Nubs in the News

I can't believe that Stars and Stripes would send a reporter about a submarine....(wait for it...I am surprised they know the Navy exists, let alone the Sub Force.) ....and write a story about of all things, NUBS!

Seriously, I am glad that SandS took the time to shed a little light on our world. Check out the story. The USS Seawolf gets first class attention in a whole series of articles.

Crybaby Dolphins to be Mandatory

The Master Chief of the Navy Rick West (SS/SW) is jerking chains. In a recent Navy Times cover story, West explains that commands that have a high rate of warfare qualified personnel are more prepared for the real deal.

"Show me a crew of Sailors where every one of them earned their pins through a tough, comprehensive warfare program and I'll show you a group of warriors who can fight together and accomplish any mission.

"That," said West, "is what the goal should be."

I guess he's referring to everybody NOT in the subforce. For you skimmers and REMF's reading this, Submariners all have to qualify or die.

My only question is this: Will non tip of the spear rates have "earn" their fake warfare devices or will they be required to earn a real warfare device?

Easy's Shifty Powers Passes

Another one of the greatest generation has passed into history after having made so much of his own history during WWII. Darrell "Shifty" Powers died on Friday June 17, 2009. Powers was a founding member of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division and saw action on D-Day at Normandy, Market Garden in Holland and into Germany with the push to the Elbe.

Shifty was often cited as the best shot in Easy Company. A true country boy, Shifty learned to shoot by helping put food on the table during the depression by hunting. His marksmanship was well remembered by the veterans of Easy Company.

His talents weren't limited to shooting. He once spotted a German observation post by noticing that a certain "tree" had not been there the day before.

He kept a busy schedule up till the end. Two years ago, he visited soldiers in South Korea and in Japan. Last September, had he not fallen ill, he would have made a stop in Iraq.
“I had his suitcase packed,” his daughter said. Missing the trip overseas disappointed him, she said, especially the worry of disappointing the soldiers there.

No doubt about it, Shifty Powers was definitely "No Slack, Fast Attack."

Why Women in the Navy Are Problomatic

I know many folks think we are soooo past the issue of women in the military but the problems that arise with their presence, keep on rising. Take a look at this article from Stars & Stripes. Four women from the USS Bataan had to be left in port during a deployment because they were found to be preggers.

Here's the rub: the women didn't know they were pregnant when the ship left homeport. So either we have four women that need a remedial class on health education or they really did know they were with child but decided to use it as a get-off-of-the-deployment card.

Here are a couple of question to cut to the heart of the matter:

1. Does the Navy prohibit any sailor from having children while in the force? No.
2. When these women signed their contracts, were they pregnant? No.
3. If the Navy doesn't allow pregnant women to be assigned to a sea billet, then why the hell are surprised when they get knocked up.
4. Who replaces these women on the ship and who loses a shore billet because of it?

Perhaps a sea billet contract is required that includes the use of a long term, but reversible, birth control device such as Norplant (My Catholic friends may want to take a deep breath and remember that all of this is voluntary). Let's not forget that serving in the military is not a right, it is a privilege and not everybody is cut out for it.

I didn't make women different from men, the Good Lord did and he did so for a reason. Its time the Navy and the rest of the service figured it out too. I'm just glad we don't have these problems in the Sub Force.

Military Smoking Ban On the Way?

In case you missed your copy of the most vacuous and irrelevant newspaper in the country on Friday, USA Today had a front page headline on efforts by our Commander and Chief to outlaw smoking in the military.

Now, I have never been a smoker (despite having two grandparents that worked at the American Tobacco plant in Durham, NC that got two cartons a week free) but I have pretended to be one occasionally while at Uncle Hyman's preschool for wayward boys and in the fleet in order to get the much loved smoke-break. I despise smoking and smokers. They have no regard for the rest of us in the world and constantly intrude into my personal space with their smoke, ashes and odors.

Having said that, there is no way I have the right to tell anyone what they may or may not do with the bounds of legal behavior under the Constitution of the United States and the UCMJ. Unfortunately, it looks as if Obama doesn't share my belief.

So we will have a military where homosexuality can't be banned but smoking can be. This situation reminds me of a Lincoln story about soldiers and their vices.

"Grant is a drunkard," asserted powerful and influential politicians to the President at the White House time after time; "he is not himself half the time; he can't be relied upon, and it is a shame to have such a man in command of an army."

"So Grant gets drunk, does he?" queried Lincoln, addressing himself to one of the particularly active detractors of the soldier, who, at that period, was inflicting heavy damage upon the Confederates.

"Yes, he does, and I can prove it," was the reply.

"Well," returned Lincoln, with the faintest suspicion of a twinkle in his eye, "you needn't waste your time getting proof; you just find out, to oblige me, what brand of whiskey Grant drinks, because I want to send a barrel of it to each one of my generals."

Let's try to remember what the purpose of the military is; To Kill Certain People and Break Things. Who cares if they want to smoke a damned cigarette?

The Obamanation's experts all whine about how much smoking costs the DoD and the VA. You think healthcare costs are high now? Wait until all of those potential chain smokers that die off at 55 stick around until they are 80!

Smoke'em If You Got'em!

Uniform Sanity Breaks Out in Fleet

After significant pissing and moaning about the new Navy Working Uniform's regulations for wearing it off base, a submariner has fixed the problem. MCPON West has come through for the blueshirts!

Military.com has the Navy News story. I know the subforce tends to have a lot more common sense than the rest of the fleet (Nukes excepted, of course) but this is really like Christmas in June.

Just be ready for the civilians to start screaming "THE INMATES ARE LOOSE!" when they see the aquaflage on Hampton Blvd. or 32nd Avenue.

Nonetheless, Good call MCPON West (SS)!

Mighty Forrestal to be Sunk

The scene of some the most deadly naval action of the VietNam war had nothing to do with the VietCong or North Vietnamese Navy. On July 29, 1967 the carrier USS Forrestal had an accidental luanch of a Zuni missile on the flight deck that ignited 2 planes fully loaded with ordianance and fuel. The resulting fire did more damage than some Japanese attacks during WWII. The Navy has decided to scrap or sink the Forrestal.

Forrestal, named for former Navy Secretary James Forrestal, was the site of the fire off the coast of VietNam that killed 134 men and destroyed 21 aircraft. One of thse planes belonged to a young shit hot aviator who followed in some of his father and grandfather's footsteps at Annapolis and the fleet; though he spurned the Submarine Service, opting for the daring do of Navel Aviatin (Why would you call it anything else?) This young airdale escaped the flames to go on to be a US Senator and candidate for President.

The "Forrest Fire" Incident also revealed heroes. The rocket's impact dislodged and ruptured the Skyhawk's 400-gallon external fuel tank and ignited the jet fuel which poured out. A 1000-pound bomb also fell to the deck, into the spreading pool of flaming jet fuel. Within 90 seconds the bomb "cooked off" and detonated. That explosion resulted in a chain reaction as the closely-packed aircraft were first engulfed in and then contributed to a massive fire with repeated high-order bomb detonations. The ship's "plat" cameras, mounted on the island and embedded in the deck itself, provided ample video coverage of the initial accident and the subsequent catastrophe.

Chief Aviation Boatswains Mate Gerald Farrier can be seen in the plat tapes running toward McCain's Skyhawk immediately after the rocket strike. The fuel tank had already ruptured and burning fuel was spreading around the aircraft. Chief Farrier had, as his weapon against this blaze, a hand-held fire extinguisher. He had not yet reached the Skyhawk when the first detonation occurred . . . he simply disappeared in the blast. A number of air- and deck crew were trapped in the inferno; many died there, while others were able to escape to the deck-edge catwalks.

Crewman Gary L. Shaver was there that day.

"Chief Farrier at the time of the first explosion without hesiation grabbed a PKP fire extinguisher and ran at a full gate to what was to become our HELL on earth. He began attempting to cool a bomb laying on the deck surrounded by burning fuel. The entire deck was turning into chaos. Not one time did Chief Farrier loose sense of his immediate duty. Moments later there was an explosion. With my own eyes I saw Chief Farrier destroyed by the blast. There was never a look of fear or doubt in his eyes as he fought the growing fire. Only the look of determination to do his job! I know because I was no more than 20-25 feet from my Chief. I had exhausted a PKP bottle to no avail only moments before. He looked at me waved his arm as if to say "get the hell out of here." Virtually before I could move there was an explosion and Chief Farrier was gone. Chief Farrier was my flight deck Chief, friend, teacher, and most of all a leader of men. I ask that his name and efforts be forever recorded in the history of the U.S.S. Forrestal, CVA59 Respectfully and with Honor."

Despite his sacrifice, I have only been able determine that Chief Farrier was awarded only the standard VietNam camapign decorations. Should his valor be recognized by a higher decoration? If you were a Sublant sailor, you probably went to fire school at the Gerald Farrier Fire Training Facility in Norfolk but we can do better than just naming a building after him.

When you hear the final fate of the Forrestal, take a moment and remember Chief Gerald Farrier and all of the other men that lost their lives onboard her. Chief Farrier was without doubt, No Slack, Fast Attack. Let's get him the recognition he is due; he earned it.