Battle of Guam aka Liberation Day

Friends,

Tomorrow is Liberation Day, the 65th anniversary of the retaking of Guam from the Japanese.  Although heavily outnumbered, the provincial guard(forerunner of the National Guard), and the marine Corps military police detachment held out well.  I am certain that there were farmers with machetes holding out as well.  One man RM1 George Tweed, held out until rescue.  The other three sailors were captured and beheaded.  The Battle of Guam was a hard fought battle, This again, is a chapter of ” Those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world.”

Petty Officer 101

As some of you may know, the navy’s advancement list came out shortly ago.  For all the brand new E-4s, there is a class they must sit through, called PO Indoc.  The First Class Mess generally handles this.  I volunteered to instruct “The Petty Officer’s Place in Naval History.”  It is the last unit and designed to make them proud to be Petty Officers.  I realized today what kind of noncom I am.  There are the good, the bad, and the other.  I was rocking out to Trent Tomlinson in my truck as I finished my lunch and one of my “sea sons” came over to BS with me until the class resumed.  There are some PO1’s nobody wants to go near.  We had a barbecue this weekend and a bunch of my roommate’s sea children were present.  As we meandered into the lobby all of the HTs there came over to shoot the breeze for a minute.  The fact that a dozen-ish brand new HT3’s aren’t afraid to come over and talk to me made me feel pretty good.  I guess and hope that makes me one of the good HT1s, in the model of Sergeant Big Tobacco, whose blog is apparently defunct.

I knew this was a bad idea

I need a reason to workout beyond keeping my job.  When I took the friendly bet in the previous post, I figured that would give me 6 weeks of umph.  For my three loyal readers, I intend to track my progress.  My starting weight is 221 pounds, with a goal of 194.  The calisthenics looked a lot easier in the book.  I went into the gym today and I figured I would plug my Ipod into my ears and ignore everybody.  I was using a 4 pound or an 11 pound medicine ball for the exercises that required weight bearing.  I was the only guy doing calisthenic exercises.  On the fifth set of medicine ball woodchoppers, I wanted to say forget it.  I managed to force my body to complete its mision.  During the workout, everything was hurting the way it should(quads burning during squats, etc).  When I left the gym, I stopped briefly to shoot the breeze with a shipmate.  When I went to walk down the stairs, one of my legs buckled.  Thus far, the Ranger prep workout that inspired this bet is sufficiently challenging.  I am going to substitute walking my dobie while I wear a weight vest for ruck marching, as I am not planning to go to Ranger School and I am too old for NSW.  The purpose here is mainly to train past my goal.  As mentioned in the previous post, if I can pass a Spec Ops test, my semi-annual Navy PRT should be just another PT day.  HOO-YAH!

Where I’ve been

Y’all are probably wondering where the heck I’ve been.  I have been stuck on delinquent study for a bit to finish bringing my quals up to par.  I have finally got all that up to snuff.  We were also preparing for a big bad inspection by anal engineer types.  It got pushed out some because more necessary tasks came down the pipeline. 

We are feeling the crunch in Uncle Sugar’s Yacht Club also.  A lot of transfers and bonuses got poo-pooed.  Many of my people are looking intently into transfers to other services.  I personally was considering the Army Warrant Officer Program for a minute or two.  Some say a degree is required, some don’t think it is.  I think I would have qualified due to experience for some of the technical fields.  I decided to stay Navy. 

My roommate and I decided to quit dorking around on the fitness front, get on the bus, snd stay fit, as opposed to panicking and taking extreme measures once every six months.    We shall see how that goes.

I done had it with this stuff

The time has come for The Snipe to speak out again.  I have been quiet long enough.  There is a season for everything.  Kudos to the Navy SEALs for bringing Peace Through Superior Firepower to the pirates.  A hearty F off to DHS for saying I am a right wing “extremist”.  The Don’t Tread On Me flag has flown from many a US Navy warship defending the Constitution that many now wish to trample on.  I think the Oath Keepers are on to something.   They are fixin’ to be added to my blogroll.   As a matter of record, I refuse to fire on US citizens other than in defense of self and others, as *I* see it. 

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

 ¹ There is a time for everything,
       and a season for every activity under heaven:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
       a time for war and a time for peace

This is what we do

We beat the pirates.  That is one of the Navy’s oldest skill set, and along with the Marines from time to time(to the shores of Tripoli and all that) our raison de’etre.  Roommate, Mrs. Roommate and I were discussing this today. Three shots three kills.  HOO-YAH!  As for their violence and retaliation, phthhh!(or however you spell it).  We were trying to figure out who gave weapons release.  It made for an intellectual discussion.

           Stand Navy out to sea

                   Fight our battle cry:

We’ll never change our course

So vicious foes steer shy-y-y-y

Roll out the T. N. T.

Anchors Aweigh

Sail on to victory

And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Oops!

Inspired by item one from the previous past.  I had just moved from one apartment in a bad neighborhood to an apartment in a better suburb of San Diego.  I had talked to my buddy the Sheriff’s Deputy about how to legally move my edged weapons in my vehicle.

“Put ‘em in a toolbox in the backseat of your truck.”

Easy enough.  On the following Monday I reported for duty at NAVSTA San Diego.  I forgot to remove one toolbox from my truck that happened to have a doubled bladed diver’s knife.  I had met my new Chief and was on my way to personnel to square away my BAH.

On the way from BFE Parking Lot, I was flagged down by some Masters-at-Arms doing random vehicle contraband checks.  I declared the Leatherman in my console but forgot about the toolbox with the diver’s knife.  They found it. 

I found myself being frisked by the MAs and being told,  “Place your hands behind your head and face away from the sound of my voice.  You are suspected of violating instruction umptysquat.” 

I apparently was let off because hey forgot to tell me about Article 31 of the UCMJ, the military version of the Miranda Rights before asking questions.

Random quotes from my day

“I don’t care if a bear attacks you!  You better have him spit you out on the grinder at 0559.”

“Pay me now or pay me later.”

“Keep your head out of your ass for a good long time.”

 

That ladies and gentlemen is a group of phrases you are apt to hear from my mouth during my counseling, guiding and leading of my minions/sailors.

Random

This is my rating badge.

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.”