{"id":6857,"date":"2023-09-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=6857"},"modified":"2023-09-26T09:27:16","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T13:27:16","slug":"153-the-dream-sheet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/153-the-dream-sheet\/","title":{"rendered":"#153\u2014The \u201cDream Sheet\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Blog #153 (Audio)<\/div><\/div>
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Published: <\/span>September 25, 2023<\/span><\/div>
<\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>2<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
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Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Who said, \u201cSometimes people don’t know their dreams until they’re in it. Other times, their dreams escape them because they are too busy being busy.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, \u201cThe Navy Diver is not a fighting man, he is a salvage expert. If it is lost underwater, he finds it. If it’s sunk, he brings it up. If it’s in the way, he moves it. If he’s lucky, he will die young, 200 feet beneath the waves, for that is the closest he’ll ever get to being a hero.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear the following?
    Everybody’s got their dues in life to pay, <\/em>
    I know nobody knows<\/em>
    Where it comes and where it goes<\/em>
    I know it’s everybody’s sin<\/em>
    You got to lose to know how to win<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Your airman will make requests for their first duty station selection while at Basic Military Training (BMT). They will fill out a form, known as a “dream sheet,” to list their assignment preferences. They will have the opportunity to fill out eight stateside bases and eight overseas bases if they want.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u2014 From the \u201cofficial\u201d Internet military glossary of BS.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDon\u2019t Expect Much\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Joining the Navy was probably the first major<\/em> decision I made in my life. I was 18 years old, recently flunked out of college, working at a scuba dive shop in Tallahassee, Florida, and trying to figure out my next \u201cjourney.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I joined the Navy. It sounded like a good idea at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At the recruiter\u2019s office, I \u201cselected\u201d my rating (Aviation Boatswain\u2019s Mate-Handler<\/a><\/strong>). I had no idea what that meant, but I liked airplanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why the Navy and not the Army, like my dad? Good question. I was into scuba diving (my one and only \u201cA\u201d in college). I figured I\u2019d have more opportunities to dive in the Navy than the Army. It was really that simple.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Recruiter: \u201cThe Navy needs ABHs. You\u2019ll probably be able to go anywhere in the world<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Note: I\u2019m sure he told that to everyone<\/em> who walked through his doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After boot camp (Orlando Recruit Training Center<\/a><\/strong>), I attended ABH \u201cA\u201d School<\/a><\/strong> to learn the traits of an Aviation Boatswain\u2019s Mate-Handler: Aircraft handling and aircraft firefighting. I loved both aspects of that job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During the last part of \u201cA\u201d School\u2014for me, in Lakehurst, NJ<\/strong>\u2014the instructors had us fill out a form\u2026 a \u201cDream Sheet.\u201d The idea is that you <\/em>would tell the Navy where you wanted to go for your next assignment and then they <\/em>would send you wherever they wanted you to go. It was really that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, the recruiter was maybe<\/em> right. I could select anywhere I wanted to go.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Andy
    Andy Adkins
    Orlando RTC (August 1973)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    From my limited few months in the Navy (boot camp & A school), I\u2019d heard that the West Coast was probably the best choice (as opposed to the East Coast). Others may disagree, but I have no Navy experience on the East Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, I chose the West Coast for sea duty and the Philippines for shore duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Back then in the mid-70s, the sea\/land rotation for ABs was 4\/2: four years at sea, then two years shore duty. That, of course, means you\u2019d serve for six years. Since I\u2019d only signed up for four, I knew I\u2019d have sea duty for my entire Navy \u201ccareer.\u201d That was fine by me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My choice was not that I wanted to get that far away from home (I lived in Florida), but because I had heard the west coast had better cruises. My orders read, \u201cReport to Naval Air Station Agana, Guam<\/em>.\u201d I guess I couldn\u2019t get too much farther away from home now, could I? I was into scuba diving, so this new duty station would hopefully be a diver\u2019s dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now if I could just figure out where in the hell Guam was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    NAS Agana, Guam<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    A week or so before I graduated \u201cA\u201d School, I received orders to report for duty at NAS Agana, Guam<\/a><\/strong>. I\u2019d been assigned to the Crash & Rescue Division<\/strong>. I was initially a little confused about the sea\/shore duty. I soon learned that NAS Agana, Guam was considered \u201csea duty\u201d even though it was a land station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Go figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I spent 15 months in Guam, and I\u2019ll tell you\u2026 it was a paradise (at least for me). One day on, one day off; 24-hour duty. I worked the Port Section, as opposed to the Starboard Section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even though we worked a 24-hour shift, we didn\u2019t have to stay awake that entire time. The Crash Barn had rooms for each crew of 4 or 5 ABHs. In fact, Crash had six fire trucks. I learned to drive them all within a few months of arriving. That certainly helped me when I transferred later to an aircraft carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, there is a slight difference between driving a fire truck on a Naval Air Station of a 1,000 acres versus driving on the flight deck of 4.5 acres with dozens of aircraft. But that\u2019s another story.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Andy
    Andy Adkins (1974)
    Guam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    During those 24-hour shifts, three of the trucks\u2014and their crews of 4 or 5\u2014would spend two, 4-hour shifts out on the \u201chot spot,\u201d watching aircraft take off and land. The airfield served not only the Navy aircraft squadrons but also commercial aircraft\u2014the civilian airport was located directly across the airfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We received crash & rescue training for all commercial airliners<\/a>, including the Boeing 727s, 707s, 747s, Lockheed L1011s, and Douglas DC-10s. Back in the mid-70s, those were the major jet manufacturers and models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And my days off? Yep, I dove\u2026 a lot. The water was crystal clear, and the reefs were nothing short of spectacular. Truly, a diver\u2019s paradise. On top of that, I took flying lessons and received my pilot\u2019s license while in Guam. You could say I took advantage of my time while stationed in Guam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Detailer<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The Navy is usually<\/em> pretty good about planning your next duty station. About six months prior to your scheduled departure date, someone in Navy ULM (\u201cUpper Level Management\u201d) begins to work with you to help determine your next duty station. I personally thought it was a crock, since I knew the Navy would send me wherever it wanted me to go. But I guess in the long run, it is a morale booster since they do ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The person in charge of this horse hockey is called a Detailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Navy actually sent a detailer out to Guam to meet with a bunch of us and ask us where we wanted to go. I told him my choice would be either Key West or Italy. I lived in Florida, so Key West was a no brainer and would be closer to home. I had also heard that NAS Naples, Italy<\/strong> was a great duty station, so that was another option. The detailer told us that since we were already on the west coast, we would probably be assigned to a ship on the west coast, most likely San Diego or San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So much for the \u201cdream sheet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I was scheduled to leave Guam sometime in February 1975 and wasn\u2019t sure where I was headed. That would come later. I did think about extending my tour of duty in Guam for another nine months, which was not all that uncommon. But a couple of beers and a few more ass chewings from the senior petty officers helped me decide differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    My orders finally came through on January 15, 1975. I learned earlier I would be assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, CV-63, stationed out of San Diego, California. I wasn\u2019t sure when I had to report to her, but I finally found out, \u201cNo later than 20 MAR 1975<\/em>.\u201d That was plain and clear. I knew I would be leaving Guam sometime during February, but not sure when. The Navy always waits until the last minute, or at least the last month, before they lay the big date on you. But you are so ready to leave that it does not matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"USS
    USS Kitty Hawk<\/em> CV-63 underway Western Pacific 29 November 1970
    (Official US Navy Photograph)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    I also knew that several of my good buddies would also be transferred to Kitty Hawk<\/em>. Glenn Law<\/strong> and I would leave Guam and head back to the states on the same flight. Gary Borne<\/strong> had already transferred to Kitty Hawk<\/em>. James Young<\/strong>, who was with me at boot camp, A School, and Guam, would also be on Kitty Hawk<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I spent two and a half years aboard Kitty Hawk<\/em>. I made one Westpac<\/strong> <\/a>cruise in 1975, then spent a year in the Bremerton Shipyards<\/a> <\/strong>before returning to (North Island) San Diego in April 1977. In some sense, that seemed like three different tours: Guam, Westpac, Bremerton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I left Kitty Hawk<\/em> (and the Navy) in July 1977. I\u2019d spent Three Years, Eleven Months, and 29 Days (But Who\u2019s Counting)<\/strong><\/a> in the service. I joined when I was 18 and left when I was 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like many of my shipmates, I\u2019d do it all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My Current \u201cDream Sheet\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    This has been one hell of a year, full of ups and downs, anxieties and fears, challenges and opportunities, and some things I\u2019d rather forget. But as my dad\u2019s 80th Infantry Division<\/strong> motto states, \u201cAlways Move Forward<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I will tell you this\u2014my latest venture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Becky and I recently returned from visiting our daughter & husband and\u2026 their new baby boy. Their first child, our third grandchild. He decided he wanted to make an appearance a month before<\/em> his due date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our daughter called us a couple of weeks ago at 9:45 in the morning. My wife and I were packed and on the road by 11:05. We even prepared our house in Gainesville for a potential hurricane. Fortunately, Hurricane Lee bypassed us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I remembered several times during my stint in the Navy when orders came through for shipmates to make an almost immediate departure (from Guam to Diego Garcia<\/strong>); they had two days to gather whatever they needed for a 60-day TDY (Temporary Duty). Not a lot of time to prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is stretching it, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I remembered walking out onto Kitty Hawk\u2019s<\/em> flight deck for the first-time during flight ops. Even though I\u2019d been in the Navy for 18 months, being on the flight deck was a brand-new experience for me. \u201cKeep your head on a swivel; don\u2019t venture near a jet intake; watch out for aircraft turning\u2014they\u2019ll blow you down. And don\u2019t step over the Foul Line<\/a><\/strong>\u2014it could mean instant death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Well, holding a newborn baby for the first time, I had the jitters. \u201cHold his head up; lay him in the crock of your arm; don\u2019t hold him too tight; watch where you\u2019re walking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Needless to say, I was ecstatic, I was anxious, I was nervous, but\u2026 I am a grandfather<\/u><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By the time we left to drive back to Gainesville, he and I had bonded. I read to him, I got to feed him, I got to sing to him, and yes, I got to change him (several times). It was hard to leave, but you know what? We get to see him again in the not-too-distant future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That\u2019s my current \u201cdream sheet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Answers<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Lisa Yee, Maizy Chen\u2019s Last Chance<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Men of Honor<\/strong> (2000), Master Chief Billy Sunday (Robert DeNiro).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Dream On<\/strong> (1973), Aerosmith; written by Steven Victor Tallarico.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Previous blogs mentioned in this post:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n