Anchors aweigh!

[flyboy 28]

Hey guys, just checking in from warm and sunny Great Lakes, Illinois, and more specifically, Recruit Training Command. I've been spending the last two months learning how to become a sailor, or as our Marine friend would say, on vacation. The process certainly wasn't easy, but not terribly difficult either. I quickly learned to take everything day-by-day and not to let anything get to my head. All I can say is, it's great to be semi-free again. I leave here on Tuesday morning for Pensacola, Florida for what's called Class-A school, or Apprentice school. It's basically college for the navy. I'm contracted to be a Cryptological Technicial, with my specialty in electronic warefare. Not much else to report, other than I'm now nine weeks (involuntarily) smoke-free, which I'm pretty proud of. Mostly I'm proud that I didn't cave during the last few days on liberty. But when I'm able, I'll see if I can throw up a few pictures from my graduation if anyone is interested.

-James

[expat]

I've been spending the last two months learning how to become a sailor, or as our Marine friend would say, on vacation. The process certainly wasn't easy, but not terribly difficult either. -James

Hot bunks and the company of 5000 other men............what ever floats your boat

Matt (ex air force.....Hotels, clean cool sheets, and cold beer by the pool 8-))

[BigTruck]

8-)  How's that tan coming, squid.  Rough 8 weeks?


While you are in Pensacola be sure to hit up Orange Beach (my in laws have a condo there) and Gulf Shores.  Plenty of hot women there who would love a Marine but would settle for a sailor. 



ALSO, hit up the FloriBama bar, it's world famous and a terrific hang out.  Live Bait is also an freaking awesome place...bloody maries for breakfast there!!  Excellent food too!  I am trying to get stationed in Pensacola because of these places.  (They're in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, about a 30 minute drive west)



Oh yeah, congrats man, and welcome to the naval services.   ;)

[patchz]

There are several excellent places to eat in Gulf Shores.

[H]

There are several excellent places to eat in Gulf Shores.

Is the food cooked in oil?
Sorry, couldn't help but ask...

8-)

[beaky]

Good to hear from you... keep up the good work!!

[patchz]

There are several excellent places to eat in Gulf Shores.

Is the food cooked in oil?
Sorry, couldn't help but ask...

8-)

Depends on whether you order your shrimp fried.

[H]

There are several excellent places to eat in Gulf Shores.

Is the food cooked in oil?
Sorry, couldn't help but ask...

8-)

Depends on whether you order your shrimp fried.

Before or after pulled out of the Gulf...
would this be ordered as the BP Special?

8-)

[flyboy 28]

Thanks guys, it's nice to be back.

Regarding the oil, believe it or not, there's really not a trace to be found. Though I've heard that there's a tar ball that washes up every now and then. The worst of it is over.

While you are in Pensacola be sure to hit up Orange Beach (my in laws have a condo there) and Gulf Shores.  Plenty of hot women there who would love a Marine but would settle for a sailor. 

Eh, I already have someone who settled for me. I quite like her. Regarding getting stationed here, I really can't say if that's a good idea or not. Where I am at Corry Station, there's a lot of problems with crime outside the gate. I know that's the norm at any base, but only a few months ago, a sailor got shot in the head while jogging about a half mile off base. Also there's plenty of rape, muggings and all the other crap that dirtbags do to prey on naive service members. Aside from that, I hear NAS is nice...

Also, I've run into a few marines on base. Y'all are freaking weird.

[Jeph]

I went to school at NATTC P-cola myself. Aviation Electrician's school I got dropped from because my Chief felt that duty came before school. I had to stand late watches. Anyway, P-cola isn't bad. Had a lot of fun in my four months there. We relieved ourselves while standing on the wing of the AV-8B separating the USN/USMC barracks. The marines didn't like that. 

Boot camp was a joke, aside from battlestations/ARFEPS (or whatever the USN calls it now). but I've heard they don't even curse at the recruits anymore? Sad if true. I left boot camp in late September of '97.

[BigTruck]

Also there's plenty of rape, muggings and all the other crap that dirtbags do to prey on navy service members.

Fixed that for you squid.

[flyboy 28]

Boot camp was a joke, aside from battlestations/ARFEPS (or whatever the USN calls it now). but I've heard they don't even curse at the recruits anymore? Sad if true. I left boot camp in late September of '97.

Oh, they still curse plenty. I think the only difference is that they're not allowed to physically touch you anymore, a la Full Metal Jacket. Boot Camp itself was pretty easy, my main challenge was dealing with 87 other idiots from Cowfart, Texas. Battle Stations was pretty sweet, actually. They updated it expansively a few years ago to simulate pretty much every single shipboard damage control scenario imaginable (or, the ones we learned). Here's a quick vid of what it looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jibm7kyIGcM


[quote]I went to Corry Station for electronics warfare school, back in 06, had a great time there!

[BigTruck]

Regarding you all being weird, I was in the smoke pit today and a Marine came up and asked me and another sailor if we had ever been to Canada. I said "Yeah, why?" and he just laughed and walked away. Is that some sort of inside joke, or should I be offended?

     :-X