As my recruiter told me a long time ago, the supposed NAVY acronym (Never Again Volunteer Yourself) is not the way to experience the military. I suppose some people are content to sit on their bum and do nothing... but for me, I want to DO as many things as I can. What an opportunity, to do whatever, whenever.
A week and a half ago that worked out for special duty... and they asked again today, for help on the Coronado base. I had no idea what they needed, but anything would be better than trying to act busy. It was a Seaman and a BM2 that wanted extra bodies for picking up the state flags and ceremonial trappings from an event at a hotel on Coronado. It took us some time to locate it, but we finally did and got it all in the pickup.
These things were to be unloaded and the flags set back up in the lobby of the Command Center on the Amphibious base. Somehow, Oklahoma's flag ended up first in my hands...
The rest of the day was to be spent at an office across the street, helping them pack up and move downstairs. But first, they told us to go to a ceremony in the lobby of the command building for "Black History Month". They had members of the Buffalo Soldiers local chapter come and speak... one of them actually was from one of the original divisions, which was still in existence during WWII. And a retired Navy Lt. Commander got up and gave King's "I Have a Dream" speech from memory (I had never heard it before... so it was quite moving for me).
After this had ended, we all (mostly chiefs and officers, including a vice admiral) had a home cooked potluck type of lunch... ! Breaded and baked catfish that made my mouth water, pork ribs, mac n' cheese, green beans and potatoes, cornbread (and more), along with deserts. I settled on baked apples with cinnamon... yum!
Then we spent the next two and a half hours working very hard packing up office supplies and moving them to a temporary storage compartment. My hands were filthy by the time we quit! Gosh! They want us back tomorrow, so I will certainly volunteer again! :)
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Roommates!
These have only recently popped up on Facebook, so I thought I'd like to put them here together.
From Allen's webcam... taken in late January sometime from Davis's desk.
On Trish's camera, self-timed. This was my last morning, February 8th. They were all preparing for the day and I was getting packed.
From Allen's webcam... taken in late January sometime from Davis's desk.
On Trish's camera, self-timed. This was my last morning, February 8th. They were all preparing for the day and I was getting packed.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sisters in Arms
Waiting for the ride over to the change of command ceremony...
It was duty day for me in more than one way! I was so concerned about not missing the 0630 muster for my duty section that I woke up at least 4 times before my alarm went off at 0600. I can put myself into a frenzy sometimes... I made it just fine. Had a big breakfast right after, then hurried back to my room, changed into my blues and made it to the Holds 0730 muster with time to spare.
Our other member, STG3 Vonwerder, came promptly after this picture was taken and soon we headed off to the base downtown with Chief's blessing. Our hearts beat faster in the presence of so many officers and chiefs and civilians all dressed to the hilt... but it went off without a hitch.
There was a Navy Band brass quintet there, playing smart marches and patriotic tunes before it all began. It felt as if I were at a concert if I closed my eyes. My favorite was their "God Bless America" that repeated several times... loud and proud one time through, soft and delicate another, and again with more fluctuation. The ceremony was a bit late starting, but we were done and loading onto the van to leave at 10:20.
Upon returning our arms, flags and special apparel, we headed straight for the barracks. I changed back to the digital working uniform I began in today and after a little down time mustered with my duty section again. We were directed to pick up trash in the main parking lot. It amazed me how fast I switched from a grand ceremony to picking up cigarette butts all within a couple hours. :)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
One Day Duty
At muster they told me my name came up for urinalysis... so I didn't make it to the INDOC class today... next one is in two weeks. I checked the working party board out of curiosity, and didn't feel like asking Chief for the day off she promised, because I was on a new, four-person detail in an office at the A school. And I didn't want to leave my shipmates hanging (good thing too, because only one of them had shown up).
It was strange work, shredding student's notes and notebooks from previous classes. It made me worry about the good A school will be, if all we're meant to do is load all this info onto our brains for a few weeks and then literally dump it immediately afterwords. Hmm...
After lunch I was back to scraping paint... except this time very quickly from the toe-guard on the office door. Took about 10 minutes.
It was strange work, shredding student's notes and notebooks from previous classes. It made me worry about the good A school will be, if all we're meant to do is load all this info onto our brains for a few weeks and then literally dump it immediately afterwords. Hmm...
After lunch I was back to scraping paint... except this time very quickly from the toe-guard on the office door. Took about 10 minutes.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Color Guard Practice
Friday morning's work was only taken up with the trip to the base downtown to practice the ceremony. We're doing it inside in a small auditorium on base, probably due to the bad weather we've been having lately. We practiced what we thought we'd like to do, and then the master chief arrived and let us know how we're doing it. Filing in from the right side of the theater (me leading), we come to the center, halt and left face. Present arms... and then shoulder arms after the Banner is played. Right face and march off to the left side of the theater (me leading).
Whatever you do in the Navy, it is always a huge compliment to have the master chief come up and thank you for volunteering and notice your good military bearing. :)
We were picked up by the same duty driver and taken back to Point Loma right around 1100... which is quitting time on Fridays. Lunch was outstanding that day! Fresh shrimp and veggie stir fry! This was one of the best things I've had here... I am so impressed!
Whatever you do in the Navy, it is always a huge compliment to have the master chief come up and thank you for volunteering and notice your good military bearing. :)
We were picked up by the same duty driver and taken back to Point Loma right around 1100... which is quitting time on Fridays. Lunch was outstanding that day! Fresh shrimp and veggie stir fry! This was one of the best things I've had here... I am so impressed!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Of Working Parties and Special Duty
We (my friends Witte, Jerousek and I) completed our check-in sheet to the best of our ability on Monday this week. That was when we got our security badges for the A school building. Right afterwords, they told us to check into the BPO (barracks petty officer) for an assignment in a working party. I was surprised they had us do this right away, because our sheets were not completely filled out, but I didn't mind doing actual work either. We ended up at the hotel on base for bachelor officers, moving pallets and old TV's around. The next couple days we had the same thing, except Witte and I volunteered for scraping and painting the sprinkler pipes. It was harder than it seemed... but again, good to do work.
I really love it here... we're encouraged to do PT most days, and I've kept up with it. I've run by the water in the setting sun with the wind blowing in my face, and there are two weight/cardio machine buildings very close by that make it easy to go do. One building has a very good lineup of weight machines. I use that and just go down the line... hardly anyone uses it. And today, I did the PRT run in Liberty Station across the street... very nice! Half of it is along the water and I watched shore birds as I jogged by.
But today! At muster IC1 asked for volunteers for something that sounded like being a road-guard... I checked my working party (it was the same- and it is overmanned) and went back to him and volunteered. Turns out I was the only one to do so, and it had nothing to do with what I thought. It was to be a part of the color guard for the change of command ceremony next Friday! And this will be at the base downtown in front of lots of people! Wow! They needed two more people as well as me, and at that moment Witte and Jerousek walked by... :) Since Witte is taller, us other two will carry the rifles on either side of the flags. STG3 organised it, and he'll take the US flag. So we practiced the shoulder arms, present arms, order arms movements... I've always wanted to do something like this!
Tomorrow we head down to 32nd street for a walk-though of what we'll be doing. We were given Tuesday off as a reward for volunteering, and then we'll have Wed & Thurs to practice before the big day. So excited!
I really love it here... we're encouraged to do PT most days, and I've kept up with it. I've run by the water in the setting sun with the wind blowing in my face, and there are two weight/cardio machine buildings very close by that make it easy to go do. One building has a very good lineup of weight machines. I use that and just go down the line... hardly anyone uses it. And today, I did the PRT run in Liberty Station across the street... very nice! Half of it is along the water and I watched shore birds as I jogged by.
But today! At muster IC1 asked for volunteers for something that sounded like being a road-guard... I checked my working party (it was the same- and it is overmanned) and went back to him and volunteered. Turns out I was the only one to do so, and it had nothing to do with what I thought. It was to be a part of the color guard for the change of command ceremony next Friday! And this will be at the base downtown in front of lots of people! Wow! They needed two more people as well as me, and at that moment Witte and Jerousek walked by... :) Since Witte is taller, us other two will carry the rifles on either side of the flags. STG3 organised it, and he'll take the US flag. So we practiced the shoulder arms, present arms, order arms movements... I've always wanted to do something like this!
Tomorrow we head down to 32nd street for a walk-though of what we'll be doing. We were given Tuesday off as a reward for volunteering, and then we'll have Wed & Thurs to practice before the big day. So excited!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Yet Another Indoc
Greetings from sunny (and warm!) San Diego! and my third duty station to date.
The flight here was pretty uneventful, except for the guy two rows up from me who decided he needed to light a cigarette. It was two hours away from Chicago, and I was pleasantly dreaming... until a Sailor sitting across from him screamed at him to put it out. Apparently, he didn't listen to a polite request. I didn't ever get back to sleep for the rest of the trip, but did rest a little. Very tired.
It was so exciting to land! Here I was in good ol' San Diego... many good memories... and to live and work here! The USO was better here than at O'Hare. Much bigger with a separate kitchen to eat in. Lots of Sailors and Marines... and prospective Marines. I had a big bowl of chicken noodle soup, and was able to chat with mom on the phone. But soon the duty driver from Point Loma showed up and we were whisked away.
Where we checked in is visible on Google Street View... the building on the right is the admin building. The people who checked us in were pretty nice... letting us know whatever we wanted about the things to come. I felt very relaxed and happy about everything, even when they said we'd be on hold for about two months before starting school, and at the end of everything, we'd probably be here at least a year. They delivered our bags to our barracks door for us! And when I found out my single roommate was a friend of mine from my very own bootcamp division, it made it a very good night, even though there is nearly no cell phone service inside. So I talked for a moment on the lawn outside, letting people know I was alright.
Muster is at 0730 for holds, and even though I went to bed super late (11:30 pacific) I was very awake at 0600 (it being 8am on my body clock). We got quite a bit done today, getting signatures on a check-in sheet and turning in dental and medical records to the appropriate places. Also got a dentist appointment in the process! :) We were done for the day around 1430, and I finished unpacking and settling before going to chow with my friend from Great Lakes. I love it here.
The rooms are huge for two people... lots of storage space. Six drawers, two shelves, one fold out table, a nightstand, and a closet. And regular beds... with no climbing involved! The bathrooms are communal, but clean and new-looking. The rec area is connected to my building... free computers/internet, games, tv screens, books... etc. And since the base is so small, there is a small NEX just steps away and a small fitness center that I will look into tomorrow. The galley (which is also very close) has just two food lines, but with good food... and the salad bar is excellent! I am excited to explore and enjoy this city. Witte (my new friend) and I took a walk down by the waterfront as the sun was setting over the western ridge. Wow!
The flight here was pretty uneventful, except for the guy two rows up from me who decided he needed to light a cigarette. It was two hours away from Chicago, and I was pleasantly dreaming... until a Sailor sitting across from him screamed at him to put it out. Apparently, he didn't listen to a polite request. I didn't ever get back to sleep for the rest of the trip, but did rest a little. Very tired.
It was so exciting to land! Here I was in good ol' San Diego... many good memories... and to live and work here! The USO was better here than at O'Hare. Much bigger with a separate kitchen to eat in. Lots of Sailors and Marines... and prospective Marines. I had a big bowl of chicken noodle soup, and was able to chat with mom on the phone. But soon the duty driver from Point Loma showed up and we were whisked away.
Where we checked in is visible on Google Street View... the building on the right is the admin building. The people who checked us in were pretty nice... letting us know whatever we wanted about the things to come. I felt very relaxed and happy about everything, even when they said we'd be on hold for about two months before starting school, and at the end of everything, we'd probably be here at least a year. They delivered our bags to our barracks door for us! And when I found out my single roommate was a friend of mine from my very own bootcamp division, it made it a very good night, even though there is nearly no cell phone service inside. So I talked for a moment on the lawn outside, letting people know I was alright.
Muster is at 0730 for holds, and even though I went to bed super late (11:30 pacific) I was very awake at 0600 (it being 8am on my body clock). We got quite a bit done today, getting signatures on a check-in sheet and turning in dental and medical records to the appropriate places. Also got a dentist appointment in the process! :) We were done for the day around 1430, and I finished unpacking and settling before going to chow with my friend from Great Lakes. I love it here.
The rooms are huge for two people... lots of storage space. Six drawers, two shelves, one fold out table, a nightstand, and a closet. And regular beds... with no climbing involved! The bathrooms are communal, but clean and new-looking. The rec area is connected to my building... free computers/internet, games, tv screens, books... etc. And since the base is so small, there is a small NEX just steps away and a small fitness center that I will look into tomorrow. The galley (which is also very close) has just two food lines, but with good food... and the salad bar is excellent! I am excited to explore and enjoy this city. Witte (my new friend) and I took a walk down by the waterfront as the sun was setting over the western ridge. Wow!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
COMP'd!
I've completed my coursework at ATT (Advanced Tech. Training for electronic surface warfare).
I did this yesterday at 1400... but that was the very last thing... the Fiber-Optics Performance Test. I had gone back to do that at 1300, completing the last two lessons and Block Test that morning from 0900-1100. How could I wait until Sunday when I could get it done immediately? :) And it turned out my friends were busy anyway... so the Museum of Science and Industry will have to wait for another time. I do plan to come back some day... as a Sailor or not (we'll see!).
So I'm free as a bird! (school-wise, until San Diego later this week)
I had heard about folks getting their last duty day off... but not so much! I reported in to muster this morning to be honest, and let my section leader know my request had been denied... and he had me replace someone on Rat Team. Yay... It's not too bad though... it's not that I'm missing time in Open Learning or anything. :) Gee, I'm so glad I did that yesterday!!!
So this morning I swept some snow off the path to the barracks after someone shoveled and before someone scattered salt across the way. We'll see how often I have to do this... the snow is coming down steady in light flakes. And there are so few tools, I'm switching on and off with another girl every time they call us.
I did this yesterday at 1400... but that was the very last thing... the Fiber-Optics Performance Test. I had gone back to do that at 1300, completing the last two lessons and Block Test that morning from 0900-1100. How could I wait until Sunday when I could get it done immediately? :) And it turned out my friends were busy anyway... so the Museum of Science and Industry will have to wait for another time. I do plan to come back some day... as a Sailor or not (we'll see!).
So I'm free as a bird! (school-wise, until San Diego later this week)
I had heard about folks getting their last duty day off... but not so much! I reported in to muster this morning to be honest, and let my section leader know my request had been denied... and he had me replace someone on Rat Team. Yay... It's not too bad though... it's not that I'm missing time in Open Learning or anything. :) Gee, I'm so glad I did that yesterday!!!
So this morning I swept some snow off the path to the barracks after someone shoveled and before someone scattered salt across the way. We'll see how often I have to do this... the snow is coming down steady in light flakes. And there are so few tools, I'm switching on and off with another girl every time they call us.
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