Moving to VA and New Avatar

[Don Abele]

Well today was a pretty sad day for me. It was my last day onboard USS CONSTITUTION. I am transferring to Portsmouth, VA to take over as the Command Master Chief of Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron TWO. That's a big name. We are a rapidly world-wide deployable security group that protects Naval assets throughout the world.

This is "sea" duty for me, which means lots of time away from home. I'll be spending the next couple of weeks here in Massachusetts with my family and then heading down by myself - the family stays here. Our house is on the market, but nothing is moving here, and besides, there's no sense in them moving now when I'll be deployed for the next 4-6 months! So hopefully I'll get them down to Virginia around summer time.

I'm hoping that the various countries I'll be deployed to in the Middle East will afford me the opportunity to have some Wi-Fi access (which is pretty common) so I can get my occasional dose of SMC. I'm not due to ship over until the end of the month/beginning of November.

So...that also means it was time to retire the top hat and cutlass sporting avatar. I've used a more relaxed one (yes I'm in a tie-dye) since I am on vacation right now. Once I get settled in, I'll get a pic in my new uniform (desert cammies) and use that one (I'll also update my location).

Be well,

Doc

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Don - best of luck to you in your new post, and most of all - be safe!! Good luck with selling your house, as we all know the market around here is pretty flat.

When do you ship out?

[Jim O'Dell]

Good luck Don! And like John said, be safe. Thanks for your continued service for all of us! Jim.

[Jerry Bruette]

Good luck Don and be safe!!

Will you be stationed on a ship or shore bases?

If you should make it over to Djibouti let me know if there's still a pretty girl behind every oak tree

Jerry

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I hope your house sells soon, so your family can join you.

Be safe Doc!

[mark page]

Best of luck Don,
I left VA Beach/Nas Norfolk area in '84 and went back on vacation in '86.
A lot had changed in 2 yrs. I haven't been back since but would like to make it back. I can't imagine how much has changed on the bay area this long.
Best wishes.

[Don Abele]

...Will you be stationed on a ship or shore bases?...

Jerry, the squadron consists of security detachments, boat detachments, and command and control detachments. Security does all the land based security (or embarked to a vessel / oil platform). Boats do all the water borne security using 34 foot sea arks. And C2 does all the communication for the other guys. So sometimes on ships, sometimes not. Since I'm the CMC I won't be with a single unit - I'll be traveling from unit to unit. So it's a lot of travel. Mostly I'll be shore based so I've got my fingers crossed with nightly connectivity. I know I'll be spending some time out on the oil platforms, some have connectivity, some do not. All in all it should be VERY exciting and always different. I'm really looking forward to it.

Be well,

Doc

[Jim Becker]

Oh, man...giving up that sword had to hurt, especially when it could be used as a woodworking tool in a pinch... LOL

Hey, best wishes on the transition and stay safe!

[Dave Anderson NH]

Good luck and best wishes in your new assignment. You keep yourself and your people safe. I hope you manage to get up this way again some time.

Be well.

[Don Abele]

Oh, man...giving up that sword had to hurt, especially when it could be used as a woodworking tool in a pinch... LOL

Hey, best wishes on the transition and stay safe!

Jim, while I did give up my CUTLASS that I wore in uniform, I was presented a brand-new replica cutlass (about $500) as a gift from my Chief Petty Officer's Mess. It's mounted on a beautiful piece of oak (salvaged from several hull planks).

Good luck and best wishes in your new assignment. You keep yourself and your people safe. I hope you manage to get up this way again some time.

Be well.

Dave, we are planning to ultimately retire in the New England area (most likely Maine). So I know I'll be back...but don't know when. It may be as long as another eight years (I'm at 22 now and 30 really is the max they allow most of us to stay).

Be well,

Doc

[Dave Ray]

Don, first of all welcome to Va. This new billet CMC sounds like one tough job with all the traveling in unfriendly places, sorry you have to be separated from your family in addition. Please remember SMC has a lot of members here in the Tidewater area, so should you feel the need to smell, feel sawdust you will be welcomed in a lot of shops when not on the road. Thank you for your service to our country and I wish you fair winds and following seas.

[Art Mulder]

(I'm at 22 now and 30 really is the max they allow most of us to stay).

22 !? You don't look a day over... er, never mind.

[Eric Larsen]

Must be a bittersweet moment -- leaving Ol' Ironsides cannot be an easy thing to do.

As always, stay safe!

[Don Abele]

Don, first of all welcome to Va. This new billet CMC sounds like one tough job with all the traveling in unfriendly places, sorry you have to be separated from your family in addition. Please remember SMC has a lot of members here in the Tidewater area, so should you feel the need to smell, feel sawdust you will be welcomed in a lot of shops when not on the road. Thank you for your service to our country and I wish you fair winds and following seas.

Dave, this will be my third time in the Tidewater area. I was there from 1992-1996 on a submarine in Norfolk (lived in Virginia Beach) and then again from 2003-2005 on another submarine in the shipyard at Portsmouth (lived in Chesapeake). It's nice to come back to somewhere that we know so well. Thank you very much for the general invite for sniff sawdust .

22 !? You don't look a day over... er, never mind.

Thanks Art...that made my day! Amazing to think that I've been in the Navy that long. I can remember the day I left home to ship off to boot camp. Time sure does fly when you are having fun - and I have loved ALMOST every minute of the past 22 years, especially the last three and a half. I'm going to miss the CONSTITUTION and her absolutely amazing crew. It was, by far, the highlight of my career and I'm afraid that nothing will top it in the next eight or so years I have left.

Must be a bittersweet moment -- leaving Ol' Ironsides cannot be an easy thing to do.

As always, stay safe!

Absolutely...I've not been feeling my most chipper today. It was sad to leave her and the crew. But I'm really excited about this new assignment. But as I said, I don't think anything will ever be able to top Old Ironsides!

Be well,

Doc

[Andy Hoyt]

Go get 'em doc.

And there's always a light on up here when you're ready.