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Scott's Navy Career
I left for the service (Navy) in September1982 after High School and my last season marching in the Rockland Defenders.
http://www.rocklanddefenders.bizland.com/
This was also unfortunately the Defenders last year. After I got out of boot camp, in November I learned the Defender's had folded. I had met a lot of good friends during my Drum Corp career. Never got a complete answer why they folded, but I was on my way to another career and too far away from home to find out. Now, back to the story:
Boot Camp. Ahh, winter in Illinois actually north of Chicago in Great Lakes. September through November, it was a good experience, not one that I would like to repeat though. Cold, windy, snow blowing sideways, rain blowing sideways quite the visual picture. Boot Camp is supposed to teach Teamwork, how to take orders, and learn the Navy way. During boot camp I lived in a huge room with 60 other recruits, privacy was at a premium. Towards the end of boot camp I was asked to participate in some study to break my jaw to make my teeth look all pretty. After they had already told me I had two cavities, had the first one done and went back to have the other done. The new dentist could not find the cavity second cavity so I decided to turn the opportunity to be a guinea pig down. After coming to boot camp at 110 pounds soaking wet I graduated at 125 pounds of a lean, mean, fighting machine. Ok, not really, but I was 125 pounds.
After graduating Boot Camp I went to BEE, basic electricity and electronics at Great Lakes. Still cold, windy, snow blowing sideways. Two man rooms with a door that locked, hmm privacy was looking up. BEE was fairly easy; I had gone to Bristol Plymouth for Electronics so I breezed through. Next was Electronics Technician A School again in Great Lakes. I was a Mid Student that meant going from school from 11pm to 6 am, Sunday night through Thursday night. Not a bad deal because even if you flew home for the weekend you would always arrive Sunday night. Instead of going to sleep I would go to school. I told the instructors that I was suppose to be going into Subs. Not according to my contract, so I would have to excel to have a chance of getting my desired billet. Finished with a 90 something (97 I think) average from phase one and two, just before starting phase three I found out I was selected to go subs. Off to Sub School Groton, Connecticut. By this time it was at least spring.
Sub School class was about 6 hours a day learning about hydraulics, electric plants, Air tanks, and how we were non-quals. We would have to earn our dolphins before we would be an asset to our boat. That is right boat, not ship. Ships were for skimmer pukes and targets for the Ferocious Underwater Commie Killers, but I digress. The dive trainer was fun, get wet team trainer was awesome. We were locked into a water tank (with a window for the instructors and operators) that was similar to an engine room of a Submarine, and then the water was turned on. Eventually every pipe and valve had water shooting out of it. We lived in barracks, basically a long room with about 60 guys sleeping in it similar to Boot Camp. What had I got myself into!!!
Next was C School, still in Groton. Whew, Back to three man rooms. I learned how to operate and maintain Inertial Navigation systems and other pieces of Navigation Equipment. Fundamentally, if you tell it where you started then xx number of hours later and driving around underwater it will tell you where you now were located. It was easy in a building, it did not move around very much. I learned the basics and selected orders to the PCU Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709).
Reported to the PCU H. G. Rickover in Electric Boat Shipyard while it was being built. Three man rooms, bathroom in the room this was not too bad. Went through a bunch of sea-trials. Spent lots of time at sea and underwater. Mess Cooked (a.k.a. crank) and learned that not only was I a non-qual, but a non-qual puke (Hot racking). The Boat became commissioned in July of the year, dropped the PCU status and became USS. After another shipyard period the boat had her homeport changed to Norfolk, VA.
A Couple of highlights or lowlights:
Earning my Dolphins and my Sea Daddies IC1 (SS) Brian Bevins & TM1 (SS) Bolick. Finally getting my own rack underway.
Having my dolphins tacked on my chest. My Shipmates made sure that the dolphins would never come off of my chest. I went and found the biggest guys first and gave them first crack before the bruises set in. Gary Merryman and the rest of the A-Gangers did a good job. The girly man Navy calls it hazing now and does not allow Tacking On.
Being awarded a Navy Achievement medal for doing my job and doing it well
The Bonsai straits. A 45 in one hand and the bottle of lifesaving elixir in the other. Courtesy of QM1 (SS) Bruce Lee. Andros Island. Last I knew Bruce was a Chief, should have made master chief before he retired. Mark Brock and I still laugh about the life saving elixir (Coors or Budwieser).
Shipmate and good friend QM2 (SS) Joe Fetzer being murdered in St. Croix. It may not accurately fit the title, but I would have to say he is "Still on patrol". The boat was ordered underway to protect the locals and us.
The Mediterranean run and pancakes. I could tell you but then I would have to kill you. Got a Navy Expeditionary Medal. Rex the dinosaur (ET's mascot Picture to soon follow) kidnapped by the nukes.
The Northern Runs. Again I would have to kill you. Lots of ice and cold. Got another Navy Expeditionary Medal. Rex the dinosaur kidnapped by the SONAR techs. Their mascot (a stuffed dog) showing up in a block of ice, I think courtesy of ET2(SS) Jeff Gerlach.
Naples, Pompeii, Tulane, Faseland (Scotland), La Madalana (Sardinia), St. Croix, Porto Rico, Ft. Lauderdale, CoCoa Beach, Nova Scotia, Andros Island and a bunch of other places. There were even more but we only saw through a periscope.
What was it red over white tugboat at night and sinking a carrier (Big Target). Oops, was that cheating? (Capt, now Rear Admiral Jay M. Cohen)
Check out Trolls Web site link at the bottom for a great sea story
During my enlistment I met and married Brenda. I was out to sea and away from home about 290 days that year. The blame could have been placed anywhere but it would be safe to say that we married in 86, separated in 87, divorced in 1989. I wish her luck wherever she is. Last place I knew she was in North Carolina. Thankfully, we did not have any children together.
My enlistment was up in 1988. I had gotten used to Norfolk, VA and wanted to stay there for shore duty. The Navy offered my Groton, Groton, or Groton. If I would agree to forgo my shore tour I could stay in Norfolk and go to another new construction boat at Newport News Shipbuilding. Knowing that the boat would eventually get underway and go to sea I decided to go to my own shore duty as a civilian. I got out of the Navy September 1988.
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Scott's professional Career
I was unemployed for 8 hours. I had an interview at 7am Sept 2 and drove home to a message on my answering machine offering me a job at 8 am. I began working as a bench technician repairing bill changers and validators from vending machines. I got to the point of knowing what were the common failures. Sometimes I would not even test them, just replace the suspected chip, and then test. 95% of the time my guess was right. After three weeks at Eastern Commercial Services, I really was bored. A company called American Systems Corporation (ASC) www.2asc.com was doing something called government contracting. They had pursued me before I got out of the Navy. I figured why not give them a try. I called and asked if they were still interested in me and if I could come in for an interview. Again hired before I even got home.
At ASC I did a lot of neat things, traveled a lot as a Tech Rep or Super Technician. If something was broke and the sailors could not figure it out they would call me. If I could not figure it out over the phone I would fly and fix the problem. I was also an inspector for Navigation systems. Fly; stay in a hotel, rental car, food expenses paid, and much better accommodations then by submarine. I rode surface ships & submarines to and from ports all over the United States.
Still working for ASC I eventually transferred to Newport RI in 1990 to act as Technical Point of Contact for the TRIDENT Interior Communications (IC) and Tactical Navigation Systems at Electric Boat Shipyard, Groton, CT and Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport. In addition to that I did a bunch of other nifty things but essentially worked in a laboratory maintaining equipment and taught submarine sailors various courses. Was still a Super Tech. I helped in the design of TRIDENT and Virginia Class (NSSN) Submarine IC systems. Part of ASC won a contract to install computer networks in all the Post Offices. For a couple of years I was Crew Chief, Lead Technician, and Quality Assurance Inspector for United States Postal Service (USPS) National Rollout Program. I supervised other Techs integrating and installing upgraded LAN/WAN components and related hardware and software installation. Performed site surveys, prepared bids and proposals. Eventually an old customer needed me in the lab and I stayed there until this past July.
Twelve years with the same company. I resigned to work directly for the government doing Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing.
www.nuwc.navy.mil
After I am here for a few years I might be able to figure out what I am doing. In a nutshell, I test equipment and try to break it. My goal is to see if it meets military specifications. If it does not meet Spec or breaks I provide recommendations on how to upgrade it. The best part is if it breaks during testing I just look at the sponsor and say "Broke, fix it"
So Much for my professional Career.
Scott's Personal Career
I met my Wife Bonnie, February 9, 1995. We married in 1997. We finished refurbishing my grandfather house in August of that year. Our first child Scott G. Albert Jr. was born in 1998. Our second son, Maxwell, was born in 1999. Anyone can be a father it takes someone special to be a Daddy. It is great to be a Daddy.
Bonnie was a Registered Nurse (RN) at Cardinal Cushing/Good Samaritan in Brockton but injured her back at work in 1998. Since then we have been to court a number of times with the hospital and their insurance carrier. What a hassle dealing with those jerks. I now know why lawyers have such a bad reputation.
Shortly after one of the many workers comp doctor appoint (where he lied and stated there was nothing wrong with Bonnies back) she was admitted to Brockton Hospital. It was in February. After three nights of returning to the Emergency Room the hospital admitted her for back pain for over two weeks. I stayed home with the kids for a week and then asked my parents to watch them during the day for the following week so I could return to work. It makes me wonder about some doctors Hippocratic oath and Ethics (workers comp doctors). She had her back operated on in May at Lahey Clinic in Burlington and we are hoping that this will be the final fix so she can return to work outside the home and be pain free. Right now she still feels numbness and pain so it may not have been completely repaired.
Bonnie is a stay at home Mommy now and works very hard at home raising our two boys. The extra income would have been nice but it is also nice to have my wife raising our kids. She does receive some workers comp based on her part time hours before Scotty was born.
Scotty is 2 and half and Maxwell is 15 months. Scotty is working on potty training and talks like an adult. He has a fire engine bed, car, shirt, and all kind of other fireman stuff. I think this the point were kids want to be firemen, policemen, doctors, pilots, etc
Maxwell just started walking and talking this past month. We can understand Max but his speech is not clear enough for others to understand him yet. There could be a hundred other toys in the living room but they always seem to want the same one.
Max and Scotty love their Daddy. I have them trained to say, "Daddy is king", "My Daddy is always right" and "My Daddy is the best Daddy in the whole wide world". Until you experience the birth of your children and raising of you kids you never really know how complete life can be.
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