It's my story, and I'm stickin to itSean705 |
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Mess cooking Posts: 14 | Subject: It's my story, and I'm stickin to it I figured my first post here should be a bit of an introuction, so I figured I 'd post here first. Back in 1995, I was fresh out of my first year of college, with no prospects of going back since I had been all but tossed out head first after royaly flunking my last semester. So I slunk back home, tail between my legs, knowing full well that when my old man found out, he was going to murder me. So I did what many other 19 year olds in my shoes did in a situation like that, ran to the local recruiter. I skipped the Army, Air Force and Marines, I knew that I wanted to go Navy, just like my Grandfather (An LST Captian back in WWII and Korea). I marched over to the local recruiting office and told the guy behind the desk that I wanted to join, and hopefully leave for boot camp before my dad found out what had happened. My recruiter was a young 2nd class TM (can't rememebr his name), who sat me down in a back room of the recruiting station, and had me take the ASVAB. While I waited nervously for my test results, I started to think about what I wanted to do with my Naval career. Soon enough the recrutier had my scores and was ready to guide me through the different rates I was eligable for (I'm pretty sure he only ever took one out). It was at this time my recruiter turned on the charm, and started wooing me with stories about submarine service. I'll never forget him telling me how "amazed" he was by my high ASVAB score, and how I EVEN qualified for submarine duty, and sonar technician school!  Several hours later, after many sea stories about all the exotic places I'd get to go on submarines, and how much better the life was than all other branches, I was convinced. I bought his stry hook line and sinker. I still remember him selling me on being a Sonar Tech, talking about the movie "The Hunt For Red October", and how I was basicly going to be just like Jonsey from the movie. I was floating on air after that meeting, and I just knew the old man would be proud that I had owned up to my failure and made a plan for myself. In a little plot twist, I didn't end up joining, even though that recruiter had me completely sold. My old man was suprisingly less upset than I had imagined (translation: He didn't kill me after hearing the news, just blistered the paint on the walls of our living room dressing me down for my mistakes). He was happy to see that I had good intentions in joining the Navy, but he convinced me to give college one more try, and sent me back off to school the following fall. Fast forward to 1998, and a kid fresh out of college, working as a substitute teacher and football coach at a local high school in Virginia. I was working nights as a bartender, and days at the school, and began to realize that I still hadn't grown up, and had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life, even though I had my four years of college. Something was missing, and I started to think about that recruiting trip visit over and over again. I started watching submarine movies, and reading any book that delt with submarines tat I could get my hands on. And then, that fall, before the football season came to an end, I went down to the local recruiting station. I walked in, looked the recruiter in the face and said that I wanted to join, that I wanted to be a Sonar Tech, get guarenteed entry to Sub School, and leave for Great Lakes in later that fall... The look on the recruiters face was priceless. I imagine that guy had chased a lot of potential recruits, but by the look on his face, this was the first time someone came in that prepaired, all he had to do was the paperwork, and give me a ride to the airport. Needless to say, I'm glad I got that TM recruiter way back when, joining the submarine service was one of the best choice I've made in my life. | ||
| Gil |
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