Originally Posted by
Standing Wolf
I enlisted in '72, but did my first almost three years as a Photographer's Mate. Then Vietnam ended (I was on detachment to the Coral Sea then and got a front row seat to Operation Frequent Wind) and all the PH billets disappeared. We were CREO 'E' and it practically took an act of Congress to reenlist in that rating, so I cross-rated to AW.
I was at Millington in '75, so it's possible we were there at the same time, briefly. I remember we had an Iranian Navy P.O. in my class, which seems kind of weird now, but we were into training all their aviation people at the time.
From there I went to P3s and served on an aircrew as an acoustic sensor op. VP-30 (or maybe it was 31) for training, then four years with VP-47, deploying to Misawa (loved that place!), Kadena (Okinawa), and Adak, AK.
Around the end of '79, I went back to Millington for duty as a Company Commander for a couple of years, then I got orders to VP-56 out of Jacksonville. We deployed to Rota, Spain and Iceland, and we were in Keflavik when I cross-rated to OT(A). The OT Detailer thought he'd save the Navy some money and just leave me in Iceland, assigned to the NavFac, but they told me I'd need to extend for 18 months to accept the assignment and I said "You've got to be kidding". That's how I got orders to Hawaii.
In Hawaii, with NOPC on Ford Island HI from 84-87. I detached from that command for eighteen months toward the end of my tour to work with the Naval Base Master-at-Arms force, which was pretty interesting.
Orders to the Brit A.F. base at Brawdy, Wales, where I was supposed to spend two years, but had to come back stateside after a few months - humanitarian reassignment. My oldest son, who was twelve at the time, needed a liver transplant and I went back to take care of him. Was assigned for a while to the Recruiting Office in Los Angeles, where I got to brush up on my rusty photographic skills, then got orders to fill an STGC billet at the weather office in Long Beach.
From there, toward the end of '88, I went to the (now late) Centerville Beach NavSta near Ferndale, CA, out of which I retired (well, technically I transferred to the Fleet Reserve) with 20 years, 8 months and 5 days of active duty service (but who was counting?) Earned my IUSS badge there, and also met my soon-to-be wife, who I later found out had actually been assigned to Kef when I deployed there.
Jeez, the memories thinking about all that has dredged up! Coincidentally, I now have to go down to the Army Reserve base and get my retired ID card renewed - I guess because I'm 65 now and I have to prove to them that I'm not dead. Wish me luck.