tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post3324368563528256782..comments2024-01-03T05:18:54.650-05:00Comments on CDR Salamander: You WISH this were your homeportCDR Salamanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05981221786954902349noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-39873074660418497762010-11-21T22:38:23.000-05:002010-11-21T22:38:23.000-05:00Smaller? Well Ok, smaller than a bird farm. Big ...Smaller? Well Ok, smaller than a bird farm. Big enough to Med Moor and take a cruiser alongside to port and stbd AS the pier. Cranes big enough to service the second ship outboard in the nest, and with a ro-ro ramp astern and a helo deck above it.Grandpa Bluewaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-25208929841055419362010-11-21T20:45:39.000-05:002010-11-21T20:45:39.000-05:00I have Hap Perry stories. He was about 5' 6&qu...I have Hap Perry stories. He was about 5' 6" tall and about 4' 6" wide and you normally saw his tonsils first because he was yelling at you. He ran that ship, not the crazy no good Captain. In today's Navy where you can get court martialed for tossing a wad of paper at someone I can't imagine him. The Chief wasn't even mine, the XO just grabbed us and put us to work on the door between his stateroom and the weather deck. I had Deck, so come to think of it the door may have been mine, and the Chief was from Engineering.<br /><br />Here is my favorite 2 memories of him;<br />1. Once during GQ I had the sound powered headphones on the Bridge to communicate with some weapons stations. The XO saw the cord was twisted and made me dance around counter clockwise before everyone to unspin the twisted cord without taking off the headset.<br /><br />2. My troops got tired of shiming the brass on an alarm bell behind the ASROC and asked if they could paint it red. Not being quite as dumb as I looked I stalled and went to the XO. He told me a story about Lord Louis Mountbatten. He explained that Lord Louis was a real sailor and naval hero who invented the Manuevering Board. He told me that if Lord Louis was coming aboard you would make everything look as good as you could while being combat ready, you would polish the brass and scrape the rust but if his lordship saw the normal wear and tear or a spot of rust, well that was OK because you were a warship and he would understand. But the XO said if Lady Mountbatten came on your ship then you would pour some grey wash over the rust stains and slap red over any green brass. After telling me that the XO asked me what I intended to do and I said "Polish the brass XO."<br /><br />I know that I was in the Navy, the real US Navy, Oliver Hazard Perry's Navy. Maybe Army JOs who looked around 40 to 4 years ago and saw they were serving with men named Patton and others whose families have served for generations. My family have been here for a little over a hundred years. It is part of America's strength that we do not have a decaying feudal caste. It is also part of our strength that we have those who care for what this nation means and have passed down that sense of duty through the generations.LifeoftheMindnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-26742874421291422312010-11-14T17:26:50.000-05:002010-11-14T17:26:50.000-05:00ShawnP, You're correct, although there was not...ShawnP, You're correct, although there was nothing "mysterious" about it. Tagout and other safety procedures were routinely ignored by the engineers there. The sailor who died was cleaning watersides on the idle boiler with (unauthorized) single valve protection between him and the steaming one. Unfortunately the valve maintenance program on DETROIT was also non-existent and the valve leaked by sending live steam into the steam drum where the kid was working. Initially they thought he was going to pull through but he had inhaled the steam into his lungs while escaping from the boiler. C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-71664584868845759472010-11-14T17:20:51.000-05:002010-11-14T17:20:51.000-05:00It can be done, the Coas Guard has been doing it l...It can be done, the Coas Guard has been doing it lean for years and I believe they have a ship (cutter) in Wlimington & Charleston as well as many other small ports on both coasts.MIkenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-73771628033607809112010-11-14T13:05:45.000-05:002010-11-14T13:05:45.000-05:00<span> "The Navy makes navigation too h...<span> <i>"The Navy makes navigation too hard."</i></span><br /><br />Amen, Brother! Having done a *little* merchant time, I agree that the Navy overdoes it with Nav teams. Fewer bodies with more competance is the way to go.<br /><br />ET1(SS) - former QM2(SS), Ret.sobersubmrnrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-34651385863211450612010-11-14T09:14:44.000-05:002010-11-14T09:14:44.000-05:00All too well. The Father of the kid who got kille...All too well. The Father of the kid who got killed was a retired MM or BT. Tragic and avoidable, utterly horrific.Grandpa Bluewaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-6980042331174749122010-11-14T06:47:43.000-05:002010-11-14T06:47:43.000-05:00Then you had an XO who understood the importance o...Then you had an XO who understood the importance of watertight integrity and who had no qualms about making that point to an officer and a chief, who then made sure that every sailor in their division understood it also. Good for OH Perry III! Sounds like a damn good XO.Byronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-46304218665159630432010-11-13T23:18:49.000-05:002010-11-13T23:18:49.000-05:00One of my XOs was Oliver Hazard Perry III and Hap ...One of my XOs was Oliver Hazard Perry III and Hap Perry had this LT and a Chief personnally resealing a water tight door, even though it wasn't really my Division's responsibility, because he felt we needed the training. He was a Sailor.LifeoftheMindnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-39347960394207230222010-11-13T22:46:24.000-05:002010-11-13T22:46:24.000-05:00No. It just looks that way sometimes.No. It just looks that way sometimes.Byronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-5911754484367537972010-11-13T20:40:50.000-05:002010-11-13T20:40:50.000-05:00James, You're apparently a newcomer to this si...James, You're apparently a newcomer to this site.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-21254156479656247782010-11-13T19:25:20.000-05:002010-11-13T19:25:20.000-05:00So let me get this straight.
Our navy builds ship...So let me get this straight.<br /><br />Our navy builds ships to not get hit basically and be the most efficent per dollar. Then doesnt train them how to properly repair the vessels if they do get hit in a time of war?<br /><br />Please tell me im wrong here ;(Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-88767589278947129432010-11-12T08:37:33.000-05:002010-11-12T08:37:33.000-05:00<span>Now all we need to do is actually FUND...<span>Now all we need to do is actually FUND TRAINING and we can maybe buy some of that expertise back that we're supposed to have. But the sad reality is that we became reliant on distance support and contractor maintenance packages. The offset was to kill training expertise to conduct corrective maintenance and in some cases, like LCS and DDG 1000 and LPD-17, even some forms of PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE by non-navy CONTRACTORS. <br /> <br />Grandpa, I'm all for your idea. But before we do this, we have to make training right again!</span>Salty Gatornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-30615193198963191562010-11-12T08:36:47.000-05:002010-11-12T08:36:47.000-05:00Now all we need to do is actually FUND TRAINING an...Now all we need to do is actually FUND TRAINING and we can maybe buy some of that expertise back that we're supposed to have. But the sad reality is that we became reliant on distance support and contractor maintenance packages. The offset was to kill training expertise to conduct corrective maintenance and in some cases, like LCS and DDG 1000 and LPD-17, even some forms of PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE.<br /><br />Grandpa, I'm all for your idea. But before we do this, we have to make training right again!Salty Gatornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-80975450916731838852010-11-12T04:54:01.000-05:002010-11-12T04:54:01.000-05:00I think what you are describing is a training prob...I think what you are describing is a training problem caused by a lack of valuing of the old crafts, and aging ships reaching the point where the maintenence MUST be done, Too manpower intensive has all too often really meant chronic undermanning and diversion of energy to internal political issues rather than craftsmanship and supervision.<br /><br />As fine a recipe for decline as ever existed. It comes from fads in lieu of management.<br /><br />The bright side is ignorance is remediable, if you want to fix it. Just stay away from the snake oil.Grandpa Bluewaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-1805145425171895722010-11-11T21:22:43.000-05:002010-11-11T21:22:43.000-05:00Hey Y'all that was me. Silly NMCI didn't t...Hey Y'all that was me. Silly NMCI didn't take my google log-inSouthern Air Piratenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-37805558172730637432010-11-11T21:04:43.000-05:002010-11-11T21:04:43.000-05:00Good book! Alas, my copy's glue in the bindin...Good book! Alas, my copy's glue in the binding is drying out, and it is starting to shed pages.SCOTTtheBADGERnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-35808576471292346322010-11-11T20:24:47.000-05:002010-11-11T20:24:47.000-05:00I wish you didn't have to...truly. It's to...I wish you didn't have to...truly. It's to weep. How about two months ago, on DDG-xx, where we were tasked to repair a couple of bent lifeline stanchions and turn over some three strand white and snap clips to the ship, and the BM1 had to admit that he and no one else in his division, including the BMC knew how to braid the rope? THAT was my "YGTBSM" moment. And sailors are going to do even the simplest of structural or piping repairs?Byronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-41530700026847329362010-11-11T19:57:14.000-05:002010-11-11T19:57:14.000-05:00Add in the mysterious story of the steam drum acci...Add in the mysterious story of the steam drum accident onboard the Detroit in the late eighties. Did or did not the BT's know someone was in there when doing maintenance. Maybe others remember this horrific story.ShawnPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-15591835207003954052010-11-11T19:54:43.000-05:002010-11-11T19:54:43.000-05:00Record was actually on FF-1082..........with CDR H...Record was actually on FF-1082..........with CDR Higgins onboard.ShawnPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-3443012671148648872010-11-11T19:43:38.000-05:002010-11-11T19:43:38.000-05:00ICFBI. ICFBI. Grandpa Bluewaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-74284219725371361012010-11-11T17:49:09.000-05:002010-11-11T17:49:09.000-05:00Wow, over 100 comments on a post I almost didn'...Wow, over 100 comments on a post I almost didn't do.cdrsalamandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-82859760504361204442010-11-11T16:17:54.000-05:002010-11-11T16:17:54.000-05:00Sigh...Grandpa, these kids can't even pull the...Sigh...Grandpa, these kids can't even pull their own reversable bolts out, clean the socket out, put anti-seize on them and put them back in per their own PMS. We just had to cut out and replace 22 of them.<br /><br />Who is going to teach them how to do what I do? If I handed a drawing to your average chief or master chief the only thing he's going to get out of it is a headache. Who's going to do the welding? Every General Workshop I go to has a lot of dusty welding equipment. The sailors who could once do high quality aluminum welding? they all work for us now because they had to learn how to do it right somewhere. Grandpa, your Navy pissed away ALL of it's institutional knowledge of how to fix ship years ago. I've got URL officers as NAVSEA who absolutely don't have a clue....and the ones that retired 20 years ago are just freaking outstanding to work with.<br /><br />I'm sorry about this. More sorry than you could possibly know. But I really don't think anyone here understands the depth of the problem you have with your sailors knowledge level today. Sailors 20 years ago were pretty good. Sailors today, even the Chiefs, not nearly so much.<br /><br />Tagouts? Let me tell you about tagouts. Tuesday I had to tagout a vent fan motor to repair the short piece of vent coming off of it. I gave the EM1 the motor number. 20 minutes later he comes back and asks ME where it's at! I had to go show it to him. This is a FIRST CLASS PO! Then he spent another 20 minutes looking for the breakers. When it came time to authorize the tag in eSoms I found out that I'd been deleted from the list of users. That's when he tells me the only two guys who have admin on the boat aren't there...one on leave, one on liberty. Now that wouldn't be so bad...but CHENG was aboard and HE wasn't an admin!! Makes you wonder who's running the division, the LT CHENG or the WO3 MPA...Byronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-48514199086783476102010-11-11T15:44:52.000-05:002010-11-11T15:44:52.000-05:00In "Fresh Water Submarines" that was add...In "Fresh Water Submarines" that was addressed for the build up. The core were mostly grandfather/father/son families, and then when aluminum for the pot and pan maker for the area shut down, the workforce moved to the shipyard, and a training program leveragedc off their skills. Had to get buses to haul them to work, but helped the work force grow quickly for Manitowac Shipbuildingxformednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-55790918625731935792010-11-11T15:42:02.000-05:002010-11-11T15:42:02.000-05:00And as an AOR Sailor, we hated both SEATTLE and DE...And as an AOR Sailor, we hated both SEATTLE and DETROIT...they were constantly swapping pumps for the main spaces and we'd get a msg to head out for their commitments...xformednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-84600280070559695852010-11-11T15:27:32.000-05:002010-11-11T15:27:32.000-05:00Keep the gummit out of skilled trade apprentice tr...Keep the gummit out of skilled trade apprentice training. Let the companies do it. Newport News builds good ships, or used to. They always had a crackerjack Apprentice School.<br />They seemed to think it was all part of the business.<br /><br />A union can do it if they keep the nepotism out, which most don't. That cost Ford plenty, GM and Chrysler - the ranch.<br /><br />Somebody asked Hank the Deuce (Henry Ford II) how many people worked for him. "'Bout half", he said.<br /><br />Me I'm glad I joined the Navy...and left when I did. The last two decade have been unrelenting decline.<br /><br />As we all know.Grandpa Bluewaternoreply@blogger.com