narvesen could make difficult things fun. He never went away mad, and never let us do it either.
Cheers,
Wes
parsifal
Colonel
I served in the RAN 1976-1984, with some instructional work at RMC after that continuing for some time after that. I served in the Patrol Boat squadron, on the tac warfare ship, the carrier and finally volunteered for service aboard the civ Antarctic Supply Ship Nella Dan.
I graduated as a trainee seaman officer . I applied initially as aircrew, but was rejected. however I did manage to score selection as a maritime warfare officer, before increasing my specialization by passing the necessary course work as a "Principal Warfare Officer' or PWO. PWO is a fairly senior position in the ship, I was never actually given the job, because I didn't have enough experience, but I did pass the courses that led to that position which included several months at the tactical warfare school at HMAS Watson. it was bl**dy interesting to be honest, and started a lifelong interst in tactical warfare....how to fight battles kinda thing.
As a maritime warfare officer, I did lots of short stints, just to gain some experience on different warships and operations.
My main interest was in carrier operations and fleet defence. I had opportunities to continue after the carrier was decommissioned and some feelers were put out by RN to poach me just after the falklands, which eventually I turned down (several other of my contemporaries, notably Cmdr Baddams who ended up CO of 805 sqn (Harrier)). I volunteered for antarctis service after the carrier wen into reserve mostly to consider my future. Whilst I was there I got sick with Type 1 diabetes, which I still have. Pretty much ended my service afloat. I kind of got lost because of that and it took a few years to get some confidence back
What does a PWO do, Best place is one of those recruitment publications I think.
I graduated as a trainee seaman officer . I applied initially as aircrew, but was rejected. however I did manage to score selection as a maritime warfare officer, before increasing my specialization by passing the necessary course work as a "Principal Warfare Officer' or PWO. PWO is a fairly senior position in the ship, I was never actually given the job, because I didn't have enough experience, but I did pass the courses that led to that position which included several months at the tactical warfare school at HMAS Watson. it was bl**dy interesting to be honest, and started a lifelong interst in tactical warfare....how to fight battles kinda thing.
As a maritime warfare officer, I did lots of short stints, just to gain some experience on different warships and operations.
My main interest was in carrier operations and fleet defence. I had opportunities to continue after the carrier was decommissioned and some feelers were put out by RN to poach me just after the falklands, which eventually I turned down (several other of my contemporaries, notably Cmdr Baddams who ended up CO of 805 sqn (Harrier)). I volunteered for antarctis service after the carrier wen into reserve mostly to consider my future. Whilst I was there I got sick with Type 1 diabetes, which I still have. Pretty much ended my service afloat. I kind of got lost because of that and it took a few years to get some confidence back
What does a PWO do, Best place is one of those recruitment publications I think.
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Army Air Corps Cadet 1943 - 1944. B-17 Bombardier 1944 - 1945.
Papa Tango Whiskey
Airman 1st Class
Gunny is marine short for a gunnery sergeant. Guns or Gunner is short for a gunners mate that's why you pissed him off.
Yes, as he pounded into our heads as we marched endlessly back and forth across the grinder to his own invented cadence based on the USMC "This is my rifle, this is my gun", but repeating the corrective lesson you just stated in his own distinctive language.
We enjoyed "getting his goat" and he enjoyed taking it out of us and with his sense of humor it was hard to take anything too serious.
Cheers,
Wes
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Fishboy
Airman
US Navy, 1975 to 1981, ETN2(SS). Spent 3 1/2 years on a fast attack based out of San Diego.
Ahoy, shipmate! Looks like your timing was poor. You were one of those 6 year instant E4 nuke sub guys, right? Promotions must have slowed way down post-VN. When I went in, early '70, people were making rate real fast. 2 1/2 years, SR to TD2. Could have made 1st Class for a one year extension, but I was hot to put my brand new Commercial Pilot License to work. Turned out to be a mixed blessing in the long run; sometimes I think I should have stayed in. One of the TDs I worked with stayed in, retired as a Senior Chief, and earned a college degree and Airline Transport Pilot License along the way. He got hired by USAir while I was still flying for a back country commuter airline. He retired from American, set for life, and my airline went bankrupt, taking our 401Ks with it.
Cheers,
Wes
Fishboy
Airman
Ahoy back to you Wes! Yes.... I was a 6 year Navy nuke. I waited until I got to the boat before I decided on whether to stay in or not. For a nuke back in those days, if you stayed in, you had a 5/2 sea to shore rotation..... 5 years on sea-going billet followed by 2 years on shore, which at the time was pretty much limited to recruiting duty. Not real appealing to me at that time. So I pretty much decided I would get out after 6. I did have the opportunity to take the 1st class exam, but decided not to. Probably a decision I'd do differently now, but there you are.
In hindsight though I have absolutely no complaints about going in. I met friends that I'm still close to, and received very specialized training and skills that allowed me to have a good career after the Navy, that I am now retired from. (You can't go to your local community college and learn how to and actually run a nuclear reactor.) So it's all good.
Fair winds and following seas......
In hindsight though I have absolutely no complaints about going in. I met friends that I'm still close to, and received very specialized training and skills that allowed me to have a good career after the Navy, that I am now retired from. (You can't go to your local community college and learn how to and actually run a nuclear reactor.) So it's all good.
Fair winds and following seas......
Ditto. As soon as I got to Avionics A School, I got hit with the "sign for 6, and be an instant petty officer" push, but all of the six year wonders were becoming ATs, AQs, and AXs, and I had flight simulators on the brain, so I hung out for TD, and scored high enough to get my wish.
To you too, brother!
Wes
Red 3
Airman
Royal Corps of Signals, British Army then U.S. Marines (infantry) then U.S. Army National Guard (North Carolina, heavy infantry). 24 years in uniform(s)! Does that qualify?
soulezoo
Senior Airman
I know this is a little old now but I was in/out of Kuwait city during this time flying the air bridge back to Ramstein. It's been awhile so I don't recall exact days, but was there when the Scud made a fly-by of the airport... wasn't fun jumping in those ditches trying to put on your gas mask at the same time. Was also there to help load Jessica Lynch onto the medi-vac -141. That was my last day there.
Mainly28s
Senior Airman
Nearly three years in the South African Air Force, back in the late 80s and early 90s.
manta22
Banned
I served in the US Army 1960-1963 (Cold War) Enlisted in Fairmont, West Vitginia for the Nuclear Weapons Ordnance Electronics course, took Basic Training in Ft Knox, Kentucky and then attended that course at Ft Monmouth, New Jersey. Graduated early and was assigned to the Corporal Ground Guidance course at the Ordnance Guided Missile School at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. I was the Honor Graduate and was retained as an instructor (SP-4) in that course. Taught there until the Berlin Wall was erected and then whisked off to Germany to fill a vacant position in a Corporal missile unit, the 157th Ordnance Detachment. We supported the 1st Missile Battalion 38th Artillery of V Corps. We were stationed in a kaserne in Babenhausen and our mission was to prevent Soviet armor from invading West Germany through the Fulda Gap. I was then a Spec-5, Section Chief.
We were airlifted to the British Royal Artillery Range in Benbecula, the Hebrides Islands to practice firing missiles out into the Atlantic. After a successful exercise, we were airlifted back to Germany. Eventually our unit was de-activated and our personnel were transferred to other Corporal units in Germany. Soon our Corporal IIB missiles were replaced by more modern solid-fuel Sergeant missiles. These were more mobile, used transistors instead of vacuum tubes, and featured a much more simplified launch procedure. Our Corporals were a direct descendant of the German V2 rockets! End of service in August 1963.
Regards, Neil Albaugh, Tucson, AZ
We were airlifted to the British Royal Artillery Range in Benbecula, the Hebrides Islands to practice firing missiles out into the Atlantic. After a successful exercise, we were airlifted back to Germany. Eventually our unit was de-activated and our personnel were transferred to other Corporal units in Germany. Soon our Corporal IIB missiles were replaced by more modern solid-fuel Sergeant missiles. These were more mobile, used transistors instead of vacuum tubes, and featured a much more simplified launch procedure. Our Corporals were a direct descendant of the German V2 rockets! End of service in August 1963.
Regards, Neil Albaugh, Tucson, AZ
Red 3
Airman
I was medevaced out of Baqubah in 2004, yep the town was full of insurgents! Maybe it was the same day, June 24?
I could not tell you the day anymore. It was an OH-54D that went down into the town.
Red 3
Airman
No, different day. Big attack following an ambush, Bradleys (me and mine), Abrams, F16s, Kiowas, and a buttload of ieds and rpgs rolling around! Lost my Bradley and my gunner, great kid, and also our CO. but we dealt more than we took.
actually I just found it. 7 April 2004. After the shoot-down we flew to Warhorse to pick up the extraction team. They were rescued before we could get them though.
We lost a lot of helicopters that year. 30 losses.
