Veterans photos

Yea, it’s been STRATEGIC Sealift Officer (SSO) for a while now. The “strategic“ makes it sound cooler than what it used to be. We also used to be emblemed with the infamous Sea Chicken (Google, “Merchant Marine Sea Chicken”). Lol.

We were all proud of the Merchant Marine Officer Sea Chicken and no one besides the upper brass wanted it to change to the new SSO “warfare” pin; however, with the new “flight“ pin came the new moniker.

Our purpose: when WW3 hits, we‘ll have a dedicated set of Merchant Marine officers to man the ships to get the bread, bullets and bandages to the front lines’ shores.

We‘re also the only Academy to have a battle standard. 142 Cadet Midshipman died during WW2.
 
July 1966 aboard USS Franklin D Roosevelt (CVA-42) inport at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. I was a young nugget in VA-72 and we were headed to the Tonkin Gulf via the Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean. Since we had just crossed zero degrees latitude a few days earlier, many of us are showing our new Shellback haircuts!


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We had a thread on this a few years back, so, here’s a link:


And here’s a photo from 1990, I’m wearing a green jacket with the “Jolly Roger” patch. Looking closely, standing in front of me is Mark Kelly, now a Senator from AZ.
View attachment 44762

Since that was over 30 years ago, when I had hair...here’s a more recent one. Circa 2015. Mrs. Astro and I at a retirement ceremony.

View attachment 44763

I don't have any photos of myself in uniform. It's not a time I look back on fondly. It has been 9 years since I got out and I still feel the weight of it all.
Don't know your story..... but want to very humbly thank you for volunteering to serve our nation. Thank you- I am personally grateful for your service to our nation.
 
Yea, it’s been STRATEGIC Sealift Officer (SSO) for a while now. The “strategic“ makes it sound cooler than what it used to be. We also used to be emblemed with the infamous Sea Chicken (Google, “Merchant Marine Sea Chicken”). Lol.

We were all proud of the Merchant Marine Officer Sea Chicken and no one besides the upper brass wanted it to change to the new SSO “warfare” pin; however, with the new “flight“ pin came the new moniker.

Our purpose: when WW3 hits, we‘ll have a dedicated set of Merchant Marine officers to man the ships to get the bread, bullets and bandages to the front lines’ shores.

We‘re also the only Academy to have a battle standard. 142 Cadet Midshipman died during WW2.
That’s very cool. I thought of joining the coast guard, but my stepfather knew I would love the U.S. NAVY. He was right 🇺🇸🇨🇦
 
We had a thread on this a few years back, so, here’s a link:


And here’s a photo from 1990, I’m wearing a green jacket with the “Jolly Roger” patch. Looking closely, standing in front of me is Mark Kelly, now a Senator from AZ.
View attachment 44762

Since that was over 30 years ago, when I had hair...here’s a more recent one. Circa 2015. Mrs. Astro and I at a retirement ceremony.

View attachment 44763
I was gonna be a smarty pants, and make a twin joke asking if you could be sure it was Sen. Kelly, and not his Brother Scott, but depending on 1) where that pic was taken, and 2) the accuracy of wikipedia,
it could be Scott Kelly... going by the date on said photo, and this, from Capt. Kelly's Wiki page:

"He graduated as a naval aviator in 1989, and was assigned to fly the F-14 Tomcat. He reported to VF-101 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, for initial F-14 training. Upon completion of this training in September 1990, he was assigned to VF-143, and deployed to the North Atlantic and Persian Gulf aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower."

(yes, they both retired with the rank of Captain, but the Title of Senator outranks Naval Captain in differentiating the brothers. at least in my book.)


Not that I'm trying to dispute your memory sir, just as I said, an attempt at smarty-pants humor
 
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I was gonna be a smarty pants, and make a twin joke asking if you could be sure it was Sen. Kelly, and not his Brother Scott, but depending on 1) where that pic was taken, and 2) the accuracy of wikipedia,
it could be Scott Kelly... going by the date on said photo, and this, from Capt. Kelly's Wiki page:

"He graduated as a naval aviator in 1989, and was assigned to fly the F-14 Tomcat. He reported to VF-101 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, for initial F-14 training. Upon completion of this training in September 1990, he was assigned to VF-143, and deployed to the North Atlantic and Persian Gulf aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower."

(yes, they both retired with the rank of Captain, but the Title of Senator outranks Naval Captain in differentiating the brothers. at least in my book.)


Not that I'm trying to dispute your memory sir, just as I said, an attempt at smarty-pants humor
I think you are absolutely right.

That was Scott Kelly. Fighter pilot

Not his brother, the attack puke and Senator.

I had clearly mixed them up.

Not being an attack guy, and not being a politician has raised my estimation of Captain Kelly.

But only a little...
 
We had a thread on this a few years back, so, here’s a link:


And here’s a photo from 1990, I’m wearing a green jacket with the “Jolly Roger” patch. Looking closely, standing in front of me is Mark Kelly, now a Senator from AZ.
View attachment 44762

Since that was over 30 years ago, when I had hair...here’s a more recent one. Circa 2015. Mrs. Astro and I at a retirement ceremony.

View attachment 44763
1.) Mark Kelly is pretty short, had no idea, does not look happy
2.) Is that you, (The only one with your hands in your pockets!), maverick indeed.
 
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