So Larry,
Why is it you didn't go in the Navy Reserve?

Ken Keeler QM2 63-65

I was in the Navy reserve from 1985 to 1987 as part of the USS Miller NRFF-1091. I had finished my BS degree and was looking to comission. The Navy wanted 3 years of Active duty (OCS/Surface Warfare School/Fleet Qualification) for me to get comissioned and then I may or may not have been released back to the USNR center in Syracuse, NY where my unit was based. The Army National Guard however had an OCS program that was one year long and consisited of an initial 2 weeks Active Duty (Back to Boot Camp) and a weekend or two a month (boot camp for a 2 day period) and then 12 months later a final 3 week Active Duty and graduation as an O1. Then you had to go to MOS school. Mine was Field Artillery.
Kind of shocked me when I told the Army I was a Navy Fire Control Technician and that Artillery would be the closest Army MOS (and they agreed). Every other male officer in my class was branched Infantry. I was branched Field Artillery. After that I had to Go to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for 6 months (Oct 89 to April 90) for the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course). I was an honor grad (Thanks to my Navy Fire Control training).
I was working for General Electric Aerospace in Syracuse, NY at the time. I was lead technician for the Over the Horizon Backscatter Radar SSMF. The Army route to comission was more workable with GE than the Navy reserve route. I have lived to regret that decision every once in awhile.
Oh I flew my son out to Fort Bliss for 4 days last month. His observation: "Dad this place is kind of pretty at night....But during the day it looks like the back side of Mars" Gotta love the boy. He made cadet E-9 in Civil Air Patrol. I am very proud of him.
Hey one neat thing, it seems soldiers and sailors (enlisted) have the same wonderfull bent sense of humor when presented with stressfull or unpleasant situations.

FTG1(SW)DDG-21 80-84 / FC1(SW) NRFF-1091 USS Miller 85-87
Major, Field Artillery, 32D Army Air and Missile Defense Command

IT'S ENDING WITH A WHIMPER, NOT A BANG.

Well a quick update. They started releasing my unit piecemeal to return to reserve status. We kind of stayed at Fort Bliss, Texas for the duration. If you want a Navy analogy, think of being called up for war only to chip paint for the duration. Kind of felt like Mr. Roberts for most of the tour.
As it is I retire (with mixed feelings) on or about 1 JAN 2003. I stuck up for my soldiers and now I pay the supreme price for my loyalty to the troops. But having started as an E-1 finishing as an O4 is an acomplishment.
I would rather have the respect of my enlisted than my superiors. By the way, did anyone ever hear from Steve? I would have given my eye teeth to follow him to Pearl. I heard we have a reunion in August, but I may not have enough time to out process/return and get a flight to Washington.
Hope all of you are doing well, I have cancelled AOL and my new email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

FTG1(SW)DDG-21 80-84 / FC1(SW) NRFF-1091 USS Miller 85-87
Major, Field Artillery, 32D Army Air and Missile Defense Command

Good to hear from you Larry. Glad that you are going to get to go home. I have not heard anything at all from steve since he got called up. Hope he is doing well.

MM2 83-85
#2 Engine Room Supervisor

On the real frontlines my squadron (VP-40) just returned from a 6 month deployment to Afgan, Misawa, Kadena, & PI doing Enduring Freedom stuff. Just a little busy over there. Now it's time for a years worth of IDTC (Inter Deployment Training Cycle) to get the squadron back up to T1 & C2 (training and personnel end-stength) before we go again next year to DGAR! Where we are we don't sit in CONUS long! We have 370 officers and enlisted of which about 20 are part of my Chief's Mess. As CMC, I give daily attitude adjustments to junior officers and look out for our Sailors. Best job in the Navy! And as our motto says, "Laging Handa" (Always Ready!)

Quick Army Lesson,

The Navy had Master Chief Petty Officer of the Command, and the Army has Command Seargeants Majors. They are both command E-9's but after that all similarity ends. I think the big problem for this command from an enlisted/reservist standpoint, was the lack of a good old Master Chief. Command E-9's in the Army have their own chauffered GSA vehicles, aides, and seem more worried with their next posting than with the NCO/PO leadership chain and its efficiency. It also seems for some reason they are encapable of telling the boss anything but what he wants to hear. I seem to remember Navy Master Chiefs telling everyone (up & down) in the chain of command their opinion (whether you wanted it or not). But everyone from Ships Captain on down respected the Master Chief, the enlisted in the Army seem to lack that respect for their E-9's. At best they fear them, at worst they ignore them.
We had a few prior service squids in my unit and no one could understand why we would rather be on a Ship in The Indian Ocean in war time than at Fort Bliss. It's been a long time since I heard the words IDTC. Glad to hear your unit is home and training up again. Best of luck to you and the crew.

FTG1(SW)DDG-21 80-84 / FC1(SW) NRFF-1091 USS Miller 85-87
Major, Field Artillery, 32D Army Air and Missile Defense Command