Can somebody please get this stuff off of me???

I like nuclear power. That may not be politically correct, but nuclear power has almost always been pretty good to me. I joined the Navy a bit too late to gain the manly experience of being a diesel boat sailor. I really respect those guys. But our experiences were unique and directly related to that […]

How did this thing get so far out of alignment?

Like many submariners, I spent a few weeks in one shipyard or another helping to fix wear and tear issues. As an Auxiliaryman (A-Ganger) I quickly found that there is a special kind of hell reserved for us in a shipyard. Since our equipment and systems run the length of the boat, our work could […]

Target Rich Environment

Google the phrase “Target Rich Environment” and you will get about 5 million hits. One of my favorite quotes comes from a feel good movie released in 1986 Warning: PG 13 applies, if you are easily offended, skip past the quoted area “Top Gun” Maverick: This is what I call a target-rich environment. Goose: You […]

Taffy 3 – Courage Beyond Measure

In the annals of US Naval history, there are a number of instances that demonstrate the courage and determination of a committed group of dedicated officers and men. The one that stands out most in many people’s opinions is the battle which occurred on October 25th 1944. On this day, a small group of […]

My Trusty Old .45 First Posted in 2011 (with Updates on the 2018 CMP Sales)

As a kid growing up, one of my favorite shows was a realistic World War 2 action series called “Combat!”. Sergeant Saunders (Vic Morrow) was my hero and his adventures with Kirby, Little John, Cage and Lieutenant Hanley and Doc. The series ran form 1962 to 1967 which is pretty remarkable since the actual American […]

Freedom of the Seas

On this 236th birthday of the United States Navy, we should never forget the reason why the Navy was formed and why it will remain a part of our Freedom as long as there is a United States of America. The free flow of commerce is one way of guaranteeing a free nation. The oceans still […]

Goin’ to the Chapel and We’re Gonna Get Married – Part Three

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/01/first-same-sex-marriage-being-celebrated-saturday-at-west-points-cadet-chapel/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo Oh happy day, break out the bubbly, the Nation’s first gay marriage at West Point. I can barely contain my joy. Oh well. They can explain it to the big Guy themselves when the time comes. I am now officially done with worrying about traditions. Go Navy. Beat Army. Mister Mac I had no […]

The Quality of the Weld

Being a former submariner, I have long had an interest in welding and the quality of welds. When you are riding a ship designed to sink that was built by the lowest bidder, proper and secure welds seem to be pretty important. The hulls of nuclear submarines are made out of a special steel which requiresvery […]

Life is simple… you’re either qualified or you’re not

I don’t know when qualification cards became part of submarine life. I know they were there when I first came aboard the George Washington. I remember Chief John telling me very specifically that the card was as important as any piece of paper I ever held so I better not lose it. Each week, I would […]

He was the best there ever was (just ask him)

Once upon a time there was a young Machinist Mate serving on a ballistic missile submarine who inherited the job of Repair Parts Petty Officer (RPPO). I am pretty sure he did not know what he had been volunteered for but as in other collateral duties, there really weren’t a lot of choices. The guy […]