CMDCM Gene Treants, unfortunately there was not much I could find out as well since this program has been shut down for a while but I was told the "blueprint" or data should still be maintained by NPC to include how many total was involved in the program. I am pretty sure though that due to Privacy Act issues they cannot release the member's names but at least it can give one a ball park view of the program.

PO1 Thanks for checking in. I really do find it odd in a odd way that indeed I am getting feedback that indeed possibly I am the only sailor known so far that served this enlistment in the commands I did. I was the only SAM i ever knew over 5 years 2 different FFGs 400 Sailors no other SAMs. The SAM enlistment basically means I had the least amount of experience of all the Sailors on the ship and least amount of support systems off the ship with no access to medical care at MTFs going to Sea every month on an FFG with orders as Gaining Command Augment Support in DECK Department as Undesignated SN.

I am sure I do not need to tell you just what Deck SN do, but on an FFG only experience makes those Occupational Taskings less risky. With negligent Experience all Ship Board manuevers become more risky.

Again the Sea Air Mariner program would gaurentee Atrophying Occupational Rate Skill Sets.

I was there part time every month.

I would only meet and see and deploy to Sea with the crew at minium 2 days a month.

What can anyone do with 2 days a month and skip 28 days with precicion and security. Add to the matter that Sea Life Deck SN is stressful. So how can you take 2 days and do anything with it ? Of course that is impossible. I know I am sort of being fa·ce·tious but using humor to explain a Glib Scenario I lived I experienced first hand is all I know.

There are no other examples in Navy History that I can identify where this happened.

But beyond that. I gave my heart and soul to my nation. Yes I am on SSDI at 35. Guess what for Anxiety and Mood Disorder.

I am sort of amazed and saddened at the same time. I waited a long time in denail over my illness. This is very normal for victims of these mental health issues in service to be indenial I am finding out.

Another thing I am finding is that especially in the 1990s Mental Health Stigma was alive and well.

You should see my Annual Physical reports and what I wrote as Symptoms I was concerned about that went completely unchecked by the HMC.

If the HMC ignored my symptoms then of course I would.

I was in no position at 20 years old to challenge the Active Duty HMC head enlisted Corpsman.

Sorry if I come off a little ragged. I have to at lIeast notify that I am on SSDI for anxiety and mood disorder. I know this programing is running below the radar. I just hope that I respond in a way that allows for more converstaion. I am attempting to heal wounds. I was put in situation to feel like an outcast in uniform for far to long. I am trying now to heal and well find some sort of salvation. SSDI pays 900. I am far below the poverty line. I was below the poverty line when I was being paid 150-200 a month as a SAM part time Sailor on the FFGS 18-23. I was below the poverty line then as well.

Then I got a stress anxiety condition and started gettting wreckless off the ship and threatening civilian co-workers bosses and even roomates in civilain life in between monthly deployements. I lost work and jobs off the ship as early as 20 years old.

So from 18-38 SSI work history shows below the poverty limit in survival mode the whole time save 2 years where I tried to get a real job and fired from each 2002-2003 where I made 20 k each, but again was fired and stopped looking for work not trusting anymore.

Yes - that's what I was trying to figure out. I didn't catch that he was technically only a reservist because he kept referencing full-time too.

I just noticed that you guys were responding. Thanks for taking an interest. Yes I refererence FULL TIME alot because indeed my Reporting Duty Station every month was infact a Full Time Active Duty 100 percent Operational FFG Guided Missle Frigate and not a Navy Marine Reserve Center where one assumes a quote unquote Navy reservist goes and (A) sits on his or her butt (B) pushes papers and reads rate manuals or whatever.

Every sailor on the the ship was (A) currently full time active 150 Sailors Staffed the Ship (B) 30 NAVY SELRES Prior Service VETS with 4 years minimum Active Expeirience qualifying them for VA health care off the ship minimum and since they had prior Full Time Service were not obligated drilles they could quit any time and go IRR and we had average 40-50 attrition turnover rate because it was not easy duty (C) 1(ME) 18 yr young with 'rare' Sea Air Mariner Enlistment , 8 yrs 'Obligor' Obligated Service, straight from bootcamp to a reserve center given a billet to fill a slot in this Hi-Priority Units due to the turnover attrition rate.

What was I doing beyond that inbetween the weekend drills? I instantly used my Reserve GI bill to go to College Full Time thinking original thoughts NAVY Career and get a degree and become and officer. I wanted to turn the 8 yr enlistment into a 20 year career. I would of become and officer and upgraded my enlistment somehow after graduated college I thought originally.

A full load of courses at Junior College was my main life and I was working a part time job at a vitamin store to pay rent on my first room rented and to buy food as the NAVY obviously was not doing that for my part time status which is understandable.

But what started to happen quickly is that the unit, The Full Time Guided Missle Frigate, of which there were only 16 FFGs cross designated with a Reserve Unit, would delploy nearly every month on those weekends specifically only because the Reserve Unit was boarding. The Reg Crew would normally have that weekend off and be in duty section if it were not a quote unquote RESERVE weekend. There was a general sense of dislike by the regular crew and it was verbalized and I was only 19 hearing this dislike about my specific days in uniform and I was the target and in my head the reason.

I was in DECK an Undesignated SN. I was the only Sailor on the ship no prior service.

I thought it my duty 19 Undesignated SN to take 2 days a month and somehow magically turn it into functional Skills that the 15 Full Time had. Of course, although no one told me it was impossible, I found it an egg I could not crack and I got angry sad and frustrated and overwhelmed.

Deck SN are known to do the most hazardous mental and physical occupational hazardous duties From (1) Cold weather Midwatch Lookouts in rough stormy seas and or (2)Mooring Line Duties with fear of the Mooring Line Snap Back ending in being cut in half literally, (3) DecK SN are heavy handed in GQ Stations such as Fire Team Hosehandling Full Donning of OBA and other Firefighting Gear of which Heat Exhaustion is a real possibility riding that fine line.

I was not in an observational role. I was not given LIMDU status due my inexperience and possible anxiety to performing this underway evolutions so irregularly as to never gain confidence in my skills underway.

But I was thrown directly into all and every low level normal full occupataional exposure to stressors mental and physical. I was from the start being qualified in all underway SN watches to give me something to do underway.

And when you are not standing watch you are on some cleaning or working party.

And if you as an inexperienced SN late for watch then you will get full wrath as any normal SN.

And did I mention that in 48 hours hundreds of miles from CONUS Heavy Seas are normal and Foul Weather is Common and as Normal Human not used to this environment due the part time status, SEA SICKNESS will be a normal illness that will take days a possibly a week or two to recover from after being deployed for 2 days straight, and sent home for 28 days to come back and do it again.

But again I was never told that I could not and should not attempt this feat or stop trying to fit in or stop trying to learn what the Full Time SN did.

I was taught in Bootcamp that the way to survive in the NAVY was to fit in. Hence we all wore the same uniforms.

But let me know what was normal about my situation?

PO3 Aaron Hassay - respectfully, if you were only on a boat two days a month, that’s essentially a cruise once a month.
Not to disparage the service, but take some Dramamine, do the job home in 48 hours. I guess I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at.

Every service member has a uniquely individual story.

SGT (Join to see) - As a SAM we were like any reservist, we served one weekend a month, and 2 weeks "active" a year. In my case mostly on old FFG that had compliment of full time sailors and rotated about 20% of the crew every 2 weeks with a change of reservist. Being the mid 80's drug interdiction was high on the list activities. We would carry 3 coasties who would board and inspect a boat (Navy cant enforce the law). If they found drugs the boat was impounded and now was US property, and Navy would crew and sail to nearest port, if no they were sent on their way.

Many of my contemporaries volunteered as relief crews during the first Gulf War. I was to go on relief for the USS New Jersey but Iraq caved in just before I was to leave.

Damn man that was a story. Yes we are a small select group. There are very few. Man I got tested often on the ship almost monthly it seemed.

How are you these days?