ross549 Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 When you ythink you have hit bottom....I work in Naval Station Norfolk's security department, and as such, I stand watch on various parts of the base. One of the watches I really don't care for is the AMC terminal sentry (Airport watch). We basically sit there and wait for something to happen. Mind you, a person needs to get two levels of security (the gate and the metal detector at the airport entrance) to get to us. We never do anything there. Nothing.I called my mom from the airport one day while I was on watch, and started complaining about how bored I was. Little did I know, life was to get a lot more boring, if such a thing is possible....someone throws you a shovel!!The very same day I was complaining to my mom about being bored, a flight was going out to Jacksonville. Said flight was filled with active duty personnel, with no dependants (usually families moving overseas use the AMC flights). One of the senior members of the command moving to JAX pulled us aside and asked us to watch their luggage.*pause for laughter*I cannot begin to explain how stupid that was. In order to get to the luggage, someone would have to get through three levels of security to even get at it!!!Sometimes I wonder why I am here. Then I remember that this security work is only temporary and I will be going back to my real job at the end of the summer.Yay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeg4 Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 When you ythink you have hit bottom.... ...someone throws you a shovel!!But problem is ross549 when they throw me the shovel I get it on the head every time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted May 29, 2003 Author Share Posted May 29, 2003 It feels like that for me at times....... I just wish I could go back to being an electronics tech instead of a cop.Soon..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havnblast Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 Life takes patience and true soul searching to figure it out. You'll get where you want to go if your determined - Hang In There Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 While you are out there meditating about how useful you feel, you should be coming up with witty posts for the water cooler! Now what I can not figure out, is how did you end up doing security anyway? I thought the Navy was smart enough to put an electronics tech to work as an electronics tech. When I was assigned to a security police squadron (not as a cop) the ones that came into our squadron had the lowest test scores allowed to enter the military. And we handed them guns! I guess that is why I was kept busy doing Article 15s, court martials, and discharges. Maybe the Navy knows something the AF does not!Keep a sense of humor and get as much out of it as you can. The benefits really pay off. I would be much better off financially today if I had stayed for 20 instead of bailing at 13. Then again, I am happy today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted May 29, 2003 Author Share Posted May 29, 2003 WARNING!! Military jargon following!How did I end up in security? What a complex question!!!Well, because of the attacks on 9-11, every branch of the military's security requirements increased dramatically. Even still, we are at an increased threat condition. Because of this, our Master at arms force on base is simply not sufficient. Therefore, the Auxiliary Security Force was "called up" into action.ASF was primarily a volunteer force for those people who wanted a collateral duty for evaluation purposes. When somebody volunteered for it, they went to the school, got their qualifications, and went back to their command. ASF was only used occasionally for large security projects, such as carriers returning from a 6-month deployment, etc. Now because of the increased security requirements, ASF is a full time job where you are sent from your command on temporary assigned duty for six months. It is no longer a volunteer service.Whew! Now my command, NCTAMS LANT, is one of three major Navy communications centers in the world. I am an electronics geek, so, naturally, I love working there. Every command on base has a set number of people they have to send to ASF, so Security can keep their numbers up. My workcenter has to send 5 people full time to cover its requirement. Because we are a shore command, we attract a lot of the pregnant women and people with medical problems. In my workcenter, I am one of maybe 16 or 17 people that are fit for full duty, and therefore, qualified to go to ASF.And, I was March's lucky winner. Thank God it is only temporary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryB Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 Yep...Everybody gets their turn. Kind of like being on a fireparty onboard ship..it's not what you were specifically trained to..But..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeg4 Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 Keep a sense of humor and get as much out of it as you can. The benefits really pay off. I would be much better off financially today if I had stayed for 20 instead of bailing at 13. Then again, I am happy today! biggrin.gif AMEN TO THAT TEACHERIf I only !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!If you only knew how many times I have said that in my lifetime .And then I realize If I had made a different decision than I did at the time I wouldn't have met the greatest woman in the worldI wouldn't have married herI wouldn't have had 45 years of blessfull married lifeI wouldn't have fathered seven great childrenI wouldn't have the 19 Grandchildren I have nowI wouldn't have the two Great Grandchildren I have nowSo in short count your blessings and be happy you made the right decision when you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeg4 Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 P.S. To my last post I probably wouldn't have ended up in this forum Thereby depriving all of you the pleasure of my company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted May 30, 2003 Author Share Posted May 30, 2003 Yep...Everybody gets their turn. Kind of like being on a fireparty onboard ship..it's not what you were specifically trained to..But.....Gotta ask, based on your avatar....What rate were you?Where did you go in your carreer?What ships? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeg4 Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 What rate were you?Where did you go in your carreer?What ships?I hope it wasn't the Camden or the Kitty Hawk . I helped build them and I wouldn't sail on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryB Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 OK Here goesI was and Operations Specialist (SW) and an AIC (Air intercept controller)NTDSShips 1 Knox class firgate (USS Valdez) 1 DDG USS Lawrence, Comabt System Officer/Electronic Warfare Officer Amphibious Squadron Six and USS yellowstone (Ops chief)Shore: Combat Systems Trainer FTU LCreek ( actually netural duty, spent more time on the road than at home.) 2 Dam Neck tours...1 tour for CIC Multi-threat/ Radar Navigation team trainer..the other as Training Support officer for the GCCS system.Own Operator/maintenance and the old ISA course.(Yep..and Unix was part of the curriculum) 1 year as a NAVAL Cop ( Actaully patroled the fun places in Norfolk ( Shore drive...yeah!! )Let see been to: England(3) scotland(1) Cuba (Don't care to count, Brazil, The usual Carb ports..St thomas, Bermuda.Haiti.so on..Senegal, Togo, Liberia some others in West Africa...Sudan ( Not a social visit) France, Israel, Turkey, Greece,Spain, italy Belgium, Holland kuwaitt and Iraq(1st war)Oman,UAE, Germany..That's the major list. Not counting schools ...Area's Charleston SC, Boston MA (Yards) RI and Nofolk, Lcreek and of course OS Mecca Dam Neck. It was a fun 21+ years..But life goes on..needed to do something else..decide what clothes to wear LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 .But life goes on..needed to do something else..decide what clothes to wear LOL!The fun of it wears off after a while. There is a lot to be said for reaching in the closet and saying: Will it be blue or green today. I always chose blue but was forced to wear green sometimss. Green was not built for women. Now I have two closets full of work clothes and have to figure out what to wear. Down penguin, down....... The bikinis are all hidden. _______________________Wears anything but blue now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryB Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 LOL..I know what you mean..having real clothes is much more fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted May 31, 2003 Author Share Posted May 31, 2003 The fun of it wears off after a while. There is a lot to be said for reaching in the closet and saying: Will it be blue or green today. I always chose blue but was forced to wear green sometimss. Green was not built for women. Now I have two closets full of work clothes and have to figure out what to wear. I really don't like the cameo's I wear as part of the security duty. However, i really like the utility uniform and the working whites. Kind reduced my wardrobe though..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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