Gus Riley

Sorry to hear you have been recalled. I retired 5 years ago after 27 years USAF, and I too am beginning to look over my shoulder for the same treatment. All of us retired military are suseptable to recall. It is just a matter of what you did, and how short the effort gets in our areas of expertise. In my case they'd have to fix my left knee. I can ride all day with it, walking is okay, but running and climbing are very difficult. Oh yeah, I'll need new uniforms, mine have all shrank

Good luck and stay safe.

budster

Be safe, and stay in touch as much as you can.

mtb-chop

Not necessarily. We're (the Navy) sending folks to lots of places to ease the load on the Army and Marine Corps. They aren't filling infantry-type roles, but more likely operational planning, logistics, contracting, and other things like that.

zoogirl

Any chance you could stick a folder in your seabag? How about a folding beach cruiser? All that sand...

Seriously, be safe, good luck and take care of yourself.

Siu Blue Wind

Go brave, and remember that your family here at BF is waiting for you. Thank you for your sacrifices, and I thank your family for theirs as well. If there is anyway that you can ever let us know how you are, please do. I know that we will be praying for all of you and awaiting your safe return. God Bless.

MichaelW

Good luck and safe return, the Afghan Navy needs all the assistance it can get.

sestivers

Tom,
I hope that things go well for you and your family and that you are able to help make the world a safer place. I don't intend for the answers I give below to take away from the great job I'm sure you'll do.

Basically, someone decided that the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT) is so important and must have contributions from each service component (Army, Navy/Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard). The Navy said, "okay, we'll support," seemingly without thinking of the impacts. Upon implementation, the Navy then decided that each portion of the Navy must contribute (Surface Warfare Officers, Submariners, Aviators, etc.). So we have all these people pulled away from the important jobs they were doing to support GWOT. The Navy is also very big on fitting the person who will be doing the job to the "needs of the Navy." This means that even if there is someone who actually wants to go to Iraq/Afghanistan, the Navy will inevitably pick someone else to go because they think that person will do a better job. Further, the Navy recently started cracking down on physical standards and is separating thousands of personnel for that reason. They're even cancelling officers' contracts for other jobs to be sent to GWOT unless they sign a longer contract. This has caused a huge shorfall of personnel (it's mostly officers who are being sent).

The Navy blindly agreed to support GWOT without asking for anything in return. It's allowing the Army to not have to use as many people to do its job. Why aren't the Army guys who are now going home contributing to the Navy? The least they could do is work for in-port security teams and stuff like that. I'm not going to say that the Army guys have not had a rough time, but I don't think the Navy should be doing their job for them either. Especially when we're not trained for it.

joeprim

Tom

Good luck from NSWC Dahlgren PM me if you needanything.

Joe

DEK

Good luck and God bless. Stay as safe as possible. Thank you doesn't seem to say enough about the sacrifices you and your family are making.

I hope to meet you someday so I can shake your hand and thank you properly.

Applehead57

No, Finance is my field.
Apparently there must be quite a backload of processing.
This whole project was set up very, very fast. Within two months.
The $ is good and I'll be behind my typewriter, so I can't really complain. Thanks

pakole

Thanks for serving. Maybe I'll see you in the upcoming months.

spinnaker

Thank you for your service to our country and helping to keep us all safe. Keep you head down and come back safetly to give a big kiss to your wife and children.

JOHN J

FROM ONE SQUID TO ANOTHER,

God Bless (Whatever one you worship) I wish you a safe tour and speedy return.

The Navy Is trying real hard to fit in and stay in the $$ on this GWOT. loaning sailors to the ARMY,

My cousin is a lawer , CMDR "Jag corp" and is getting transfered to the army and will be a Lt Col "Jag" . its Crazy he was a bit bummed he hates green! its nutty!!

I was a P3 flight engineer striving to best the big Bear submarine threat , different ball game now days.

I just recently read the Navy is trying very hard to design/fund a COASTAL SUPPORT shiP WITH A gun that can LOB a Conventional munition up to 300 miles . This way it can stay in the action .

as it stands now The Navy can only RESPOND in Stan and Iraq ... with aircraft and that is way too $$.

Youll be in out hearts and prayers.

"John"

CyLowe97

Tom, best of luck and safety to you and all the troops and citizens in Afghanistan.

Hopefully you can log on to BF from over there!

alanbikehouston

A few weeks ago, I saw an interview with the commanding officer of submarine who said that he and his crew are fighting against Ben Laden around the clock. I admired his "gung ho" spirit, but somehow I don't think Ben Laden is losing sleep worrying about submarines.

When I served in Viet-Nam in 1969 and 1970, the only Americans I saw who were winning many friends for us were the construction crews from the Navy. They were busy building or repairing hospitals and schools. They won enough friends in a hostile province that someone in a Navy uniform could safely travel alone anywhere, anytime...after I figured that out, I "borrowed" a uniform from one of the Navy engineers. That is the only uniform I kept...and it still fits...kinda.

I hope your service will win some friends for America in that region...certainly your service is something that your children, family and friends should be very proud of.

Unfortunately, NOT everyone is proud of the guys who serve in the military. The current administration has cut funding for the VA hospital system. Last year, half a million veterans were turned away by the VA due to budget cutbacks, including 19,000 vets here in Texas. Politicians support the troops when they are headed overseas, but tend to forget about them after they return home.

spinnaker

Submarines perform all types of duties today. They are just not limited to sea battles anymore.

sestivers

Yeah, if he knew what submarines are really doing, he'd understand what the CO was talking about.

TRaffic Jammer

God Bless.... come home safe.

cyclezealot

Navy in Afghanistan? I know Bolivia has a Navy? Saw them putzing about Lake Tititaca. Please, do not go biking over there.Keep safe.

cwodave

Good luck dude.

When you get back drop me a line so you don't end up like the old fart Gus here; broken.

I'm working at the VA in Winston Salem so I'm here to make sure you don't end up broken without treatment.

Dave.

skiahh

Wow, that's pretty cynical. You must have had some bad tours and bad deals. I can tell you for a fact that they do take volunteers over others first.

The Navy is helping out the Army's severe personnel shortage in a number of missions. Personnel selected go through some Army training to do the mission - and from the feedback I've seen, it's pretty good training - before heading off to the sandbox.

There are politics involved at the highest levels, I'm sure, but the bottom line is that we are all on the same team and these missions don't require the intense specialized training of Infantry, Surface, Air etc fields. I realize you're not going to take the word of some random guy on an internet forum (and I suppose that's good) but I hope you're not so cynical around your shipmates.

sestivers

Cynical, sure. Maybe it would be different if I were at a cushy shore duty. The norm for officers at my command is 12+ hour days, with many of them coming in on the weekend. Certainly easier than being in Iraq, but people don't join the Navy to come face-to-face with death. If they wanted to do that they'd be a SeAL or Marine.
Now they're taking officers away from an already undermanned staff. And I can tell you for a fact that the Navy does not always take volunteers first - there are three guys at my command who'd like to go to the "sandbox," but the two people who were picked don't want to go. Additionally, the guys who were picked had one year remaining on their submarine contract. They were given two options: go to Iraq for the remaining year, or sign a new 4-year contract for submarines. WTF kind of option is that?

Sure, we're all on the same "team." And we're helping out the Army. But like I said, what exactly are the "thanks" the Navy gets for helping? Nothing. Just more work for staffs that were already undermanned as much as the Army is. Exactly how hard would it be for the Army guys to stand 6 hours of pier sentry a couple times a week so that the watchstander from the ship can catch up on the work that used to be done by someone who is now in Iraq? Exactly how hard would it be for the Army guys to help train the ships' personnel on combat tactics so they can better defend their ship? Every one of the Army bases is near a Navy base, so it's not like they'd lose any time with their families.

The submarine community in general attracts/maintains cynical personalites, so (unfortunately) most of my shipmates are at least as cynical as my first post was. I don't see recent policy changing that for the better.

jyossarian

Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Take care of yourself and come back safe and sound.

mtb-chop

Sentiments like this are a great example of what is wrong with our 'not me,' zero accountability society.

As far as the other 'why the Navy' posts, I have this to say. If those that were selected really don't want to follow the order to deploy as an IA (Individual Augmentee), then they can very easily default on their contract and try to vote with their feet, and also pay back the tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses they received under that contract. Unfortunately, their resignation doesn't have to be accepted. Orders are orders - deploy and STFU. Tell me this - does it make sense to take a volunteer who is not a good fit for the requirement, or find the right person that meets the requirements of the job. 'Needs of the Navy' has it's place, and like it or not, filling IAs is an area where it should apply. I know submariners to be some very cynical officers - I've spent half of my career with them and I wear my fish with pride. I will also say that most of the more senior submarine officers are not nearly as cynical as the junior officers, and are some of the most dedicated, professional officers I have served with.

I'm of the opinion that the Navy should be doing whatever it can to take some of the load from the Army and Marine Corps. I have friends, Marines, that are on their second tours in Iraq, and know the Army is starting to send folks back for a third tour. I've also had friends killed. This takes a toll on both servicemen and their families. Yes, they are the ones that signed up for it, but being in the military isn't just about pushing buttons to fire missiles and torpedos.

I'm a Navy Supply Officer. We've been told that we're all going to do an IA in a contingency zone, and were just told that we will soon be filling as many as many as 188 IA billets - that translates to about 7.5% of all Supply Officers taken out of their assigned jobs and sent 'to the sandbox' every six months. As a contracting officer, I'll likely go more than once. Am I thrilled about it? No, but I have a skill that is needed and the five times I've taken the Oath of Office, I've given implicit consent to respond to those 'Needs of the Navy.'

One more thought - the operational forces should always get every manning consideration possible; especially at the expense of an 'undermanned' staff. Enjoy your shore tour - you have comrades in arms dying while you sit behind a desk at CSG7. I recommend you not go through life looking for 'thanks' for everything you do - you'll either be sorely disappointed or give nothing to anyone.

To the original poster, welcome back, and return safe. FWFS.

sestivers

I'm not sure what exactly you think you know about CSG 7. Even if you worked there in the past, as a supply officer you would not fully know the nature of the direct support it provides to the ground forces not only in Iraq, but throughout the Middle East. As personnel get taken away, it significantly degrades the ability to provide the quality "information" that those guys need to stay alive. I think someone forgot to think it through before they thought of the places to take people from. There are plenty of fluff shore tours that exist only to give an officer a job until his next sea assignment, this one is certainly not that. Maybe those places are being culled and I just don't see it from over here. Anyway, the Navy HAS been a gigantic contributor to GWOT for a very long time, just not in a manner that puts its personnel face-to-face with death (until now). Do you think a bunch of overweight nerds is a good fit in a place like Iraq (bad stereotype, I know)?

This whole IA thing just has me in a bad mood because I think it's sending the wrong people. Really, no one should have to go but that's the way it is. I can see how I come across as a "whiner," but I don't think anyone in my community could have reasonably seen this coming (maybe I had some gut feel, because I did not sign a contract). People should have been counseled on the possibility before they were allowed to sign a contract. Some of these guys are getting less than 2 months notice!

Regarding "thanks," I understand what my job entails and find personal reward in what I do. But on a larger scale, when an employer offers its employees to other companies on short notice and without appropriate compensation, it is not good for retention.