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My Special Warfare career was a glimmer of light back in1982 while on board the USS Duluth LPD 6. I saw my future; a Combatant Craft Crewmen or Navy SEAL. Forward deployed to Thailand, the ships movement was well-ordered to go straight to Lebanon under contingency. This is where I met up with SEAL Team Five and Special Boat Unit Twelve Arg Detachments. At this time we played a huge role in a Multi-National Peace Keeping force, where we lost 240 Marines in a suicide barracks explosion. SEAL Team five

and Special Boat Units where rapidly deployed to shore. Becoming curious in what it was they did, I asked many questions and embraced their activities from the beginning; this was when I first encounter Master Chief Hershel Walker  Navy SEAL extraordinaire, therefore paving my new career path as a Naval Special Warfare Warrior. With an honorable discharged from the Navy in “1984” I promised myself, if I were ever to return to active duty it would be with Naval Special Warfare.

In early February of “1986” I returned to the Navy as a NAVET.  During that time I trained, and was tested for the Navy SEALs passing my swim, run, pull-ups and push-up times. I was granted orders to Special Boat Unit Twelve on May of “1986”. This is when I decided to stay with the boat units. Working up with Detachment Charlie and training at Special Boat Unit Eleven with riverine forces. In later 1986, with Detachment Charlie immerged as force to be reckoned with under the helm of Senior Chief Wilkerson and forward deployed with Seal Team Five to Subic Philippines Naval Special Warfare Unit One aka (Wally World). This is where we had a 72 hour rapid deployment to the Persian Gulf under the Command of Captain Campbell; the first detachment to enter the Gulf, where we joined forces with riverine PBR Crafts out of SBU XI then later assigned to Winbrown and Hercules barges. The barges were converted to a mobile battle platform for the boats to patrol the waters of Bahrain and further north of Farsi Island. During this deployment we encountered bandits laying mines, captured, and rendered prisoners in September “1987” war was declared against the United States.

Operation Pray Mantis were to follow when insertion of SEALs exploded oil plate forms to render them useless for the enemy to hide behind. After returning back home based Coronado, three months later I redeployed back to the Naval Special Warfare Unit One Subic Philippines “1988” to continue engineering Patrol Boats 776 and 775 and Seafox crafts. I would lay up in the Philippines until 1989.  Fast forward, I was assigned to the boat department where I continued to train with detachments, and was a part of a testing platform for 10 meter Rigid Inflatables where I earned my Boat Pin as Petty Officer in Charge. This was the time Seafox’s where being phased out, under the command of Captain Wright Squadron One and PMS 300 out of Virginia. In the later part of “1991” just after the Gulf War, I had orders to Naval Special Warfare Center Coronado, phasing in the new SWCC course of instruction under the direction of ENC Bob Curtis, GM1 Lee Estes, EN2Mike Andre, ET2 Tim Wilson, and BMCM Kelly Webb from SBU Twenty Six. This was the first technical cadre of Instructors to design the Instructor Guide and PQS book; to set up logistics, and implement the first pilot class. I finally left Naval Special Warfare in “1993” as a TRAPAC Master Training Specialist and SWCC Class Two.

Reporting back to Special Boat Unit Twelve I was assigned to the training department to trained and qualified future detachments for deployments. During this time I qualified in SCARs, Combat Medic Course, and Maritime Navigation all conducted by NSWC. Later in “1995” I was assigned to Detachment Hotel as Chief Engineer and detachment medic. Continuing a yearlong work up the detachment then forward deployed with SEAL Team Three to Naval Special Warfare Unit One Guam and moved in about several counties. During this time I came to fate of a fractured spine that later put me in the hospital for emergency surgery in “1997”. Under many doctor’s care and on edge of being removed from service, I fought back during a two year rehabilitation process. With the support of Captain Campbell Squadron One, Captain Petticoa, and Captain Laskey Special Boat Unit Twelve, I was placed under a non-deployable status where I awaited my retired date as the Hazmat Coordinator for Special Boat Unit Twelve.

God Speed and Fast Boats / The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday.