The prodigal N. Carolinian

resurrected thread!

Once again, I check in with my (now much older) thread, for anyone following along and anyone else just now checking in! Today, I find myself on another brand new class of warship...The USS San Antonio!

The short version of my life since the last update: I attended training for boarding suspicious vessels back in January 2008, and now on deployment I recently was told to go over to the San Antonio (LPD-17) and help them out...even though they don't REALLY need the help, but here I am all the same now. I even got to ride in a helicopter for the first time in my life - something I have been curious and hopeful to do. I expect to be back home next spring.

For Navy fans, the San Antonio is the first of a new class of amphibious assault ships. It can carry about 600 marines along with their vehicles as well as landing craft and helicopters to deliver them to the beach.
 
Good to hear form you greg.

I was wondering did you graduate? What university? What degree?

Sam
 
NCSU BSME May 2001:eek:

NCSU (you probably guessed this) - North Carolina State University

BSME - Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

It's kinda funny (and I think slightly upsetting to my parents) that I am not really using my degree at this point...:eek:

THIS enlistment (my second) is done Jan 3, 2010 which would put my total time of service at 8 years...and I am already thinking of doing something different. I read a book that was all about the Army's "18 series" MOS which sounded VERY interesting to me...athough I think I must be crazy to be considering a career move like that at my age (35 y/o). In any case, when I finish this deployment (~Apr 09) I will look into that a little more. No telling what is next for me, though...my life has twisted and turned in unexpected ways going all the way back to when I started my first enlistment in 1993!!!:eek: :eek:
 
I know how ya feel Greg: didn't expect half the crap that's happened to me over the past 3-4 years either. But the moral to the story: if I can pretty much start a TOTAL "do-over" of my life at age 41---surely you can as well. Stay safe and we'll see you in the spring! (maybe Sharif will have his car done by then, so might I for that matter)
 
I know how ya feel Greg: didn't expect half the crap that's happened to me over the past 3-4 years either. But the moral to the story: if I can pretty much start a TOTAL "do-over" of my life at age 41---surely you can as well. Stay safe and we'll see you in the spring! (maybe Sharif will have his car done by then, so might I for that matter)



HaHa, my car will never be done, but it will be closer
 
If you are talking about Special Forces (18) then good luck. I had several friends from Ft Bragg tell me about the initial qualifications and they sounded mentally and physically difficult. Stay safe Greg.
 
I know how ya feel Greg: didn't expect half the crap that's happened to me over the past 3-4 years either. But the moral to the story: if I can pretty much start a TOTAL "do-over" of my life at age 41---surely you can as well. Stay safe and we'll see you in the spring! (maybe Sharif will have his car done by then, so might I for that matter)

ha! do-OVER? I feel like I have jumped around and dabbled with this and that so much, that I don't feel like I have even gotten started on MY life...but yeah, that feeling is probably the same (GEE-WHIZ, I didn't set THAT coming!)

BarnesGN said:
If you are talking about Special Forces (18) then good luck. I had several friends from Ft Bragg tell me about the initial qualifications and they sounded mentally and physically difficult.

Yup...that's why I find myself wondering how crazy I might be...I dunno...on the one hand, it's just a thought right now...the time to actually DECIDE will come later. And then yes, the real question will be how far I might or might not make it through the training. I have always been interested in that kind of stuff, but previously had the impression that there was NO chance if you were not a SUPER athlete. The one thing that appealed to me about SF was the emphasis toward going "downrange" to provide training to our allies overseas compared with "direct action" as done more specifically by the other "special" teams out there, which usually get's more of the fame and glory. Time will tell. For the moment, I am just kicking back for the most part! I mean, look how much I've been able to log on here and check things out (compared to the last two years)...but the Navy might find it inappropriate to let me have so much free time and put me back to work any moment now, but till then...
:cool:
 
Again, I know how you feel. Took a divorce, 2 other failed relationships, a career implosion AND a major health scare before I heard my "calling". Point is don't let your age hold you back if it's something you want badly enough.
 
UPDATE! Hmm, since 2008? Let's see, I left USS Ramage in Feb 2009, went for a little more Navy training in San Diego, and then I spent a year in Japan! I got remarried in July 2011, discharged from the Navy in August and ended up in Des Moines Iowa. Slacked off for a while, worked for the Des Moines VA hospital for 13 months, became a dad in June 2012. Right now, I am a prison guard (official title: correctional officer) for Iowa State Dept of Corrections. Could be better, could be worse. Just thought I'd get things caught up (although I don't get the chance to visit tb.com as much as I'd like to!!)
 
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