First Blog

I've heard the wonders and horrors I've blogging, a term that I'm not even sure I'm ok with. I like the idea of having my opionin floating out and around in cyberspace, but the term blogging just nips at my heel like a hormonally imbalanced chihuahua. But nontheless I feel the need for some kind of outlet. I'm going to start my first blog with some info on yours truly. This will probably be a little longer than you may be willing to sir down for, fair warning and all.

Probably the most important aspect of my life is that I'm a Sailor in the US Navy. I used to think enlisting was the single greatest mistake in my life, but recently I've been more inclined to believe that I actually made a good decision. I did the whole boot camp thing, which for the Navy is a joke. I spent nine months in specialized tech schools to become an intelligence specialst (IS) in Virginia Beach, easily the most boring place in existance. I soon left for my first tour with Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero Two, or VFA-102 for short. It was here I learned that the past eleven months of training amounted up to exactly dick. Almost a year of of preparing for this job and none of it really meant anything. I found this to be infinitely amusing and I still do to this day, if in a less-disgruntled sort of way.

VFA-102 is forward deployed to Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, Japan located in the city of Ayase, Japan just outside of Yokohama. I lived in the barracks on base because I was high enough ranking to live out in town. Let me tell you something, anyone in the military that claims they haven't experienced the "college life" is lying their ass off. Being in a military barracks is like living in a college dorm, except here we had maids! I can't ever remember a night in barracks 985 where at least one person wasn't partying. The aviation community in the Navy is pretty diverse but everyone has one thing in common... getting off work means it's time for the booze to flow. I had a lot of great friends in Japan, and we shared some good times and some not so good times.

Living in Japan, even though being on base is like Little America, was a very unique experience and one that I'm grateful for. The Japanese are an amazing people with a country like none other in the world. Unfortunetly, in the two years I was there I had to spend time in hell. No, I'm not referring to fire and brimstone. That would have been better... I'm talking about the USS Kitty Hawk, lovingly referred to by all who set foot onboard as the Shitty Kitty. The ship is the oldest in the fleet, and i knew it was bad when my grandpa said "That piece a crap is still floating?" Ya, it's THAT old! To make matters worse, the ships company I got to work with were one of a kind in that we-all-hate-our-lives-and-want-to-die way. And the leadership was worse, I quote I use from a friend of mine "I've never seen a chain of command that hates their lower enlisted more than this place." I was very lucky in the fact that not my duties in way, shape or form involved anyone outside of my squadron, so my exposure to the Shitty Kitty OZ division leadership was highly limited. I made no secret either that I wanted no part of anything they represented, and boy did they HATE me for it! Something I'm actaully rather proud of thinking back.

I loved Japan, and I loved VFA-102 and my leadership. But I very quickly accomplished everything I could while I was there. In two years and eight months I was already a warfare qualified second class, a major step up from the green seaman apprentice I was when I first showed up. Instead of spending another year having to deal with Shitty Kitty, I applied for orders to Command Sixth Fleet based in Naples, Italy. I very quickly realized after arriving that I didn't hate the Navy as I once thought, just the Kitty Hawk. I moved here about five months ago, and already I've got myself into a nice little niche here.

I live alone in house out in Lago Patria, the area used to be a private retreat for some Roman general. The great thing about Lago Patria is the quiet, the only think I can hear is a little traffic and the dogs barking next door. Most people would take this for granted but I used to live on a military air base, and when I wasn't there I was on an aircraft carrier. Between the literaly deafening jets flying overhead and the ever-constant playing of bad rap music, times of peace and quiet were few and far in between. Now the only noises I hear are my own, which could easily make for an entirely different conversation.

I'd say that's a pretty decent summary for the last few years, my recent activities have been limited to standing twelve hour watches, frozen pizzas and various pastas. I have a decent number of sea stories, random thoughts, and bitching to fill this blog... I still don't like it.