Something I just found here and I REALLY like it and appreciate it. This if nothing else speaks volumes of the staff we have here, their intentions, their future views, their hearts, their generosity, their unselfishness...darn, running out of words...but you get the pic...as if we did not already know the quality we have in them....I don't think I ever saw this statement or intention at the other site, but I very much appreciate the honesty, the intent, and the caring of them and us, but if you click the donate link at the top.. one statement caught my eye...

So if anyone had any wonders about whether they did right to follow here or not, just take a look see.

For me that pretty much sums up the quality we have here in our staff and I don't regret following them. I will definitely be donating later one guys, but just wanted to say thanks for being open/transparent with your intentions, and I think we can all rest assured the donations etc will be wisely and well used...SUPER JOB guys...too bad we members can give awards to the staff.. But just....thanks....t


P.s. and I bet Crunch was wincing at the title of this afraid I was going off the deep end the other direction...gotcha bro:tongue2::yes::sidelol::sidelol::hi5::nono: :laughy:

 

I was looking for brownie points....haha...NOT!!
Just wanted to bring attn to the donate button and show everyone that there are good known reasons for donating now and that it seems our new home is going to be as transparent as possible and do GREAT things and if you donate, you know where your money is being used and spent. And they deserve the recognition. Thanks RonnieB!...t

These staff guys keep saying that it is the people that make the board and community, but I must disagree to a point...yes that is true to a point.

In the Corps, our 1st priority was the mission....I disagreed. My priority was ALWAYS my men...I always figure if I took care of them and their needs and their morale and training the mission would get done and take care of itself and that philosophy NEVER failed once. To steal a line from Tour of Duty, I had to know that someday when I walk by VA cemetaries that I could look at them and know that not one of those in it are there because of something I did wrong or did not do. But I digress.

Same Idea here. people make the community but with out a core of leaders that take care of those people, and lead them and so on, then it is chaos. So it starts at the top and rolls down. If you have quality leaders that truly care about the people under them in the community and listen and care about them and try their best to take care of them and listen to ideas, and do the right things and earn the trust of the people, then the people are more likely to jump in and contribute and help and become a part of this thing in a huge way unlike before. Thus putting their cards on the table as they have, as much as is possible, and all the praising and encouragement going on, that has gone a long way from the staff in getting this thing off to a great start and making everyone feel right at home and I don't think I have run across one flamin attack or bashing...except MikeO's and I don't really know him well enough to know if it was justified or not, i read some of his later posts but saw nothing I would disagree with.
So yes the member make the commununity happen BUT it has to start with a good core of leaders/staff who care about the people and doing the right thing....so Staff guys, DON"T sell yourself short in any of this...You gotta remember we followed you and we followed you for a reason...your character, trust, loyalty, relationship, our compassion, and caring, and for many other reasons too numerous to name, or I can't type that many right now. But you take your responsibility seriously, as you have shown, and whatever this all ends up, it is a product of your combined efforts and how you do things and present things etc.

Just like my guys made the missions happen and get accomplished, but they could only do that with proper leadership and training and care and constant supervision...same thing here....some of these guys adopted players...you the staff adopted a huge growing family. So for what it's worth, we followed you because we have faith in you and you are all proven, and now lead us into the promised land...
told you when I was on all my meds and got going I was hard to stop...haha

 

Yes FFIC...kinda weird...went in in 1978, out in 1986, last tour was air winger...aviation ordnance, and got out in 86 as they were phasing out my birds the a-4's and wanted me to work on those pigs a-6's or harriers...even worse..dangerous birds...had a harrier flip upside down, come thru our hangar and pilot lost orientaion and punched out upside down..well you know what mess that was...swore never to work on those things. Plus my squadron had been a family and was getting orders here and there, breaking up that family so I did not have the heart to start over so got out in 86, and 1.5 years later wanted to go back in and they said only as e 1, like you I was e5 when I got out, on the e6 promotion list, so said nope, and since airwing is trained by navy, joined navy reserve with promise of same rank, and same job and active duty after 6 drills, made 6 drills at the NAS in Marietta Ga and was ready for active and they reread the regs and said oh...you are other service vet so have to make 1.5 years of drills...i said no way...you lied to me...so checked the army and got a new job(one I had always wanted 13f, forward observer, every since I was in a weapons platoon early on with the mortars..loved those babies), kept rank, time in grade, e-5 p and stationed in Germany so 1 year into that enlistment went to PLDC(NCO academy) and ripped my left knee bad. They said that I could go to sick call but would have to start over at the academy, it was a locked in situation for 1 month, no contact with outside family or anyone, 1.5 wks left and they kept on, if you are a good NCO/leader you will suck it up and drive on and finish, and so I did, and ruined both knees in a 3 day hump and training over the mountains of Germany, so back I almost crawled back, but graduated but spent the next year in the hospital in Landstudl and finally discharged for VA to tend to...so all downhill form there...worked for the USPS until had to retire from there for knees and other things caused over 15 years by the bad knees(too young to replace), and now at 100 percent service connected and STILL WON"T replace the knees...won't do it till i am 60...still too young they say...only prob is this has lead to OA and djd in the upper and lower back, neck, hips, need one possibly both ankles replace and numerous other things due to many falls over the years from knees buckling or catching and falling, on shoulder or wrists or head(knocked out a couple times), just gone downhilll...so yes I spent 8 years in the Corps, and some Navy reserve, and 2+ years in the Army, getting paid for over 11 years when I exited.

YOu wanna hear something funny tho...I served in two different branches at the same time. I went in the USN reserve in 1987(4 yr contract) 1988 went in the army active, so navy had to sign release form to release me to army active...that was fine, but then 2 years after my discharge from the army I get an honorable discharge certificate from the Naval reserves for the same period of time I was in the Army....SO I have 2 discharge certificates from 2 branches of services for the same periods of time...go figure that one...

Anyway, nice to know FFIC...Semper Fi Bro..t.

my eldest son is in the Corps now..some pics from his Iraq and other cruise at http://tecphotos.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=15637


just a few pics i had scrounged up from my last tour in the corps, not many..but no digital, had to scan them up... http://tecphotos.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=18833

not sure where you went to boot camp but I went back to PI a couple years ago and took some shotst they are at http://tecphotos.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=15

 

That's sad, ooh raah tho...
am uploading the PI pics now...when I changed servers pics did not come up so well, but the ones of my son and old days should be fine now...

But I know what you mean...my son was going to extend a couple months to go back over seas one more time but he is in Okinawa now and they have crapped on him and not let him leave the base or go anywhere like mainland Japan or anything so he is doubtful he will be reenlisting. sad, but the service will ruin people like that..sad but tru. Sorry to hear about the last sep money...that is bad.
I know my field had a 36k reenlistment bonus and promotion to e 6 when I was over a year out but when I hit that year out, when I could renenlist all incentives were no longer there...sucked....but guess that is the way it goes....imiss those days tho....if you are in Ca, havne't checked where, but I was stationed at MCAS El Toro from 1982 to 86..it's shut down now but you may know of it and then time at pendleton and on coronada...Son is stationed at Pendleton now.

If the pics don't come up right let me know and will check on what is wrong...thankst..

 

here's the new link to the PI ones....the others work, just may have to refressh and play with some...i think when I transferred servers not everything got there right, but with some fiddling you can see them all...i will be reinstalling that bloody gallery program one more time....haha..t
http://tecphotos.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=31992

 

Yep, that is the best thing that came out of it. I met my wife in CA married for 8 years and then split..still a good relationship and 2 good sons from it. what part of 1986? I left in about Feb of 1986, I was with VMA 311...t.

Question, are the wooden hangars at Tustin still standing?

I did time at Okinawa, Iwakuni Japan, Philippines, Wake, Hawaii, Guam(worst place ever), Korea, Rosy Roads Pureto Rico, Fallon NV, 29 stumps, China Lake, luke AFB, Yuma, Beirut, Pendleton, Cherry Pt, Lejeune, and AO school in Millington and so on....a lot of mini deployments...

 

It's a small world! I visited H&Ms 11 a couple times..used to know a couple people there. I figured the base would be worth a lot, based on it's location....just sad to see it go...a lot of good memories.

TUstin..I would have thought they may have preserved the hangars, there was some sort of historical significance for them....largest wooden hangars or structure or some such in the world..can't remember which..

Blue angels eh? Some fine flyers, but we always hated them....haha...when they were a-4's, it was hard enough for us to keep our birds up and flying but when the blue angels came to town, they were given priority on everything they need to include a/c parts/components and it did not matter that taking it from our birds took them down, just so long as the blue angels were flying...kinda did not make sense to me....blue angels were an air show and ours were maintained for missions..but guess that was the way it goes...
I was aviation ordnance and progressed to a QAR, but I guess you know about Ordnancemen...we were the ones they sent out behind the outbuildings to hide when the brass came around to inspect or tour....they did not care what we did as long as we stayed out of site..hahah..t

I am going to try and get to Lejeune this Oct for the 25th memorial of the Marine Bks Bombing in Beirut(they have a memorial for it there)...just haven't been able to make myself go in past years...still too raw for me..but have made a resolution to try and get there this year....

 

Thanks Brother(in more ways than one...love to read up and watch shows on naval ships...the ones that hurt me the most to watch and read about is the USS Arizona, and the Indianapolis...horrible. The Foreestal I knew a bit about as that was part of our training film in Ordnance with that massive fire set off by the exhaust of a tow tractor setting off the ordnance.

But even tho I was a majority of my time in the Corps, and then second in the Army, I DID spend 7 months in the Naval reserves at NAS Marietta Ga, BUT we were attached to the Saratoga, God Bless her.

I have a postcard I got off the HMS Illustrious as she came back from the Falklands I will dig up and post somewhere....I really enjoy ships, subs and a/c.

So from 1 E-5 to another....even tho navy, still Semper Fi brother and thanks for your servcie and sacrifice. Especially if it was Vietnam. You guys have always been my heroes..thanks...t

 

you are welcome to register and host your pic(s) at www.tecphotos.com/thephins1/ if you want...and we are/were all equal..thanks ..t

 

well..it's just in the blood Tex....t:yes:

 

Now they have dropped the Dolphinsnation and gone back to Finheaven.....so wishywashy..t

 

Oh Yes, I know...just thought it was interesting and I was just commenting that the old site had gone back to their old name....and dropped DN..they were wishy washy..

I know here is ThePhins and solid...and am glad thanks again and sorry for any misunderstanding on that one...t

 

Reminds me of.....................Jerry McGuire?:lol: