Taking a Break

Well, we get a day off. The schedule said that we were supposed to work straight through the weekend but yesterday afternoon they shut things down, reduced everything down to security watches and sent everyone home. I don’t have to go back on watch until 1800 Monday. So I end up with almost two days … Read more

It’s An Enlisted Man Thing

The following quote is from this article (dead link). Last night, while you were sleeping, the teeth of hurricane Isabel came through this area and tore hell out of everything… We have thousands of trees down…power outages…traffic signals out…roads filled with downed limbs and “gear adrift” debris…We have flooding…and the place looks like it has … Read more

Busy Night

With only two of us to stand watch we’re standing eight hour watches and leaving the mid-watch unattended (the Commo is pretty cool). Last night was a pretty busy watch. Message traffic took about two hours to go get the traffic, sort through it, print out the messages for the read board. Then I had … Read more

Changes

Changes in life are interesting. I enjoy change. My wife hates it. Some times the unexpected changes are the most interesting. It has taken a while to adjust to military life again. And to adjust to Reserve Military life. There’s a difference between “regular Navy” and “reserve Navy”. Even though we are currently on active … Read more

Back To Camp

So, after two days at school I’ll be returning to camp and standing watch. Since there are only two ITs the Commo has asked us to stand up a watch from 0800 to 2400. The other IT and I have divided that into two eight hour watches. He’s standing the 0800 to 1600 and I … Read more

Cool Java Joints & Portable Comms School

OK, so, first I have to tell you about this really cool little joint that I’m hanging out in. It’s called Coffee Breakers and it is down in Imperial Beach. If you’re in the San Diego area you should check it out. When they close at nine I’ll probably head up to Starbucks. Today I … Read more

In The Navy

Well, I had big plans for writing in this blog every day and using it to track my experience on active duty and deployment to the Persian Gulf. As you can see I haven’t been following thru on those plans very well. My good friend Dan mentioned in an email that he had checked my … Read more

Impending Departure

The unit will be heading south on Sunday. We’ll spend a number of weeks in San Diego training and preparing and then depart from San Diego for sandier places. As my day of departure looms closer, the hugeness of what I’m about to do is starting to sink in. I will be separated from my … Read more

A Man (or Woman) In Uniform

It has always been my habit to wear my uniform to church and other occasions when I am on active duty. I consider the uniform an honor and wearing it a privilege that I have earned. Secondly, I think it is important that people be able to put a face to “the military.” It is … Read more

A Wonderful Life

Had a wonderful Christmas. Started the morning with coffee, blue berry muffins and presents. Santa gave the kids Nintendo Gameboy Advanced SP machines. Each got their own game but of course one game — Crash Bandicoot — is more popular. So they take turns playing that game. We opened presents, played with our toys and … Read more