Any Navy guys?

[Shane]

Hey y'all,
I'm in the Navy and nearing a transfer. I'm thinking of coming to Pearl Harbor, but one thing is stopping me.... my cars.
I notice a lot of activity in this section of the board. What is the car situation over there? How easy is it to get parts? What is the proce of gas (Race gas?)? How much parking is there in Pearl Harbor? Drag Strips? And if any squids answer this, did the Navy pay to move your car over to Hawaii?

 

[Geoff87]

I think Derrick is a Naval Officer.

Race gas price varies. For 110 ~$7/gal for 116 ~$9 /gal

We get parts the same way that you do... for the most part, that is... except that we pay outrageous prices for shipping!

 

[tazgn]

Shane,
Yep, I'm an LDO in the Navy. I work at the shipyard right now. I was a Nuke ET on the USS Charlotte before I got commissioned. The Navy will ship ONE car out here at no charge. I drove the second car to Washington and paid the $800 to ship it from there. As far as the car scene out here? I was an original member of NEBRA in New England, and I can say that there are probably 5 TR on this island to every one in new england. That's probably not really true, but it seems like it. You see them all over. I'm not sure where you are coming from, but the track is open year round here and is only $6 to race all night. And they have NO idea what "long" staging lanes are out here. I came here from Saratoga Springs NY (instructor at prototype) where I was used to paying $25 for wed. night racing a LVD and waiting AT LEAST 1.5 hours in the staging lanes between each run. Parts aren't any more expensive out here. The cost of living is WAYYY more expensive than anywhere I had ever been before (but I hear CA is worse now). Oh, there are at least 5 TR's on Pearl Harbor Naval base alone, and more on Hickham AFB let alone the other bases. Weather out here is GREAT. I have only seen 3 days since I've been here (got here in 98) that I haven't seen the sun at some point during the day (of course it's actually raining as I type this ).

So where are you coming from? You rate/rank? Sub or surface? How long you been in? You know, all those damn Navy questions. I'll give you whatever info you want about the military life out here (been enlisted and now officer out here).

Derrick

 

[TURBOV6]

Race gas prices..........

110 Union leaded $6/gal
114 Union leaded $7/gal and I think $8/gal for 116 octane

 

[GNSteve]

Derrick,

Is that your GN I see sometimes parked in front of the doors of Bldg. 1770? Hood mounted gauge/rims? I've seen this car twice last week.
I just transferred to IMF from the yard. I'm currently assigned to the 67H Sail Team. I'm in Shop 38.
If you're working at IMF, maybe we could meet sometime. I've read a lot of your posts, but I've never seen you.
Well, take care. If the car doesn't belong to you, it's still nice.


Steve

 

[Shane]

Small world!
Derrick (Or, Sir, I should say),
I'm a ET, working on the Nuke part right now. I graduated ET Nuke Field "A" School in May, and right now I'm in Week 10 of Power School. The transfer that i was talking about isn't in the immediate future (As you know), but my Chief told us to start thinking about where we want to go for Prototype and after Prototype.
It's amazing to hear that you were at Ballston Spa, too. I'm just glad to hear that there is a drag strip up there, although those are long lines to wait in, but as they say, good things come to those that wait. I definitly want to go north for Prototype. I hate South Carolina, this state just isn't in my blood. Good people, I'm not saying that, it's just the mindset down here, too laid back, and I'm too wound up.
So, to answer the rest of your questions. I'm in Charleston at NNPTC right now. I'm an ET3, currently surface designated because my recruiter told me too, but everyone that I've talked to nowadays says fast boat is the way to go. I just have to turn in the request chit to go subs. I've been in for nearly a year now, since 04SEP01.
I was just wondering about the car climate out there. It sounds saturated! I don't know if being one of a million TR's would be a good thing or not. I wouldn't turn as many heads as I do over here, but I wouldn't get asked what year Monte Carlo is was either!
I'm sure that I have a million more questions, but I can't think of any now. Maybe later. Thanks for posting though.
P.S. How long were you in before they picked you up as an LDO?

 

[tazgn]

That's MY CAR!!!

Steve,
Yep, That's my car. I am the Safety of Ship Officer. My office is right above your shop. I have the back office in the Zone manager's office area. I don't bring the car in that often, as I usually ride the bike.

Shane,
Nuke ET is the way to go. But realize, the pipeline is NOT easy!!! But it has gotten a lot easier to make it through over the past 5 or 6 years. If you want to go to NY for prototype, I would start mentioning it to you section advisor now, as MOST student go right there to Charleston now. I Loved NY. I went to S1C Prototype in Connecticut back in 1990 (Geez, I feel really old now). But then again, I went to boot camp/A school/power school all in Orlando too. After prototype I went to the USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) for 3.5 years. Then went to Ballston Spa for 4 years to teach. After that I came out here to the USS Charlotte (SSN 766) for 2.5 years before I was commissioned. So I was in 11.5 years went I was commissioned. But the LDO program isn't like any other commissioning programs... The only program you can be commissioned through without a college degree, etc. Have to be E6 or above and in for 8-16 years. Right now you may think that ET was the hardest way to go, but trust me, after the pipeline it is BY FAR the most enjoyable of the 3 ratings and WAYYYYYY easiest. I would have my guys out for the day usually by lunch time while M and E div was there past dinner 6-7 days a week. So when those little baby nuke mechanics laugh that your a school was 26 weeks vice their 12 or 14 (don't remember now) you can laugh back even harder! As far as sub or surface... Depends what you want. Surface right now has faster advancement (of course nukes advance fast to E6 anyways). That may be changing since sub E6's have a 50% chance right now of making E7. Just happens to be the times. Subs are VERY "non-military" as far a lifestyle. I would go drinking with the CO in ports as an E5. Surface ships, that wouldn't even be imagined. Surface weenies (A.K.A. Targets) are VERY "military", which I suppose you have to be with some of the idiots that are on those things. Just remember, the stupid people that could read or write or tie their own shoes in boot camp. Well, they go to carriers!!!!! Enough said there.

By any chance did you have an instructor in A school named ET1/ss Drahiem? Or MMC McKibben their in power school? Damn I know people in all the prototypes too.

Derrick

 

[TURBOV6]

Nuke? Nuclear

 

[tazgn]

Ooops.

Yep. Nuke = Nuclear.

Derrick

 

[Turtle TR]

the added benefit of coming to hawaii is that there are an abundance of wierd people, like me .

 

[Shane]

Derrick-
I love my rate, I'm glad that I chose ET. I just don't think that I could absorb myself into what the EM's and MM's do. It seems kind of boring to me. With troubleshooting, it seems like being an ET in the fleet will be like a giant jigsaw puzzle, figuring what to do next. Thanks for the heads up on Ballston Spa prototype. As soon as my Chief gets back from leave, I'll be in his office. I want to go to NY more than anything. I'm going stircrazy in SC.
Excellent to hear that the ET job is the easiest in the fleet.... excellent. I think that I am going to go subs. I'm not too worried about the fast advancement, because right now I'm planning on doing my six years and getting out (of course we all say that...). The lack of military bearing is actually one of the things attracting me to subs. I figure if we get our job done, and done well, then who cares about the details like sat shaves and what not. Am I right? *Shudder* I'm trying to forget the people from boot camp! I couldn't imagine how we became a super power with those people in the Navy. COurse, we do need Air Dales.....
ET1 (SS) Drahiem was a Section Advisor when I first started 'A' School, back in NOV. I think since then he has transferred back to the fleet, but I will look into that. Sorry, but I've never even heard of MMC before.
Thanks for the info,
Shane

 

[HI85WH1]

the added benefit of coming to hawaii is that there are an abundance of wierd people, like me

me too! and Taz is right more T/R's and monte SS' here than anywhere else per capita, and we drive them!

Rob