Meet the Forumites
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
- Canoerebel
- Posts: 21099
- Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 11:21 pm
- Location: Northwestern Georgia, USA
- Contact:
RE: Meet the Forumites
Great story that I loved reading. Thanks, Mac.
"Rats set fire to Mr. Cooper’s store in Fort Valley. No damage done." Columbus (Ga) Enquirer-Sun, October 2, 1880.
- geofflambert
- Posts: 14887
- Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:18 pm
- Location: St. Louis
RE: Meet the Forumites
Job: bipolar atheist. Someone has to do it. (This explains some of my behavior in the threads)
age: 54
where: St. Louis
fam: 1 cat, his name is Erasmus Tazz
ed: Two years of physics, then quit. Became an independant contractor in building rehab. Then sales at a building supply retailer. Then purchasing agent for an electrical/plumbing wholesaler, then computerized inventory for a security company, then PA for a plumbing wholesaler. Currently on disability, so I have plenty of time to waste on AE.
quote: Marshall Foch before the Marne: "Mon centre cède, ma droite recule, situation excellente, j'attaque. My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I am attacking."
reading: the wood pulp version of the NY Times from cover to cover each am. (Then I do the crossword before I start on this damn game.)
bf: Can't remember the order, Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, Bull Run, Vicksburg, and Ft Sumter, Ft Donnelson, Ft Henry, Wilson's Creek, the Big Horn, Ft Davidson, Ft Ticonderoga among others I can't remember at the moment. Also Constellation, Constitution, Yorktown, Texas, Alabama, Olympia, that woodclad in Vicksburg, that sub in chicago, and the sub that was used in Red October, and the air museum in Dayton (twice, and will go again).
age: 54
where: St. Louis
fam: 1 cat, his name is Erasmus Tazz
ed: Two years of physics, then quit. Became an independant contractor in building rehab. Then sales at a building supply retailer. Then purchasing agent for an electrical/plumbing wholesaler, then computerized inventory for a security company, then PA for a plumbing wholesaler. Currently on disability, so I have plenty of time to waste on AE.
quote: Marshall Foch before the Marne: "Mon centre cède, ma droite recule, situation excellente, j'attaque. My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I am attacking."
reading: the wood pulp version of the NY Times from cover to cover each am. (Then I do the crossword before I start on this damn game.)
bf: Can't remember the order, Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, Bull Run, Vicksburg, and Ft Sumter, Ft Donnelson, Ft Henry, Wilson's Creek, the Big Horn, Ft Davidson, Ft Ticonderoga among others I can't remember at the moment. Also Constellation, Constitution, Yorktown, Texas, Alabama, Olympia, that woodclad in Vicksburg, that sub in chicago, and the sub that was used in Red October, and the air museum in Dayton (twice, and will go again).
RE: Meet the Forumites
You are not the only one, Lenny.ORIGINAL: LoBaron
I have high regards of your views, Mac. And that post again shows why.
@Treetop64 - I race sailboats and have crews from every walk of life. One of my most favorite is Scott Clapp (Scotty the Love Monkey), a highschoop dropout who works in a woodshop making kitchen cabinets (think he has since gotten his GED). He's one of the best foredeck guys I have ever sailed with. Everyone else who has sailed with me has the same appreciation of Scotty. He's a good friend and fun to sail with (except almost every April, when I have to bail him out of the Ensenada jail after 7 too many Tequila and Red Bulls). Scotty is Scotty: his worth is in who he is, and not his resume. Would sail with him anywhere, anytime, on any size boat. So don't fash your'sel laddie; a person's worth is not in their wallet, nor in their job description. We all die broke and naked. Ciao. J
- ilovestrategy
- Posts: 3611
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2005 8:41 pm
- Location: San Diego
- Contact:
RE: Meet the Forumites
Mac, I was stationed at Schwab. Good beach there.
After 16 years, Civ II still has me in it's clutches LOL!!!
Now CIV IV has me in it's evil clutches!
Now CIV IV has me in it's evil clutches!
- Treetop64
- Posts: 929
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 4:20 am
- Location: 519 Redwood City - BASE (Hex 218, 70)
RE: Meet the Forumites
ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Great story that I loved reading. Thanks, Mac.
Indeed. Thank you very much, Mac.
Oh, and Semper Fi!
Marine Corps from 1989-1993, MOS - 0151 (Admin Pogue). Was in boot camp at San Diego exactly two weeks after high school graduation. Could not wait to get out of the house...
Relatively unspectacular stint, and kept out of office hours (unfortunately, a very common event where I was stationed). After boot camp and ICT (Infantry Combat Training) I was off to Admin School for three months, then returned to MCRD San Diego for duty at Headquarters Battalion. And there I remained for the remainder of my tour, doing paperwork every day, and dressing up for ceremonial muster every Friday morning. Got dirty going to CRT (Combat Readiness Training, for non-0300 types) at Camp Pendleton every six months, and qualifying at the range, which I absolutely loved. Made Sharpshooter in boot camp (five points shy of expert on a very windy day) and Expert every time since. Ultimately, though an obviously excellent military branch, I found that the Marine culture personally wasn't my cup of tea and I honorably discharged after four years.
I know exactly about the quality of people you worked with. Marines tend to hold themselves to an exceptionally high standard in every aspect.
Had difficulty in the civilian sector after getting out and joined the Coast Guard in 1995. Had a much better experience this time around, especially in boot camp. In fact, (except for the Cape May, NJ winter), I found Coast Guard boot camp rather enjoyable - no doubt a result of being hardened by the experiences in Marine Corps boot camp. I could even out-cadence most of the company commanders and was often called to march the company! After graduating I was stationed for six months on the USCGC Courageous (MEC 622, a 210' cutter) in Panama City, Florida, while on a wait-list for Avionics Technician A-School. A-School was exactly what I hoped it would be: eight hours a day, five days a week of nothing but Ohms Law, trons, engineers manuals, and tons of math! We were trained to troubleshoot everything electronic on an aircraft down to the component level. My soldering skills were particularly noted by the chief instructor as being "very clean", and of "having a nice touch".
Graduated A-School and was stationed to service and help fly HC-130s at Air Station, Sacramento, CA. The cool thing about Coast Guard aircrews is that they fly as crewmen on missions as well as servicing the aircraft when parked on the ramp, so AVTs also flew as radiomen, navigators, and radar operators. Enjoyed the duty, the prestige of being an aircrewman, and had plenty of time off even with 1-in-4 duty rotation (on emergency call every four days). But I fell in love with California and decided to get out in 2000 and try to make a life here. It's been a roller coaster ride ever since, with more down slopes (and a couple of crashes) than up slopes...
I took the obvious course and got work servicing avionics at a local airport. Eventually I discovered, to my disappointment, that for the job I needed as much metalworking skills as electronic skills, and I had none of the former. It was needed for upgrades and modifications to aircraft avionics. If you installed new, non-standard equipment you also had to fabricate the mounts for them, and the FAA has very strict mandates on how mounts are fabricated and installed in aircraft. Surprisingly, metalworking actually consumed more time than anything else. In C-130s, all the mounting hardware you'll ever need in the avionics and cargo bay is already there. Furthermore, as good as I thought I was with aircraft systems, my competency was nowhere near that of the civilian techs who have been there doing the job for decades. It wasn't going to last, and I admitted as much to my boss, who expressed his appreciation to my critical self-analysis. He offered me a position in the admin section of the office but I turned it down.
Tried returning to school and have been in and out of college a few times. Got good grades and did particularly well in math and trig, even tutored on the subject, but for some reason I just couldn't stick it out for the duration. It's been a very troubling thing; I don't understand it.
Landed a good job at Centex Homes in San Ramon as an assistant project manager (this position recommended the applicant be a college grad, but I impressed well enough to get the position even though I hadn't finished college). Eventually however, the internal politics, egos and personality conflicts, as well as some open racism (I'm mixed race) made the job unbearably difficult and I resigned after little over one year. Centex itself was acquired not long after.
On the side, I started my own little business of consulting and building PCs and workstations. It was a bit informal as I built gaming PCs as a hobby, but it began to take on a life of it's own, growing by word-of-mouth more than anything else. I received some pretty nice checks while doing that, at times more than my salary at Centex, but things started getting complex with licencing and legal issues and as I was the only guy in the enterprise it became overwhelming. It eventually petered out.
The last good job I had was at Sony in Foster City. That wasn't to last, either: my department closed shop and moved to San Diego, and there was no option to tag along.
That was two years ago and I've been unemployed ever since. I've been subsisting mostly on my own savings but that will disappear soon. My problem is that I tend to be extremely hard on myself, and I tend to avoid personal relationships and social situations. I have no family, no siblings, and both parents died many years ago, so I rely on myself for counsel - not always the best of situations, admittedly. I had a nervous breakdown after Centex ("friends" suddenly disappeared, the girlfriend at the time left abruptly the day I quit, the "business" was dying, and I had difficulty finding new work) and admitted myself to a hospital because I was becoming suicidal, and I remained there for several months for treatment.
Everyone experiences difficulties, but my attitude and outlook has the effect of magnifying things way beyond their reasonable bounds. I'm able to say that looking back in hindsight, but it's very difficult for me to adjust that perspective in the present time. Your post went a long way in making me feel better, and I really appreciate you taking the time to post it.
Ok, sorry. I've hijacked this thread enough!
EDIT: P.S. @ JWE - Thanks for that. Noted your comments after I posted. [:)]
- Onime No Kyo
- Posts: 16846
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 5:55 am
RE: Meet the Forumites
Interesting thread. [:D]
Job: Video Conference Support Engineer, technical and operational lead on large drink manufacturing co account
Age: 32
Residence: Suffolk County (Long Island), NY but will likely be relocating to SoCal in early Fall (Personal appeal at the risk of going against CRs original premise [:)] if anyone can assist with or point me to possible career opportunities in the LA area in the customer service/technical sphere, please PM me. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated [&o]).
Family: Recently married (6 months in May), no known/planned offspring.
Education: BA in History, BA in Political Science
Favorite Quote: "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity...and I'm not even sure about the universe" -A. Einstein
Reading: The Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80, by Archibald Forbes, "Reading" in audio: Eye of the Storm by John Ringo.
Job: Video Conference Support Engineer, technical and operational lead on large drink manufacturing co account
Age: 32
Residence: Suffolk County (Long Island), NY but will likely be relocating to SoCal in early Fall (Personal appeal at the risk of going against CRs original premise [:)] if anyone can assist with or point me to possible career opportunities in the LA area in the customer service/technical sphere, please PM me. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated [&o]).
Family: Recently married (6 months in May), no known/planned offspring.
Education: BA in History, BA in Political Science
Favorite Quote: "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity...and I'm not even sure about the universe" -A. Einstein
Reading: The Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80, by Archibald Forbes, "Reading" in audio: Eye of the Storm by John Ringo.
"Mighty is the Thread! Great are its works and insane are its inhabitants!" -Brother Mynok
RE: Meet the Forumites
Job:Ex Soldier, and Electronics Technician.
Age: 54.
Residence: Southern Alps, New Zealand.
Family: Mrs DivePac, a great Son, 1x Dog, 2x Cats, 5x Fish, and lots of Family and Friends.
Education: University Entrance.
Work: Cancer Out-Patient, and winning, along with Butt Scratching.
Favorite Quote: My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I am right.
Reading: Various Books and Reports on the Japanese/Allied Conflict, and Guides on Butt Scratching.
Age: 54.
Residence: Southern Alps, New Zealand.
Family: Mrs DivePac, a great Son, 1x Dog, 2x Cats, 5x Fish, and lots of Family and Friends.
Education: University Entrance.
Work: Cancer Out-Patient, and winning, along with Butt Scratching.
Favorite Quote: My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I am right.
Reading: Various Books and Reports on the Japanese/Allied Conflict, and Guides on Butt Scratching.
When you see the Southern Cross, For the first time
You understand now, Why you came this way
- Onime No Kyo
- Posts: 16846
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 5:55 am
RE: Meet the Forumites
ORIGINAL: DivePac88
Education: University Entrance.
You studied to be a schoolhouse door? [&:][:'(]
"Mighty is the Thread! Great are its works and insane are its inhabitants!" -Brother Mynok
RE: Meet the Forumites
ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo
ORIGINAL: DivePac88
Education: University Entrance.
You studied to be a schoolhouse door? [&:][:'(]
No you silly little mouse, it is a qualification that used to give you a University Scholarship, but I went into the Army instead. [:-]
When you see the Southern Cross, For the first time
You understand now, Why you came this way
-
- Posts: 1514
- Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:08 pm
- Location: Denver Colorado
RE: Meet the Forumites
ORIGINAL: Treetop64
ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Great story that I loved reading. Thanks, Mac.
Indeed. Thank you very much, Mac.
Oh, and Semper Fi!
Marine Corps from 1989-1993, MOS - 0151 (Admin Pogue). Was in boot camp at San Diego exactly two weeks after high school graduation. Could not wait to get out of the house...
Relatively unspectacular stint, and kept out of office hours (unfortunately, a very common event where I was stationed). After boot camp and ICT (Infantry Combat Training) I was off to Admin School for three months, then returned to MCRD San Diego for duty at Headquarters Battalion. And there I remained for the remainder of my tour, doing paperwork every day, and dressing up for ceremonial muster every Friday morning. Got dirty going to CRT (Combat Readiness Training, for non-0300 types) at Camp Pendleton every six months, and qualifying at the range, which I absolutely loved. Made Sharpshooter in boot camp (five points shy of expert on a very windy day) and Expert every time since. Ultimately, though an obviously excellent military branch, I found that the Marine culture personally wasn't my cup of tea and I honorably discharged after four years.
> Aha! I knew that there was a reason I liked you, Sir!
I know exactly about the quality of people you worked with. Marines tend to hold themselves to an exceptionally high standard in every aspect.
Had difficulty in the civilian sector after getting out and joined the Coast Guard in 1995. Had a much better experience this time around, especially in boot camp. In fact, (except for the Cape May, NJ winter), I found Coast Guard boot camp rather enjoyable - no doubt a result of being hardened by the experiences in Marine Corps boot camp. I could even out-cadence most of the company commanders and was often called to march the company!
> Well, you are a Jar Head and must meet or exceed all expectations... <grin>
After graduating I was stationed for six months on the USCGC Courageous (MEC 622, a 210' cutter) in Panama City, Florida, while on a wait-list for Avionics Technician A-School. A-School was exactly what I hoped it would be: eight hours a day, five days a week of nothing but Ohms Law, trons, engineers manuals, and tons of math! We were trained to troubleshoot everything electronic on an aircraft down to the component level. My soldering skills were particularly noted by the chief instructor as being "very clean", and of "having a nice touch".
Graduated A-School and was stationed to service and help fly HC-130s at Air Station, Sacramento, CA. The cool thing about Coast Guard aircrews is that they fly as crewmen on missions as well as servicing the aircraft when parked on the ramp, so AVTs also flew as radiomen, navigators, and radar operators. Enjoyed the duty, the prestige of being an aircrewman, and had plenty of time off even with 1-in-4 duty rotation (on emergency call every four days).
> While I am singularly unimformed about the US Coast Guard, I do know that they do a stellar job policing our coast line - in addition to overseeing the enormous amount of maritime trade that is one of the lifelines of our nation.
And: It was patiently explained to me, that when a Coast Guard Cutter intercepts a drug insertion vehicle - be it full sized ship or specially designed high speed motor boat, with millions of dollars worth of drugs onboad, the Bad Guys do not meekly follow instructions. That's why there are 7.62mm and the awesome .50cal weaponry mounted on a cutter...
But I fell in love with California and decided to get out in 2000 and try to make a life here. It's been a roller coaster ride ever since, with more down slopes (and a couple of crashes) than up slopes...
I took the obvious course and got work servicing avionics at a local airport. Eventually I discovered, to my disappointment, that for the job I needed as much metalworking skills as electronic skills, and I had none of the former. It was needed for upgrades and modifications to aircraft avionics. If you installed new, non-standard equipment you also had to fabricate the mounts for them, and the FAA has very strict mandates on how mounts are fabricated and installed in aircraft. Surprisingly, metalworking actually consumed more time than anything else. In C-130s, all the mounting hardware you'll ever need in the avionics and cargo bay is already there. Furthermore, as good as I thought I was with aircraft systems, my competency was nowhere near that of the civilian techs who have been there doing the job for decades. It wasn't going to last, and I admitted as much to my boss, who expressed his appreciation to my critical self-analysis. He offered me a position in the admin section of the office but I turned it down.
Tried returning to school and have been in and out of college a few times. Got good grades and did particularly well in math and trig, even tutored on the subject, but for some reason I just couldn't stick it out for the duration. It's been a very troubling thing; I don't understand it.
> Because you have more than the 3 Megs of Ram that I have...
Landed a good job at Centex Homes in San Ramon as an assistant project manager (this position recommended the applicant be a college grad, but I impressed well enough to get the position even though I hadn't finished college). Eventually however, the internal politics, egos and personality conflicts, as well as some open racism (I'm mixed race) made the job unbearably difficult and I resigned after little over one year. Centex itself was acquired not long after.
> God does not see a particular color, only his beloved child.
On the side, I started my own little business of consulting and building PCs and workstations. It was a bit informal as I built gaming PCs as a hobby, but it began to take on a life of it's own, growing by word-of-mouth more than anything else. I received some pretty nice checks while doing that, at times more than my salary at Centex, but things started getting complex with licencing and legal issues and as I was the only guy in the enterprise it became overwhelming. It eventually petered out.
The last good job I had was at Sony in Foster City. That wasn't to last, either: my department closed shop and moved to San Diego, and there was no option to tag along.
That was two years ago and I've been unemployed ever since. I've been subsisting mostly on my own savings but that will disappear soon. My problem is that I tend to be extremely hard on myself, and I tend to avoid personal relationships and social situations. I have no family, no siblings, and both parents died many years ago, so I rely on myself for counsel - not always the best of situations, admittedly. I had a nervous breakdown after Centex ("friends" suddenly disappeared, the girlfriend at the time left abruptly the day I quit, the "business" was dying, and I had difficulty finding new work) and admitted myself to a hospital because I was becoming suicidal, and I remained there for several months for treatment.
Everyone experiences difficulties, but my attitude and outlook has the effect of magnifying things way beyond their reasonable bounds. I'm able to say that looking back in hindsight, but it's very difficult for me to adjust that perspective in the present time. Your post went a long way in making me feel better, and I really appreciate you taking the time to post it.
> Your identity is based solely on God - and you are always secure, regardless of the human claims and challenges. I normally take care not so speak so frankly on this forum - there are folks of a wide range of beliefs who post and read this forum; but it is important that you know who you really are - the full, complete expression of God. And that expression includes right income, housing and companionship.
Ok, sorry. I've hijacked this thread enough!
> Nothing to apologize for; I recognize that it took a great deal of courage to tell us more about yourself. The folks here are a very divergent group, but all have an exceptionally high standard of ethical behavior and are, in my view, trustworthy.
EDIT: P.S. @ JWE - Thanks for that. Noted your comments after I posted. [:)]
Mac
LAV-25 2147
RE: Meet the Forumites
After being called out and complimented by Mac, I guess it is time to post my info. Thanks for the kind words Mac. FSMAO - Field Supply and Maintenance Analysis Office. Words that struck fear into many a Maintenance Officer and Chief.
Job: General Manager for a fleet maintenance company servicing and maintaining a county fleet. Yep, still a maintenance chief.
Age: 52
Residence: Columbia, SC.
Family: Wife of 32 years, two great kids who have both just become home owners, 8 cats, a dog, 2 grand cats (my daughters) and a grand dog (my sons).
Education: Eldorado HS, Albuquerque, NM and some college picked up in the Marines.
Favorite Quote: Alcohol, because no great story ever started with, "There I was, eating a salad..."
Reading: Deep Economy by Bill McKibben. I was talking with my Brother-in-Law about how a conservative view of the US was so much better than his liberal view. He challenged me to read a book espousing his view and he would read a book with mine. Just finished reading Six Days of War by Michael Oren.
Greg
Job: General Manager for a fleet maintenance company servicing and maintaining a county fleet. Yep, still a maintenance chief.
Age: 52
Residence: Columbia, SC.
Family: Wife of 32 years, two great kids who have both just become home owners, 8 cats, a dog, 2 grand cats (my daughters) and a grand dog (my sons).
Education: Eldorado HS, Albuquerque, NM and some college picked up in the Marines.
Favorite Quote: Alcohol, because no great story ever started with, "There I was, eating a salad..."
Reading: Deep Economy by Bill McKibben. I was talking with my Brother-in-Law about how a conservative view of the US was so much better than his liberal view. He challenged me to read a book espousing his view and he would read a book with mine. Just finished reading Six Days of War by Michael Oren.
Greg
Man does not enter battle to fight, but for victory. He does everything that he can to avoid the first and obtain the second.
Ardant du Picq
Ardant du Picq
-
- Posts: 1514
- Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:08 pm
- Location: Denver Colorado
RE: Meet the Forumites
Greg!
FSMAO - such an innocuous name (kinda like IRS), that, when casually bandied about, could cause the meanest of the toughest (or a wanna be like me) to pucker on the spot - I know cause it worked on me... <grin>
And the Humor is:
Deploying from 29 Palms, we thought we were escaping a scheduled California FSMAO by boxing and banding all the gear left behind (to prevent theft and, more importantly, to frustrate the FSMAO Inquisitors) then cleverly skying out of the country for an all expenses paid trip to Asia. That illusion lasted about 24 hours after deplaning at Naha (IIRC).
Great to hear from you, Sir!
Mac
FSMAO - such an innocuous name (kinda like IRS), that, when casually bandied about, could cause the meanest of the toughest (or a wanna be like me) to pucker on the spot - I know cause it worked on me... <grin>
And the Humor is:
Deploying from 29 Palms, we thought we were escaping a scheduled California FSMAO by boxing and banding all the gear left behind (to prevent theft and, more importantly, to frustrate the FSMAO Inquisitors) then cleverly skying out of the country for an all expenses paid trip to Asia. That illusion lasted about 24 hours after deplaning at Naha (IIRC).
Great to hear from you, Sir!
Mac
LAV-25 2147
RE: Meet the Forumites
Some one else from SC, now I don't feel so all alone.
ORIGINAL: Lifer
After being called out and complimented by Mac, I guess it is time to post my info. Thanks for the kind words Mac. FSMAO - Field Supply and Maintenance Analysis Office. Words that struck fear into many a Maintenance Officer and Chief.
Job: General Manager for a fleet maintenance company servicing and maintaining a county fleet. Yep, still a maintenance chief.
Age: 52
Residence: Columbia, SC.
Family: Wife of 32 years, two great kids who have both just become home owners, 8 cats, a dog, 2 grand cats (my daughters) and a grand dog (my sons).
Education: Eldorado HS, Albuquerque, NM and some college picked up in the Marines.
Favorite Quote: Alcohol, because no great story ever started with, "There I was, eating a salad..."
Reading: Deep Economy by Bill McKibben. I was talking with my Brother-in-Law about how a conservative view of the US was so much better than his liberal view. He challenged me to read a book espousing his view and he would read a book with mine. Just finished reading Six Days of War by Michael Oren.
Greg
- geofflambert
- Posts: 14887
- Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:18 pm
- Location: St. Louis
RE: Meet the Forumites
ORIGINAL: Treetop
Indeed. Thank you very much, Mac.
Oh, and Semper Fi!
Marine Corps from 1989-1993, MOS - 0151 (Admin Pogue). Was in boot camp at San Diego exactly two weeks after high school graduation. Could not wait to get out of the house...
Relatively unspectacular stint, and kept out of office hours (unfortunately, a very common event where I was stationed). After boot camp and ICT (Infantry Combat Training) I was off to Admin School for three months, then returned to MCRD San Diego for duty at Headquarters Battalion. And there I remained for the remainder of my tour, doing paperwork every day, and dressing up for ceremonial muster every Friday morning. Got dirty going to CRT (Combat Readiness Training, for non-0300 types) at Camp Pendleton every six months, and qualifying at the range, which I absolutely loved. Made Sharpshooter in boot camp (five points shy of expert on a very windy day) and Expert every time since. Ultimately, though an obviously excellent military branch, I found that the Marine culture personally wasn't my cup of tea and I honorably discharged after four years.
I know exactly about the quality of people you worked with. Marines tend to hold themselves to an exceptionally high standard in every aspect.
Had difficulty in the civilian sector after getting out and joined the Coast Guard in 1995. Had a much better experience this time around, especially in boot camp. In fact, (except for the Cape May, NJ winter), I found Coast Guard boot camp rather enjoyable - no doubt a result of being hardened by the experiences in Marine Corps boot camp. I could even out-cadence most of the company commanders and was often called to march the company! After graduating I was stationed for six months on the USCGC Courageous (MEC 622, a 210' cutter) in Panama City, Florida, while on a wait-list for Avionics Technician A-School. A-School was exactly what I hoped it would be: eight hours a day, five days a week of nothing but Ohms Law, trons, engineers manuals, and tons of math! We were trained to troubleshoot everything electronic on an aircraft down to the component level. My soldering skills were particularly noted by the chief instructor as being "very clean", and of "having a nice touch".
Graduated A-School and was stationed to service and help fly HC-130s at Air Station, Sacramento, CA. The cool thing about Coast Guard aircrews is that they fly as crewmen on missions as well as servicing the aircraft when parked on the ramp, so AVTs also flew as radiomen, navigators, and radar operators. Enjoyed the duty, the prestige of being an aircrewman, and had plenty of time off even with 1-in-4 duty rotation (on emergency call every four days). But I fell in love with California and decided to get out in 2000 and try to make a life here. It's been a roller coaster ride ever since, with more down slopes (and a couple of crashes) than up slopes...
I took the obvious course and got work servicing avionics at a local airport. Eventually I discovered, to my disappointment, that for the job I needed as much metalworking skills as electronic skills, and I had none of the former. It was needed for upgrades and modifications to aircraft avionics. If you installed new, non-standard equipment you also had to fabricate the mounts for them, and the FAA has very strict mandates on how mounts are fabricated and installed in aircraft. Surprisingly, metalworking actually consumed more time than anything else. In C-130s, all the mounting hardware you'll ever need in the avionics and cargo bay is already there. Furthermore, as good as I thought I was with aircraft systems, my competency was nowhere near that of the civilian techs who have been there doing the job for decades. It wasn't going to last, and I admitted as much to my boss, who expressed his appreciation to my critical self-analysis. He offered me a position in the admin section of the office but I turned it down.
Tried returning to school and have been in and out of college a few times. Got good grades and did particularly well in math and trig, even tutored on the subject, but for some reason I just couldn't stick it out for the duration. It's been a very troubling thing; I don't understand it.
Landed a good job at Centex Homes in San Ramon as an assistant project manager (this position recommended the applicant be a college grad, but I impressed well enough to get the position even though I hadn't finished college). Eventually however, the internal politics, egos and personality conflicts, as well as some open racism (I'm mixed race) made the job unbearably difficult and I resigned after little over one year. Centex itself was acquired not long after.
On the side, I started my own little business of consulting and building PCs and workstations. It was a bit informal as I built gaming PCs as a hobby, but it began to take on a life of it's own, growing by word-of-mouth more than anything else. I received some pretty nice checks while doing that, at times more than my salary at Centex, but things started getting complex with licencing and legal issues and as I was the only guy in the enterprise it became overwhelming. It eventually petered out.
The last good job I had was at Sony in Foster City. That wasn't to last, either: my department closed shop and moved to San Diego, and there was no option to tag along.
Ok, sorry. I've hijacked this thread enough!
EDIT: P.S. @ JWE - Thanks for that. Noted your comments after I posted. [:)]
Treetop64 seems to have some friends and social situations here.
Indeed. Thank you very much, Mac.
Oh, and Semper Fi!
Marine Corps from 1989-1993, MOS - 0151 (Admin Pogue). Was in boot camp at San Diego exactly two weeks after high school graduation. Could not wait to get out of the house...
Relatively unspectacular stint, and kept out of office hours (unfortunately, a very common event where I was stationed). After boot camp and ICT (Infantry Combat Training) I was off to Admin School for three months, then returned to MCRD San Diego for duty at Headquarters Battalion. And there I remained for the remainder of my tour, doing paperwork every day, and dressing up for ceremonial muster every Friday morning. Got dirty going to CRT (Combat Readiness Training, for non-0300 types) at Camp Pendleton every six months, and qualifying at the range, which I absolutely loved. Made Sharpshooter in boot camp (five points shy of expert on a very windy day) and Expert every time since. Ultimately, though an obviously excellent military branch, I found that the Marine culture personally wasn't my cup of tea and I honorably discharged after four years.
I know exactly about the quality of people you worked with. Marines tend to hold themselves to an exceptionally high standard in every aspect.
Had difficulty in the civilian sector after getting out and joined the Coast Guard in 1995. Had a much better experience this time around, especially in boot camp. In fact, (except for the Cape May, NJ winter), I found Coast Guard boot camp rather enjoyable - no doubt a result of being hardened by the experiences in Marine Corps boot camp. I could even out-cadence most of the company commanders and was often called to march the company! After graduating I was stationed for six months on the USCGC Courageous (MEC 622, a 210' cutter) in Panama City, Florida, while on a wait-list for Avionics Technician A-School. A-School was exactly what I hoped it would be: eight hours a day, five days a week of nothing but Ohms Law, trons, engineers manuals, and tons of math! We were trained to troubleshoot everything electronic on an aircraft down to the component level. My soldering skills were particularly noted by the chief instructor as being "very clean", and of "having a nice touch".
Graduated A-School and was stationed to service and help fly HC-130s at Air Station, Sacramento, CA. The cool thing about Coast Guard aircrews is that they fly as crewmen on missions as well as servicing the aircraft when parked on the ramp, so AVTs also flew as radiomen, navigators, and radar operators. Enjoyed the duty, the prestige of being an aircrewman, and had plenty of time off even with 1-in-4 duty rotation (on emergency call every four days). But I fell in love with California and decided to get out in 2000 and try to make a life here. It's been a roller coaster ride ever since, with more down slopes (and a couple of crashes) than up slopes...
I took the obvious course and got work servicing avionics at a local airport. Eventually I discovered, to my disappointment, that for the job I needed as much metalworking skills as electronic skills, and I had none of the former. It was needed for upgrades and modifications to aircraft avionics. If you installed new, non-standard equipment you also had to fabricate the mounts for them, and the FAA has very strict mandates on how mounts are fabricated and installed in aircraft. Surprisingly, metalworking actually consumed more time than anything else. In C-130s, all the mounting hardware you'll ever need in the avionics and cargo bay is already there. Furthermore, as good as I thought I was with aircraft systems, my competency was nowhere near that of the civilian techs who have been there doing the job for decades. It wasn't going to last, and I admitted as much to my boss, who expressed his appreciation to my critical self-analysis. He offered me a position in the admin section of the office but I turned it down.
Tried returning to school and have been in and out of college a few times. Got good grades and did particularly well in math and trig, even tutored on the subject, but for some reason I just couldn't stick it out for the duration. It's been a very troubling thing; I don't understand it.
Landed a good job at Centex Homes in San Ramon as an assistant project manager (this position recommended the applicant be a college grad, but I impressed well enough to get the position even though I hadn't finished college). Eventually however, the internal politics, egos and personality conflicts, as well as some open racism (I'm mixed race) made the job unbearably difficult and I resigned after little over one year. Centex itself was acquired not long after.
On the side, I started my own little business of consulting and building PCs and workstations. It was a bit informal as I built gaming PCs as a hobby, but it began to take on a life of it's own, growing by word-of-mouth more than anything else. I received some pretty nice checks while doing that, at times more than my salary at Centex, but things started getting complex with licencing and legal issues and as I was the only guy in the enterprise it became overwhelming. It eventually petered out.
The last good job I had was at Sony in Foster City. That wasn't to last, either: my department closed shop and moved to San Diego, and there was no option to tag along.
Everyone experiences difficulties, but my attitude and outlook has the effect of magnifying things way beyond their reasonable bounds. I'm able to say that looking back in hindsight, but it's very difficult for me to adjust that perspective in the present time. Your post went a long way in making me feel better, and I really appreciate you taking the time to post it.That was two years ago and I've been unemployed ever since. I've been subsisting mostly on my own savings but that will disappear soon. My problem is that I tend to be extremely hard on myself, and I tend to avoid personal relationships and social situations. I have no family, no siblings, and both parents died many years ago, so I rely on myself for counsel - not always the best of situations, admittedly. I had a nervous breakdown after Centex ("friends" suddenly disappeared, the girlfriend at the time left abruptly the day I quit, the "business" was dying, and I had difficulty finding new work) and admitted myself to a hospital because I was becoming suicidal, and I remained there for several months for treatment.
Ok, sorry. I've hijacked this thread enough!
EDIT: P.S. @ JWE - Thanks for that. Noted your comments after I posted. [:)]
Treetop64 seems to have some friends and social situations here.
- Cap Mandrake
- Posts: 20737
- Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2002 8:37 am
- Location: Southern California
RE: Meet the Forumites
ORIGINAL: USS America
ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Awfully good to see Q-Ball posting in the AE forums today. Seems like he's trying to get re-download the game onto his current computer. Having a player of his caliber back will be very nice.
I agree, but this does sound a little bit like a man crush. [;)] [:D]
Hory crap! That is funny haha [:D]
- Cap Mandrake
- Posts: 20737
- Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2002 8:37 am
- Location: Southern California
- Misconduct
- Posts: 1851
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:13 am
- Location: Cape Canaveral, Florida
- Contact:
RE: Meet the Forumites
Sorry I've been gone for so long, I bought myself a new PC after my laptop crashed, finally back to return to my PBEM.
ASUS Maximus IV Extreme-Z Intel Core I7 2800k Corsair Hydro Heatsink Corsair Vengeance DD3 24GB EVGA GTX 580 Western Digital 1.5TB Raid 0 Windows 7
RE: Meet the Forumites
ORIGINAL: Blackhorse
Congratulations! You are the second person -- after me -- to admit trying to read the Franco-Prussian War. [:)]
Well researched, I thought, but very, very dry reading.
ORIGINAL: Blacksheep
Job: Retired from Veterans Admin.
Age: 62
Residence: Ellicott City, MD
Education: BA Political Science, MA Military History
Family: Wife, son, daughter, daughter in law and Bailey (a small and evil dog)
WorK: Volunteering with the National Park Service
Quote: In War Resolution, In Defeat Defiance, In Victory Magnaminity, In Peace Goodwill -- WSC
Reading: The Franco Prussian War
Is that the Howard book of the 1960s or the Geoffrey Wawro book of 2003. I found the latter to be quite an easy and interesting read. A very good follow up to his earlier book on the Austro-Prussian war of 1866.
Alfred
- Blackhorse
- Posts: 1415
- Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2000 8:00 am
- Location: Eastern US
RE: Meet the Forumites
Wawro's. Meticulously detailed, but too dry for my taste. I have not read Howard.
ORIGINAL: Alfred
ORIGINAL: Blackhorse
Congratulations! You are the second person -- after me -- to admit trying to read the Franco-Prussian War. [:)]
Well researched, I thought, but very, very dry reading.
ORIGINAL: Blacksheep
Job: Retired from Veterans Admin.
Age: 62
Residence: Ellicott City, MD
Education: BA Political Science, MA Military History
Family: Wife, son, daughter, daughter in law and Bailey (a small and evil dog)
WorK: Volunteering with the National Park Service
Quote: In War Resolution, In Defeat Defiance, In Victory Magnaminity, In Peace Goodwill -- WSC
Reading: The Franco Prussian War
Is that the Howard book of the 1960s or the Geoffrey Wawro book of 2003. I found the latter to be quite an easy and interesting read. A very good follow up to his earlier book on the Austro-Prussian war of 1866.
Alfred
WitP-AE -- US LCU & AI Stuff
Oddball: Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
Moriarty: Crap!
Oddball: Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?
Moriarty: Crap!