Permission To Come Aboard

[XUSNORDIE]

Thank you and your son and all service men and women for their service!

It was my pleasure and an honor to serve!

 

[RC44Mag]

Thank you

Yes I am a Navy Veteran. I was in the Ordnance community. When assigned Squadron level I was with a F14 command (VF21) and we deployed on two carriers USS Constellation and USS Independence. This was prior to Gulf War 1 (Desert Storm). However, we were the first to provide protective escort to Kuwaiti tankers in the Straight of Hormuz into Persian Gulf when Reagan allowed them to fly the American Flag (Operation Earnest Will).

During the Desert Shield build up and throughout Desert Storm I was assigned to Weapons Department NAS Miramar Range/Armory Division as a Small Arm Instructor. Shield was constant 7 days a week getting thousands of mostly reservists qualified before deployment. Storm was mostly getting aircrew qualed on whatever sidearm their command issued Pilots/RIOs. Usually S&W M39 9MM, S&W M36 38spl, 1911 45acp, and even a few Rugers now and then usually Speed Six. We also came across Rugers when training Security Depts. Security Six and Speed Six. However the 1911 was most commonly issued.

I'm also a plank owner (original crew/Weaps Dept) of carrier USS George Washington.

Interesting note about my fist command. I arrived at NAS Miramar AIMD Armament Division MAR of 1985. That summer they filmed Top Gun. We painted launchers black for the F5 "Bogies", and I assisted configuring a F14 weapons rail to accept the white camera pod you see briefly in some scenes.

It was my honor to serve. Proud of my youngest who will be graduating Navy Boot Camp soon. Please thank your BIL and Son for their service.

Go Navy! Beat Army!
IYAOYAS!

R/
Dan

Welcome aboard Shipmate.
I recognize you from the M14 forum. Good bunch of folks here.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Welcome aboard Shipmate.
I recognize you from the M14 forum. Good bunch of folks here.

Thanks. Yep I was on the M14 forum for a long time. When they changed the format I didn't really care for it any longer. Took a long break away from forums.

Still taking the M1A rifles for walks now and then though...

 

[RC44Mag]

Thanks. Yep I was on the M14 forum for a long time. When they changed the format I didn't really care for it any longer. Took a long break away from forums.

Still taking the M1A rifles for walks now and then though...

I still have my M1A but haven't been there in a while either. Just moved on for a bit. Rotation to keep it from getting stale I guess.

 

[Chief]

That was a crazy time at Miramar. I didn't know anyone at VF24 at the time but I think your sister squadron was VF211? I knew a fellow Ordie there.

I was shore duty at AIMD at time of filming. Rotated to VF21 after. I was pulled out of VF124 FRAMP when the USS Stark was hit and "hopped" from place to place to meet up with VF21 on the Connie. That was a crazy experience.....

I was an instructor at VF-124 FRAMP at that time. Crazy times indeed. I got rolled out of there and into VF-114 for the Desert Storm romp.
I knew some ordies in VF-211, good guys.
Welcome aboard shipmate!

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I was an instructor at VF-124 FRAMP at that time. Crazy times indeed. I got rolled out of there and into VF-114 for the Desert Storm romp.
I knew some ordies in VF-211, good guys.
Welcome aboard shipmate!

Small world....I never finished FRAMP. A couple days after the Stark was hit my instructor (AO1 Humphries) pulled me out of class and told me to secure for the day and head home to pack. Next day I was off on a wild journey that included rides on every type of aircraft imaginable to Anchorage, Okinawa, Philippines, Diego Garcia, a unsuccessful ride on a S3 that returned to Diego Garcia, Saudi, Oman, Masirah, a gut wrenching shuttering CH46 ride that ended up emergency "landing" on USS Niagara Falls, another lovely CH46 ride to finally arrive onboard Connie.

I had a good friend in 211. AO1 Sid Dwyer. He made AOC before he rotated out I think. Another friend of mine was a 114 Aardvark...AO3 Steve Dearman, but I think he would have been gone by the tie you arrived. I pretty much knew a ton of Squadron Ordies because a lot of my A School class went to Miramar, and being assigned to AIMD you met a lot of them when they would drop off armament stuff for repair. I can remember faces, just foggy on names.

Apologies for the long rant...you jogged a memory or two. LOL.

 

[Chief]

Small world....I never finished FRAMP. A couple days after the Stark was hit my instructor (AO1 Humphries) pulled me out of class and told me to secure for the day and head home to pack. Next day I was off on a wild journey that included rides on every type of aircraft imaginable to Anchorage, Okinawa, Philippines, Diego Garcia, a unsuccessful ride on a S3 that returned to Diego Garcia, Saudi, Oman, Masirah, a gut wrenching shuttering CH46 ride that ended up emergency "landing" on USS Niagara Falls, another lovely CH46 ride to finally arrive onboard Connie.

I had a good friend in 211. AO1 Sid Dwyer. He made AOC before he rotated out I think. Another friend of mine was a 114 Aardvark...AO3 Steve Dearman, but I think he would have been gone by the tie you arrived. I pretty much knew a ton of Squadron Ordies because a lot of my A School class went to Miramar, and being assigned to AIMD you met a lot of them when they would drop off armament stuff for repair. I can remember faces, just foggy on names.

Apologies for the long rant...you jogged a memory or two. LOL.

No apologies necessary. Happens to me all the time! Ordies get around, I always admired how close knit you guys are. I had a good friend, AO1 Jeff Griffith, in Vf-24. I ran across Dwyer a few times for business. Good guy you could count on.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

No apologies necessary. Happens to me all the time! Ordies get around, I always admired how close knit you guys are. I had a good friend, AO1 Jeff Griffith, in Vf-24. I ran across Dwyer a few times for business. Good guy you could count on.

I don't recall a Griffith but chances are I knew him or met at one time or another. Dwyer and I were night check together at AIMD. He took me under his wing when I got there as young AOAN in '85 and we became good friends. I could tell some stories lol. I'm still in contact with him. He's a Tech Rep now working out of Pax River.

 

[RoninPA]

Welcome to the forum - just remember "there are no dumb questions" no one knows it all and there are Ruger experts here for just about anything you might want to know. But you've been here a while now so I'm sure you know the drill.

My recently deceased dad was a plank holder on CV-34 (USS Oriskany) and during the Korean (Conflict/Police Action?) they were with the 5th Fleet in the Med for his tour.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Welcome to the forum - just remember "there are no dumb questions" no one knows it all and there are Ruger experts here for just about anything you might want to know. But you've been here a while now so I'm sure you know the drill.

My recently deceased dad was a plank holder on CV-34 (USS Oriskany) and during the Korean (Conflict/Police Action?) they were with the 5th Fleet in the Med for his tour.

Thanks. It sure seems like a great forum with very knowledgeable/passionate folks. I've been on medical LOA from work so I've been visiting here often.

Sorry for your recent loss of your Dad. My Dad passed away this past JAN. He was also a Korean War Vet, but Army. He was buried with full military honors near FT Campbell KY.