August 2011
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half-staff
KABUL, Afghanistan — A military helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan commandos…
The Associated Press has learned that more than 20 Navy SEALs from the unit that killed Osama bin Laden were among those lost in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
I’m just heartbroken. And I don’t know what it is about August, but...
June 2011
1 post
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done, sir, done
This post is a few days in coming, I know. It took three days just to remember this existed, honestly, and then now another three to find my password and build up the mental capacity to sit and reflect a bit. And even now, I really ought to be studying. So how was OCS, you’re wondering. I can’t tell you everything here, but I will say that the program itself met my expectations...
March 2011
3 posts
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final countdown
Well, we’re getting there. In four days and a wake-up I’ll hit the road for the big drive north — 25 hours of I-95, 2 overnight rest-stops, and 3 planned exits to fill up on gas and vittles at Sheetz, whose made-to-order burgerz on a pretzel roll absolutely rock my world.
Aside from spending too much time on Sheetz’s website, what else does one do in their final days of...
4 tags
boarders ahoy!
NATO has developed a video game. In this game, you’re doing counter-piracy ops. You’re boarding vessels, searching them, and questioning those on board. But one prominent military blogger notes, theres “not even a parrot” featured in the training scenario, and that makes it less-than-swashbuckling.
Read over the possible things-to-say in the screenshot...
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sworn in!
Well, it’s official, folks. I woke up this morning and headed up to Navy Officer Recruiting Station (NORS) Hyattsville. There, I signed three copies of my enlistment contract, three copies of my service agreement, and about an inch of other assorted paperwork. And so as of about three hours ago, I am a United States Sailor. Feels damned good.
February 2011
3 posts
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pumped
So, I’m totally pumped. In five days and a wake-up, I’m going to walk into the Hyattsville office where, 11 months ago, I first met my Officer Recruiter. I’m going to raise my hand, and swear to support and defend the Constitution. I’m going to sign my name to a piece of paper (DD-0004) that says I’m no longer a civilian, but am instead a member of the Armed Forces of...
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continuing non-resolution
Okay. The president’s new FY12 budget is getting a lot of press these days, but all that attention is perhaps distracting folks from something very important and significantly more urgent: Congress still hasn’t passed the FY11 budget. And we’re almost out of cash.
This is bad. The Navy Times colorfully reports:
As it stands, the Navy has less than three weeks left of a...
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yes, this is what they look like
January 2011
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superlasers
Okay, the Navy’s been in the news this week and last. First, it was bad news — the firing of another CO. Then, we got a (small) taste of the good news as a boat from USS Laboon took out a pirate skiff in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. Then, it was more bad news — a sailor tragically fell from her destroyer and was lost at sea.
But today — oh, today. Scientific breakthrough....
2 tags
travel day
I’m sitting here at DCA after a six-day whirlwind Washington adventure, reflecting on the week. First, it was great to see so many people after two and a half months of relative seclusion in Florida. You folks (you know who you are) are incredible people doing amazing things, and I’m so proud to count you as friends.
Now, the week started with an afternoon at the Surface Navy...
December 2010
2 posts
5 tags
enlistment
Lots of sailors choose creative venues for their re-enlistment ceremonies, but this one’s hard to top: Breaking the sound barrier in the back seat of an F/A-18 Hornet, five miles above the Atlantic Ocean.
The pilot, Cmdr. Mitchell Conover, administered the oath midflight and even gave [Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Alfonso] Tulavillanueva a surprise as he recited the final words, pulling...
4 tags
the great green fleet
Thomas Friedman’s latest column in the Times shines a welcome spotlight on the Navy’s two-year-old push to “go green” in a big way — including having set a lofty goal of having 50% of all the Department of the Navy’s operations, afloat and ashore, powered by alternative energy by 2020.
The underlying thesis is simple — Congress can’t keep itself...
November 2010
3 posts
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yes, still waiting
Ah, the unglamorous waiting continues. It’s been more than a month since I’ve had anything legitimately new to report. It was September when I found out I was accepted by the SWO community, October when my background investigation really got cooking, and now, at the tail-end of November, I’m still simply waiting. Though, as of today, I sort of have vague inklings of news.
I...
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call of duty
This, by the way, is why I took up the game:
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veterans' day reflections
I’d always been a fan of Veterans’ Day. It made me feel lucky to live in America and proud of our fighting forces, past and present. I’d metaphorically tip my hat to their service and whimsically consider the awe of their sacrifices.
But this morning I woke up to a text message from a friend — it had occurred to her that this time next year, I’ll be a...
October 2010
4 posts
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cue the 'inspector gadget' theme
Okay, background check time. I got the call from a special investigator today letting me know that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is starting the process, which is exciting, because it means that yet another section of paperwork has made it successfully from my recruiter’s desk to the proper authorities. As the SF-86 is not a form I’d like to have to fill out again, this...
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the 'echo' version
I suppose there are probably relatively few people whose eyes are called to attention by a headline like “Training changes trickle out to the fleet,” but mine were when the line popped into my Google Reader this afternoon. I eagerly clicked through to the story, which began:
Surface Navy officials are at work on the newest edition of an unglamorous but highly influential document in...
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hurry up and wait
You may remember that a little more than a week ago, I got the good news that I’d been pro-rec’d. My next step was getting in touch with a recruiter closer to home who could administer my Physical Readiness Test, or PRT. It’s a three-part test: 2 minutes of push-ups, 2 minutes of sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run. Complete all three within the standards for your age group and gender,...
September 2010
4 posts
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pro-rec'd swo
pro-rec’d swo (prɵ-rɛkt swɵ), adj. 1. given preliminary approval by members of the Surface Warfare Community to join said community following completion of officer training.
Heard the amazingly fantastic news about two hours ago from my recruiter! This is a huge hurdle overcome. A few things are still ahead — I need to pass my physical readiness test, get fingerprinted, and get a...
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i have not yet begun to fight
On this day in 1779, Captain John Paul Jones, commanding the American frigate Bonhomme Richard, was engaged in heavy battle with the HMS Serapis off the coast of England. Jones’ ship was sinking, and the captain of the Serapis had his men cease fire for a moment. He asked for Jones’ surrender, calling, “Have you struck your colors?” Captain Jones replied, “I have not...
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an introduction
When I first heard of ‘tactical blueberry’, I thought the phrase would be a great name for a band. But the only band I play in lives in my PlayStation3, and so here we are.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s a nickname that sailors have given to their new NWUs (Navy Working Uniforms). The fabric’s got a blue and gray digital camouflage pattern, and when a bunch...