Wanted to show you guys what my son-in-law does for a living. He is a United States Marine serving with VMFA-323, The Death Rattlers. They are a fighter attack squadron and he is a jet engine mech. He works on the FA-18 Hornet.

Anyway, this video is a collection of photos from his WestPac tour last year aboard the USS John C. Stennis.

He's about to go out again on the USS Ronald Reagan. I am very proud of him.
Check this out:

YouTube - Uss John C Stennis West Pac 2009

 

Thanks for sharing Scott. You do have something to be proud of. Let him know, we thank him for his service.

 

Scott...great video...thanks for sharing. Extend to your son my thanks for his service.

My father served on the USS Massey during WWII...he proudly wears his USS Massey hat where ever he goes and is truly humbled by the many strangers who thank him for his service!!!

 

Thank you Scott, such a fine son-in-law! You have every right to be proud. I may be wrong here......,But I think Dutch (Graywolf) also served on the Stennis?

 

Thanks everyone. He is a great kid and son-in-law. I watched him grow up from the 8th grade, thru high school and into the Marines. He has always been a part of our family and yes, we are very proud of him. He's a Marine through and through.

 

My nephew was on the same cruise with your son-in-law in nuclear engineering on the Stennis. He gets out this November after 6 years. Apparently the Navy works their nuclear engineering people to the very limits of their endurance, with little time off, and then can't get them to sign back up.

 

nuke engingeering is tough, right now, i am in A school to be a nuclear engineering Machinest Mate, and i am a submarine volunteer, this place is tough but they need the engineers to run the carriers and the subs.

 

I worked on A-6's in VA-35 on my first cruise, aboard the USS Saratoga (The Sinkin' Sarah- CV60) Nuclear carriers are world's better than conventionals.
Nukes do work hard. With the economy the way it is, the navy has more volunteers than they need. The bonuses they used to give to the nukes ($60k and up) are getting smaller. When some company can offer them a job making twice the money for half the work, it's no wonder the navy is losing good people.

 

Great video Scott.

Thanks for posting..

 

USS John C. Stennis when I was on it, was one of the best commands I ever served at in my carreer in the USN! We did more before noon than most ships did all day, and PACFLEET was still trying to figure out how we did it when I mustered out....


Like the USS Carl Vinson, it all boiled down to taking care of your people. If you give a damn about your OWN - you can build a team, and that is what matters the most.

Yeah, we busted our humps, but we wanted to in the first place

You don't get that unless everyone is a player on the same team!

 

That is what they offered him, 60K to re-enlist. Yet, when my sister saw him over Christmas he was skin and bones and he was already a slim kid. He apparently did not have enough time to eat well or sleep well given all the ancillary training. So he decided to go back to college after November.

 

I tell you what... I wouldn't trade my time in the navy for anything. But those nukes work days at a time during their inspection cycles- and they seem to always be in a cycle. I'm a light sleeper, so I always heard the 1MC in the middle of the night calling away this division or that one for some drill. It had to be brutal! I can't say as I blame them for taking the money and getting out of the navy for an easier life. Well, maybe not easier, but certainly more steady.

 

I'm a big fan of the F-18....But I LOVE the shots of the Sttennis heeled over whilst making a turn......and the 'little' escorts flanking the big mama bear while she's underway.

Your pride in your son-in-law has shown up in previous posts, Scott. Godspeed in his new deployment on the Ronald Reagan.

 

Thanks for sharing that video with us Scott. I enjoyed watching it.

From what I know about you, I'll say he is pretty lucky to have you for his FIL. Take care Bud.