In 1775, Commodore Esek Hopkins of the Colonial Navy used the First Navy Jack as a signal to engage the British in the
American Revolution.
In 2002, Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy issued orders that the First Navy Jack shall be displayed on board all U. S. Navy ships during the Global War on Terrorism.
I served in the U. S. Navy for twenty years, 1987-2007, during the last years of the Cold War, the invasion of Panama, the Iran - Iraq War when the USS Stark was hit by two Exocet missiles, both Gulf Wars, and the Global War on Terrorism.
She defended freedom and democracy during the height of the Cold War with her
sixteen TRIDENT I missiles. She was one of the last "41 for Freedom"
Fleet
Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines left in the Navy. She completed 86 Strategic
Deterrent Patrols in her 30-year lifespan.
I completed 8 Strategic Deterrent patrols during
my 4 ½ years on board VON STEUBEN, earning 4 Sea
Service Deployment Ribbons and eight citations
for superior performance.
Key Events:
Qualified Submarines
Qualified Missile Control Center (MCC) Supervisor
Member of the Fire Control Technician Ballistic Missile (FTB) division
Completed 8 Submarine Strategic Deterrent Patrols
Met best friends Carl, Mike, Jay, Rich and Tracy
Lived in Summerville
Survived Hurricane Hugo
Medals received:
First Good Conduct Medal
First National Defense Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Expert Pistol Medal
For those without a naval background: a Fire Control Technician is not an expert of putting out fires, although on a submarine all sailors become experts at putting out fires. A Fire Control Technician is an expert at repairing, maintaining, and operating a system used to fire missiles (or other weapon systems). Our watch station (normal location we worked) was Missile Control Center (MCC).
Attended Naval
Instructor Training and served as the Lead Instructor for the Fire Control Advanced Maintenance Course
where I taught over 300 students and was selected as the Command Instructor of
the Quarter. Completed 3 years at TTF, teaching multiple courses of instruction and making many new friends.
Key Events:
Converted to Missile Technician (MT)
Naval Instructor - taught many fleet sailors and junior Missile Technicians
Lived with friends until I bought my first house
Medals received:
First Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Second Good Conduct Medal
In October, 1993, I was (involuntarily) rate converted to Missile Technician (MT) from Fire Control Technician Ballistic Missile (FTB). This was the end of FTBs and now all MTs had to know the Missile Systems and the Fire Control Systems. Typically, ex-FTBs were known as the Fire Control Systems experts and MTs, that were not ex-FTBs, were known as the Missile System experts.
I participated in the
successful launch of four TRIDENT II missiles during two Follow-on Commander in
Chief Evaluation Tests (FCET). I served as the Missile Fire Control Leading
First Class Petty Officer and oversaw all Missile Fire Control operations. Qualified my first MT watchstations onboard my first Trident Submarine (this was hard since I was previously an FTB on an older class of submarine), Made two port calls in Puerto Rico. Became known as an expert in the Fire Control System because of my past FTB and TTF experience.
Key Events:
Qualified Launcher Supervisor
Launched 4 test missiles (Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles - SLBM)
Strategic Fire Control Leading Petty Officer (SF-LPO)
For my second shore
tour I returned to TRIDENT Training Facility, Kings Bay, and
served in the Team Trainer Division. Selected as the Lead Instructor, I oversaw
all crew training and coordinated all curriculum changes. I was also selected
as the Command Senior Section Leader and supervised over 250 duty section
personnel. While serving at TTF, I completed a Bachelors Degree and a
Masters Degree in Education from Valdosta State University.
Key Events:
Team Trainer Lead Instructor
Assistant Section Leader
Section Leader
September 11 attacks
Senior Section Leader
Taught portions of the Perspective Commanding Officer/Executive Officer (PCO/XO) course.
Received my M.Ed. degree
Medals received:
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (fourth award)
She is also an Ohio Class TRIDENT
Submarine, originally stationed in Kings Bay, GA. She completed a homeport change in
September 2005 to Bangor, WA.
As a senior Leading Petty
Officer I oversaw all Strategic Weapons System operations. We also conducted a homeport move to Bangor Washington (a move to Silverdale, WA via a one week cross country trip with a U-Haul). I also continued to be an expert in the Fire Control System. After my fifth patrol, I held my Navy Retirement ceremony at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington and moved back to Saint Marys (another one week cross country trip with a U-Haul).
Key Events:
Last sea command
Strategic Fire Control Leading Petty Officer (SF-LPO)
Strategic Weapon System Leading Petty Officer (SWS-LPO)
Homeport move to Bangor, Washington
Completed 5 Submarine Strategic Deterrent Patrols
Received a Gold Boomer Pin for completing a total of 20 Submarine Strategic Deterrent Patrols
Retired from the Navy
Medals received:
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals (fifth and sixth)
Two Good Conduct Medals (fifth and sixth)
War on Terrorism Service Medal
-This concludes my Naval Career. It seemed slow at the time but now 20 years have come and gone.
Met some great friends during the past twenty years, so many that I wish I still had contact with. If you knew me, please contact me here and state your name, how we met, and the time period we hung out together (everyone, military and non-military, can respond)
Copyright
2011 by James Barbe - All Rights Reserved
"I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his
life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy.' " -President John F. Kennedy on 1 August 1963 at the US Naval Academy
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