Continuing from Part 4…
My Life in the Navy
From 1997 to 2000 I did two 6-month Mediterranean cruises and a 4-month shore detachment in Saudi Arabia. The three deployments were in support of Operations Southern Watch and Northern Watch. Our aircraft was tracking all the surface to air missile sites of Saddam Hussein. We were watching the southern region of Iraq based out of Saudi Arabia, and the northern regions via the Arabian Gulf.
My whole Navy career, the country of Iraq was always part of my mission in some fashion. I was newly married, and my wife was pregnant with my beautiful oldest daughter. It was tough; we lived in base housing in a one-bedroom cabin. It wasn’t much but it was ours.
My first wife was tough. She took pride in being a military wife. She never complained about my deployments once. She was with me through all six of my Navy deployments, three being combat deployments. She was with me during the year and a half of rigorous training the US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Program had to offer. It was a tough life for a spouse to endure, but she did it well.
Having a supportive spouse during a military career is extremely important. She did the best she could, and we are still friends today. Unfortunately, after active combat deployments the military did not then have the necessary knowledge to develop tools to help married couples deal with post combat deployment adjustment issues like they do today. We both decided in 2007 to step away and remain friends. We both wanted to make sure that our daughters were first and foremost.
I started off as an undesignated Airman, with the rank of E-2. I was assigned to the “Line Shack” in an EA6B Squadron on Whidbey Island, WA for the first three years of my Navy life. The Line Shack refers to a division in a Navy squadron where most new sailors go in the air squadron community. During my three deployments, two were as a Plane Captain and one as an Aircraft Engine Mechanic, trouble shooter. My first deployment as a plane captain was on the USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier. The second deployment was in Saudi Arabia, Prince Sultan Air Base, also as a plane captain. The third deployment was on the USS George Washington aircraft carrier as an Aircraft Engine Mechanic, trouble shooter.
As a plane captain, the responsibilities that were required of a young sailor were extensive. I took pride in this duty. The duties are to ensure the aircraft is serviced, inspected, always washed, secured, and ready to fly during shore and carrier flight operations. Plane Captain is the formal title; we were eighteen to twenty-two-year-old kids in charge of sixty-eight-million-dollar aircraft. I loved it. We had four EA6B Prowlers. As written on the Military.com website,
The EA-6B Prowler has been the U.S. Navy’s primary carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, jamming enemy radars and providing an umbrella of protection for enemy tracking systems for U.S. attack and fighter aircraft. Based on the A-6 Intruder ground attack aircraft, the Prowler is a twin-engine, mid-wing configured aircraft that has a side by-side cockpit arrangement. The EA-6B war fighting systems includes the ALQ-99 on board receiver, the ALQ-99 pod mounted jamming system, the USQ-113 communications jamming system and the HARM missile. It has since been retired.
I was able to learn fast and excel during these deployments. I made sure to work ten times harder than anyone around me. I was never a good student in junior high and high school. I got in trouble a lot. I was never confident with academics until I joined the Navy. The Navy built confidence in me that I could learn and excel technically and academically.
The Navy didn’t teach the same way high schools and colleges taught. Their teaching and training methods were more practical, relevant, and geared towards adult learning. In most cases a Navy Enlisted “A” school can be extremely challenging. The teaching and training weren’t the only things the Navy had for young individuals trying to learn career skills. The Navy had mentorship programs, on the job training, qualifications requirements, certifications, and a quality control program that is severely effective. Combining all these programs systematically builds very efficient leaders and professionals.
Working on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is extremely hazardous, especially during nighttime flight operations. All white light is forbidden for obvious reasons. So each sailor on the flight deck knows every square inch. It’s literally like walking around blind and just knowing where everything is. I loved working up there. It was stimulating, challenging, and always required one hundred percent focus. At the time, I did not realize that aircraft carrier flight deck operations were considered one of the most dangerous places to work in the world. It felt like home to me…the smell of the open sea and burning jet fuel from the running badass Naval aircraft. I could tell each aircraft by how it smelled when it was running, the heat of the jet blast, the sounds they made when taxiing and landing.
The first three years of my Navy career was fast paced. I excelled in the Navy in ways that I could never have imagined. During those first three years I was able to qualify in everything I could. The Navy never limited abilities and always gave Sailors as much responsibility they could handle. I went from an E-2 out of boot camp to E-5 in less than three years. I received two Navy achievement medals before I was an E-5, numerous awards, and Sailor of the Quarter nominations. I became an AD (also known as an Aviation Machinist Mate). Being a jet engine mechanic at the time was the only thing that interested me and challenged me the most. I had never thought of myself as mechanically inclined. Once again, the Navy proved me wrong.
Becoming a jet engine mechanic was a huge breakthrough for me and boosted my confidence. I was not afraid to lead, I wasn’t afraid of hazardous duties, situations, or conditions. But I had never learned a mechanical system or technical trade aside from logging and tree removal. I learned and absorbed as much information from the Navy as I could. First, I memorized all the parts of the Pratt and Whitney Jet Engine, J52-P-408A and B's. I would look at each section of the motor and memorize each part and component. Then I memorized each component’s function. The jet engine was fascinating to me during that time, and I learned everything there was to learn for an organizational level Jet Engine Maintenance Technician.
During the first three years of my Navy career, I learned an especially important lesson: knowledge is power. By reading the technical publications a few times over, memorizing all the components of the jet engine, and understanding each component’s functionality, I could troubleshoot my systems well. I was not afraid to tell leadership how it related to potential maintenance issues, troubleshooting processes and timelines. In a Navy squadron, it’s always about “how long is it going to take to fix?!” Flight operational tempo must be maintained at all costs but safety above all else. In my last deployment I felt that I had reached my full potential as a jet engine mechanic. There was still a lot of administrative knowledge to be gained, but I started to lose interest extremely fast. I had every qualification that I could get except for in-flight troubleshooter. I felt that I had more to give to the Navy. I wanted more challenges.
Arabian Gulf 2000
It was a typical day as a sailor on an aircraft carrier. 0700 to 1700 was our shift rotation. I’d wake up at 0600 in order to have time to shower and eat chow before shift change. When deployed on an aircraft carrier, sailors work seven days a week, 12 hours a day. 12 on, 12 off. Aircraft carrier operations are intense, and every single sailor on an aircraft carrier is crucial to its operational capability. Every single one. My deployment in 2000 was absolutely record breaking. As jet engine mechanics during that deployment we changed 12 engines and one forward fuel cell. Those that know how difficult those tasks are will tell you that 12 engine changes and a forward fuel cell change in a six month period is absolutely daunting.
The amount of experience I gained on that deployment was a whole career’s worth for being a jet engine mechanic. The average number of engine changes for an EA6B squadron on an aircraft carrier deployment was three to four engines. A forward fuel cell change was unheard of. We who worked in the AD (Aircraft Engine Mechanic) shop were getting burnt out. But we got used to the operational maintenance tempo and learned fast how to work as a team and perform these tasks.
One day, about mid-deployment, I was changing a starboard engine. We were at the point where we were disconnecting fuel lines that led to the engine. I hated this part because it was nearly impossible to not get jet fuel all over yourself. As I was disconnecting the main fuel line, and as fuel was dripping down my left arm, into my armpit, I noticed 4 or 5 legs walking by my aircraft. I only saw them from the thigh down. I saw black Danner boots, black socks and no pants. They were wearing shorts.
What the hell? Who are these guys? I thought.
There were no Seals on board. All the sailors on any Naval vessel know when Seals or someone special was on board. It was like having rock stars on board. So who are these guys??? It was halfway through the deployment and I didn’t know these guys were even here. I quickly finished disconnecting the fuel line and quickly wiped up the fuel that was on the inside of my left arm.
“Hey guys,” I called to the others, “I’ll be right back! I’ve got to go to the head!” (In the Navy, we call the bathroom the head).
We were about to pull into France for a five day port-call. So I followed these guys. There were five of them. They were carrying a Zodiac on their heads (an inflatable boat).
Who are these guys! I thought.
I was so intrigued and blindly curious.
I have got to know who these guys are! I told myself.
I followed them all the way to the fantail (back of the ship). I couldn’t access the area they were in. And all of a sudden, the whole ship stopped. A whole aircraft carrier stopped for these guys.
OK, what the hell!!! WHO ARE THESE GUYS!!!
Now I was completely mesmerized by who these guys were!!! The ship stopped for about 15 minutes and then started to get underway again. I ran to the catwalk. The catwalk is an area of the ship where you can see the outside. And what I saw was just baffling and absolutely exciting! 5 guys in a Zodiac, with equipment and what appeared to be dive gear.
WHO ARE THESE GUYS!!!!
I was determined to find out who they were. Four days later, we pulled into France for a five day port call. After we got underway from France, four days after that, the ship stopped again and picked these guys back up. I waited…. patiently. I followed them to their workspace. It was a dark passageway. Their door had the word “RESTRICTED” in red painted on it. To me, that word said, “WELCOME”! I paced back and forth, building up the courage to knock on it. Finally…. PUNG PUNG PUNG…….. PUNG PUNG PUNG…… I knocked on the metal door. A short and stocky guy in a green olive drab flight suit answered the door.
“Can I help you?” the guy said.
“Who are you guys?'“ I asked.
With a smile he said, “Come on in.”
There were seven of them in total. One female and 6 males. Two of the guys took an interest in me. They started to tell me what EOD is, and what they do for the Navy. I was hooked!!!!!!! Right then and there!!!
“How do I become EOD?” I asked.
One of the guys answered, “Well, you took the first step, shipmate. We don’t actively recruit. We wait until we are approached.”
This recruiting technique has changed since then, but I was determined to become EOD. For the rest of that deployment, I went to every PT session they had. Visited them every chance I could. And at the end of that deployment, they gave me an “inert blue”-painted crab EOD insignia with a hole drilled into it for a dog-tag chain. It stood for an Inert Crab, not even a beginner EOD. They said, “Now, go earn a real one!”
To be one, ask one...🤣 Love it brother!
Boom! Finally in. Thanks Andy.