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CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

It gives me great pleasure to report that Commander Undersea Surveillance (CUS) has announced that our friend and shipmate OTCS William E. Tilley (Bill) has been awarded the Captain Joseph P. Kelly Award (posthumously).

The recipient of the Captain Kelly Award is selected on the merit of major lifetime contributions to the IUSS Program. The impact of these contributions must have had a profound effect on both current and future IUSS operations and must support the heritage that Captain Kelly left to IUSS.

I first meet and served with Bill in 1962 (NAVFAC Barbados) and we continued our friendship throughout the years. Bill and his wife Nora are both gone now however, memories of them will remain with me forever.

I want Bill’s children Nora, Bill, and Charlie to know that their father is more than deserving of this recognition. - Ed Smock

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

I didn't have a lot of time with Bill but we were part of a group in CVB that was tasked with putting together a system wide qualification and training program, circa late 70's. Bill proved his expertise and talent during that long session but also his humor and spirit were very evident. The end product became known as SURTOPS and Bill was very much a key player in creating that program. Congratulations to Bill!

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

My sincere congratulations on the award to Bill. An amazing career, with many contributions. His children should know how much he added to the success of our system, and how his shipmates valued his service.

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

I first met Bill in Nantucket in 1974. I requested to cross-rate to OT and was assigned to Bill's section. He was the best person to train someone and I considered myself lucky to get to know he and Nora. On our 80s we would go crabbing and fishing and all kinds of fun things. After my tour in Kef, I joined the COSL ORI team and worked for Bill again. We remained friends until his passing and then Nora's passing. I would never have had the career I did if it weren't for him.

I figure he and JAD are up there in charge of something and some day I hope to join them.

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

Congratulations to Bill's family for their dad's well deserved recognition. You could always count on Bill to give 100 percent back to a system he loved and contributed so much to. One of my favorite memories of Bill was him firing up the country music "TTJASI" as he started the ORI Battle Problem and gave his all to make it challenging.

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

Great selection!!!!!!!!!!!! I had the good fortune to work as well as socialize with Bill and his family. They are all great people and a very close family.

Bill and I logged a lot of miles together, enough to almost qualify a living together. He was an amazing "organizer". In all of our travels together, I never had to worry about making a flight reservation, renting a car, making dinner reservations or what social activity might be in order for the evening. Bill had this "wheel Book" that he carried and in it, he recorded all the details of success for any activity in which we would be involved (operational and social).

I credit Bill with rejuvenating the Atlantic System's operational readiness in the late 70s. Given the responsibility for putting "meat" back into the ORIs, he, along with Ed Haney and Mike Wier, developed an 18 hour "problem" that made no operational or tactical sense and was impossible to pass. In the famous words of O.B. Corning, "it sucked". Bill knew this would be the reaction but he was betting that Facilities would put real training back on top burner if for no other reason than to pass the annual ORI, particularly his Battle Problem. He was right.

Randy was on the money when he said that Bill played an important role in developing OQS (AKA SURTOPS, Vol IV). He logged a bunch of miles between Norfolk and Centerville banging out OQS elements and securing agreement between the Atl and PAC on those elements. A little known fact is that the idea for OQS or SURTOPS Vol IV originated in Keflavik (Then known as Kef's PQS)and was put in practice by Dave Williams, et. al. So, Bill did the most logical thing. He recruited Dave for duty at COSL N2 and between Dave's expertise and Bill's tireless energy, the foundation for a real training system emerged.

In gearing up for passing Bill ORI problem while simultaneously preparing for a Widenor style Oral Board, command and individual preparations were at their highest. I gave Bill a lot of credit for restoring Atlantic System Readiness and Training to levels unseen since the 60s. He was just that influential.

Again, a Great selection for the Capt Kelley Award.

My heartiest congratulations to Bill and Nora's family.

John Ellis

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

Great testimonial to Bill Tilley's legacy, John Ellis. Exactly what he was recognized for through presentation of this award. Additional historical information regarding Bill Tilley can be found in the latest edition of The Cable newsletter on Page #21 "Bill Tilley to the Rescue". As a side note; we forwarded 3 paper copies of that newsletter to the Tilley children.

A huge thank you to Mr. Bruce Rule for submitting Bill's award nomination package.

- Jim

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

John Ellis, back to the OQS/SURTOPS conference we had in CVB...It's funny what little tidbits can stand out after nearly 40 years. In developing OQS line items we used the Kef PQS as a guide, as you mentioned. We debated each item and when necessary added or deleted information. When it came to the "1 alpha" a couple members were adamant it be eliminated due to its obsolescence but Bill kept insisting it remain, just in case. We spent nearly an hour or more on that topic and in the end it remained. Bill was like a pitbull on it and won the debate, I think largely because the other guys knew it was pointless to continue arguing with him. To be honest,there's little else I remember about that conference, except for the various recommendations we came up with on what to call the program. Being sailors, several proposed names lead to obscene acronyms and didn't make the cut. :)

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley (Response to Randy Scott's Posting)

As usual, Bill Tilley had it right. Knowledge of the "1 alpha" had value long after it was no longer a concern because it provided an example of an alternate solution and the range of acceptable variations from the standard.

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

Randy, Too funny! Without posting the actual acronym of one of the more spicy recommendations for the OQS/SURTOPS program I seem to recall a certain OT (ahem) recommending something along the lines of "Timed Interval.....". And although that acronym was never the answer to any system CDO Quizes, it was most definitely discussed as a sea story around many a plotting table over the years. (<: - Jim

Re: CAPT Kelly Award - Bill Tilley

Jim, I can't believe you remembered that! I almost mentioned it yesterday but thought better of it. We laughed like kids over that...."sailor, show me your _______!"

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