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 swear I can’t stand this place, and whats becoming of me the longer I have to stay, I want to think all unthinkable  things and say what I shouldn’t say, I need a change,” A Call To Arms by Bayside.

March 20^th will be my official detaching day onboard my ship, though I do not fly out until the 26^th via MAC flight. The same day I detach will also be my last hoorah out in the Honch. I still need to sort out the details with Admin to find out if they will put me in TPU because I don’t fly out until the next week, or have to stay at a friends’ house. I really didn’t want to leave until the 23^rd for reason that I can not say, but unfortunately if I did do that, I would have to stand my last duty day on the 20^th.

At most normal commands, you would think that your CoC would do something appreciative like give you your last duty day off in regards to all the hard work you’ve done for the last 3 years, but instead I got something like, “we don’t believe in a last duty day off.” The last IT who tried to request a last duty day off was eventually yelled at because he didn’t feel he should route it to the Captain because anything given to the Captain, according to the command, you are to utilize the CoC for anything routed, especially when it will require the CO’s approval. Because my CoC doesn’t believe in it, they will not route it, and instead requested that I route a leave chit for that day. That becomes pointless since I would have to route it for the whole weekend since it begins on a Friday and my leave would start that Monday anyways, so that makes no sense. I just said fuck it and will detach as normal.

This goes to show how much my command cares about the morale and quality of life of its crew.  I will live on the streets than have to take any extra days on this ship. Only a few weeks left; that’s all I have to say about that!

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.

Yes, I have my exact dates of arrival to not just to my next command, but to an intermediate stop in between for school.  I will be detaching this place and making a stop in Virginia for school for a good month.  As much as I dislike the east coast, I wont mind a month out there because I will at least get to see places like Washington DC.  Baseball season will also have already started so maybe a stop in Boston to see the Red Sox game.  At no point under my own free will would I ever go to Virginia, but since the Navy is making me go for a month, might as well make the best of it and go to places I would never want to make a living in.

I am going to another ship, but because I am coming from the FDNF, and only have a year of sea duty left for my rotation, I only will be at my command for a year.  Three months on board and I will already be up for orders and I will do my shore duty.  Still not sure what I plan on doing because I will only have a year left before my EAOS when I go to shore duty.  I plan on staying in California for shore, and if I do re-enlist, it would be for 3 years and only if they let me extend on shore for a year and do 4 years shore.  If that is a possibility, then when I complete my shore duty I will not go out to sea again and put in for separation.

We’ll see what the future has in store, but for now let the count down begin for when I leave this place!

I made it to the Philippines and was able to stay the whole time. Earlier this year we made a stop in the PI, but do to an emergency back home, I was flown out and though I had one day to enjoy it, I decided to stay on the boat. This time, all was well at home, and I had a blast, especially having a Filipino liberty buddy to get us to where the fun was at.

Also, I went to Hong Kong for the fourth and, I believe, the last time. Of the four times I’ve visited the HK, I never had a bad time and I will certainly miss going out there. Each time I visited there, I went out with a different group, and new memories were created. Will I ever take my own trip out there? I highly doubt it because the only thing that makes it great is being there with those who truly know how to appreciate it, and those people are Sailors. The best part of it is walking down the street and seeing your buddies holding hands with girls they just met and seeing there face light up with the “this isn’t what it seems” expression.

I am not sure whether or not these are my last port calls for this ship, but either way the ports I have visited were all enjoyable. There were two or three ports that you had to dig deep to have a good time, but I made the best of them.

Port Call List:
Hong Kong – 4 Times
Sasebo , JA – 3 Times
Guam – 2 Times
Pusan, ROK – 2 Times
Brisbane, Aus – 1 Time
Laem Chabang, Thailand – 1 Time
Manilla, PHI – 1 Time
Cebu, PHI – 1 Time
Chinhae, ROK – 1 Time
Saipan – 1 Time
Maizuru, JA – 1 Time
Kure, JA – 1 Time
Nagoya, JA – 1 Time
Okinawa, JA – 1 Time

I never realized it until making this list, but I have been to a lot of places, and for each one I can think of something memorable about it, even places I’ve been to more than once. Guess you never realize where you’ve been until you look back, and I will miss the good times I’ve had.  We’ll see where San Diego takes me to next.

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 finally finished watching the T.V. mini-series Carrier.  From May to November 2005, the USS Nimitz went on deployment to the Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  With them came a camera crew from PBS that followed the crew around to see how life really was like in the Navy.  My review of it is mixed because sometimes through the documentary I was like, yeah that’s how life is and at points I felt that people conducted themselves in a manner to sugarcoat or exaggerate situations because it was going to be on T.V. I will do my best not to spoil the show for those who haven’t seen it.

When the USS Nimitz first gets underway, they had the crew man the rails. Not to say that manning the rails is not something a ship should do when it goes on a six month deployment to the Middle East, but I’ve asked a few people who have been on carriers and even at heated points in the war, none of them left port manning the rails. Then again, when I started watching the show, I nit picked at everything just to find something wrong.  I didn’t want it to give the wrong perspective of how things are conducted in the Navy.  Pulling into ports, though, I fully understand manning the rails.

It appears that to others who have watched the program that the CMC would appear to be Joe Navy. He was that squared away guy who went around making sure that everyone else was squared away. I did see the Joe Navy in him, but at the same time I thought he was micromanaging his crew. Whenever the camera was focusing on the CMC, it was because he was around asking people why they are jacked up, or asking the senior person why their people are jacked up. Each time he did this, it was preceded by the word “shipmate.” One scene that really caught my attention was when he found a Sailor in one of the spaces. He proceeded to call him shipmate and asked him what color liberty card he had. He told CMC that he was a white card. After that the CMC asked him his name then told him that he needs to square himself away and get his blue card.  He didn’t even know the guy and assumed he was jacked up, and for all we know the guy just checked aboard to the command and was doing something that he wasn’t familiar with, but appeard as if he was goofing around.  I understand that its crew is 5000+, but before you grill someone, you should at least find out who the Sailor is, then question them before accusing them guilty.  I wrote a previous post about the word Shipmate and he did a good job helping me justify why Sailors now a days don’t like being called one because they know where it leads to.

At first, I hated AN Garzone, now MC3(AW), because he came off as that guy who wanted the attention. He did this when he went around interviewing people appearing to be a reporter for the ship, with a microphone and all. Well I came to realize that it was part of his job in the Navy, so if I was in his field, I probably would be doing the same thing. Actually, I felt sad for him when his best friend, Phil with one L, got out of the Navy. That is indeed one of the biggest pains in the Navy, when you meet someone you can socialize with, and the next thing you know they are gone and no one understands references made because it was part of an inside joke. I’m sure he is doing fine now, because all we can do is move on, but we never forget.

AN Altice was probably the most interviewed person on the documentary because of his unique situation. Unfortunately, it does happen, and it has happened to me, as far as having a girlfriend back home who can’t handle their boyfriend who is gone for so long. About the thing that makes it so unique, well I am glad I did not have to go through that. Obviously it has happened to Sailors in the Navy and it is tough to deal with loved ones back home because they have to carry on without you there. They eventually become weak and scooped up by someone who is available. Hate to word it like that, but it does happen and being out at sea, there isn’t much one could do about that. If I was Altice though, I probably wouldn’t have taken it so mellow. With the cameras around, though, I would have restrained myself.

Overall though, from underway to port visits, and to mooring back up in North Island, I felt what everyone on the ship felt because I am in the Navy. It touched base with what does go on while we are out at sea. Unfortunately my situation is different because we aren’t out for 6 month deployments only to be in port for another 6 months. We go out for a few weeks, pull in for a week or two, go back out for a month, etc… I’m not saying what they do is much easier, but in comparison, the FDNF is a lot more challenging because those without families come back to port with no one waiting for them on the pier upon our arrival. None the less, I highly recommend this show for anyone who wants a taste of how the Navy life is.

Well we are in Nagoya Japan for some more PR related BS that our ship likes to volunteer for. It has been a while since I have had a disappointing port visit, and this now resets the counter.

On the first day, no one was allowed to leave the ship until it was deemed clean for Japanese tourists that were scheduled to come aboard. The whole point of visiting here was to promote the Navy, and that we aren’t all bad. As a phone talker on the bridge for pulling in and out of ports, I get see everything that goes on when we pull in or out and this one had protesters waiting on the pier. Definitely a warm and welcoming arrival to Nagoya.

When we finally got out, the first thing any of us wanted to do was get cash and a chuhai. Apparently, no one had money and the closest bank was eleven train stops away in downtown Nagoya. Fortunately I decided against trading in my yen for baht in Thailand, and had plenty to spot my buddies. We got out there, found a bank teller, pulled what we needed, got our drinks and proceeded to get some grub at a near by Yoshinoya.

Full on food, we went out and wanted to find a bar to relax at and play some pool and darts. We found a place recommended on brochures that were handed out to us on the quarterdeck and it didn’t seem bad. The workers were polite and friendly when we got our table and drinks, drinks being a bit pricey. While we were drinking and playing the locals at pool and darts, one of my buddies noticed they did song requests. He asked one of the guys if they had AC/DC and he replied with “We don’t have your music here.” Shocked and appalled, we immediately hated the place, but because it was too late to find anywhere else, we had no choice but to stay, plus we had a cute waitress.

The next day, I didn’t get up until sometime past ten in the morning. Though the bar we were at was not as friendly as we thought, I still had a lot to drink to temporarily get rid of the thoughts of work and had a slight hangover. None the less, we now had a full day ahead of us for sightseeing and we did as much as we could. Actually, we walked around for hours only to visit the TV towers, but we got a good look of the city from the top. Once again night time rolled around and all we wanted was to get drinks and relax and maybe mingle with the locals. The second night consisted of going into bars that resided on third floors or higher and each time we got a look of shock at our presence. I think I’ve gotten down the places that Americans usually aren’t welcomed. About 90% of the places I have experienced that aren’t US friendly reside in bars that are higher than three floors up. I think they put the places up that high because Americans just want to walk into a bar, and not have to ride up three floors to have a good time. The second night a lot more disappointing than the first, we rolled out early and figured that we could probably get some good sleep before our next day for duty.

We will be back in Yokosuka soon, and I can finally get back to my bed that I have been dying to sleep in since we left Thailand. Once again I am in the state of mind that my life is going no where being in Japan. Some things that are headed my way are moving out of the barracks once again, though just a rumor at this point. It would make sense though because I will be getting paid next month. Also, I still am not under orders and my detailers are no help. We will also be going into the yards soon and I am one of the three that will be moving our LAN over to a barge and making sure it is working properly while we get our upgrade on the boat. As much as I am looking forward to this ship getting a LAN upgrade, I feel that I will get nothing out of it because my transfer date is shortly after the yards period. Maybe I’ll get a NAM, but it will be included in the End of Tour, but when I transfer, all I can say I got out of Japan was a few good ports and a lot of lessons learned. I got a lot of good training, and I will carry it over wherever I go next, but I feel I got it to take the load off other peoples shoulders. I’m sure in the next few days I’ll get a talking to about how I am doing and if things are alright but things deep down I can’t to anyone about it, except just a few friends from home who already know.

Just a few months left and I’ll finally be free of this place.

Thailand was one of the best port visits I have ever been on. It will never be better than Australia because Thailand is for vacationers and Australia is more of a place to make a living, in my opinion. None the less, it was an awesome port visit and I had a blast.

The area we pulled into was Laem Chabang and isn’t far from Pattaya Beach, which a lot of sailors are familiar with when coming to Thailand. There was a bus that took everyone to the main area of Pattaya and ships are usually anchored out and ride a boat into Pattaya, but we were lucky enough to moor up. The bus ride was about 30 minutes, but left at the top of the hour every hour. So if you missed the bus, you had to wait an hour for the next one to roll out, unless the bus filled up.

The first night was a bit rough because I didn’t get off the boat until sometime after six and didn’t arrive in Pattaya until 8:30. Also I dropped my ID card sometime after I pulled out cash because as we were walking away I noticed it wasn’t in my wallet. I told the guys I was with and freaked a bit cause I thought I’d ruined my time in Thailand. I was able to find it lying on the ground next to the bank teller and continued on with the night. We were able to find a club and dance and impersonate the waitresses by wearing there ID tags. It was a decent first night. More…

I now have a new reason why I dislike the Navy. I do have other reasons, but this one so far has topped them all.

The ships based out in Yokosuka have a liberty card program for those who are E-4 and below and demonstrate the ability to qualify in certain areas of the ship. Once qualified, and having spent three months on the ship, you are eligible for a blue card and overnight liberty. Those new to the ship are given a green card and are not allowed overnight liberty. The biggest incentive to getting your blue card is the chance to be given a barracks to live in on base when the ship is in port, known as the Homeport Ashore Program. As long as you remain a blue card and keep a tidy room, you remain in the room until you reach E-5.

I have been in the barracks room for well over a year now and have gotten quite comfortable there. Just recently I was promoted to E-5 and last week I was told that I have to move out of the barracks. Unfortunately I am unable to live out in town because the Navy wont pay for it. I have less than a year left on this ship and don’t qualify for housing allowance. Now I have to mail all of my shit home and move back onto the ship. Did I expect this to happen? I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this because of what I have accomplished with this tour and how much time I have left…8 months. Too bad the Navy does not think the same and are quite alright with throwing a senior sailor back on the ship with almost nothing but clothes, dvds and a laptop. Well, that is what I plan to keep of the items that reside in my closet.  And I know what you’re thinking…why don’t you move in with someone?  Well the majority of people that have houses out in town are either single and don’t want a roommate or already have roommates.  The last thing I want to do is burden someone who is living well by them self.

One of my buddy’s that just checked off the boat not too long ago went through the same thing. I kind of made fun of him for it and now I get my comeuppance. I just hope I don’t turn out as bitter as he did. We’ll see in the not so distant future.

Can’t wait to leave Japan!

I am upset with what I saw in the Navy Times today.  Apparently some of the Midshipmen at the US Naval Academy feel that the noontime payer is “coercive.”  They contacted the ACLU and now has been blown way out of proportion.  Pardon me, but a speech done once a day to boost morale in one’s life doesn’t seem like anything that would offend anyone.  Yes, it is directed towards God, who not a lot of people believe in this day and age.

For one of the Midshipmen:

Over time, the officer’s feelings on the issue evolved. For her first two years at the school, she came to attention and pretended to pray. Only in the last two did she stand at parade rest and wait the prayers out.

“It became really frustrating to decide what to do, whether to play along or have to stand out,” she said. “I was worried that people would think differently of me if I chose not to participate. I have to imagine that there are a lot more midshipmen out there who won’t speak up for themselves because they don’t want to stand out.

“It is very naive to say you won’t be judged. Everybody can see you, and there is a lot of pressure to conform. There is a lot of peer pressure.”

What she did here was set herself up.  She made people believe that praying was okay and deep down she didn’t want to do it.  Had she been comfortable with herself and let people know what she really felt at the beginning, no doubt that anyone would have thought differently of her, except that it was not something she did and that’s how she was raised, and people have no choice to accept that.  The fact that she went along with it so that she not be looked at differently made her out to look like she didn’t respect the thought of her peers, and that they wouldn’t have respected her. More…

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.