[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 30 The preflight brief consists mostly of what to do A) to stave off disaster, and B) if disaster strikes. Put on fire retardant jumpsuit, PFD, Kevlar vest, helmet and steel-toed boots, the collective weight of which if we do go into the drink ought to take me right…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 28 Chances are you go to work in the morning at 8am and knock off at 5pm, with an hour off for lunch. The Coast Guard stands watches. We stand watches on the bridge as OOD (Officer of the Deck), QMOW (Quartermaster of the Watch), BMOW (Bosun Mate of…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 27 Yesterday I had lunch in the Chiefs’ Mess, and for the first time in two patrols learned that the Chiefs’ have their own motto: Ask the Chiefs. One of the first things the Captain told me was that the Coast Guard lives and dies with its Chiefs, and…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 26 Wednesday after lunch LTJG Josh DiPietro’s voice came over the pipe to announce General Quarters Condition 1 on station training. “Do not set material condition Zebra. Everyone report to your GQ billet and dress out.” This drill marked the last drill where the training teams can offer instruction.…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 25 At 0900 this morning Munro’s LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) ENS Dan Schrader pipes boarding team members to the hangar deck for LE training. Today, it’s wrist restraints, or handcuffing with the detainee on his knees. First Dan walks them through it, reading the procedure from the instruction manual…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 24 “I don’t ask my people to do anything I wouldn’t do,” Chief Greg Colvin says. There is a pronounced twinkle in his eye, but on the evidence I have to say he means it. Greg is Munro’s GMC (Gunners Mate Chief) and he was preparing to run a…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 23 One day I was in the wardroom and PO Karl Griffin and YN3 Dottie Davies were taking their basic DC PQS test. I asked Karl how he thought he did. “I think I missed three,” he said. Afterward, ENS Greg Vera went over their tests with them and…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 22 Friday night, between the blog and prepping for my underway writers’ workshop, I worked through dinner, Mexican Carne Asada, the gift of FS2 Lee Schob’s genius in the galley. Naturally, since I missed it, the next day everyone says it’s the best meal we’ve had afloat. Chief Luke…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 21 The night I had my tac epiphany I also ran into MK1 Dan Thorpe, our FOWK (Fuel Oil and Water King, still my favorite underway job title) and MK3 Barry Lawson doing one of their daily soundings. We were shifting fuel between tanks in anticipation of refueling, and…
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007] April 20 He started out in the Air Force as a nuclear weapons specialist. Not that much of a segue to corpsman on Munro, is it? HSC Gene “Papa Doc” Mason joined the Coast Guard in 1993. He didn’t start out wanting to be a corpsman, he was more eclectic…