1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 I was in high school , graduated in 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,056 1985 and I had a friend of mine , he 3 00:00:04,056 --> 00:00:06,111 had joined the navy and he come back 4 00:00:06,111 --> 00:00:07,944 and we kind of hung out . He was 5 00:00:07,944 --> 00:00:10,278 telling me some of his responsibilities . 6 00:00:10,278 --> 00:00:10,050 I was like That sounds like something I 7 00:00:10,050 --> 00:00:12,230 could do . So it piqued my interest . 8 00:00:12,230 --> 00:00:14,640 And then uh , that following week , uh , 9 00:00:14,650 --> 00:00:17,360 I went and saw the recruiter and the 10 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:19,471 following week I actually went up and 11 00:00:19,471 --> 00:00:22,140 signed up , started boot camp in April 12 00:00:22,140 --> 00:00:24,130 26 , 1986 . Going to the Navy , I 13 00:00:24,140 --> 00:00:26,029 learned to become a diesel engine 14 00:00:26,029 --> 00:00:28,251 mechanic and that was a whole new trade 15 00:00:28,251 --> 00:00:31,140 to meet . I did really well in advance 16 00:00:31,140 --> 00:00:35,100 to really quick went from the U . S . S 17 00:00:35,110 --> 00:00:37,450 stump , which I was was my very first 18 00:00:37,450 --> 00:00:40,110 ship and went to the Uss Gunston Hall . 19 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,980 My second day reporting there . The 20 00:00:42,980 --> 00:00:45,500 ship was told that we were going to the 21 00:00:45,500 --> 00:00:48,950 Persian gulf and that was at the start 22 00:00:48,950 --> 00:00:51,260 of the desert shield desert storm . You 23 00:00:51,260 --> 00:00:53,482 know , there was no time for planning . 24 00:00:53,482 --> 00:00:55,538 I mean it was just had a baby on the 25 00:00:55,538 --> 00:00:57,990 way . And the wife and uh , we just 26 00:00:57,990 --> 00:01:00,090 reported to the new ship , new new 27 00:01:00,090 --> 00:01:02,570 everything so that , you know , we just 28 00:01:02,570 --> 00:01:04,570 got the apartment . So the wife was 29 00:01:04,570 --> 00:01:07,600 basically left at home trying to figure 30 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,767 everything out . Learning a new ship , 31 00:01:09,767 --> 00:01:11,989 trying to get qualified for all the new 32 00:01:11,989 --> 00:01:14,156 positions . So I was , you know , in a 33 00:01:14,156 --> 00:01:17,250 new um , a new mindset because of the 34 00:01:17,250 --> 00:01:20,380 new responsibilities I have . And I was 35 00:01:20,380 --> 00:01:23,180 also trying to lead a new set of people 36 00:01:23,180 --> 00:01:26,590 that didn't know and trying to figure 37 00:01:26,590 --> 00:01:28,701 them out . They were trying to figure 38 00:01:28,701 --> 00:01:30,590 me out all at the same time I was 39 00:01:30,590 --> 00:01:32,646 trying to manage my home life at the 40 00:01:32,646 --> 00:01:34,646 same time . At the time you enter , 41 00:01:34,646 --> 00:01:37,540 you're really a kid and you're growing 42 00:01:37,540 --> 00:01:39,620 up in the military , you know going 43 00:01:39,620 --> 00:01:41,870 from a kid to a man at the time . So 44 00:01:41,870 --> 00:01:45,670 it's um it brings out the best of you 45 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:47,791 at the time . So you know you kind of 46 00:01:47,791 --> 00:01:49,569 you establish who you are , you 47 00:01:49,569 --> 00:01:52,630 establish your your priorities , your 48 00:01:52,630 --> 00:01:56,250 manhood , It's been almost 30 49 00:01:56,250 --> 00:01:59,490 years um with the government's it's 50 00:01:59,490 --> 00:02:02,120 been it's been it's been wide open and 51 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,760 it just seems like it's nothing , 52 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,240 nothing is boring . It's never been 53 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,470 born at all . It's been it's been a 54 00:02:09,470 --> 00:02:11,170 good ride .