USO Canteen FReeper Style....Gunnery Mates....Thank You....June 26,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

USS Bulkeley

The primary job of the Gunnery Division is to maintain and operate all shipboard weapons systems.

Normal day to day tasks include ensuring all weapons systems are functioning properly and prepared for such evolutions as surface and air combat and exercises, as well as ensuring that the weapons are available for any law enforcement need. Gunnery Division is also responsible for providing small arms training to all Boarding Team Members.

Within Gunnery Division there are two different rates...Gunner's Mates (GM) and Fire Control Technicians (FT). Gunner's Mates primarily deal with the actual firing weapons and their associated ordnance while FT's primarily work with radar systems specifically designed for targeting and firing long range weapons.

Chief Gunner's Mate (SW) Virgil Kilpatrick, an instructor at Fleet Combat Training Center (FCTCLANT) Atlantic, has spent the last three years providing Sailors with skills he hoped they would never truly need -- operating and maintaining shipboard weapons systems in war.

Gunner's mates work in almost every kind of Navy environment: ship, shore, in the United States or overseas. Their work and specialties may involve indoor or outdoor situations, clean or dirty work, deck or shop, and any kind of climate or temperature. They work alone or with others, independently or closely supervised. Their work can be both mental and physical.

River Boat Gunnery Mate.......Vietnam

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the campaign against terrorism, training commands like FCTCLANT are at the ground floor of the battle.

Veteran Sailors like Kilpatrick are in classrooms, laboratories and simulators, arming their students with the tools to fight terror.

According to GM1(SW) George Cumings, careless safety procedure can be a gunner's mate's deadliest enemy.

"It is important to take your time and go through all your steps, whether you're operating the gun or performing maintenance," Cumings said. "If you don't, you can get yourself -- and your shipmates -- killed."

Technology has changed the face of naval training during the past two decades. For gunner's mates, computer literacy has become nearly as important as skill with a weapon.

"Gunner's mates do a lot more than just fire guns," said Kilpatrick, a 17-year Navy veteran. "It may not seem like a technical rating, but it is."

Battleship Iowa firing its guns on the starboard side. You can see it shoving the ship sideways thru the water. What power unleashed! For those who don't know about these guns (the 16 inchers) they can fire a shell weighing as much as a VW Beetle 30 miles thru the air with some accuracy. That is awesome! Of course, we no longer have these ships in our naval service. They have all been decommissioned and mothballed or disposed of in some other manner.

What They Do:

The duties performed by GMs include:
operating and maintaining guided missile launching systems, rocket launchers, gun mounts and other ordnance systems and equipment;

training and supervising crews in the use of all types of ordnance equipment, from large caliber guns and missile systems to small arms;

stowing, securing, requisitioning and reclassifying explosives:
operating and maintaining magazine flooding and sprinkling systems;

making mechanical, electrical and electronic casualty analysis using technical publications, circuit diagrams and blueprints;

repairing, maintaining, testing and calibrating ordnance equipment;
servicing hydraulic and pneumatic systems;

repairing, maintaining, testing and calibrating microprocessing equipment;
repairing damaged hydraulic sealing surfaces, mating areas and threads;

performing mechanical wire connections including soldering; operating and maintaining night optical devices;

operating optical scanning and marking devices to label, identify and report explosives' utilization/expenditure.

This 5"/62 caliber gun can be used to defend against ships or planes.

And this big ship has all the latest in weapons technology: Using the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, the ship's crew can launch up to 96 missiles, including Standard surface-to-air missiles, Tomahawk surface-to-surface missiles and VLA antisubmarine missiles--64 from the back of the ship or 32 from the front. USS Bulkeley is also equipped with two MK 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems and a 5"/62 caliber deck-mounted gun, which uses Extended Range Guided Munitions projectiles and looks like a machine gun on steroids. According to one crewman, the 5"/62 is so powerful that once when it was fired from the front of the ship, he could feel his pant legs shaking, even though he was standing at the stern.

USS Bulkeley's MK 41 Vertical Launching System fires a combination of Standard surface-to-air and Tomahawk surface-to-surface missiles.

There's a story about John Paul Jones' chief gunners mate. It was during the gore and thunder of that most historic battle. He was loading and firing cannon and carrying the wounded to the medical officer, cutting away the tangled rigging. And apparently in the midst of that first fight, John Paul Jones went below momentarily and changed into a new uniform. And as he emerged on deck a voice rang out through the smoke and fire -- it was the British captain asking, ``Have you struck your colors?'' And the gunners mate, sweat and blood dripping from his body, turned and saw Jones now in his fresh uniform reply: ``I have not yet begun to fight.'' And the gunners mate said, ``There's always somebody who didn't get the word.''

The challenge is great. Our Navy is meeting a heavier responsibility than we had in the sixties and meeting it with fewer ships. And that means the officers and crew of every vessel must work harder, carry a heavier load, and endure longer, more strenuous cruises.

Men and women on these and other ships are under great stress, handling advanced weapons systems and sophisticated equipment. And that's all the more reason to salute them after setting a new record for aircraft safety last year. Many who served could easily have better paying civilian jobs. Sailors on the carriers are away from their families 70 percent of the time; yet 60 percent of these fine young people reenlist.

In today's Navy, as with the other services, the Reserves are playing an increasingly important role. Who are they? Citizens concerned about the future of this country and determined to do their part. They share their time, energy, and talent to keep America strong, safe, and free.

[Jen]

Now, kneezles the operative word in that sentence is 'enjoy'. I would much rather hang out and cut up with my Canteen buds than have heated negative verbal exchanges with people.

[kneezles]

We are going to Northern Colorado to visit Sassy's parents. I make sure she gets there at least once a year, this year we will make it for Christmas too! Don't worry, we'll be on line there too! Her mother has high speed internet, so as soon as we get home Sassy will be hammering me to get us hooked up too!.

[Jen]

Shhhhhh. Let's not bring that up again.

[GatorGirl]

Yeah, we all have skeletons in our closets!! LOL!

[redhead]

My washer spit it out. Waaaaaaaaaaaay out! So there...

[SpookBrat]

Nice to have you back. You were missed. Are you working?

[GatorGirl]

That last one should have gone to you, too Bahbah. Pleased to meet ya.

[Pippin]

oops! Okay! That's all I'll say.

[GatorGirl]

Hi RA. Ever get out to Kitt Peak to stargaze from the top of that hill?

[Jen]

Did you see the JAG thread Bunny did last week?

[kneezles]

In all fairness, I really don't think that way. Stay at home wives work just as hard or harder than the husbands do, I do know that because before I married Sassy, I did it all.... for 20 years. I'm glad that she can stay at home because for the first time in her adult life, she doesn't have to work, and I'm glad for her!

[RadioAstronomer]

Thanks! :-) Yup, I am at work (all night)

[Pippin]

i'm glad you're here =^)

[GatorGirl]

Bahbah, I just peeked at your profile as well--seemed like the thing to do. My B.A. is in elementary education but I ended up a lawyer too!

[RadioAstronomer]

Never been to Kitt Peak. Would love too. I do have some of the original slides from the Palomar all sky survey done in the 50's though. :-)

[Jen]

That used to be true for me, until I found FR and started hanging out in the Canteen. But don't tell my honey... hehe

I am a student though! That takes up a lot of my time.

[GatorGirl]

No, I missed it--I was knocked out with strep throat. I was asleep by eight every night.

I'll have to go back to my pings and check it out.

Funny you bring that up, I have been considering going into the Reserves for a while with the JAG Corps. We didn't want to both be in because of the kids, but I'm still thinking seriously about it. I have to make up my mind soon--I'm nearing the age cutoff. And, I wouldn't be able to immediately outrank my hubby anymore--bummer! ;-0

Maybe I'll have to have a "chat" with you and LadyX so I can make up my mind!! GG

[4TheFlag]

Hey Everybody, LOONG day at the beast, this continued heat and drought is taking it's toll on the girl.

Doug and I working late to put new compressors in the a/c's that broke down today, all upstairs of course and no elevator, sigh......

We are full and can't block a room, so it has to be fixed...

No break in this heat expected in the forseeable future.Jeez, I thought I lived in South Dakota, not Arizona or Texas......

Hope everyone had a great day, you've been busy, God I'll never catch up....

And to those IDIOT judges out in homo town, I will say the Pledge of Allegiance to America, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE of MY CHOOSING, NOT YOURS, and you can shove your ruling up your asses sideways. I,, as many of my Brothers and Sisters sweat and bled for the Defense of this Country, and who the hell do you 3 people think you are to do this...you know where I stand.

[RadioAstronomer]

You have mail :-)

[GatorGirl]

I've spent some time there. Went to the UofA. Good school for astronomy--I only took Astronomy 101. It was quite the party class :-)