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Ahoy from Japan

engineman

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Sasebo, Japan
Hello All,
After a career change, I am now an Engineman in the US Navy. The title doesn't really do my job justice, as I maintain pretty much every piece of mechanical equipment on the craft that I am on, from winches, to hydraulic systems to pumps, in addition to five Detroit 71 engines. I am currently stationed in Sasebo, Japan and am looking forward to joining this online community and talking shop with all of you.

I found this forum when researching tools. I got fed up having to share tools with people who don't see the value in organization despite my best efforts, and don't always put them back :willy_nil. I just bought a toolbox and (this is key!) a PADLOCK on amazon (my options are fairly limited being overseas), and am excited to fill it up!

A little about my background: after getting a degree, I worked for a large company for about five years, basically as an office gopher. While doing that, I bought a project car, a 1975 Triumph Spitfire that I spent a lot of time and money wrenching on, doing the majority of the mechanical work myself (I wasn't going to touch that car's frankenstein electric system with a 10' pole!). Long story short, I had the car in about a million pieces, and couldn't afford to get the parts to put it back together, and ended up selling it. Fast forward 2 years: Got bored with my mundane career and joined the navy in search of adventure (it's been just that these last 8 months). Anyway, thats enough about me. Hope to talk to you all soon.
 
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theoldwizard1

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2011
Messages
43,425
Location
SE MI
So what do your superiors say about you having your own tools ?

I had a buddy who was in the Air Force Reserves. They were required to use the tools on hand (which were not always complete) to service aircraft. Removing over a hundred screws to get a shroud off takes a long time !
 
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Omphaloskeptic

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 11, 2008
Messages
2,346
Location
Ultima Ratio, Wa.
Welcome and thank you for your service!

Sasebo, Japan; I guess that must be a pretty sweet duty station. If you are allowed to take pics onboard, show us around and the stuff you get to work on. Just consider your ship to be one large steel-plated garage! lol

By the by, what's your degree in and has it helped you get the rank/rating you now have?
 
OP
E

engineman

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Sasebo, Japan
I'm at a small command, and am part of a small crew. My chief engineer is cool with me using my own stuff, as he understands my frustration. A lot of the work we do is planned preventative maintenance (PMS) and the navy has it down to a science. The weekly report refers you to a job card and specifies tools (ex. Ratchet, 3/8" drive. Socket, 9/16", 3/8" drive. Etc), so as long as the tools meet the specs, I'm good to go.

My degree is completely unrelated to what I am doing now, it is in business. It has helped me by allowing me to enter at the paygrade of E3. I could have submitted an officer packet, but due to being color blind, I could only (once again!) be a glorified office gopher. Sasebo is a pretty cool place to be. The city is kind of sleepy, but they pay us extra to be here (more money for tools!) as the ¥ is stronger than the $ at the moment. Actually, something pretty cool about being on a military base is that most bases have an "auto hobby shop" where you can work on your car/motorcycle etc. They have lifts, and it's clean and dry. I don't have a car at the moment, as I live on base, but will certainly do my own work on it once I get one.
 

jimmiller2

Active member
Joined
Oct 29, 2009
Messages
41
Location
Tennessee
Greetings from a fellow Navy (retiree). I did some duty in Japan, Yokouska, and Okinawa in late nineties. I started out enlisted in the Air Force and
ended up retiring as a Navy Captain (Reserve Dental Corps). I mention this
as a plug for the reserves if you decide to get out after a few years. I loved
the navy reserves (8 years active duty and 25 reserves) and traveled the
world in 3 to six week stints to fill in at navy clinics short on dentists.
My fellow dentists here in my small Tenn town thought I was nuts but they
are still working with no end in sight and I have a great retirement.
This is a great site and I am here today looking for info on metal building
insulation.
 
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