Good morning all. Sorry I haven't posted much recently but I have been busy. Today is going to be a rainy day so there isn't really much to do so I am just going to relax and get some things done around the house today. Fathers day is Sunday and both of my kids mentioned it on the phone this week.
I heard from our daughter Cindy in San Diego Wednesday night. Cindy graduates Navy CIWS C-School July 3rd. Cindy said her orders have her going to Everett Washington right after graduation. She will be there in Washington for three weeks and then Fly out to the USS Abraham Lincoln to begin her first tour on her Ship. Cindy also said that when the Abraham Lincoln goes in the Yard next year that she is going to volunteer for an IA assignment in Iraq. IA is "individual augmentee (IA)". Cindy is doing well and is looking forward to getting on her Ship. Cindy sounded very positive and happy when I talked to her on the phone. We are very proud of her. :)
I have talked to our son John several times, he has been very busy lately. His Ship the USS Doyle has been busy getting qualifications. John is cranking ( working in the mess deck ) at this time. As you know John is an OS "Operations Specialist" in the Navy so this isn't his normal job. Everyone has to do a stint working in the mess deck when they first get into the Navy. John's days start at 3am and he has been getting off at 9-10pm. John is exhausted and has lost some weight but he is doing ok and sounds good. I am sure he will be doing better when he gets back to doing his normal job in a few months.
I have to tell you that I don't understand the whole idea of Cranking in the Navy. It doesn't make sense to me to send these Sailors to Specialized Schools for months to learn a technical job and then put them in a Kitchen where they forget what they just learned.
I have to say that I agree with Cmdr. Matt Brown's statement in 2001 where he said "Sailors need to be able to learn their rate (job)," Brown said. "When you have somebody who is taken out onto the mess decks, they’re losing some of their specialized training." If the site is up you can read the entire article here.
That's about it for now. Hope everyone has a Great weekend. :)
9 comments:
I have to disagree that cranking is a bad idea. Cranking is first, a necessity, as we need people to assist the cooks. Secondly, it helps junior Sailors who are new to the boat meet new people as they work with and for a whole bunch of new faces. It's also a humbling experience and really makes you appreciate being in your rate and work space. It's something everyone has to do and will forever be a part of Navy life.
Something that should also be talked about is the poor quality of technical schools. A and C schools have always been extremely condensed classes that just try to cram the right information for the purpose of having students pass the school tests. I've been to many schools that have taught me very few things I could actually apply to the fleet. The best, and only way, to really learn your job is from other Sailors. A lot of our technical rates may have their own ways of correcting or preventing problems that you'd never find in any book. Glad to hear your kids are doing well.
Thanks Jim. What you said makes allot of sense. I really appreciate your point of view.
I have to say that after thinking about it a little more that I agree with you. Thanks for the input. :) Hope you have a great weekend.
When Sailors volunteer for IA how long do the Sailors stay in Iraq ??
Hi
With IA the sailors stay in Iraq for aprox 6 months. I will probably go IA in May when my ship upgrades its CIWS system.
FCSN Yowan
Thank you for letting me know !!
That's my daughter Cindy that answered your question. She is going to the USS Abraham Lincoln this month and she graduates CIWS C-School tomorrow in San Diego. Congratulations Cindy. Love, Dad & Vicki
O Ok Thanks again
Your welcome.
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