NAVY - Never Again Volunteer Yourself Part 2

I left off with my arrival at USS Valley Forge (CG50). From the first day I reported aboard I was surprised with exactly how much this ship was underway. I knew that CG's deploy often but I was expecting at least 6 months before I would have to worry about a WESTPAC deployment but I got a two month schedule. At least I had time to get moved in and settled. Besides, what did I expect. Desert Shield was in full swing, and the build up was evident long before I got to the ship. San Diego has never been one of my favorite places but now I was going to spend three years at 32nd Street. I like some parts of California but I really didn't expect how cold it would be down on the piers. I was determined to enjoy this tour of duty, even if it killed me. The first thing I had to get used to was 4 section watch. Duty every 4 days was a new concept for me. I learned a lot in the first two duty days. I was thrown into section 2 with little to no fan fare. My watch section leader was a Senior Chief Store Keeper (what do they call SK's now?). I was given a quals book for OOD inport. Wow, I wasn't used to being in a position that was so highly visible and important. Two duty days later, I was standing the balls to 4 on the QD. I was just happy I didn't have to pipe the Skipper aboard the next morning. I would have blown it. It was an uneventful watch (thank God). I really didn't feel qualified for this, even though I was qualified by a "board" of Chiefs and 1st Classes. In any case, I had a very qualified Rover, POW and messenger that watched over me to ensure I didn't sink the ship on my first OOD watch. I screwed up a couple of times on watch. One of the most embarrassing was the day I asked the messenger to call the CDO to the quarter deck. Those of you who have stood this watch know what that means. We were in the yards (thank God it wasn't across from Princeton on pier 3). A snotty LTJG came to me and said "nice job we are at Security Alert" as he step across my quarterdeck and bounded down the brow. It took a few months to live that one down. The Skipper secretly laughed from what I was told from a Mustang who was in the wardroom at the time. I caught hell from the CDO and XO. Oh well, what do you expect from a CT. Anyway, two months after arriving onboard, we sailed for a 6 month WESTPAC. No one onboard was kidding themselves. We all believed it would be and extended deployment. We left San Diego and stopped in Subic for two days to take on provisions. Then we went to Pusan and the recall flag was displayed that night while we were all in various clubs in the area. The word passed like wildfire throughout the city and we were underway at 0800 the next morning. We by passed Singapore (no great loss there - I had only made about 10 port visits there on previous ships I was deployed to TAD). Straight through the Malacca's and up to the Gulf in less than a week. Ranger battle group was the last one to arrive on January 15th 1991 (around 1500). At around 0245 the 1MC clattered to life, and the XO was telling everyone to quote "look sharp, there are approximately 65 TLAMs inbound to Baghdad - the war has begun". I got out of my rack and got dressed and headed for the SSES. I sat down at the scope and watched as wave after wave of aircraft went feet dry. The TAO was busy coordinated between the TAC and Air to ensure all the flights were properly labeled. I was amazed at how calm he was. We called him Top Gun for his cool under pressure. If anyone was going to fight the ship, it was Lt. Brown. Our station was in the southern Gulf as plane guard for Ranger. Not exactly the glamour duty of a Ticonderoga class cruiser, but quite necessary all the same. Our "war" was quiet with only a few "chaotic" episodes. The first was rather funny after we all had time to think about it, and change our skivvies. Seems Ranger had some pretty inexperienced EW's on watch one night. They caught a blast from our Spy 1A and called it an incoming Sidewinder. Only compounded by a British ship's chemical alarm, General Quarters was sounded through the entire Battle Force with the exception of Valley Forge. Our EW1 was on watch and sharper than any EW I've ever worked with before or since. He swore to the Skipper and TAO it was a false reading of our Spy 1A. We politely passed this along to Ranger and they eventually believed us (plus the fact that no one reported a missile strike). We still don't know what the story was with the Brit chem alarm but they (for the life of me I can't remember who it was) reported they heard a "splash" only 50 yards away. Nothing was ever confirmed and we all just chalked it up to being over sensitive since none of us had ever been in a "war" situation before except for a very few Vietnam era sailors which you could probably count on two hands, maybe. The funniest part of this story is our new Division Chief was onboard Ranger waiting to be transferred. What a way to join the war. He was pissed to say the least. Ranger's EW's caught hell for that when we finally had a port call 4 months later. I have to say, we were a pretty cocky bunch. Our Skipper was well respected throughout the Force and really had us all believing we were the class of the entire Battle Force. We may have had the older Mk-26 missile launchers and Princeton had her vertical launch system, we knew we out classed her by a mile. We were Valley Forge after all. That was a fun night after all was said and done. We laughed for weeks about that. The only other time things got a little too real was the night of February 18th when USS Tripoli (one of my old amphibs) and USS Princeton our sister ship both encountered mines. Princeton was crack completely in half and had to be held together with cable. Tripoli was able to continue until finally relieved the next day. Guess who was chosen to relieve Princeton. Yep, we were tasked with taking over forward AAW. I won't go into the trip up there but it was "interesting" to say the least. Let me just relay this humorous story of the trip up there. We had 4 mine watches posted. One on the bow, one astern, one port amidships and one starboard amidships. Plus we had two bridge look outs as well. I was up on the bridge for some reason (I found excuses to go to the bridge often), and the Skipper was there as well. We were cruising along at about 10 knots and the Skipper got up from his chair. He walked calmly to the port bridge wing and abruptly shouted "ALL STOP". Seems that with all the mine watches and bridge watches, the Skipper was the only one that recognized a floater mine about 100 yards away. Needless to say, all hands were "requested" topside to observe and commit to memory, what a mine looks like. Anyway, we relieved Princeton that afternoon so she could limp to a port to fight the rest of the war from a dry dock. She maintained AAW throughout the entire ordeal until we relieved her. She really deserved a lot more accolades than she ever got (and you don't know how hard that is for me to admit). They were bottom influence mines not visible to the eye like floaters. Lord knows we all thanked God for no loss of life. I still don't know how bad the bow mine watch was but we heard he really was hurt bad. I still shudder every time I think about it. One last thing I want to mention. The Iraqi's really did a number on the Gulf during the war. The oil was so thick on the surface of the water, it was sickening. I still don't know why they weren't responsible for the clean up afterwards. It was a disgrace. Okay enough of the "war story". The rest of it was pretty uneventful. We finally returned home in May of 91 to very little fan fair. We had been told to prepare for some but it never really materialized. I guess it was already forgotten by then.
I deployed a second time to the Gulf. Nothing spectacular happened except I qualified Enlisted Surface Warfare. Otherwise it was a really boring deployment until we left the Gulf. We stopped by Mogadishu on our way home just to be part of the "great landing" caught on camera by CNN. We stayed for a week embarking two ATC's that were controlling the airport from our CIC. That was pretty cool. I don't think that's happened in a long time if ever. I'll have to ask my Dad the next time I talk to him. (He is a retired ATC or did I brag about that already).
I started out on the Narc Ops in 93 but left the ship in Panama due to a family emergency back in San Diego, where I was assigned TAD to Imperial Beach until the ship returned. If you ever read this Capt. Cornett, thanks for all your advice and understanding.
I left Valley Forge in 93 to what turned out to be my final command. I arrived at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Suitland, Maryland in September of 93. The building that housed the comms space was being vacated and the command was about to move into a brand new building down the road. I went through command orientation with a CTOC that later became the best friend I ever had. Tony Marino was one of a kind. A big old teddy bear that everyone loved and respected. He and I hit is off instantly. I did anything I could think of to make this man recognize me which he ultimately did. I was brought day working and we serve along side one another for the next 2 and a half years. I worked for him and loved every minute of it. He allowed me to think for myself (for a change) and I tried hard not to disappoint him. I was privileged to attend his retirement ceremony (the United States lost one of its greatest Chief Petty Officer's that day) and I had the honor of having him as my Special Guest speaker at mine. Tony - my offer stands. I will work for you any time, anywhere you ask (with the exception I won't come back to that God awful weather in Maryland even for you). I made the board three times before I retired in 96. I was passed over due to my PRT failures. I can't run for sh**. Tony felt so bad the first year I didn't make it. He thought I was a shoe in, even though I had my doubts. He was gently hazing me before the board results came out. I swear, I thought he was going to cry when he had to tell me I didn't make it. After three times, I decided to take the Navy up on its early retirement incentive (another Clinton screw up that the Navy paid for later on). I retired in front of several of my friends in June of 1996. I truly retired in October but I had a ton of leave accrued.
And so, thus ended my Naval career. I wish I had never left the Navy (even though I would have been forced since I was at high year tender as a First Class). I miss it more than anyone could ever know.