Commissaries Re-Opened.

I had heard one of our area Navy Commissaries had re-opened,  I checked online for the others. The one closest to us was as well. So we picked the kids up from school and made the trip.
With  the President and democrats in the Congress and Senate not willing to negotiate on the government shutdown issue, It was a  blessing to see the stores reopen and we know all to well that the future for veterans paychecks and disability pay is uncertain at the moment. So we chose to stock up as much as we could.

It looked like business as usual as if nothing had ever been shut down, all the canned items were still in place.
Then we headed back to the meat department, and that is where you noticed the difference.

 

They had red meats out, and a little bit of pork products. But the chicken had all been frozen, and even though it was past its "sell by" date. The DeCA food inspectors still approved it for sale because it was frozen, they did place it on clearance. We got one look at the chicken and passed.  It looked really awful.

The cheese cooler wasn't much different:

It was almost medevil, it gave me a glimpse of what the future could look like. When a natural disaster may hit, or SHTF happens.
When there are no more deliveries and all the shelves are picked clean.  This was a sample of how real things will get....


-JUGM

Painful Cuts Starting...

 

If you have been following my for any length of time, then you know that last year when the issue of thte ERB came out, I was all over it. It is bad when the Fleet 4 Star is on the cover of Navy Times talking about it.

Do you notice the bottom line?

"How it could break the Navy"

 

The ERB has not only caused pain and suffering, but it has caused suicides and divorces. From what I am also understanding, if you got ERB'd and received severance, before you start getting any sort of disability, you first have to pay back the severance..

If you were some one that was cut, let this serve as a reminder that no one is safe, not the little E-1 or all the way up to Admiral. They dont care about all your awards and accolades, they don't care what merits and medals you have received. You are open game and your neck is on the chopping block.

 It makes these guys feel like their years of service and sacrifice has meant nothing.

 

Our military is getting slapped in the face, because this administration cares more about the welfare state, and entitlements then it does national defense. It wants to deplete this Nation of its great military might, and open us up to forward more of his agenda.

 

I am so thankful that Senior got out when he did. I really feel for these guys and their families. The part about longer deployments is correct...Our neighbor leaves this week he will first be gone from Feb-August. Home for 2 months. Then back out again until March of 2014.

 



Navy Life...And The Things I Miss...

I grew up in a Navy town, I remember the day when if you werent from this area, then you were a sailor. I remember being in high school and all the girls had sailors for their boyfriends. Back 30 years ago most of the guys didn't have cars, and had to walk every where so it was common place for us girls to "Cruise" for guys.. Of course i didn't meet Senior like this, we met some years later in a local bar, I was shocked that I met a sailor who was actually from here..

I miss working on base, and the pride I would feel every single morning driving past the ships, stopping while the sailors raised the morning colors.

I miss being respected and called "Ma'am"

I miss seeing the guys in line for morning muster on the flight decks..

I miss seeing all those big ships every day, and thinking how lucky I am. most Americans will never get to see one up close like I do.

I miss duty days, and taking Senior dinner, then hanging out with him. And if he had a  weekend duty day, sometimes we would fish off the end of the boat ( how many people can say they have done that? )

I miss the Fourth of July, and sitting on the boat for a ring side seat to the base fireworks..  One year a Carrier was decommed and fire works were shot off her deck...it was the most amazing spectacle I have ever witnessed, and only a handful of us got to see it.

I miss the base softball league, and having to stop in the middle of a game for evening colors. I would look at the field of players, with hats off and everyone with hands over their hearts at sunset. And how prideful I was at the sight.

I miss watching the ships leave, and knowing that duty comes first, and those guys are going out in to harms way, I would wish them "Fair Winds and Following Seas" and hope for all to have a safe return home.

I miss standing on the beach and seeing that big ship out on the horizon preparing to pull back in to port. And the emotion one feels when you see it getting closer and closer and knowing your sailor is coming back home to you.

I miss homecomings, and seeing all the guys in their dress blues and whites "manning the rails" .. You would have loved ones on the pier searching and searching until they found their sailor.

Senior always thought me silly, but I miss him in his coveralls, and the smell of the ship that was forever in the fabric of all his uniforms.

I miss writing and numbering letters, now adays keeping in touch is much easier, but back years ago, it was letter writing, we would number them, and more often then not you would get letter number 10 on one day, and then letter number 5 or 6 after that... Now with modern technology there is email...and I would laugh at the new wives who came in to my work place on base, complaining how the email was down again on the ship...lol --Oh if they only had a clue!

But what I miss most, is the Pride in Country and Service every one had...There was prestige in saying you were in the military, each division we were in was a unit and a family, we did everything together. Now, in these times and days it hurts and makes me sad to think of the things that  I use to take for granted are being diminished and our militay under attack by  none other then our own Government. I feel for these new guys and girls who are enlisting...because I feel they will never know the military the way I knew it to  be.

My Opinion on the new USS GABRIELLE GIFFORDS

The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) has recently incurred much criticism for naming a new littoral class combat ship the USS GABRIEL GIFFORDS. The mother of the little 9 year old girl who was killed during the assassination attempt will serve as the ships sponsor.

Prior to writing this post, I went straight to ‘The Man” for advice. “The Man” being Senior, he does have 20 years navy service under his belt, so who best to answer my question of:  SHOULD A SHIP BE NAMED AFTER HER?

Seniors answer was quick and to the point…NO.

Why No you ask?  Because she has never served in combat, and she is by no means a war hero. It is the Navy tradition to name ships after States, Cities, Famous Battles, Presidents, or War Heroes.

SECNAV has recently strayed away from this tradition; we now have a USS CESAR CHAVEZ, and a USS JOHN MURTHA.  

 It was recently Ret. Major General Tom Wilkerson who has publicly stated his displeasure with this naming. Senior and I agree with him, that we have way too many war heroes out there that are more deserving then Rep. Gifford’s.

How about the recent Medal Of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer? He would be an excellent choice, and in my opinion more deserving.  What about a USS SEAL TEAM SIX?  In honor of those brave Seals who perished in the helicopter accident back in August?  And what about a USS PAT TILLMAN? He was former pro football star of the Arizona Cardinals, who gave up a lucrative NFL career and, enlisted in the Army, only to get killed by friendly fire.

The list here of more deserving individuals could go on and on…

Medal of Honor Receipient Dakota Meyer

I am not saying that Mrs. Gifford’s isn’t a deserving individual, she has made a remarkable recovery, and has beaten the odds, But I am sure there are other ways to memorialize her then putting her name on  a Warship, when she never served…

Navy Times Front Page!

The word has gotten out and voices heard, the unfair treatment of so many of our men and women in uniform made the front page of navy times....

Discriminatory ERB Process...a new petition

As most of you that follow my blog know, I am a veteran Navy wife, Senior retired in 2009 after serving for 20 years. The ERB situation with our current active duty military is something that is near and dear to my heart.

Our guys and girls are getting shafted by the very same country they fought to defend. If it wasn’t for people like them we probably wouldn’t have the freedoms we enjoy today.

Some 2900 + sailors with 5-15 years are being involuntarily separated. Why? Because of poor management by the Navy. They allowed the rates these guys and girls worked in to become overmanned. It wasn’t the sailors fault. What the Navy should do, is evaluate every rate not just certain ones. And evaluate these folks with high tenure who havent advanced in their selected rate.

There was a petition on whitehouse.gov. Most active duty were nervous about signing it because of repercussions from their commands, one case is a navy wife made comments to CNN and a few days later her husband was contacted by his command. So obviously the message is getting out.

We didn’t get the 25,000 signatures needed for the whitehouse.gov petition. Therefore Sailors against ERB has started a new petition..  You can sign and read about it at:

http://www.change.org/petitions/president-of-the-united-states-department-of-the-navy-us-congress-stop-the-discriminatory-erb-process-conducted-by-the-us-navy

Update on missing Virginia Beach Sailor

Unfortuantly this did not have a happy ending. My thoughts and prayers goes out to his family, but I do feel with the Navy's ERB and laying off over 2000 sailors that we will see more of this.

Sean Hatfield was last seen on January 1st. He was reported missing by his wife, Nikki, when she came home from her job as a firefighter and Sean was gone.
Nikki knew Sean was depressed about losing his job in late 2012, but he was fine over the holiday. On New Years Eve he was sick with the flu. His wife who was bunking down at the station for the night sent Sean a text message, reports WTKR News.
She told him , "I am going to bed and I hope you feel better, I will see you in the morning. and he wrote back, I love you and that was it," said Nikki.
When she got home, Sean's car was there, his wallet and keys but he was not.
The Virginia Beach police searched for Sean, but they could not locate him.
On Thursday, they return to the home on Aloma Court in Landstown Meadows area of Virginia Beach when Nikki called to say that she saw blood in her garage. The police took a closer look at the plywood enclosure nailed in the attic gables. When they pushed on a piece of plywood it came loose and they found Sean's body in the rafters. A weapon was also found near the body.

Missing Sailor and the ERB petition....

Petty Officer Hatfield is one of the 2900 + active duty sailors being affected by the militarys ERB. This is the board that is basically "laying off" our sailors as of September 1st. I hope that suicide is not what our government is driving our sailors, soldiers, and airmen to. These men and women answered the call to defend this country and did so proudly, and now our country isnt there for them. Please, Please, Please...sign the petition : https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/review-how-sailors-are-being-involuntarily-separated-us-naval-service-fy-2012-enlisted-retention/mMmDRqWV

We  have just over 4000 signatures, but need 20,000 + by January 17th. If you have a blog, please feel free to repost this on yours, so we can spread the word and make Obama rethink what they are doing to our guys and girls. We have so much unemployment in this country, so now we are going to add to it?

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Family and friends of 2nd Class Petty Officer Sean Hatfield are still searching for him. Hatfield has been missing since Jan. 1.

Portsmouth firefighter Nikki Hatfield last heard from her husband on New Year's night when the couple exchanged text messages.

"And he texted me back, 'I love you' in all capitals with exclamation points. And that was it. But that's not abnormal. That's, 'Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning' y 'know," Nikki said through tears.

The Hatfields live in the Landstown Meadows area of Virginia Beach and that's where volunteers and police are focusing their search.

Friday, police used a helicopter to do aerial searches of the area. Volunteer K-9 tracking dogs have also been used in the search.

Nikki's fellow firefighters, as well as other firefighters from Virginia Beach, combed the wooded area of Landstown Commons. The group also distributed fliers to local businesses, asking if anyone has seen someone matching the 43-year-old's description.

Nikki says Sean has struggled with depression and gambling, especially since learning that he would be laid off from his Naval jet electrician job later this year. But, she says he seemed to be doing well during the holidays.

"We had a great Christmas. My family was here," Nikki said.

No money is missing from the couple's accounts and Sean's wallet, beloved car and other personal items were left at the couple's home.

Nikki tells WAVY.com that one item that is missing is an 1890's Winchester .22 caliber rifle, which she referred to as a family heirloom.

Police say there are no signs of foul play and consider Hatfield's disappearance a missing person's case.