Enough, guys! Who's here?

Shootin' the breeze, chewin' the fat, general chit-chat
RussBrentnell
Moderator
Posts: 113
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:25 pm
First Name: Russ
Last Name: Brentnell
Crew?: Combined and Gold
Which Years on Board: 1980-84
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: mm1 (nuke)

Re: Memories???

Post by RussBrentnell »

MLubinski wrote:It has been a long time since the days on the Jolly Dolly.
Indeed it has, Ski. How ya been?

Met a guy, worked with him a while. Said he knew you from a different boat, don't remember which one. He was M Div, name was Ed Hinson.
SubPenguin
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:21 am
First Name: Jan
Last Name: Puckett
Crew?: Gold
Which Years on Board: Family
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: Family

Re: Enough, guys! Who's here?

Post by SubPenguin »

My name is Jan Puckett and I'd like to find some of my husband's old friends and shipmates.......His name was Billy (Fluf) Puckett, he was A-Gang, MM1......got selected for E-7 a few weeks before he died......was gold crew onboard from 1985 (or very late 1984) until his death in 1991. I lost track of everyone (except Joe and Jackie Dobry) after moving back to Utah in 1993 and would love to hear from anyone who remembers him.
My email address is SubPenguin@aol.com
bnorwood
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:39 pm
First Name: Dr. Bradley
Last Name: Norwood
Crew?: Gold
Which Years on Board: 1985-88
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: E, MT, RC,

Re: Enough, guys! Who's here?

Post by bnorwood »

Keith, I guess I'm guilty too (although technically I've been on 'the list' for a long time!) - I've never really introduced myself.

Brad Norwood, 1985 - 1988, 6 patrols, Gold crew. E-div, RC-div, MT-div, Sonar/TM/FTG-divs. EOOW, OOD, AWEPS.

After active duty, I went to graduate school and got my PhD in organic chemistry. Then taught organic chemistry at James Madison University (ironic!!), Coastal Carolina University and the University of Richmond. Transitioned to laboratory management for the next 6 years or so, then back to DoD as a contractor. I retired from the reserves in 2004 as a Lieutenant Commander.

Still living in Virginia, but now working as a defense contractor supporting the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in the area of biological warfare defense.

Hope to be more active on here from now on, and look forward to hearing from y'all...

Brad
Bradley
Radwaste
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:40 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Culbert
Crew?: Combined and Gold
Which Years on Board: 1980-1983
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: IC nuc

Re:

Post by Radwaste »

RussBrentnell wrote:Russ Brentnell,

"M Division. Came onboard in 1980 [Feb 19th] while the ship was in drydock in NNews. I was there for the last 27 months of the 18 month refueling and D5 conversion overhaul. While we were on the barge, I spent a lot of time playing cards, drinking and partying. IMHO, I think the hardest thing about the yard, overall, was having to qualify watchstaions with sometimes no equipment there and of course not being able to operate anything. I was told many times, "They should be installing that right there....." After we got going, I too was ERS, but 1 patrol I was SPCP b/c we were short on electricians. I think it was just 1- I can't remember anymore :smt017 . Hell, I don't remember squat of the last 2 patrols. We had 5 or 6 EWS's, so those of us that were ERS didn't even have to work on quals for it, so I never bothered trying.
Heh. I can tell you, Russ was the easiest SPCP qual that ever lived. Hilarious watching him in the door during drills, counting the seconds until our guys had the TGs back up (he could hear them come on the governor, etc). He'd point at me at the EPCP when the phone would yelp from the ERS... Some guys were terrified of the EPCP, especially after we'd point out four switches that would put us in the dark, but Russ was a natural. Too cool!

Good to see you here, Russ!
A submarine is the starship of today. That said, a lotta people think they're propelled by nuclear power. Nope. It's sweat.
Radwaste
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:40 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Culbert
Crew?: Combined and Gold
Which Years on Board: 1980-1983
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: IC nuc

Re: Enough, guys! Who's here?

Post by Radwaste »

Ping!

Nice haircut, shipmate!
John Culbert here - the last IC Nuke, EM division, reported to the boat at NNews 12/16/80, just in time to freeze solid doing nothing over the holidays. Hated the shipyard generally, didn't "get" that qualifying fast was the easiest way to do things.

Ever notice you can remember the very good and the very bad guys forever? So many of you guys had your act together, I'm still amazed.
When crews split, I went to Gold. The 3 patrols I did are surreal - it's tough to realize. You know a Madison electrician by the carbon dust on him, from the Westinghouse MG sets. Did you know the General Electric sets DON'T eat brushes?
Transferred to USS Batfish in '83, was there until '86, went to staff at NFAS Orlando '86-90, when I got out.
Working at Savannah River Site nowadays, doing camera inspections of waste tanks.

I still miss knowing what I was doing at all times. We don't even have accurate drawings out here, at this supposedly "nuclear" facility...

Here - have some bug juice!
A submarine is the starship of today. That said, a lotta people think they're propelled by nuclear power. Nope. It's sweat.
Radwaste
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:40 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Culbert
Crew?: Combined and Gold
Which Years on Board: 1980-1983
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: IC nuc

Re: Memories???

Post by Radwaste »

MLubinski wrote:It has been a long time since the days on the Jolly Dolly.
Chief, I am delighted to say and show the planet something you told us newbies over 30 years ago: once upon a time, you were pictured in a national magazine stuffing daisies in the rifles of the National Guard while in college.

Here's the picture. I'm proud of ya!
stare_fotografie_41.jpg
stare_fotografie_41.jpg (178.33 KiB) Viewed 387650 times
A submarine is the starship of today. That said, a lotta people think they're propelled by nuclear power. Nope. It's sweat.
RussBrentnell
Moderator
Posts: 113
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:25 pm
First Name: Russ
Last Name: Brentnell
Crew?: Combined and Gold
Which Years on Board: 1980-84
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: mm1 (nuke)

Re: Enough, guys! Who's here?

Post by RussBrentnell »

Well, well. John Culbert! Good to hear from you. Natural at SPCP? Dunno about that but it just made sense to me. After all, it was the steam plant. I can operate a steam plant. I think most folks had problems with SPCP quals b/c they were electricians. No 'trons, just H2O; gauges instead of meters; that sort of thing confuses the h**l out of 'tricians.

Funny, but now most of my primary job duties are electrical/electronic. Go figure....
Combined in the Yard/Gold crew, 80-84 M-Div

Ship's New Storekeeper 2017-
Jeff Mathes
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:38 am
First Name: Jeff
Last Name: Mathes
Crew?: Both
Which Years on Board: 1977-82
1985-87
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: FTB

Re: Enough, guys! Who's here?

Post by Jeff Mathes »

Hello Gents. I'm what we would have called a "lifer" during my first enlistment. Ended up spending nearly 34 years in uniform, 15 enlisted, 19 commissioned.

Sea tours included three different tours on Madison, both Blue and Gold crews and a tour on John Adams. Two tender tours on the Holland and Frank Cable out of Guam. Shore assignments included POMFLANT in Charleston, COMSUBGRU SIX, two SWFLANT Kings Bay tours, Strategic Systems Programs in DC, USSTRATCOM near Omaha, and COMSUBFOR/COMSUBLANT in Norfolk.

It was a great career with many memories and few regrets. Hope to make the next Madison reunion.
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