I have a question. While perusing the net, I came across a very interesting article on SOSUS. About halfway down the page was the following text.
"SOSUS work appeared on yiour fitness report and record as combat experience equal in value to time at sea. The Navfacsqualified as one of the cold war's front lines."
I'm wondering if anyone knows what that means. Join the VFW maybe?
Our own Jim Donovan is mentioned in this article, so I'm hoping you know more about it than I, Jim.
Charlie, I was not aware of this article and I was quoted! Imagine that?
Anyway, to answer you question; SOSUS was never officially equated to combat duty although it should have been. I think the closest I came to having that distinction is in a Fitness Report from Commodore Neil Rondorf in 2000. For years there was a block #39 on Navy Officer's FITREPS. The block was a grade for Tactical Performance - Basic and tactical employment of weapons systems. It had the following qualifier "Warfare Qualified officers only". So; IUSS officers always received a grade of "NOB" in Block #39.
Commodore Rondorf recognized that SURTASS was a tactical weapons system in it's own right and commented about being "administratively prevented" from marking block #39 on my FITREP although I was "employing assets and sensors in Theater USW". Such is life. I never wanted to join the VFW anyway - too smokey in those places for me! (<: - Jim
When I changed over to OT from MS in 1975. It was considered sea duty (kef). When I graduated from OT "A" school in Nov 1975 (Phil Blauvelt instructor), I received orders to Antigua and not Grand Turk island (Bill Winholz got that set of orders). It was because I came from Kef and Bill came from shore duty in California. We were the only two 2nd class petty officers graduating from that class. I lucked out thanks to Kef. As it turned out though, Bill passed through Antigua a few times on the "range liner" and told me that he had a sail boat and he and his wife lived onboard in the Grand Turk harbor. So he liked it there. Good for both of us!
For enlisted (87-07) it was considered sea duty for rotational purposes and was classed as arduous or other. Luckily the Navy gave me the opportunity to "volunteer" for OEF, so I am now a VFW life member.
