Well, I am aboard my new ship in San Diego. It certainly has been some time since I’ve written a post about myself and what I have been up to.  The last month has been pretty hectic being on my new ship, and the two months prior to that, not really much going on to write about.  When I left Japan, I mentioned that I would be on leave, then to GCCS school before I arrived.  Now that I am here, and been on board my new ship for a little over a month, I can elaborate on how things are here and how they compare to how it was in Japan.

First is the GCCS school, which I did in Virginia Beach, VA prior to arriving here.  The class wasn’t all that bad and I learned a whole lot that I took for granted when I was on my last ship.  Obviously without this school, it is a bit more difficult to comprehend what was going on, but I can say I could have done a bit more to learn the system while I was there and help out as much as I could before I rolled out.  It wasn’t a difficult class, and the system itself can run smooth, but from my memory in Japan, the main problem lied with the user more than the administrator, and that was confirmed when I took the class.  My ship doesn’t have the upgraded version for what I went to school for, but I already know that no matter how smooth the upgrade goes here, it is up to the users to be able to use the system properly and that a reboot isn’t always the answer, though in some cases it could possibly be.

So I’ve been in San Diego now for a month, and comparing ship to ship, where I am now is a whole lot better than where I was before, but as far as where I was at, Japan was the greatest place ever and I miss it like crazy.  I get along with my chain of command a whole lot better, and the op-tempo is a whole lot more relaxed, but I miss getting off of work, heading outside of the main gate and rolling into the Honch.  Here, you have to drive to get to where you want to go, or taxi, and unless you can walk to your residence, you have to cab it.  Like anywhere, DUIs are career killers, and unfortunately, are a lot more common in the states.

I did get to experience a very brief underway with the ship to Seal Beach, but I did demonstrate my tech control abilities and surprisingly enough was accepted amongst the crew.  My division lacks in experience when it comes to tech control, and since before I left Japan, I made sure I knew as much about tech control that I could take some of the load for the guys.  The first day I checked on board, everyone referred to me as the tech control guy; I guess it really was that bad.  Maybe because being of being out at sea so much, the ADP guys had more opportunities to learn the tech control side.  Too bad I can’t say the same for the tech control guys learning ADP while in port.  Also, with the exception of my Chief, no one had been stationed in the FDNF, so when we get off by 3, complaints of being let out late come up.  Oh, if they only knew.  My Chief and I just shake our heads and chuckle.

The biggest thing that I’ve honestly been missing is being out to sea.  My ship is currently in the yards and won’t get out to sea until towards the end of the year for sea trials.  I hate to admit this, but being out at sea at least gave me a purpose of doing my job, and just sitting in the yards doesn’t do much for me.  What worries me the most is my tech control knowledge, and how much of it I will remember when I go out to sea.  Some of the equipment in the shop I hadn’t had a chance to learn as far as tech control goes and I want to get my hands on them, but can’t while in dry dock.  Never thought I’d see myself saying how much I miss being out at sea.  Guess you just get used to it.

Well, I have bigger news for my  next blog, but didn’t want to reveal it just yet, but when I get close to finishing up paperwork for what I am doing next, I’ll be sure to give the full spill.

Hope people still read my blog since it’s been so long since I’ve written anything.

Well, it is official.  I am off my ship and now out of Japan.  I’ve been waiting for this day for quite a long time and now that it has come, well, I feel how I thought I would.  I do miss Japan, but a sense of relief is on me knowing that it will be a long time before I work for some of the people I did.

It has been almost a week since I detached, but surprisingly enough, I was put into an interesting situation when I did walk off the brow.  I got a ride from one of the ITs down to TPU to get checked in since I was no longer attached, and my flight wasn’t until the following week, so why waste those leave days doing nothing?  When I got there, the MM2 at the door told me that I could only stay there if the ship was underway, while having a big smirk on his face.  I guess he thought this was humorous.  Anyways, I stayed at another friends house for the day to find a way to get things settled so I had somewhere to stay.  We tried the BOQ which told us we could only get a room if TPU was full, which it never is.  They also told us that because I was detached that TPU should take me because I am not attached to any ships out here and I am PCSing.  We then went back to TPU to talk with the BOQ so they can get this whole policy straightened out.  This time, we had an SHSN at the desk who looked a lot more eager to help me out than the MM2.  He talked to a CS2, who happened to be the husband of a CS1 on my ship who just said, “fuck it,” and got me into TPU.  6 days with out being charged leave and not having to be on a ship.  With the exception of the weekend I got while I was there, I did have to clean for a few days, but ultimately it was a lot worth it getting out at 1500 everyday.

I am now home in California on leave finally.  Next thing officially scheduled is my trip to Dam Neck, Virginia for my GCCS school.  Though I miss Japan, it got the last laugh.  It might have been something I ate, but I had not felt that sick in a very long time, plane ride and all.

I am officially on my last month here. I have my TIS completed, my itinerary in hand, and I am ready to roll. Unfortunately my CoC doesn’t realize that I am ready to get out of here. I am still getting the taskings that would be given to someone who will be around for a while. I am not saying that I should not be doing anything at all, but at least less big stuff and more mediocre, bull shit jobs like cleaning. I will clean everything for days until I leave, but it’s not going to fly.

I still have collateral’s that I haven’t turned over completely, mainly because we are underway and all the new people are on the mid-watch and all the senior people on days. When I say new, I’m not talking about seamen, I mean people who just checked in who will be here for a while.  Well, I can’t say that we don’t have one new person on the day watch, because we do have one new person, but I don’t believe that person is motivated enough to take in the information and move on with it.   The others, I would sit with them for hours to go over the things I know because I know they appear motivated to know their job.   Those who have been here for some time, well they already have enough work for themselves and giving those more to do will hurt more than do good.

I am currently on my last underway with this ship and my flight isn’t until after the ship gets underway again.  That means I will be staying at TPU for a few days and don’t have to worry about going to the ship every night.  Also, I get to miss out on 2 certifications that will go on just after I leave.  I did both of them when I first got here and they were a pain in the ass then, and they are already a pain in the ass now.

I am still very nervous about going to my new command.  I am excited that I am leaving this place, but to beat a dead horse, I really am going to miss the people that I’ve known that I won’t be able to hang out with anymore, unless they get orders to San Diego.  It will definitely feel weird walking through being the stranger of the ship.  I will once again be the new guy of the ship, but I think things will be a bit better coming in as an E-5 vice E-2 like I did when I first got here.  Plus, I got my pin, and I am going to another ship of the same class, so I won’t have to requal.

What awaits on the other side of the Pacific Ocean will be a major change for me, though I am from Southern California area.  It won’t take long for me to adapt, and I hope it comes quick.  The last thing I want to do is sulk because of the fact that I am gone.  Leaving Japan will take some time to get used to, but leaving this ship, not so much!

I now have less than 3 months left aboard and I am anticipating the day when I can finally check off this ship for good. Though I have had a rough time while here, I know that leaving I have experienced a lot of great things and accomplished a lot being an IT.

At the end of March I will be transferring out of Yokosuka, Japan and will be heading home to Buena Park, California for 30 days of R&R.  From there, I will be heading down to Virginia Beach, Virginia for a 26 day school for a system I dreaded since the day I heard of it.  Originally I was to go to GCCS-M 3.x and take leave, but my orders were modified and I will be going for 4.x.  Those who don’t know what the X stands for, it is for Xtra Shitty – Thanks Pip for the run down!  The upside of this is that I will be near New Jersey for Bamboozle.  Bayside will be playing there and when I saw them in February last year, it blew my mind and couldn’t wait to see them again.  I get my chance in May, so Jersey here I come!  After that, I will head down to San Diego for my ultimate duty station and be there for just over a year.  I will be able to drive and live in a house, things will be looking up for me back in the great state of California.  Since I will be there for only a year, months after reporting I will be in my window once again to decide where I go next.  This time I will be eligible for shore duty which means no going out to sea for me!

Re-enlistment sounds like an option at this point because how shitty the economy is so might as well stay here with guaranteed job security.  The debate I have is where to go next?  Two options have rolled through my mind; stay in San Diego for shore duty or go back to Yokosuka and get to enjoy everyday knowing that I won’t be going out to sea!  I’ve mentioned this plan to one person already and they were not very happy with that.  I know that I have protested how much I miss my family being out here, but I think my anger was mainly directed towards the ship and people I see and work with everyday.  The schedule is pretty shitty too, but when we get ports, I rarely have a disappointing time, but going around in circles for at least a week, I think we can do better with our time like enjoy it in one of the neighboring countries.  I understand that we have a mission, but doing exercises over and over again does get overdrawn and probably makes things worse for us in the end.  Everyone is capable of defending the ship and our country if it ever came to that, but breaks in between do help build the morale of the crew and makes us want to do a better job at it knowing the rewards accompanying it.  If passing an inspection meant Thailand, you know I’d put my blood and sweat into it.  That doesn’t happen though because just before a port visit, and exercise slips in and it is crucial that we participate so we know what we are doing, so why bother.

Can’t believe it is my turn in line to roll out from this ship.  With all the BMD missions, the carrier and dual carrier operations and to top it off, and complete network upgrade, I think I’ve done pretty well for myself by not blowing my brains out being here.  When it is all said and done, I know I’ll miss this place, not so much the people but definitely Japan.

Recently, in the city of Oakland, Oscar Grant was killed outside a train station by an officer which has lead to riots in the city. To shed a little light on why this led to protest and a riot was because this man was black.  Not to be racist, but I think everyone can agree that had this been any other race, more than likely it would not have led to a riot especially since the black community is the majority ethnicity in the city.  None the less, these people have the right to be outraged but at no point can a riot be justified, especially in the United States which I have voluntarily signed up to support and defend so that they have their rights to protest and be outraged.  As someone who is a resident of the state, I have to voice my opinion to those who are outraged with this atrocity.

From Mercury News.com:

At least 105 people were arrested for a variety of offenses Wednesday night. Police said charges for those arrested included assault on a police officer, looting, vandalism and arson. Some of those detained were found to have drugs, which added another count to the charges.

Angry about the New Year’s Day shooting by a BART police officer, protesters smashed businesses and set fires in downtown Oakland, and confronted Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums on the steps of city hall.

Oakland police beefed up their presence on the streets Thursday morning, with officers in riot gear patrolling the streets as they anticipated more protests. Businesses downtown were cleaning up, dealing with the aftermath of smashed windows and cars.

I am outraged by the way the people of Oakland protested towards this, if this could ever be called a protest.  This is the kind of behavior you would see on the news when reporting violence that occurs in the Middle East.  Those who were involved reduced themselves to the thinking that terrorists do to gain support for the wrong-doings that occur in their countries.

I understand that this shooting was a tragedy, but at no point should violence come across the minds of the American people and shows how weak and pathetic the people of Oakland really are.  Watching the O’Reilly Factor, the city of Oakland isn’t so innocent when it comes to crime.  I read the Morgan Quitno statistics for Oakland, which rates the safest and dangerous cities in the country, and Oakland is the 5th most dangerous for 2008.  How dare you riot and protest those who are there to protect and serve.  Crimes are committed against the innocent to make you the 5th dangerous city in the country and you riot for this?  Protest over the crime rate and make every effort to make your city more livable.

The city of Oakland is a disgrace to the state of California and I am appalled by your actions.

I finally got orders, and they are to San Diego.  I will be detaching this command early next year and will be off to school, then to my new command.  When I received notification that I was denied orders, and asked if they denied all of my requests, I was told yes.  With that, I was requested to call to negotiate orders and I told them what I wanted, a ship in San Diego.  Only three ships were available and two of them were big decks, which I told myself in the beginning that I was going to stay away from those.  My last option was a small boy that I am used to and I got verbal approval of the offer.

Now I must wait for the paper copy to roll into message traffic so that I can figure out when and how I am going to get out of this place.  I have been out here for over 2 1/2 years and it got really old quick.  I guess as people left and new people rolled in, it was different adapting to however they did work.  I was really used to how things went in the beginning, and when a change of command occured, things just went crazy with their policies and way to  conduct business.  Now I am going to a new command and being in the FDNF, I am used to how I do business and going to a ship that spends a lot more time inport than I am used to.  The second we get underway I have high expectations only because that is what the FDNF has taught me.

I will do my best not to be that guy no one wants to work with because I want work to get done and will be an asshole to make sure it gets done, but the Navy is Navy, and I will bring the FDNF standards to San Diego, the useful ones anyways.  And, I don’t mind being corrected, especially being in an area where things are done completely different than what is expected in the FDNF.  Hopefully I will get Workcenter Supervisor and CSTT while I am there, since I am not getting it here.

I can finally be with my family again and spend a lot more time with my Dad like I used to.  I will definately miss Japan and the good times I had.  One thing I can expect is a lot of my friends from here will be in San Diego, so I won’t miss things too much.  I am ready to start over yet pick up where I left off! San Diego here I come!

I am in my fourth and last cycle for negotiating orders of where I want to transfer to after Japan.  This cycle there are absolutely no orders that I am willing to take because either the NEC is not what I want or the location is other than San Diego. 

Why these to things matter to me is because I already have the NEC 2735, Network Admin and I am good at it.  The only NECs listed for San Diego are for systems like GCCS-M or SNAP III, that do nothing but make me the SME in one area and gives everyone the excuse to pass work on to me.  I am not going to be the only one who knows how to fix GCCS everytime an OS can’t establish a connection or run backups for NTCSS for my whole tour.  I do still have sea time left, so no matter what I am going to a ship, but what I am trying to do is keep from getting the bullshit work that I know I would reporting to a new command  with these NECs.  I am content with the work I have already.

Also, I am from California and that is where my family is at. A few months ago there was a tragedy and I was no where around when it happened. I found out after it had already occured and had to wait three days before I could be flown back home. My family needs me now more than ever and San Diego is the closest place to home.

My options have been narrowed down to not selecting orders and see if they’ll give me an opportunty to get orders next month, or go IA.  I don’t think that anyone in my chain of command or detailer would approve of me not putting in for orders.  I’ve emailed my detailer about going IA to see if I can negotiate what I want for my return.  Hopefully we can work something out and I am back home with my family doing work I am already good at, because that is all I want

Being in Japan has made me quite homesick.  Actually, I’ve been homesick since I left the US to be stationed out in here and everyday closer to leaving builds my anticipation to one day wake up for work to look out the window and see the California sun.  Maybe I am late on this feature, but Google Maps offers a Street View version of your destination, and as the feature explains it, you get a view from the street level and a full 360 degree view of everything around.  Not every location has been mapped out, but a good majority of what I searched was able to come up with images of the surrounding location.

Well the first thing I decided to look up was pretty obvious.  I searched home and surely enough, I got a picture of the front porch.  Now it only shows you what is on the street, and does not take you into your home, because that would be an invasion of privacy.  As much as it sucks to know that I have a long time before I can be standing on that porch, it’s good to know that the next time I am home sick, I just have to search for it and places around to feel as if I am there already.

No matter what though, nothing can compare to images than the physical ability to be at any location.  At least I have something that helps dealing with not being at home.  Maybe other Sailors that are homesick can use this to help them out as well, to view home with out having to be there.