Nick, the real (back-story) truth to this tale is that I have never stood an ops watch in my life before I joined your section in Kef. After I crossed rated from ET my first NAVFAC was Grand Turk. I should have gone to the watch floor with Jack Lecza but I had a CAL-TECH NEC and the EMO needed a CAL-TECH so I went to Maintenance and worked for Wayne Rennee. Anyway Gary Peterson was the Grand Turk Training Chief and he agreed to train me on my duty nights and I qualified thru SUP with Chief Pete's help. When Chief Pete & I were transferring to Kef he told me to just tell everyone at Kef that I was a qualified Sup. That's the how I snuck into the OT Ops world.
Of course six months after getting to Kef the EMO there discovered I was his missing CAL-TECH but it was too late then.
John...I read your post and you are so kind with your comments. I remember that for many years, when we worked together, that I was absolutely amazed I that I was given the opportunity to work with such brilliant people. to this day I still carry the lessons I learned in IUSS forward as I continue our endeavors in undersea warfare. I'm still out in the front lines everyday trying the teach the next generation, but in do so I am always grateful that I learned from the best.
