Michael Dye:  

Life After graduation, I joined the U.S. Navy and went active 29DEC78. From DEC78-FEB79, I attended Boot Camp at Great Lakes, IL, during the 'perfect' season; Ice, 5 feet of snow and wind chills of 60 below zero. In FEB79, I transferred to Naval Air Station (NAS) Memphis (Millington, TN), where after 6 months of training in aviation electronics, I graduated as an Aviation Fire Control Technician (Those are the people who make large, weighty objects that go 'BOOM!' land on the bad guys). In SEP79, I arrived at my next duty station: NAS Oceana (Va. Beach, VA-Where I would spend the next 20 years). Here, I was first assigned to Attack Squadron 42 FRAMP(VA-42 FRAMP - 'Fleet Replacement Aviation Maintenance Personnel') also known as "The Green Pawns". This unit provided type training to technicians and aircrew. My training involved becoming proficient in the repair and maintenanace of the AN/ASQ-133/155/155A Ballistics Computer System, the AN/DRS-33A Laser & Detection and Ranging Set, the AN/APQ-148/-156 Search Radar, the Armament Control Unit and the Lead-Computing Optical Sight of the A-6E 'Intruder' Medium Attack aircraft. With my schooling completed (For the moment) and having been dumped by the High School girlfriend ("Dear John" letters, anyone?), I was assigned, as an Intermediate Level Electroics Technician (My work was performed indoors, in the air conditioning) with Attack Squadron 85 "The Black Falcons". This squadron went to sea with Carrier Air Wing 17, aboard USS Forrestal (CV-59). With this squadron, I made two deployments, which took me to the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Red Seas, the Atlantic and Artic Oceans and transits of the Suez Canal. Prior to leaving VA-85, I also made one training cruise aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). With no reason to return to Indianapolis (Remember that 'Dumped' thing?), I chose to remain in the Navy. So, after re-enlisting (And buying my first Harley with the bonus money), I was transferred to shore duty with NAMTRAGRUDET 1003, where as a Navy Instructor, I taught applied electronics to Navy and Marine personnel for three years. Then, it was time to go back to sea, which I did as a Aviation Fire Control Technican Petty Officer First Class (AQ1). Originally assigned to Attack Squadron 65 (VA-65), as the Fire Control Shop Supervisor, after six months I ran afoul of squadron politics and was transferred out of the squadron, instead going to the Seagoing Operational Detachments (SEAOPDET). Here, I was assigned as being the Petty Officer In Charge of the SEAOPDET 25 maintenance detachment, where I was solely responsible for 45 technicians, who were attached to USS Coral Sea (CV-43) in support of VA-55 "The Warhorses" and VA-65 "The Fighting Tigers". We made two deployments, sailing the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas and the Atlantic Ocean, visiting Benidorm, Spain, Antalya, Turkey, Alexandria, Egypt, Sigonella, Sicily, Naples, Italy, Haifa Israel and Halifax, Nova Scotia. As a result of 'Desert Storm', I was (unwillingly) medically retired in 1994, having reached the rank of Aviation Electronics Te...Expand for more