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.

[Johnny Gage]

Morning Ladies!

Three cheers for Gunner's Mates

I read in an old issue of Guns&Ammo that the equivalent accurancy of the Iowa's big guns is the same as something like a 30-06 shooting .001 Minute of angle at 200 yards.
(ie: 250 yd pattern at 34,000 yards proportioned down to 200yds)

All I can say.. Battleships ROCK!

Time Out: 09:22
KMG-365

[HiJinx]

Yay!! The Battle Wagons are back!
How's retired life treating you, aomagrat?

[tomkow6]

Actually, when I was in the Navy, I would have that, plus a bowl or two of cereal. I could PROBABLY put away a meal like that today, but would not be able to move for several hours.

[JustAmy]

GAMES FOR WHEN WE ARE OLDER

1. Sag, You're It.
2. Hide and go pee.
3. 20 Questions Shouted In Your Good Ear.
4. Kick the Bucket.
5. Red Rover, Red Rover, The Nurse Says Bend Over.
6. Musical recliners.
7. Simon Says Something Incoherent.
8. Pin The Toupee On The Bald Guy.

[tomkow6]

SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . having friends.
At age 16 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 20 success is . . . having sex.
At age 35 success is . . . having money.
At age 50 success is . . . having money.
At age 60 success is . . . having sex.
At age 70 success is . . . having a drivers license.
At age 75 success is . . . having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . not peeing in your pants.

[g'nad]

Are there bear where you hunt?

LOL! Funny you should mention that... I had a close encounter with a black bear this spring while turkey huntin'... seein' as I only had #5 shotshells and bears are protected on the base (translation; "if he's already eaten your leg you can shoot him") I crept back the way I came...real nonchalant like...

Question: Why do Alaskans file the front sight off of their .44 magnum revolvers?
Answer: So it doesn't hurt as bad when the grizzly shoves it up your bum...

[blackie]

Gunnery Mates...Bump !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Molon Labe !!

[g'nad]

G'mornin' Snow Bunny! Hope your having a wonderful day! You deserve it! Thanks!

[Valin]

The two servicemen are standing at the urinal, taking care of business. The Marine finishes, zips up, walks over to the sinks and proceeds to wash his hands. The Sailor finishes, buttons up, and proceeds to head for the door, when the Marine clears his throat and says: "In Marine boot-camp they taught us to always wash our hands after we urinate."
The Sailor looks at the Marine and says: "Oh really? In Navy boot-camp, they taught us not to p*ss on our hands."

Thanks go to, cuz_it_aint_their_money

[HiJinx]

Good'un, g'nad!

Now, for news from the Front...
We have contractor personnel working alongside soldiers in support of Operation Enduring Freedom maintaining computer software. We routinely support them from here in SE Arizona with care packages...to many of us, it doesn't seem like a really big deal. Well, in the weekly report from one of the unit Field Support Engineers comes this tidbit. It sorta hit home...I guess what we do really does matter!

"FSEs received a care package from (Company name/location)office. The box was filled with a lot of good gifts like Much needed drinking cups, and personal items as well as a reminder of the reason why we’re here; the American Flag. From all of the FSEs in (deployed location) to the folks at (Company name), Thanks!

[JustAmy]

I have posted silly jokes for the men at the canteen; now how about some flowers for the ladies?

[tomkow6]

One Sunday morning, the priest noticed that little Anthony was staring up at the large plaque in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it. The ten year old boy had been Staring at the plaque for some time, so the priest walked up, stood beside the boy, and said quietly,

"Good morning Anthony."

"Good morning father," replied the young man, still focused on the plaque.

"Father Murphy, what is this?" Anthony asked.

"Well, son it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service."

Soberly they stood together, staring at the large plaque.

Little Anthony's voice was barely audible when he asked, "Which service, the 9:00 or the 10:30?"

[JustAmy]

One day, three men were hiking and unexpectedly came upon a large raging, violent river. They needed to get to the other side, but had no idea of how to do so.
The first man prayed to God, saying, "Please God, give me the strength to cross this river." Poof!
God gave him big arms and strong legs, and he was able to swim across the river in about two hours, after almost drowning a couple of times.

Seeing this, the second man prayed to God, saying,"Please God, give me the strength ... and the tools to cross this river." Poof!
God gave him a rowboat and he was able to row across the river in about an hour, after almost capsizing the boat a couple of times.

The third man had seen how this worked out for the other two, so he also prayed to God saying, "Please God, give me the strength and the tools...and the intelligence... to cross this river." And poof!
God turned him into a woman. She looked at the map, hiked upstream a couple of hundred yards, then walked across the bridge.

[tomkow6]

In the beginning, God created earth and rested. Then God created man and rested. Then God created woman. Since then, neither God nor man has rested.

[Dubya]

Posted on Tue, Jun. 25, 2002



106-year-old veteran of World War I

The Associated Press





PLAINVIEW - Edward Mays Osborne, a World War I veteran who saw life in three centuries, has died. He was 106.


Mr. Osborne was born April 24, 1896, in the East Texas town of Pine Hill in Rusk County. He died Sunday at Covenant Hospital Plainview.


He joined the Army at age 21 and served in France in the 359th machine gun company, 90th division.


He spent 74 days on the front lines and was involved in the battles of St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne, the Plainview Daily Herald reported. He slept in a muddy trench in France the night before the Armistice was signed, on Nov. 11, 1918.


Mr. Osborne attend East Texas Baptist University, Baylor University and the University of Texas before going to work for Higginbotham-Bartlett Lumber Co. in 1923 in Stanton.


He moved to Plainview in 1925 and worked for the lumber company for almost 60 years before retiring as chairman of the board in 1983.


Mr. Osborne served on the Plainview City Council for 17 years and on the Wayland Baptist University board of trustees for 32 years. Last year, he received special recognition for 80 years as a Mason and member of the American Legion.


His wife, Frances, died in July 2001.


Survivors include six children, 16 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.


Services were scheduled for today at First Baptist Church in Plainview.

[SAMWolf]

Half buried in silt and encrusted with sponges and coral, the gun turret of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor sits on the bare Atlantic floor waiting for the modern Navy to rescue it off the coast of Hatteras, N.C., Monday, June 24, 2002. (AP Photo/Harbor Branch Oceanagraphic)

[JustAmy]

My Great Uncle, Harry, died several years ago but I would like to share his picture with you. I do not know when this was taken but sometime during WWI

[JustAmy]

By the way, at the time that picture in post #99 was taken, my Dad's family was in Jack County, Texas. My Grandfather and his brother (also my Dad) were born in Jack County.