Lawrence in Alabama
New member
I have been in the Navy Reserve since my 3 years of active duty. In March I would have had 28 years. However, the Navy is restructuring ans as a Senior Chief E-8, I hit high year tenure this past March. The high year tenure for Senior Chief was 28 years until March of this year when it was dropped to 27 years. In 2006 it will drop to 26 years and you have to retire the month you make 26 years. My whole career was in the VP Navy which means V=Fixed wing P=Patrol. I flew in the back of the P-3 Orion, a four engine turbo prop aircraft with what appears to be a stinger in the rear.
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I ran electronics equipment that listened for submarines in the water. We also conducted maritime patrols looking for ne'er do wells. We dropped sonobuoys which are listening devices and that is what I listened to. I did the same thing as a sonar technician on a ship or sub, but I did it in an airplane. When I began my Navy career we were in the middle of the Cold War. I flew many missions tracking Russian submarines. Last year The remaining Reserve P-3 squadrons were given the sole mission of drug interdiction. We flew missions out of the U.S., and Central and South American countries. I have enjoyed my many years in the Navy and have had the opportunity to see many different countries, something I would not have gotten to do otherwise. We were never called up for any of the combat flights for either of the Gulf Wars.
My Squadron, VP-94, was stationed in New Orleans, Louisiana (the base is actually in Belle Chasse on the West Bank). Well it was based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans until Katrina came through!! Now the full time support has moved to Ft. Worth, Texas until decommissioning. Before that I was stationed in VP-67 in Memphis, Tennessee and when I was on active duty I was in VP-30 (the training squadron) and VP-49 both of which were located in Jacksonville, Florida. VP-67 was decommissioned in 1994; VP-49 was decommissioned, too, but I don't know when; and VP-94 is slated for decommissioning in 2006 or 2007.
I have said all that to say this: last weekend was my last drill weekend. Since Katrina I have had to drill at a Navy and Marine Corp. Reserve Center in Bessemer, Alabama. The folks at the Reserve Center are very friendly and nice, but it has been a miserable 4 months for me. They do not operate like we did in the squadron. So, although I will very much miss the flying, I will not miss the Reserves. I also won't get any more of the all expenses paid trips to exotic locales. I even got to visit Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska before, but I never met Vernon
I now have to find a way to make up for the loss of income since I won't be able to draw my retirement pay until I turn 60, which is not for another 10 years and 3 months
Sorry to go on for so long, but I just needed to get it off my chest! Thanks for viewing!
[attachment 12527 images.jpg]
I ran electronics equipment that listened for submarines in the water. We also conducted maritime patrols looking for ne'er do wells. We dropped sonobuoys which are listening devices and that is what I listened to. I did the same thing as a sonar technician on a ship or sub, but I did it in an airplane. When I began my Navy career we were in the middle of the Cold War. I flew many missions tracking Russian submarines. Last year The remaining Reserve P-3 squadrons were given the sole mission of drug interdiction. We flew missions out of the U.S., and Central and South American countries. I have enjoyed my many years in the Navy and have had the opportunity to see many different countries, something I would not have gotten to do otherwise. We were never called up for any of the combat flights for either of the Gulf Wars.
My Squadron, VP-94, was stationed in New Orleans, Louisiana (the base is actually in Belle Chasse on the West Bank). Well it was based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans until Katrina came through!! Now the full time support has moved to Ft. Worth, Texas until decommissioning. Before that I was stationed in VP-67 in Memphis, Tennessee and when I was on active duty I was in VP-30 (the training squadron) and VP-49 both of which were located in Jacksonville, Florida. VP-67 was decommissioned in 1994; VP-49 was decommissioned, too, but I don't know when; and VP-94 is slated for decommissioning in 2006 or 2007.
I have said all that to say this: last weekend was my last drill weekend. Since Katrina I have had to drill at a Navy and Marine Corp. Reserve Center in Bessemer, Alabama. The folks at the Reserve Center are very friendly and nice, but it has been a miserable 4 months for me. They do not operate like we did in the squadron. So, although I will very much miss the flying, I will not miss the Reserves. I also won't get any more of the all expenses paid trips to exotic locales. I even got to visit Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska before, but I never met Vernon
I now have to find a way to make up for the loss of income since I won't be able to draw my retirement pay until I turn 60, which is not for another 10 years and 3 months
Sorry to go on for so long, but I just needed to get it off my chest! Thanks for viewing!