Posted on 08/10/2006 4:29:32 PM PDT by SandRat
PAKTIKA PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN (NNS) -- Life has been full of surprises for Petty Officer Matthew P. Julian of Greece, Rochester, NY.
As a culinary specialist assigned to the submarine USS San Francisco, Julian didn’t expect the tour to include a rotation in the mountains of Afghanistan as an Individual Augmentee, pulled from his normal job to directly support Operation Enduring Freedom.
But despite being an IA deployed more than eight thousand feet above sea level and half a world away from his boat’s homeport of Bremerton Wash., Julian found that out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind. Julian was selected for the Command Advancement Program by Cdr. Dave Ogburn, the Commanding Officer of USS San Francisco, and on June 15 was promoted to Culinary Specialist Second-Class.
Learning of his CAP advancement, Julian said, “It is such an honor to be the only submariner CAP-ed in Afghanistan and recognized at such a high level. I am ecstatic about the promotion to Petty Officer Second Class and am grateful for the crew of the USS San Francisco.”
“When we sat down and reviewed his performance onboard, we saw that he was the right choice,” said Ogburn. “He is a Sailor who takes responsibility and takes charge. When I talked with Cdr. Varney in Afghanistan, that confirmed his performance is continuing out there.”
Cdr. Michael Varney, the commanding officer of the Sharana Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan, performed the ceremony and pinned on Julian’s second-class petty-officer crows.
“I think it is fantastic that the San Francisco recognized the importance of the job Petty Officer Julian is doing for his country, a job completely outside a normal submariner’s lane,” Varney said. “That the San Francisco commanding officer is willing to use a CAP-in-absentia sends a strong message to the rest of the force and the Navy, the importance of the Navy’s support to OEF.”
Each Afghan PRT works directly with a province, mentoring and assisting its relationships with towns and villages and with the national government. Currently 6 of the 12 US-led Afghan PRTs are commanded by Navy officers and populated largely by Sailors. Nine other Afghan PRTs are led by the international community.
Julian is the first Sailor to be meritoriously promoted through the Command Advancement Program while serving in a boots-on-the-ground billet away from his home ship. However, fifty Sailors have been meritoriously promoted under the Combat Meritorious Advancement Program for their leadership and heroism during combat, a program that began in August 2005.
At a recent all hands call with Sailors stationed at NAS Whidbey Island, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen said he wanted all Navy leaders to make sure good performance as an IA was properly reflected and recognized in a Sailor's career.
"This is very vital work our IA's are doing at an incredibly critical time in our nation's history, and I am committed to making sure the Navy gets it right when it comes to recognizing that fact," said Mullen.
A Navy Task Force is actively reviewing many elements of the augmentation process, including how to best take care of Sailors and their families. The goal is to ensure that serving in an IA billet provides Sailors with valuable experience that helps broaden and further their careers. Some options being looked at include follow on assignment options (selecting which coast) and providing precept language to boards to account for the deployed time.
Sailors who would like to serve in an augmented billet can indicate their desire through the Navy Knowledge Online website at https://www.nko.navy.mil, and should contact their chain of command.
Crows are for Airedales.
Navy bump!
You are correct.
BZ to Petty Officer Julian.
If he gave that up to go to Afghanistan he must have really want to go.
His performance, attitude and working at a job "outside the box" made him deserving of the promotion. It's also tough to study for and take the exams from his location. There's not a whole lot more to do off duty on a sub, might as well study for PO2.
This guy has a great CO.
The significance of this promotion is that Navy enlisted advancement is typically through a combination of scoring on fleetwide exams, performance reviews and seniority in grade (or, it was when I served, about a hundred years ago).
BZ to the the hash burner, I guess. I should point out a skipper generally gets a quota of CAPs he can do after a deployment.
Except the Navy doesn't have a Combat Infantry Badge.
He is TAD to a shore unit -- no sea pay unless AT SEA.
Usually, a submarine chef does not need to break out the "high-altitude" versions of the "official naval cook book...."
(Lone Palm wonders what the "official naval cook book" really has it it ,,,)
The Navy maintains all the recipe cards for all the services. He would have been issued the appropriate cards for wherever he was to be deployed to. If he was augmenting another service unit, that unit would have already been issued the appropriate cards.
You can always improvise as 'local' ingredients become available.
'La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.' - Auguste Escoffier
(Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Cooks aren't generally smart enough to operate a book. Recipes are printed on index cards instead.
Yes I know. It was a bit of humor.
But I think he would deserve one.
Perhaps the Army could find a way to give him one.
They have been putting guys like the Air Force FACs in for the new Combat Action Badge, so that might be a possibility.
Yes. Used to be MS or "Mess Specialist." It was changed a couple of years ago.
BTW, Navy chow is outstanding! Good food is a tremendous morale booster. These guys work their tails off to feed us. I've eaten more meals on a carrier than I can count and I've never found one to be unpalatable. A lot of the younger guys might complain (they're used to McDonald's) but I always remind them that there is a Marine in a foxhole somewhere who would gladly trade his MRE for some hot Navy chow.
Some of the food I've had on carriers rivals that of a nice restauraunt. I've never eaten on a submarine but rumor has it that they have the best food.
On a carrier, the Chief's mess serves the best food. Why? Because Chiefs run the Navy! The E-6 and below comes in second. The officers' mess is not so good (believe it or not). But it is still pretty darn good!
We eat steaks, lobsters and crab legs at least once every two weeks.
BZ Shipmate
I can imagine Petty Officer Matthew P. Julian sea story in the future.
"This is no s***, there I was in Afghanistan...
outstanding, bet he got a few second looks with Dolphins on his cammies *L*
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