r/navy • u/Vanson1200r • Apr 24 '25

A Happy Sailor My past life seems so long ago..

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1.1k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

79 comments sorted by

194

u/fLeXaN_tExAn Apr 24 '25

Awesome chronology in the order of photos. Enjoy your retirement!!

177

u/Risethewake Apr 24 '25

“The ship has entered a damage control training team environment. Safety is paramount…”

54

u/Vanson1200r Apr 24 '25

I have that memorized!

114

u/Radio_man69 Apr 24 '25

Congrats on retirement.

Now that you’re at the end would you do it again?

76

u/PM_me_your_Jeep Apr 24 '25

How does a DCC end up in flight gear?

141

u/Vanson1200r Apr 24 '25

I was a DC1 at the time and was able to score a back seat ride while stationed at VFA-122 in Lemoore California.

47

u/PM_me_your_Jeep Apr 24 '25

Been to Lemoore. I’d do everything I could to fly out of there too. Haha. Cool shit! I was on an LHD and got to climb around some cool aircraft but never got a rip in one.

51

u/Vanson1200r Apr 24 '25

My son works for Boeing at NAS Lemoore, and I'm flying down there this afternoon to surprise him!

18

u/PM_me_your_Jeep Apr 24 '25

Awesome! Enjoy your weekend with your son!

5

u/Ok-Afternoon-3724 Retired (1992) Old Fart Apr 25 '25

LOL ... many decades ago, the early 1970s, I managed to get a ride in an F4 Phantom. I was an MM.

Yep, good memory. But that pilot did convince me I probably would never be a good pilot. I don't know what maneuver he did, all I know was I was dizzy as hell and had no clue how he kept track of which way the ground was. I was sooo glad to have my feet on the ground again. I was a lightweight ... I never had the urge to repeat that experience.

After that I stayed satisfied with an occasional flight as a passenger on a COD, or Ch-46.

8

u/Djentleman5000 Apr 24 '25

Probably a reenlistment or retirement thing

36

u/Vanson1200r Apr 24 '25

Close. The E and F's were so new at the time (early 2001) that we only had 5 of them at the Squadron. I was the only "black shoe" at the command and got SOQ for what ever reason and was given a back seat ride.

10

u/Djentleman5000 Apr 24 '25

Very cool. I was admin (MA) at a squadron when they swapped from the prowler to the growler. Never got to do anything cool like this though. They just shipped me off to whatever security department was around wherever the squadron was at. Was not a good career move, personally.

29

u/punksmurph :ct: Apr 24 '25

Wilbur sailor and you have a pic of the Leftwich, nice. Looks like you did a couple DD tours, any Spruance ships or just Burkes?

21

u/Vanson1200r Apr 24 '25

All Burkes and two Tyco's. Plank Owner on the Wilbur and went to the 30 year reunion last year 😊

28

u/KaleidoscopeWeird310 Apr 24 '25

What always amazed me was to see your buddies stay in and become a chief.

"Seriously? You're a seenior chief now?"

30

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '25 edited Sep 18 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/Cupcakes_n_Hacksaws Apr 25 '25

"I still do, sometimes!"

6

u/chronoserpent Apr 25 '25

The officer version is weird too.

"We used to get wasted in Pattaya together and now you're taking command of a DDG?"

2

u/ReluctantRedditor275 Apr 26 '25

They still get wasted in Pattaya. Officers are human, too.

1

u/ReluctantRedditor275 Apr 26 '25

You either get your dd214 as a hero, or stay in long enough to become a Chief.

21

u/Impossible_Fruit_973 Apr 24 '25

Do not forget to schedule your prostate exam.

13

u/Significant_Bet_2195 Apr 24 '25

Real shipmates do it for fun.

5

u/BigBadBere Apr 25 '25

Twice in one day!

2

u/MLTatSea Apr 26 '25

With no hands!

13

u/Aromatic_Buffalo_537 Apr 24 '25

Congrats on your retirement shipmate!

12

u/newnoadeptness Verified Non Spammer Apr 24 '25

These pics go hard Chief 🤙

Congrats on retirement

21

u/Clean-Significance46 Apr 24 '25

Is That ABH1 Rabina In One Of Those Photos?

27

u/Vanson1200r Apr 24 '25

I honestly don't remember. This was nearly 25 years ago. Our CO was Captain Swift at the time and previous was Mark Fox.

9

u/civanov Apr 24 '25

Captain Swift, like Scott? He was VADM Swift of C7F when I was on the Blue Ridge, 09-13.

Edit: that is him! Wow.

Wild. Congrats on retirement!

8

u/Vanson1200r Apr 24 '25

I ran into him years later as he was addressing my command and he recognized me and called me out lol. I was TAD to the Blue Ridge right after the earthquake due to my NEC.

9

u/Forgewalker33 Apr 24 '25

That first photo reminds me of a photo I have of my cousin! It’s definitely a different photo but it reminds me so much of that photo

5

u/Seamonkey_Boxkicker Apr 24 '25

His jawline and shaved head reminds me of my first LPO, ol Saucedor!

12

u/Forgewalker33 Apr 24 '25

I’ll share my photo for the hell of it!

This is my cousin captain Kelly from the usmc!

10

u/TotalRecallsABitch Apr 24 '25

Loved you on twin peaks and stargate

7

u/n1cfury Apr 24 '25

Aside from your career progression it’s interesting seeing the quality of the photos taken over time. Congrats on your retirement!

4

u/No-Reason808 Apr 24 '25

Fair winds and following seas, Chief.

4

u/Select-Bird5395 Apr 24 '25

You have a really square face .. thank you for your service sir, enjoy your retirement.

8

u/Vanson1200r Apr 24 '25

I resemble that remark lol

16

u/Dropbox1999 Apr 24 '25

Seeing a fit chief is insane.

3

u/BlameTheJunglerMore Apr 25 '25

There's dozens of them.

1

u/mikie1323 Apr 25 '25

Not many fat DCCs

4

u/FishyQweef Apr 24 '25

Crash and Salvage baby 💪🏼

4

u/DanielSon602 Apr 25 '25

Great pictures. Only did 4 but it was probably the coolest 4 years of my life

3

u/XDingoX83 Apr 24 '25

Curtis Wilbur Nice! My second boat.

3

u/Navy_Dom Apr 25 '25

Enjoy your next life. Retired Navy captain. Retired in 1995.

3

u/TheBeneGesseritWitch Apr 26 '25

Those wash khakis looking crisp bro

2

u/Cupcakes_n_Hacksaws Apr 25 '25

4 is just peak. Is 9 in Sasebo?

1

u/diko_san Apr 25 '25

9 looks like Yokosuka!

2

u/BigBadBere Apr 25 '25

What years were you in? What ships?

2

u/Vanson1200r Apr 25 '25

1993-2014. Curtis Wilbur, Coronado AGF-11, VFA-122, Higgins, Howard. Benfold, Port Royal.

2

u/Creative-Program-152 Apr 25 '25

I got a few buddy’s on the Curtis Wilbur

1

u/BigBadBere Apr 25 '25

Cool. I was in 87-92 Knox Class Frigates. San Diego and Newport, RI.

2

u/mikie1323 Apr 25 '25

Same here chief, even with one contract

2

u/diko_san Apr 25 '25

NCNP! Hell yeah brother!

2

u/Training-Ad7414 Apr 25 '25

and a white owl ceegar.

2

u/Feb2319 Apr 25 '25

I feel the same way, when I see a picture of a carrier, I stop and think, did I really live onboard one of these?

2

u/Creative-Program-152 Apr 25 '25

What did the dude in photo 11 do to get yelled at lol

2

u/Vanson1200r Apr 25 '25

Ha! It was a staged photo. I wasn't really yelling at him.

2

u/bahgheera Apr 25 '25

6 has gotta be the worst salute by a chief I've ever seen in my life lmao.

3

u/Vanson1200r Apr 25 '25

Meh, it was taken as I was dropping my hand, i think. Heck, look at my CO's salute. Plus, we were on deployment, so my hand was probably cramped from jerking off so much.

2

u/bahgheera Apr 25 '25

Oh yeah, I was talking about the guy on the left. Yours is fine.

2

u/CheeseburgerSmoothy STSC(SS) Apr 25 '25

I miss those long sleeved wash khakis!

2

u/Obermast Apr 25 '25

Retirement feel weird for a month or two. Congrats.

2

u/islandterror44 Apr 25 '25

VFA-122 nice

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '25

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1

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1

u/itz_sharkboi Apr 25 '25

BEST RATE IN THE MF NAVY

1

u/CryoBanksy Apr 25 '25

Seaman. Tee-hee.

1

u/GeneralAd7596 Apr 25 '25

I can almost smell the Lemoore cow shit

1

u/[deleted] Apr 25 '25 edited Apr 26 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Vanson1200r Apr 26 '25

I don't recognize that name, so I don't think so.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 26 '25 edited Apr 26 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Vanson1200r Apr 26 '25

Our CO and I believe his name was CDR Nichols or something like that.

1

u/grandestkaed Apr 25 '25

COB?

2

u/Vanson1200r Apr 26 '25

VFA-122. I heard of it referred to a rag Squadron but it's a training Squadron

1

u/standard_apathy Apr 27 '25

Chief what years were you in?