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Front row seat to history

As I have been perusing the blogs I read, I realized one thing.  I have had front row seats to tomorrow’s history.  I very distinctly remember Sadaam’s capture thanks to one Damage Controlman Third Class(E-4 firefighter).  On the CG, it was my habit to sleep in my shop on duty days when I was the Duty Fire Marshal.  Everyone could find me, and I never got more than a couple hours sleep anyway.  It was early in the morning, and DC3 came tearing ass into the shop and woke me up thus: HT2, WAKE UP! WAKE UP!.  Being woke up like that as Fire Marshal usually means the fertilizer has hit the ventilator.  I bolt up and get ready to run to wherever.  “Dude, turn on the TV.”  There, in living color, was Sadaam being pulled out of a spider hole by some US soldiers.  I will probably remember that day as long as I live thanks to DC3 M.

More blog fodder

Rough day at work.  An average US Navy sailor’s non PT day goes from 0715 to 1630, give or take.  Overseas, max liberty possible for morale is supported, but the work needs done.  So today, I found myself on a project as supervisor(pardon my vagueness, Mr. OPSEC strikes again).  I can work my guys until 2000 with Chief’s blessing.  This week, it has been necessary.  Today, I gave HT2 a break and I volunteered for what is essentially baby sitting duty.  I didn’t leave our ship until 2015.  I got home at nearly 2100.  Then I did what all snipes do after a nasty day.  I poured a whiskey and cued up “Cherokee Fiddle” by Johnny Lee on iTunes.  “Good whiskey never lets you lose your place.”

Search And Rescue

The SAR Swimmers in the Navy have a motto.  “So Others May Live”.  These men can expect to be lowered by harness into rough waters to rescue a fellow mariner in danger.  I like this motto.  My CG once found itself in Caboo San Lucas Mexico during spring break season many years ago.  My liberty buddy and I were flirting with what turned out to be peacenik chicks.  I don’t salivate at the prospect of killing or dying for my country.  Given the choice, I will choose the former every single ever loving time.  When these somewhat inebriated ladies figured out we were servicemen(hmm, short hair, and a white guy and an Indian drinking together, in Mexico, what gave it away?) they asked why we chose to do it.  My answer was “So others may live”.  Anybody that has read this blog for more than two posts will probably realize I am trained in armed and unarmed combat.  I have used quotes from our Founding Fathers previously in this blog because those men knew of what thy spoke, and many were combat veterans at a time when combat was up close and messy.  I didn’t score a hot college chick because I might one day kill for my country.  Oh well, my little brother still slept safely in his bed that and many other nights.  Kiss my hairy stern hippie chick.

F’ng YouTube

So now YouTube is pulling pro military videos.  They must want to impress the ruling class.  I got to sit through an interesting “Career Management Brief” the other day.  The Navy is the best deal around, but good luck staying with the coming drawdown, and the civvie sector might not have anything for you.  I usually zone out during these wastes of man hours and taxpayer dollars.  Luckily, if worst comes to worst, I have connections at GE, Northrop Grumman, and a Chemical Agent Disposal firm.  I thought i just reached the “Golden handshake” and now they are changing the bar again.  It seems to me, that every time there is a military drawdown, something happens, and we are caught short.  In other news, grown-ups need baby-sitting.  Now, the HT2, or I have to babysit grown men on a job site because THEY IS LAZY AND DUMB.  The kicker is, we still have to find time to do our admin.  I think they might need Saturday school for a wake up call.  I remember Navymen being made of sterner stuff when I was coming up.  I haven’t left before 1730 for nearly the last week.  I worked with tile, drywall, and a host of other things as a high school kid with all OJT, and we did pretty OK.  Blogging will probably be even more sporadic than usual.  Who knows, if I have to join one of those other services, that will probably lead to all kinds of new blog fodder/