TOM CAT 255 Pre Purchase Inquiry
- Thread starter Dolfun
- Start date
Whew! Expanding on here is tough. Too many USN and USMC Brats still can use slingshots. 37 years in the USN - enlisted as a radioman and electronic tech, then flight school. Chief Aviation Pilot with temporary commission during WWII as a torpedo bomber pilot flying off carriers against Japan. (wouldn't recommend that as a career). Last war was Viet Nam... didn't like that one either. Many years flying off carriers as pilot and squadron commander, 6 years with Strategic Air Command as pilot and radar navigator of B47 and B52 aircraft. Landing signal officer (LSO) USS Leyte, USS F D Roosevelt, USS Monterey, USS Midway, etc. (Long list).
List is too long of duty assignments aboard many different carriers (qualified officer of the deck underway on all), most interesting probably were as officer in charge of combat control center (the radar heart of the carrier), operations officer (3rd in command), and commanding officer (where there's no place to hide). With up to 5,000 people aboard, managing the floating city is a full time job -- but you are also running a 24 hour a day airport, and driving a big C-Dory around.
So enough already!! Didn't mean to write a book.
Dusty
List is too long of duty assignments aboard many different carriers (qualified officer of the deck underway on all), most interesting probably were as officer in charge of combat control center (the radar heart of the carrier), operations officer (3rd in command), and commanding officer (where there's no place to hide). With up to 5,000 people aboard, managing the floating city is a full time job -- but you are also running a 24 hour a day airport, and driving a big C-Dory around.
So enough already!! Didn't mean to write a book.
Dusty
Times have changed! A radioman used to sit at a desk and send and receive code... a tech repaired stuff. In the old days a radioman could do both -- they sent me to an electronic tech school, and I could work on the equipment. Now, each specializes in his particular field.
It would take pages to detail an ops officer's job. The CO and ops guy are normally the only ones who control the ship during critical operations, such as when alongside an oiler or replenishment ship, anchoring, coming alonside a pier, etc. The ops officer trains all of the other officers on ship handling, maneuvering for rescue operations, station keeping in the formation, and on, and on, and on. Ops and his divisions control all air operations except those on the flight and hangar decks... whew! Hard to get this old white head back that far.
Gotta remember -- I'm an old guy and there have been a lot of changes made. I don't like to get singled out, because I was just one of hundreds of thousands of up front guys on the sharp edge. Very fortunate to be the only survivor of my original squadron. :thup And I love my C-Dory.
Dusty
It would take pages to detail an ops officer's job. The CO and ops guy are normally the only ones who control the ship during critical operations, such as when alongside an oiler or replenishment ship, anchoring, coming alonside a pier, etc. The ops officer trains all of the other officers on ship handling, maneuvering for rescue operations, station keeping in the formation, and on, and on, and on. Ops and his divisions control all air operations except those on the flight and hangar decks... whew! Hard to get this old white head back that far.
Gotta remember -- I'm an old guy and there have been a lot of changes made. I don't like to get singled out, because I was just one of hundreds of thousands of up front guys on the sharp edge. Very fortunate to be the only survivor of my original squadron. :thup And I love my C-Dory.
Dusty
Captains Cat
New member
Right on Dusty! :thup Great thoughts. And I used to be an ETN (that was an Electronics Technician Communications as opposed to an ETR which was an Electronics Technician Radar).
We've lost a lot of Rates (that was the term for what people did, not what level they were at). For example, a BT3 was a third class Boiler Technician, a BT2 was a second class. The BT is gone because the boilers are gone, all the ships are either diesel or gas turbine now. the new Rates are GTE (Gas Turbine Electrical) or GTM (Gas Turbine Mechnical) depending on what part of the gas turbine they service or specialize in.
The cooks are gone, replaced by Food Servicemen.
They used to have the PT rate. They were Pigeon Trainers (the early radiomen) :bat (sorry they don't have Pigeon emoticons)
On and on and on. The Navy is changing, just like the world! Sometimes for the better (IMHO :thup ) sometimes not
. Just depends on how you look at it.
It's still the best Navy in the world, and with folks like we got now and have had in the past, always will be!!! :love
Charlie
We've lost a lot of Rates (that was the term for what people did, not what level they were at). For example, a BT3 was a third class Boiler Technician, a BT2 was a second class. The BT is gone because the boilers are gone, all the ships are either diesel or gas turbine now. the new Rates are GTE (Gas Turbine Electrical) or GTM (Gas Turbine Mechnical) depending on what part of the gas turbine they service or specialize in.
The cooks are gone, replaced by Food Servicemen.
They used to have the PT rate. They were Pigeon Trainers (the early radiomen) :bat (sorry they don't have Pigeon emoticons)
On and on and on. The Navy is changing, just like the world! Sometimes for the better (IMHO :thup ) sometimes not
. Just depends on how you look at it.It's still the best Navy in the world, and with folks like we got now and have had in the past, always will be!!! :love
Charlie