Military BS Stories or the last liar wins.

[2A_Tom]

After I got out, of the Arny in '76, I got a job at IBM. I was a Customer Engineer, which is a glorified name for a Selectric typewriter repair man.

One of my accounts was the USS Surabaci (Sub tender). Whenever they made port I would get a call to service their typewriters (the joke at the office was that they used them as sea anchors). I would drive my '76 Grand Prix all the way to the end of the pier at NAD (Naval Ammunition Depot) Earl, board the ship and be escorted to the typewriter. I asked one time why the ship was tilted to one side and was told it had a built in 7° list when it had no weapons on board.

One time I got a call and when I got to the main gate, I was told to park and ride the shuttle bus out to the ship. When I got out there everything looked normal. When I asked why I couldn't drive out I was told that they had just finished loading Unspecified Big weapons.

The ship had no list, that day.

 

[target64]

I forgot to comment on this.
During Weapons Loadout...
The guard is a bunch of bored sailors in dungarees, wwii flak jacket, and barely maintained ancient weapons... Big Weapons are being loaded.
The guard is a bunch of Marines with "high & tights", cammies, spectacular weapons, a crew served weapon, and no one looks bored... Unspecified BIG Weapons are being loaded.

We had a whole detachment aboard the USS Enterprise. Some of the boys were just off, others were way off.

 

[target64]

One of the worst fires we had onboard the USS Enterprise was in the marine berthing. It was not a fun time.

 

[Mgderf]

You guys got to stay in barracks???

(j/k I was only in a tent for about 10 days.)

I was in a tent for 9 weeks, in 29 Palm California, for desert warfare training.
My squadron was flying F4J Phantoms.
29 Palms is in the middle of the desert, so the first thing we got to do was to assemble almost 3 miles of "Marston mats" for runways.

Oh the joy...living in tents, showering under a water buffalo...eating C-Rations for EVERY meal for 9 weeks...

 

[2A_Tom]

That'll plug you up!

Are Marstan Mats The same as Perforated Steel Planking PSP that we use in the Army?

 

[actaeon277]

We had a whole detachment aboard the USS Enterprise. Some of the boys were just off, others were way off.

I've heard some stories.
Most of them amount to... HIT THE DECK and don't gawk.
Nasty things happen to sailors that get in the way.

 

[actaeon277]

One of the worst fires we had onboard the USS Enterprise was in the marine berthing. It was not a fun time.

Fires suck.
The metal bulkheads transmit heat and ignite fires where you wouldn't expect them.
Visibility goes to ****.
Spaces can become oxygen deficient.
Fire hose water hitting the fire, becomes steam, goes up, hits the overhead and can't go any higher, so the steam blows back at fire team 1. Which hopefully remembers to be in an awkard squat/duck position, ot they're going to catch a face full of scalding steam to the face.
Before there were FFEs (Fire Fighting Ensemble), you just had dungarees or coveralls. So Fire Team 1 fought the fire. Fire Team 2 sprayed Fire Team 1 with low velocity fog setting to keep them cool.
Unless the fire was in a weapons space. Then Fire Team 2 sprayed the torpedoes or explosives and Fire Team 1 just roasted.
Then there's the noxious chemicals, carbon monoxide, and smoke.
Wearing EABs (Emergency Air Breather) and OBAs (Oxygen Breathing Apparatus).

 

[Mgderf]

That'll plug you up!

Are Marstan Mats The same as Perforated Steel Planking PSP that we use in the Army?

Probably.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marston_Mat
They're likely all the same, throughout the various branches...

 

[actaeon277]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marston_Mat

That'll plug you up!

Are Marstan Mats The same as Perforated Steel Planking PSP that we use in the Army?

 

[actaeon277]

Dang. Beat by 1 minute.

 

[Mgderf]

I've heard some stories.
Most of them amount to... HIT THE DECK and don't gawk.
Nasty things happen to sailors that get in the way.

We saw some really nasty training films about the dangers of flight line work on carriers.
That arresting/launching cable is NOT your friend, unless you happen to be in a 20 ton aircraft.
People get hit by moving surfaces, flaps...
We even watched video of people getting sucked into a running jet engine.

Always the disclaimer, "Kids, don't try this at home..."

 

[actaeon277]

In boot camp, watching this video with about 160 "Boots".
Nodding off, cause being a Boot means you're constantly tired.
Though that may describe my entire military existence... tired.
About the 12 minute mark, a line of men are replaced by dummies.
The line snaps back, cutting some in half.
I didn't see the switch. When I saw them cut in half, well it jerked me awake rather abruptly.


When I arrived on my sub, I was a Reactor Operator. But, not on that sub. So at first, I was qualified to do nothing.
So, first time I went to sea, I was a Line 5 handler.
Line 5 was the aftmost line, over engineering.
Boy did I wish I paid better attention to the film. Cause I was scared.


[video=youtube;LGH_GUbdTeQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGH_GUbdTeQ[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

In the movies, submaries go through under water canyons at high spped.
Here is why this isn't real.
Note: this is not one of MY stories. Read the link for more info. Or look up other links.
FYI: 70 injuries in a crew of approx 100. 1 fatality. No real medical facility. Medical Department consist of ONE corpsman.
Some sources list 23 injured.

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your...miraculously-survived-a-terrifying-collision/
On Jan. 8, 2005, the submarine struck an underwater mountain going nearly full speed. The violent collision slammed sailors into bulkheads and equipment. One crewmember recalled chaos and carnage from the impact, which was like hitting a cement wall at 40 mph. The shocked chief of the watch leaped back into action and actuated the emergency ballast tanks, bringing the sub to the surface from a depth of about 500 feet.
Two sailors, including Hospital Corpsman 1st Class James Akin, received the Meritorious Service Medal for treating crewmembers injured in the collision.
The force of impact killed Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Joseph Ashley and wounded dozens more. Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SS) James Akin and another crewmember later received the Meritorious Service Medal for setting up an emergency triage center and caring for 70 injured shipmates

 

[actaeon277]

The Submarine & The Sea Mount |

I think this shows the 70 vs 23 discrepancy.
70 with injuries. Not that hard to imagine. Stand in the trailer of a semi truck going 40 mph and crash into a brick wall. No cushions. Only metal walls.
23 were injured enough to not be able to perform their duties.

 

[actaeon277]

If that had happened to my sub, there would have been no actaeon277. There is no way my sub would have survived it, due to the way it was constructed.

 

[actaeon277]

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/mi...crashed-mountain.html/?utm_source=penultimate

While the damage appeared severe from the outside, the submarine’s main hull was not breached and the nuclear reactor was not compromised by the collision. There was some heavy damage to the sonar system as well as the front ballast tanks, which affect the submarine’s ability to find buoyancy to rise.
The impact caused 98 crewmen to be injured, and one of these men died. Injuries included lacerations, back injuries and broken bones. The one fatality was Joseph Allen Ashley, who died the following day from head injuries. Crewmen reported that the impact sent men flying everywhere, 20 to 25 feet, and that there was blood all over the place

As the men regained their strength, the decision was made to perform an emergency blow. An emergency blow is when high-pressure air is forced – or attempted to be forced – into the main ballast tanks of a submarine. Unfortunately, because the front tanks had been damaged a lot of the air was just going right into the ocean. It took several minutes, but the air eventually reached the rear tanks which allowed for the vessel to slowly rise to the surface.
The sub radioed for help, but quickly realized there were no ships nearby, and they were hundreds of miles from home. The crew spent hours trying to get the sub to function, while also tending the wounded. Ashley was given an emergency tracheotomy to ensure that he could continue to breathe. At some point, an emergency helicopter arrived to take him from the sub and Ashley needed to be moved to where the helicopter could get him.
The crewmen have said that they removed railings and other fixtures from tight hallways to get him up to the top deck. Unfortunately, the men were unable to get Ashley through the bridge hatch as water was gushing over it. He had to be brought back down into the submarine, and that is when the men say they lost him.
It took the submarine 52 hours to get back to Guam following the collision. The submarine can move at a speed of around 40 miles per hour when fully functional, but its return trip home was spent going around 10 miles per hour

 

[actaeon277]

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
(From the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald)

 

[KellyinAvon]

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
(From the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald)

Somebody please rep Act for the Gordon Lightfoot reference.

 

[actaeon277]

Somebody please rep Act for the Gordon Lightfoot reference.

I think a lot of sailors that have been in storms are familiar with that reference.

 

[Mgderf]

"Superior it's said, never gives up her dead, when the gales of November come early..."

Such a great tune.