You done good…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

CPRW-5….the final log entry 30 March 2010

All,
Today I have the honor of hauling down the CPRW-5 pennant for the final time as the 20th and last Commodore. I would be remiss of me if I did not highlight some of the command’s history and how it has touched nearly every maritime patrol aviator in our great Navy. From Wing FIVE’s origin in 1937 onboard the flagships USS Owl and seaplane-tenders USS Gannet and USS Goldsborough, through transitions ashore to Norfolk, Boca Chica, Patuxent River, and finally Brunswick, Wing FIVE has had one goal: to prepare squadrons to support and defend our national interests both abroad and off our own shores.

Wing Five squadron tail flashes have proudly adorned aircraft nicknamed Catalina, Marlin, Neptune, Orion and most recently, Global Hawk. Wing Five based aircrews have always strived to answer the call of duty, whether it be: Atlantic neutrality patrols; coastal ASW patrols after Pearl Harbor; Gulf Coast Frontier patrols; 38th parallel patrols; Cold War patrols from Keflavic to Rota/Lajes to Bermuda to the Caribbean; Cuban Missile Crisis surveillance patrols; Mercury and Gemini support; Vietnam patrols; Mediterranean patrols; Desert Shield and Storm; Yugoslavia/Kosovo; and finally, Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Our squadron mates have operated from the North Pole to the most southern tip of South America…and on any given day, any latitude and longitude between the International Date Line and Greenwich Meridian.


Many of you have fond memories of cutting your teeth on anti-submarine patrols in the local warning areas and flying home marveling at the beautiful Maine coast. There was no better feeling than when driving by Fat Boy’s on Old Bath Road, seeing your squadron’s tail flash pass overhead on final approach.

On behalf of the last Sailors at CPRW-5, we salute all our squadron mates from units present and past (VP-8, VP-10, VP-11, VP-14, VP-15, VP-21, VP-23, VP-26, VP-44, VP-92, VPU-1, TSC Brunswick, FMP MOCC ALFA, FSU-5, NAVCOMTELDET, NCTAMSLANTDET, ASD and AIMD). The bonds of Sailors serving at Wing Five and in Brunswick, Maine have strongly influenced our maritime community and we hope it will remain an enduring legacy of excellence for many operations and missions to come.


Best wishes to all in the future as we haul down our pennant for the final time. It has been an honor to serve in this capacity and with so many phenomenal people. Fly safe and Godspeed. Wing Five….out. V/r,
Jim

Captain Jim Hoke
Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing FIVE

Another piece of Naval Aviation history comes to an end… As we continue to downsize the military, and especially our aviation capability, the requirements are NOT decreasing, and in fact are increasing globally…

Sadly, we are at the point that we can no longer fight in two locations at the same time, nor can we maintain what was for us, a persistent coverage around the world as we did in the past.

I can only salute the kids today who are proudly carrying on our tradition of service 24/7/265 with little recognition and less support than at any time since Vietnam.

God Bless, and God Speed…

I’VE BEEN WONDERING…

Posted on by March 6, 2013


WHY… do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke?
WHY… do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters?
WHY… do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage?
WHY… do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering?
WHY… the sun lightens our hair but darkens our skin?
WHY… women can’t put on mascara with their mouth closed?
WHY… don’t you ever see the headline ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’?
WHY… is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word?
WHY… is it that doctors call what they do ‘practice’?
WHY… is lemon juice made with artificial flavour, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?
WHY… is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
WHY… is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?
WHY… isn’t there mouse-flavoured cat food?
WHY… didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
WHY… do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?
WHY… don’t they make the whole plane out of that same indestructible stuff black boxes are made out of?
WHY… don’t sheep shrink when it rains?
WHY… are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
WHY… if flying is so safe, do they call the airport the terminal?

WHY… do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?
WHY… ? Good question.

They don’t make Ensigns like they used to…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

ALL I can say on this one is O.M.G…

Talk about entitlement mentality… sigh… This young officer has managed to step in it with BOTH feet, and is too stupid to even understand what she’s done…

Anybody have an opening for an Ensign who use a little professional development?

And no, this is NOT a fake email, I have the actual email string but chose to clean it up to protect the guilty individual.


Go to the bottom and read up to get the sense of the entire string… and how she compounded her error(s)…
Edit#2- Funny update on my blog post- I ran into the RADM who is in charge of the organization the Ensign was going to deign to interview with at the function I was just at. I asked him about it, he was pissed, and said he was going to “personally” interview her but the Flag Sec dumped her back to the detailer… 😀

AND he is going to ‘ensure’ she gets a ‘good’ set of orders…

—–Original Message—–
From: XXXX COMNAVAIRFOR
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 12:52
To: VARIOUS

Subject: FW: They don’t make Ensigns like they used to

This is fantastic. Read from the bottom up to see how to be assigned to an IA as your very first tour in the Navy.

Edit: IA is Individual Augmentee, e.g. shipped to Afganistan or Iraq for a year….

—–Original Message—–
From: LCDR Pers-XX,
To: XXXX NAVXXXX,
Cc: CDR PERS-XX
Subject: RE: ENS XXXX / INTERVIEW

Xxxxx (if I can call you that),

Pardon my french, but holy sh*t. That is a first in my book. I’m not sure whether to laugh, especially because her “professional” email address is princess_mxxxxx – I mean seriously.

If it’s ok with you, I’m going to truncate the process here and have her sent elsewhere. I do believe that you guys would be able to do wonders for her etiquette skills and officer demeanor, however she is clearly operating here with a chip on her shoulder very unbecoming of an undesignated, non-prior, O-1 and I think the detailer has some other options she’d like to pursue for ENS XXXX. Please apologize to the Director for us having wasted his time and encumbering his schedule.

Thanks for looking into her case for me, though. I owe you.

V/R,

J.

Edit: You can BET she is NOT going to like the set of orders she gets…

We’ve closed Adak and Keflavic so she can’t be sent there to count landing lights, but they WILL find someplace to stuff her…

—–Original Message—–
From: XXXX NAVXXXX
To: LCDR Pers-XX,
Subject: FW: ENS XXXX / INTERVIEW

FYI J – read from the bottom.

Vrsp
Xxxxx

—–Original Message—–
From: XXXX NAVXXXX
To: princess_mxxxxx
Cc: XXXXX COL NAVXXXX
Subject: RE: ENS XXXX / INTERVIEW

Ensign Xxxxx, I am a 30 year retired CWO4 and know exactly what courtesy’s you are due – however, I am a civilian now and consider myself as a people person, always have been. I like to try and make people feel comfortable. If you thought I was inappropriate, say it straight out. Don’t beat around the bush.

From now on you can deal directly with the Director, he’s a Navy 06. I’ve info’ed him on this email. In fact, I info’ed him on all my emails which you should have done in your responses. I’ve also info’ed my Boss, a Marine Colonel 06.

Xxxx

—–Original Message—–
From: princess_mxxxxx
To: XXXX NAVXXXX
Subject: RE: ENS XXXXX / INTERVIEW

Mr. Xxxxx,

I attempted to be subtle in my initial response to you but apparently you didn’t catch the hint; from this point foward refer to me as ENS Xxxx. I’ve rendered you the proper professional courtesy in correspondence and will accept nothing less from you.

In regards to your previous email, dependent upon the time in the late afternoon it may work for me but please give me as narrow a day/time frame that I can expect to be called as possible. If the Director or myself are unable to meet today please let me know when the next possible day will be available.
Thank you.

r/
ENS Xxxx

From: XXXX NAVXXXX
Subject: RE: ENS XXXX / INTERVIEW
To: princess_mxxxxx
Cc: CAPT NAVXXXX

Thanks Xxxxx – the Director is at a Court Martial this week but may be available late in the day – would that work for you?

Vrsp
Xxxx

—–Original Message—–
From: princess_mxxxxx
To: XXXX NAVXXXX
Subject: ENS XXXX / INTERVIEW

Greetings Mr. Xxxxx

This message is in response to your initial email regarding establishing contact with your office to set up an interview. Any day for the remainder of this week is fine for me. I can be reached either via email princess_mxxxxx or by phone (XXX-XXX-XXXX).

r/
ENS XXXX, USN

Shuttle Launch…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
First, NO I didn’t take the picture…
But I sure as hell wish that I had, I’d at least be at someplace fun!!!
From a friend, the Shuttle Discovery going up over Cinderella’s Castle at Disney this morning… The streak is the shuttle during the time delay of the photo. Enjoy!!!

The second shot is the contrail of the shuttle after the wind picked it apart, and the sun is highlighting it…

And we’re throwing this and any future capability away…. sigh…

Y’all have a good week, ya hear!!!

Happy Easter…

Posted on by March 6, 2013
To each and everyone I wish you a Happy Easter, in its true meaning and may the sunrise be beautiful!
And I wish you plenty of Easter eggs (all found), and Peeps to your heart’s content!

The Little Engine That Could…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

DID!!!

Butler advances to the Final Four in Indy! Their team philosophy?
“Humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness.”
Not a bad philosophy…

More road pics…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

One more from the Museum…

The O-1 that landed on the Midway Apr 30, 1975 with SEVEN people it in… (and yes the crew of the Midway adopted the Vietnamese family that were in the airplane and got them resettled in the U.S. and the kids educated)
Thanks to Jon for catching my error of calling it an OV-1 (which is a Mohawk)… I wuz tired…

And since we were over at Panama City, some food pics… But first, the drawing on the window, whom ever did the ‘artwork’ isn’t bad 🙂


The hole in the wall restaurant, it’s called Hunt’s and it is NOT a tourist trap, but a local restaurant hidden down by the boat yards…

The food… The first of a total of NINE dozen Apalachicola Oysters (3 dozen apiece)… at $4.25 a dozen not a bad price 🙂 and yes we were FULL when we left!!!

On the road again… still…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Made a stop by the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola today and took a few pics…


These pics illustrate how closely the Blue Angels REALLY fly. In the original Atrium they have the last set of Blue Angel A-4s suspended in a correct formation…

And before you ask, these were a mix of A-4 E and A-4F acft reworked to remove the humpback and bolt the leading edge slats in the full up position and add a drag chute and oiling system for the smoke…

From the “Boss” or #1- You can see the approximately 4 foot overlap of the wings…
From #3 you can see the slight step down of about 3 feet and aft about 20 feet from #1. If I remember correctly, the positional “cue” was the polished edge of the intake in a specific position with respect to the canopy bow…
From under #3 you can see that #4 is again stepped down about 3 feet and aft about another 20 feet from # 2 and 3…
From #4 Again the cue was the polished ring on the back of #1s fuselage and THAT was really all he was paying attention to… And #4 is REALLY bracketed amongst the other airplanes…
At 400 knots… and the ONLY person paying any attention to where they were going was the Boss… All the others were flying form on him!!!

If you ever get the chance, and are in the area of Pensacola, Florida; stop by the Museum, they have a great collection of not only airplanes, but models of Carriers, helicopters and other things; including guns, uniforms, patches, the Cubi O’club Bar, and some historic and beautiful Navy art!!! And it’s REALLY history you can reach out and touch…

Another one worth the read…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Frank James is an excellent writer, shooter and farmer, and he’s got a post up that just nails the Congresscritters to the wall…

An excerpt- “The buzzards eating on the pigs I killed last week have more integrity than these carrion insects…”

Go read the rest HERE !!!

And BZ has a post up called “Worshiping Obama”. It’s a well researched comparison between Obama and you know who up HERE…

You may not like the comparison, but it DOES have merit when looked at in the bigger picture of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), and personally, I believe there ARE some issues…

Worth the read…

Posted on by March 6, 2013

Snigs doesn’t often get truly up on the soapbox, but she did HERE, and it’s worth the read… She’s one of those Southern (Steel) Magnolia types… Nice, polite, but you do NOT want to get on her bad side…