Allow me to (belatedly)...

[OMCHamlin]

Intradouche mysef. I've been a member here since 2018, and I just re-discovered what a nice place this seems to be...
Me?; I'm a retired Navy Chief (hence the "OMC" part of OMCHamlin) Now, for chuckles, is there any former (or active) squids that remember the OM rate? We worked on everything with glass in it, from Binos made before WWII, to ship's Big Eyes, Sextants, Alidades, Compasses, NVDs, and what eventually became my cursed specialty, submarine periscopes, and their associated sail systems, fairings, hull packing, etc... 40 some odd feet of brass and glass that was, in some cases, state of the art circa the late 40's - early 50's, up to.. well, much more current, at least as of 2000, when the rate was disestablished and contracted out, and I was forced to become an ETC, but I actually ended up being a ship's Maintenance and Material Management Coordinator (3MC). Retired in '06, changed clothes and went to work for Lockheed Martin at the same place as I retired (Surface Combat Systems Center, Wallops Island, VA), retired from THAT in 2018, worked part time doing taxes and then got a fun, cool, neato job working the gun counter at our little town's hardware store. Prior to joining up in '83, we lived in Sevierville, TN, and though I always wanted to retire around there, when we went looking, honestly, the Sevierville that I grew up in was LOONG gone, it had gone off the rails mega-tourist destination, and was not for me. They say that crap about "no man crosses the same river twice", I get it, he is not the same man, nor is it the same river...
But we ended up about two hours west of there, on about 5 acres, half wooded, enough room for a small range and within an hour to a 1K+ range (Dead Zero, if any locals recognize that name, in Spencer, TN, I think?)
I've loved dogs since they were bigger then me, and now have one 5 yr old rough collie, though he seems like two dogs at times...
Wife and I (a former squid herself) in Croatia (or somewhere out that way) circa 2000 or so...
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She's also a shooter, and has (and still can) cleaned my clock on occasion...
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[Bawanna]

Member here since 2018? And 33 post? What's with that?

Is this the same wife that can find front sights in the grass? The one that on her way to find my Hi Power mags?

She is cute/pretty whatever todays politically correct terminology might be. Your not near as pretty but course your standing next to her so that's a definite handicap. Find somebody ugly to stand next to and you'll look great.

[BirdsThaWord]

Lol! The Colonel is quite the sugar coater, but guess you know by now.
Thanks for the background info and pics. I was not aware of that rate. I served on 2 different carriers. First as a Machinist Mate, then as a Lithographer’s Mate. Did not stick it out as long as you. Those carriers were always “Haze grey and underway”, while my buddies on the “small boys” seemed to hit every port and then some.
I grew up in Orlando. As kids, when driving past the base, we would yell “squids” out the window as we passed. Years later, I was in one of the last companies to ever be trained there. Now almost all of it has been leveled and houses or townhomes cover what was my entry point into the Navy.

[OMCHamlin]

Member here since 2018? And 33 post? What's with that?

Is this the same wife that can find front sights in the grass? The one that on her way to find my Hi Power mags?

She is cute/pretty whatever todays politically correct terminology might be. Your not near as pretty but course your standing next to her so that's a definite handicap. Find somebody ugly to stand next to and you'll look great.

Yeah, well... shy I guess?

Just remember, she find's Hi Power mags, I get a cut, I gotta feed one too, y'know...
And, yeah, I DID marry above, I know dat fo sho...

[AJBert]

We were in during the same time period, but a tad earlier and later for me (82-08). I never knew the OM rating even existed as I was a fleet guy who worked in the pit until the end of my career. I do know what a 3MC is as I worked with the one on my last ship where I was the SMMO (Ship's Maintenance and Material Officer). My wife and I, too, had always planned to return to where I grew up but found things way to crowded so we found a place up in the mountains about an hour west.

We did have a periscope on the first three ships I was on, steam plants. Well, actually a total of seven periscopes between the three ships. Used them to let the burnerman know whether he was smoking black or white in the boiler or had a clear stack. Never had an OM ever step on any of the ships I was on, let alone align the mirrors that always moved around.

[OMCHamlin]

We were in during the same time period, but a tad earlier and later for me (82-08). I never knew the OM rating even existed as I was a fleet guy who worked in the pit until the end of my career. I do know what a 3MC is as I worked with the one on my last ship where I was the SMMO (Ship's Maintenance and Material Officer). My wife and I, too, had always planned to return to where I grew up but found things way to crowded so we found a place up in the mountains about an hour west.

We did have a periscope on the first three ships I was on, steam plants. Well, actually a total of seven periscopes between the three ships. Used them to let the burnerman know whether he was smoking black or white in the boiler or had a clear stack. Never had an OM ever step on any of the ships I was on, let alone align the mirrors that always moved around.

Yep, Optical Man, we were a very small rate that usually pulled sea duty on Destroyer or Sub Tenders. We never numbered much more than about 450 - 500 OMs of all ranks at any one time. We had a "sister" rate called IMs (Instrument Man) and at Master Chief, they merged to become a PICM (Precision Instrument Chief, Master). On my last ship, the USS Emory S Land in La Maddalena, Italy, I was their 3MC and normally part of Admin, but this command had me assigned to Engineering. You pit guys have a hot, crummy job, my sweat stained ball cap is off to you! I took us through our first mini-yard period (along with our SMMO), and though we stayed in LaMadd, we got a crapload accomplished, even as we still tended other units. Did a lot of traveling while we were in Italy, only missed England/Ireland/Scotland, and in hindsight, I wish we would have grabbed a MAC to there for a week or ten days. Oh well...

[jeepster09]

Thanks for the introduction....we have some great people here with lots of talent!
In case you never got it....WELCOME FROM MINNESOTA! [Sorry I forgot to shave...]

[Bawanna]

You may never be president but you'll always be good lookin.

[dao]

and a charmer

[jeepster09]

My wife says HI too!