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.

[Snow Bunny]

You two for sure.

[MistyCA]

Wow! I just saw your profile page and I have something to say....Wow! :) Your tribute to our country and your dedication to conservative principles is very impressive. Many of my family live in Canada. It goes back a few generations to the early part of the Century. My grandfather and his brother came to America from Norway. My grandfather settled in Wisconsin. His brother continued on to Canada where he settled. My grandfather was killed in a lumber accident when he was young and the families lost their contact. This year my Canadian relatives came to visit me for the first time ever. We simply didn't know anything about each other until curiousity in genealogy caused the connection to be pursued. I am, of course, thrilled!

You have reached out and offered your emotional support to the US and I hope you are always welcomed with the same grace with which you have extended your hand to us. Thanks for being here. Thanks for taking the time to be acquainted with us. :)))

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

I added this Gunners Mate thread to my FReeper Profile bookmarks!

[Snow Bunny]

Goodnight Spookie, sweet dreams my friend.I loved the Galatians today.

[Victoria Delsoul]

OK, are you both ready?

[Sir Gawain]

:-)~

[SAMWolf]

Oh No! Not the stick!

[MistyCA]

Oh my......I have my nose in these boxes over here...sorting and throwing, etc. I am soooo far behind in the thread I don't know if I can possibly catch up! And you are probably gone anyhow.....everyone will be asleep by the time I get to the end! :) Oh well.........

[Snow Bunny]

Love this graphic! The U.S.15's of the Airforce in Alaska.

[Snow Bunny]

Misty is here...yipeeeeeee........Let me help you box things up.

[Snow Bunny]

I see you..heh heh...

This is so interesting about the USS Oregon City.

It means a lot to me. FallGuy and I are going to be moving to Oregon one day.

[Victoria Delsoul]

OK, we can always try something different.

How about the brush… or the lolli

[SAMWolf]

I'll take the Lollie. Thank you.

[MistyCA]

You deserve a proper welcome! :))))

And I want to extend this welcome to all the lurkers and new posters who I have missed during my box packing fiasco! ;)

[Snow Bunny]

OH wow you did? ( big smile). Tonkin, I was so worried not to do it justice. When it comes time for me to click on the POST button of the thread I always worry it is not good enough. giggle....no matter how many threads I do.

Thank you Tonkin.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Good choice, LOL!

[MistyCA]

Hi Bunny! Man, I am currently sorting through my mom's stuff and trying to make sense out of the boxes of pictures she has pulled apart! This is such a horrendous undertaking! I am literally buried in boxes and #### (whatever you want to call it!) :))))

[MistyCA]

LOL....those graphics make my laugh! :) I needed that! :)))

[Sir Gawain]

I was born ready.

[Snow Bunny]

That is a beautiful Welcome Misty!!!