GSMC (Retired) Steven Morgan reports that he is now working for a company and is happy to be on the "ground floor" in developing a new piece of proto-type equipment.

The last couple of months I've received lots of "stories" which I've provided below for your enjoyment. A special thank you to Gordon Greenwell that supplied some of these.

A young Ensign approaches the crusty old Master Chief and asked about the origin of the commissioned officer insignias. "Well," replied the Master Chief, "the insignias for the Navy are steeped in history and tradition. First, we give you a gold bar representing that you are very valuable but also malleable. The silver bar also represents significant value but is less malleable. Now, when you make Lieutenant, your value doubles, hence the two silver bars. As a Captain, you soar over the military masses, hence the eagle. As an Admiral, you are, obviously, a star. Does that answer your question?" "Yes, Master Chief" replied the young Ensign. "But what about Lieutenant Commander and Commander?" "That, sir, goes way back in history ? back to the Garden of Eden. You see we've always covered our pricks with leaves,"

"The Genie" A Petty Officer Second Class, First Class and a Chief are off the ship together for lunch. While crossing a park they come upon an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out in a puff of smoke. The Genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one." "Me first!" says the Petty Officer Second Class. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, a beautiful woman at my side and not a care in the world." Poof! He's gone. "Me next!" says the First Class. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of pina coladas and a beautiful woman." Poof! He's gone. "You're next," the Genie says to the Chief. The Chief says, "I want those two back on the ship right after lunch."

"A Mustang's Hunting Dog" A Mustang retired after 35 years and realized a lifelong dream of buying a bird?hunting estate in Alaska. He invited an old Admiral friend to visit for a week of pheasant shooting. The friend was in awe of the Mustang's new gun dog, "Chief". The dog could point, flush and retrieve with the very best. The Admiral offered to buy the dog at any price. The Mustang declined, saying that Chief was the very best bird dog he had ever owned and that he couldn't part with him. Six months later the same Admiral returned for another week of hunting and was surprised to find the Mustang breaking in a new dog. "What happened to Chief?" he asked. "Had to shoot him," the Mustang replied. "Another old shipmate came to hunt with me and couldn't remember the dog's name. He kept calling him 'Master Chief.' After that, all the dog would do was sit on his butt and bark."

"The Five Most Dangerous Things in the US Navy"
A Seaman saying, "I learned this in Boot Camp..."
A Petty Officer saying, "Trust me, sir..."
A Lieutenant JG saying, "Based on my experience..."
A Lieutenant saying, "I was just thinking..."
A Chief chuckling, "Watch this shit..."

A couple of months back I did a bit about some old PT boats that were "re-fitted" with gas turbine engines. Read below as a very astute technician shares his gas turbine expertise.
From: Chip Marshall

Subject: PT 812 and gas turbines

I ran across your website while surfing at lunch time and saw the bit on PT 812. You got it mostly right. PT 812 was designed and built by Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Placed laid down on October 20, 1949, launched without ceremony on February 1, 1951 and completed on May 25, 1951. The original power was four Packard W 100 engines with 2,500hp each. The design of the hull was similar to that of the German Schnellboote (E boats) and the construction all aluminum. After the Fifth Naval District's MTB Detail was disbanded, PT 812 was taken back to Philadelphia NSY for installation of two Metro?Vic gas turbines driving two fixed blade props and two Packard diesels driving two variable pitch props. The installation itself was based on work done by the British on one of their larger MTBs, right down to the twin side by side stacks. Information I got at the National Archives indicates that the conversion was not a success. Eventually, one of the turbines exploded wounding or killing two of the crew (have not confirmed this yet). Late in her life, she was turned over to Beach Jumpers Unit Two. They did not need the gas turbines or the high speed for their purposes. In the late 1950s, she was taken back to Philadelphia, pulled ashore and stored in a specially built building. According to various sources, the US Army and the Koreans got their hands on her for a period of time and she was broken up in 1968 or thereabouts.

PT 809 was designed and built by Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut. After evaluation as a PT boat and the disbanding of the Fifth Naval District MTB Detail in 1957 or so, PT 809 was modified for White House duty and turned over to the Naval Administrative Unit at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington, DC. Her gas fueled Packards were replaced with diesels in 1959 at Trumpy and Sons in Annapolis. During the Kennedy Administration, she was painted white with blue gray decks and unofficially named the Guardian but carried on the roles at BuShips as PT 809 (and sometimes PT 109). Her story is very interesting and full of famous people. After her White House duties, she was taken to Norfolk, renamed DR?1 Retriever and used to transport, launch and recover the drones being utilized for fleet training. Early in the 1990s, after an attempt to sell her off, she was broken up at Little Creek NAB.

Sorry to ramble. You can see I am really into this. If any of your correspondents has any information on PT 812, I would be more than happy to hear it.
Thanks,
Chip Marshall
Silver Spring, Maryland

Check out the latest information about LM2500 engines being operated in the commercial world. There is a great response to compressor blade failures on the LM2500 by Matt Driscoll of the marine gas turbine life cycle managers' code at NSWCCD-SSES, Philadelphia.
From: Larry Flood

www.wtui.com/lm2500_frm.htm
Larry Flood
WTUI Webmaster
theflood@cox.net

GSCS(SW) Graves signs in and is still serving on active duty as one of those Marine Gas Turbine Inspectors.
From: Graves, Kelly GSCS (CNSL N434A12T)

Joe,
I'm Kelly Graves, I'm currently stationed at SURFLANT as the Force MGTI, I have been stationed on DD?964, FFG?11, AD?38, AD?41, DD?997, CCDG?8 as well as a tour at the Lakes as an instructor, and a FTSC tour. I'll be going out to San Diego in March, and will put out at the Inspectors Conference about your site. Going through your articles, I recognized a lot of old friends and shipmates.

GSCS(SW) K. D. Graves
CNSL N434A12
FORCE MGTI
757 836-3502

All you DDG 51 sailors with AG9140 generator sets, be looking for a technical directive that changes the generator oil tank suction plate and inspection cover. The generator oil system suction strainers and check valves are attached to the suction pipe on the plate/cover. The existing suction pipes are too short and under heavy roll conditions the suction strainers (for the pumps) can be above the oil level.

John Mahony, who has been around the Navy gas turbine world for many years, provides a little insight into the LSD world.
From: John Mahony

Hey Joe: How are you doing? I hope things are better for you now Nice to hear what some of our gas turbine guys & shipmates are up to. GSM1 Carl McGee (wholesnipe@att.net) was one of my really good guys that worked for me at my shop in SRF Yokosuka Japan. He is in his last few months at Great Lakes (finishing up his career) and wondered if there were any good leads (in that area or elsewhere) for a gas turbine technician. If you have any suggestions or ideas please let me know & I'll pass them on to him. We're busier than heck at AMS right now. Recently I was down on USS GUNSTON HALL (LSD44) working on the diesel engine Automated Oil Analysis (AOA) unit we're testing out on their SSDG & MPDE. We've got three other Gas Turbine Generator AOA units out in the Fleet (being tested on RAMAGE, BARRY & ANZIO). If we can work out all of the bugs it will be a good on?line engine health indicator & eliminate a lot of the manual oil sampling. I hope things are going well for you. best wishes, John Mahony

Just think about how nice it would have been when we were in to have one of those automated oil analysis programs onboard.

GSCM(SW) Retired, Steve Lancaster reports frigid temperatures up around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and in the same breath told me about visiting San Diego to watch his some graduate from the Marine Corps boot camp.

GSCS(SW) Retired, Roger Monroe, SPRUANCE (DD 963) plankowner is glad that the Christmas mail rush is over. Roger is getting ready to do it (retire) again from the postal service. Congratulations.

GSCM(SW) Retired, Bernie Coker is still out there somewhere working for GE as a field service engineer.

GSCM(SW) Retired, Rick Caceres keeps me informed about some of the happenings and mishaps in the civilian gas turbine world. You would be surprised (or maybe you wouldn't) when you hear some of the maintenance practices that our civilian counterparts must ensure their "troops' adhere to.

Are you close to retirement or just cashing it in ? CPO or above ? Good gas turbine background (think twin screw) ? Good writing skills ? Able to work well with Navy civilian gas turbine personnel ? Display positive initiative to get the job done and deliver a quality product to the client ? Looking for a good gas turbine systems analyst that can take raw data and write technical manuals, technical directives, engineering change proposals, update PMS and evaluate feedback from the fleet and recommend a course of action to Navy gas turbine personnel. The job is in Philadelphia. Contact me at jfiorillo@aera.com.

Frank Carbone provides some insight into what is happening in the GS rating from the world of BUPERS. Read below.
From: Patrick Carbone

Joe, apologize for not writing for many moons, seems the priorities are in a constant flux no matter what happens. Hope your health continues to improve with your recent conditions as it can be a real pain in the butt. How is that old war horse Gary Waldron doing, last time I saw him he had a pony tail sprouting out on the back of his beaner? Haven't been detailing for about 8 months now, conscripted to help develop the new Master Chief Detailing system and now volunteered to help shape the NAVY'S latest vision called Sea Warrior which has a section of detailing for all future sailors. This is just my opinion now, but with all the time I have spent at NPC one of the most requested item was face time with the Detailers, with the envisioned new system, I'm quite sure some people in power with the ability control the NAVY'S future have lost what it means to be a sailor, substituting technology via " An Artificial Intelligence Agent/Super Computer setup". Because of all the inter-fighting of contractors trying to get a piece of the pie, I don't know if this system will come on line as anticipated. Looks as if I will also be doing that Medical retirement thing soon, awaiting the PEB shuffle in the next 3 to 6 months. We now have 2 new full time cogen power plants about 40 minutes from here, soon as I get a firm time table I'm going to go up there and talk to the boys about employment. If I can help with something give me a buzz.

Just to add my "two cents" to the above, it again gets back to "they" think the only correct decision can be made by a computer. 'To err is human, to really foul things up requires a computer."

If you have some non-GS types that want to know a bit more about how that mysterious gas turbine works go to travel.howstuffworks.com/turbine.htm. Lots of good color graphics to help them understand the theory.

Got to run. Lots of folks are at the Marine Gas Turbine Inspectors seminar in San Diego this week. Fair winds and following seas.

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MARCH 2003

My two co-workers Dave Wright (GSCS/Retired) and Forrest Moore (CWO/GSEC Retired) have put the Revision to the Model 104 Intermediate Maintenance Manual to the review folks and authored the Model 139 Intermediate Level Maintenance Manual. That way once all the Model 104s are resting peacefully at inactive ships there would be a Model 139 Intermediate Maintenance Manual.

This gentleman has one of those world famous country and western names. From: Jones, George C."

Hey there master chief. This is GSM1(sw) USNR George Jones. You were my detailer when I happened to be active duty. I served aboard USS Briscoe, SIMA Norfolk, USS Puget Sound, USS Arleigh Burke and USS Arctic. I'm now a gas turbine technician for Public Service Electric and Gas here in New Jersey. All of my training and experience landed me this great job thought I'd let you know. Gas Turbines were and still are the way to go. V/R GSM1(SW) George Jones USNR

Now I know with the weather about to break up there in the North country, Steve Lancaster GSCM(SW) Retired, has got the tractor ready for another tractor pull season. Steve now has a son in the United States Marine Corps.

Roger Monroe, GSCS(SW) Retired, and a DD963 THE SPRUANCE plankowner is taking a vacation to visit his Navy shipmate of over 36 years Ken Darnell, LT/CWO/GSCS Retired, down in Mississippi. Ken is living and working down around the Pascagoula area.

Dan Schmidt was out there looking to get one of those decommissioned PHMs up and running and last I heard he had purchased an YTF39, which is the aircraft version of the LM2500. So Dan if you are out there how about an update on this project. Dan can be reached at Dan Schmidt.

When I first touched a 501-K17 we had to replace the old single flow nozzles after 1000 hours of operation. That was about two months steaming on a GTGS. After many evolutions of the fuel nozzle for the 501-K series engines we have a true "light at the end of the tunnel." With about 39 engines equipped with the new air assist nozzles and the air assist fuel nozzles sets reaching the 6000 hours operating mark, it appears to solve the elusive coking and carbon problems that made the old nozzles unreliable before they barely had 2000 operating hours.

All CG 47 types, when you are troubleshooting that 501-K17 that slow starts don't forget the cleanliness of the air intake flat pads and demisters. All too quickly we focus on the electronic governor control, speed-temperature box and begin the "tron chasing" before we look at the physical aspects of the engine; air intake filter cleanliness and the quality of the fuel oil and the fuel oil system filters.

Retiring ? Separating ? Use all the resources available if you are pursuing a job in a related gas turbine field. Mark Brotko, mbrotko@intrepid.pp.twsu.edu, who signed in last as the power plant director at Wichita States University, always emphasizes using keyword searches and public websites to steer you in the right direction.

DDX generator set. Looks like Rolls Royce has got the nod with its MT 30 gas turbine, which is a derivative of their highly successful Trent aero engine technology. The MT 30 rated at 36 megawatt will drive the Integrated Propulsion System (IPS) Engineering Development Module (EDM) at the land based test facility at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center where NSWCCD-SSES resides. Rolls Royce is also providing a 4 MW generator set for run off competition in conjunction with the IPS EDM tests.

Don't forgetNavy Gas Turbines. This is like one-stop-shopping for Navy gas turbine technicians. Whether you're a PO3 or GSCM there is information you can use.

I can't remember who emailed me this but it is right on the mark. FW: I liked the Navy
This says it all!!!!

I liked the Navy. I liked standing on deck on a long voyage with the Sea in my face and ocean winds whipping in from everywhere, the feel Of the giant steel ship beneath me, it's engine driving against the sea.

I liked the Navy. I liked the clang of steel, the ringing of the Bell, the foghorns and strong laughter of Navy men at work.

I liked the ships of the Navy. The nervous darting destroyers, the Sleek cruisers, the majestic battle ships and the steady solid carriers.

I liked the names of the Navy ships: Midway, Hornet, Enterprise, Sea Wolf, Iwo Jima, Wasp, Shangri?La, and Constitution ? majestic ships of the line.

I liked the bounce of Navy music and the tempo of a Navy Band, "Liberty Whites" and the spice scent of a foreign port.

I liked shipmates I've sailed with ? the kid from the Iowa cornfield, a pal from New York's eastside, an Irishman from Boston, the boogie boarders of California, and of course a drawling friendly Texan.

From all parts of the land they came, farms of the Midwest, small towns of New England ? from the cities, the mountains and the prairies. All Americans, All are comrades in arms. All are men of the sea.

I liked the adventure in my heart when the ship puts out to sea, and I liked the electric thrill of sailing home again, with the waving hands of welcome from family and friends waiting on shore.

The work is hard, the going rough at times, but there's the companionship of robust Navy laughter, the devil?may?care philosophy of the sea.

And after a day of hard duty, there is a serenity of the sea at dusk, as white caps dance on the ocean waves, while at night, the sea turns mysterious.

I liked the lights of the Navy in darkness. The masthead lights, and red/green sidelights and stern lights. They cut through the night an look liked a mirror of stars in darkness.

There are quiet nights and the quiet of the mid?watch when the ghosts of all the Sailors of the world stand with you. And there is the aroma of fresh coffee from the galley.

I liked the legends of the Navy and the men who made them. I liked the proud names of Navy Heroes: Halsey, Nimitz, Perry, Farragut, and John Paul Jones.

A man can find much in the Navy ? comrades in arms, pride in a country. A man can find himself.

In years to come, when the Sailor is home from the sea, he will still remember with fondness the ocean spray on his face when the sea is angry. There will still come a faint aroma of fresh paint in his nostrils, the echo of hearty laughter of the seafaring men who once were close companions.

Locked on land, he will grow wistful of his Navy days, when the seas belonged to him and a new port of call was always over the horizon.

Remembering this, he will stand taller and say, "ONCE I WAS A NAVYMAN."

GSCM(SW) Retired, Richard Caceres has directed me to the News.Navy.mil and lots of great photos of the surface combatants launching Tomahawks towards Baghdad.

Got to run. Staying busy is staying out of trouble. Continue to contact us with any and all inputs and information for the newsletter.

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