Jet Rides, Machine Gun Shooting from Helo...Great Midn Summer Cruise!!!

[webmaster]

The difference between the old Navy and the new. ...
I'm glad I retired before this PC play it safe mentality took hold.

Won't argue with you, the Navy has changed, and have seen it across my career. I guess I wasn't too clear on my post, and without going into details, lately a few MIDN have gone above and beyond in having a "good time", more into the UCMJ territory.

For the MIDN, by no means lurk on the boat, and not get out and experience port calls and deployed Fleet life. But as with all Naval traditions, "watch your shipmate", and keep your head on your shoulders, don't be the middy sent home.

 

[HAL Pilot]

...the skipper invites a few of the wardroom JO's and we Mids to ride into Subic City to drink some San Miguel's both there and on the way...

Also in my day this is what we called a "command performance". One does not normally turn down an "invitation" from the CO. Doing so is a good way to be remembered - but not in a positive manner.

For the MIDN, by no means lurk on the boat, and not get out and experience port calls and deployed Fleet life. But as with all Naval traditions, "watch your shipmate", and keep your head on your shoulders, don't be the middy sent home.

Concur. Go have a blast on liberty until the bitter end but don't miss movement. Letting your friend go alone when you know he is going to get $hit-faced is not cool. Instead of lurking safely on the boat, go watch out for your friend.

 

[jai5w4]

Instead, he has an awesome story. There is a fine line between the two.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[doubledeuce]

Instead, he has an awesome story. There is a fine line between the two.

Summer cruises are a blast, enjoy it while you can still say, "It's OK, I'm a Midshipman." ("I'm just an Ensign" works too, but it doesn't have as nice a ring to it.) Get out there and party. Remember you can have a good time without hopping a fence onto UN property in NYC at midnight without any ID. :icon_wink

 

[NozeMan]

How long are 1/C cruises these days?
If I hear, "Four weeks." Then I'll be ticked off big time. :icon_rage
Please let the answer be 6 weeks.

Prepare to be pissed: my summer cruise was only 12 days...just got back yesterday!

Mine was unique though, I did a FOREX with the JMSDF---> awesome experience. We got to ride on their destroyers and see their naval academy etc. Plus I got a ton of free time in the country, saw Yokosuka (everyone did....), Kamakura, Yokohama, Tokyo, Kure and Etigima. Definitely reccommend this cruise to everyone.

 

[USN99]

Pissed

Prepare to be pissed: my summer cruise was only 12 days...just got back yesterday!

I'll just have to get over this gross down-sizing of NROTC summer cruises. :icon_rage
That being said, is there a similar down-sizing of USNA summer cruises? Being active-duty, they've got a different sort of summer training calculus. In other words, whenever a shipboard cruise ends, they've got a place/base/academy to return to. But has anyone detected that their summer shipboard cruises are being down-sized? One more rant - shipboard summer cruises are just unbeatable. They are so worthwhile that I just can't imagine them being cut. What's the deal? Ships too few?

 

[A4sForever]

Prepare to be pissed: my summer cruise was only 12 days...just got back yesterday!

12 days ??? Amazing ... just amazing. Back-in-the-Day .... all cruises were at least 6 weeks -- with most clocking in @ 8 weeks.

For example -- my cruises:

3rd class cruise --- In MY day, and in the OLD, "REAL NAVY", back on the USS CONSTITUTION, what a story, was 1803 and I was right in the middle of the Barbary War while she was the Flagship for the Mediterranean squadron. No liberty restrictions, all the ale you could drink, and talk about the port calls! Never met a beer wench I didn't like... if only you young whipper snappers knew, (AW smiley policy in effect )

Fleet Indoc --- at least 6 weeks (7 with travel time) --- you were a whitehat, but you were lower than the lowest sailor while afloat -- you were lower than whale-sh!t on the bottom of the deep blue sea. I cleaned heads, chipped paint, holystoned teak decks, got callouses and a soon-to-be-hippie girlfriend amongst my other accomplishments. Berthed in the enlisted spaces with the ship's company ... as a result, you "grew up" really quick.

2nd class cruise --- Aviation and USMC indoctrination. 8 weeks (9 with travel) ... 4 @ NAS Corpus doing a mini-boot camp (lots of daily PT, daily inspections, marching, and then some more marching -- we already knew our manual of arms and it was reinforced on this cruise) and getting prop and jet rides at Corpus and NAS Chase and Kingsville (3 or 4 rides). The second 4 weeks was either at Cornado (mine) or Little Creek (all the Middies east of the Mi'sippi') for more mini-boot camp and PT, running down the beach in the surf & sand, doing the UDT (no SEALs just yet) O-course -- put 4 of our company in the dispensary with sprains and broken bones -- marching, and more PT and marching. The UDT trainees even "saluted" us after the O-course runs with a "HOOOYAH, Midshipmen !!!" That was the first time I ever heard the phrase. Oh, yeah -- and our introduction to the restaurant known to all as MexPac .....
Then afloat for an amphibious assault (over the side and down the nets with helmet, pack and rifle) at Pendleton, then back to sea for a VERTICAL assault at Pendleton on their Viet village mock-up (if real, we all would have died) which morphed into a week in the field with Marines leading us around for some John Wayne Grunt time. I even got to/had to shave out of my helmet .....

1st class cruise --- 8 weeks --- mine was nearly 12 weeks altogether as I went to jump school at Benning prior to reporting to McGuire AFB air terminal for transport to cruise. I guess I really wanted those Jump Wings .... ..... As for the Navy portion: you were a "Junior Officer" afloat (really, really junior, mind you ) and were assigned to a Division Officer as his "apprentice" and "shadow". I got lucky and was assigned a Med cruise with the Gators ... snowed the XO that I knew 12.7 mm was .50 cal. -- go figure on what impressed him?? --- and as a result I got to lead an assault wave into the beach @ Kavallah (sp?) Greece --- closely monitored by the Chief Bosun', of course ......

Sooooooo ..... enough about me. But 12 DAYS ??!! That is a tragedy .... I wonder if you guys are missing out on a lot these days .....

(*edit *) Last edited by webmaster : Today at 08:48 PM. Reason: Because I can......

(*edit* -- mine -- because my lawyer said it was O.K. ... Web-san's personal humiliation is in RED -- above --- as he attempted to add 150 years to the birthdate on my driver's license and violate USS CONSTITUTION OPSEC with operating, drinking and wenching details. Does that make sense ??? I trust not ..... ) ) )

 

[A4sForever]

For the record ... the hippie girlfriend and I parted company during sophmore year. I don't think she would have been "supportive" in Primary, do you??

 

[NozeMan]

Keep in mind that my cruise is probably more of a PR-good-relations-with-the-Japanese type thing. I saw how our counterparts are trained and spent about 4 days on a Japenese destroyer--vastly different from American ships. They are so clean!!!!

We wined and dined with the Admirals (Japanese and US) on numerous occasions as well. Those Japanese admirals will ALWAYS make sure you have a full beer!!!

 

[Fly Navy]

As I understand it, drinking is virtually a requirement in Japan.

 

[Fezz CB]

As I understand it, drinking is virtually a requirement in Japan.

I concur. The saki with the snake inside the jar.....EVIL!!!!

 

[fc2spyguy]

Jai, where is the video you spoke of?

 

[jai5w4]

Jai, where is the video you spoke of?

Should be up today....I'll post a link asap...no worries...it's coming.

jai5w4 :icon_smil

 

[USN99]

You got it right

12 days ??? Amazing ... just amazing. Back-in-the-Day .... all cruises were at least 6 weeks -- with most clocking in @ 8 weeks.Sooooooo ..... enough about me. But 12 DAYS ??!! That is a tragedy .... I wonder if you guys are missing out on a lot these days .....

Until I arrived here and found out about BDCP (retail shopping for officers - sorry but this might be fine for engineers and restricted line types but not URLs) and NROTC summer cruises (piss-ant, month-long kiddie cruises); and FOTs (great idea but of which BUPERS is deathly afraid) I maintained due regard for the NROTC program. But the stipend is a piss-ant stipend, the mids deserve at least 30 - 35% of an Ensign's base pay; should get at least four semesters of room & board; should get unlimited 8 semester scholarships; and should get at least 3, 6 week (8 is better) cruises. Geez, a 4 week cruise - suck-o-rama. CORTRAMID for me, like for A4s, was really Plebe Summer (only we were two years older than the USNA sheep); 1/c was in the Gulf (the other one - Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club). :icon_rage While I got simpatico for A4s "respect the old guys" mini-bleat, my rant is really that current NROTC Mids are getting more than short-changed, they are getting screwed by false economy. :icon_rage

 

[jai5w4]

Link to my video I put together with footage I shot while on cruise.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11769

enjoy,

Jai5w4 :icon_smil