Really??: Ten Thousand Feet and Ten Thousand Miles (A UAV Article)

[ea6bflyr]

Perhaps more rare in the surface Navy than subs? I regularly heard of them being awarded to firing units. (post 9-11 timeframe)


Of course I have been wrong before on more than one occasion. I'm probably confusing them with Battle Es.

Unlikely. From Wikipedia: The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the United States Armed Forces, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941.

 

[ShadeofRed]

Unlikely. From Wikipedia:

Oh Wikipedia, damn you!

 

[BigRed389]

Oh Wikipedia, damn you!

You're probably mixing it up with a MUC.

Hell, the Naval Academy got a fucking MUC for their 2007 football season.
National tasking to drop missiles on bad guys, good football...yeah pretty much the same thing.

 

[xj220]

Don't think this has been shared yet:

 

[BusyBee604]

Perhaps more rare in the surface Navy than subs? I regularly heard of them being awarded to firing units. (post 9-11 timeframe)


Of course I have been wrong before on more than one occasion. I'm probably confusing them with Battle Es.

I believe you're thinking of some other unit award. PUC awards are usually made to commands which have been heavily involved in very successful, and sustained combat operations over a given period. They are indeed quite rare, especially for ships post 9-11.

With the exception of WWII, I believe they would be more rare in subs, than in surface ships.

*Navy Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon & Pennant
BzB

 

[Hozer]

USS Halibut was awarded 2 Presidential Unit Citations...1968 and 72 for outstanding Cold War stuff, cable-tapping in Kamchatka, and K-129.

 

[BusyBee604]

It is interesting to note, that the Navy/Marine PUC award is designated as the unit equivalent of an individual Navy Cross. It was established in 1941.
BzB

 

[FrankTheTank]

Everybody gets a trophy!

 

[ShadeofRed]

I believe you're thinking of some other unit award.

Yup, as BigRed pointed out I was clearly confusing it with a MUC. I was fairly certain of those being awarded

USS Halibut was awarded 2 Presidential Unit Citations...1968 and 72 for outstanding Cold War stuff, cable-tapping in Kamchatka, and K-129.

Thanks for pointing that out I would go as far to say that the Parche has been awarded one due to the nature of its mission. But I suppose we won't know for awhile.

Edit: Lol after reading that page the Parche has been awarded 9 PUCs that have been unclassed...

What is the total number of Presidential Unit Citations awarded to engine powered submarines built during wartime?

26 awards for multiple patrols, 11 awards for single patrols

What is the total number of Presidential Unit Citations awarded to nuclear submarines?

16 awards for single patrols

What nuclear submarine was awarded the most Presidential Unit Citations?

USS Parche SSN-683 9 PUC

 

[Swanee]

Wait, so this thing rates higher than an Air Medal? WTF?

 

[BusyBee604]

Yup, as BigRed pointed out I was clearly confusing it with a MUC. I was fairly certain of those being awarded



Thanks for pointing that out I would go as far to say that the Parche has been awarded one due to the nature of its mission. But I suppose we won't know for awhile.

Edit: Lol after reading that page the Parche has been awarded 9 PUCs that have been unclassed...

It should be pointed out that the SSN Parche follows in the footsteps of the historic original USS Parche (SS-384). Built fairly late in WWII, she completed 6 war patrols and earned 2 PUCs. On her most famous action the dark early morning hours of 31 July, 1944,she surfaced in the middle of a Japanese convoy. The engagement was furious, as she turned in a slow circle firing torpedos, and her deck gun blazing at the tankers and troopships. The Japanese escorts became so confused in the darkness, that they were firing at each other. Having sunk a troopship, and an oiler, Parche "pulled the plug" and stole off leaving several other ships afire and heavily damaged.

In addition to the ship & crew's PUC award, Parche's CO LCDR Lawson P. "Red" Ramage was awarded the Medal Of Honor for this historic night action. I had the distinct honor of meeting VADM Ramage when he visited our (VA-55) Ready Room on USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) in Westpac in 1961. At that time, he was head of Navy Board of Inspection & Survey (INSURV), on an inspection tour.

USS Parche(SS-384) underway, 1944
BzB, prior ET2 (SS)

 

[e6bflyer]

I know several ex Parche crew members and the only thing I have been able to get out of them is that they have done some crazy stuff. That being said, they did say that it wasn't uncommon to go into work for the day and not return home for 3 months, or on the flip side to kiss the wife and kids goodbye for deployment about 10 consecutive days in a row just to return home and never finally leave.

 

[ShadeofRed]

I know several ex Parche crew members and the only thing I have been able to get out of them is that they have done some crazy stuff. That being said, they did say that it wasn't uncommon to go into work for the day and not return home for 3 months, or on the flip side to kiss the wife and kids goodbye for deployment about 10 consecutive days in a row just to return home and never finally leave.

Yea, I've heard similar. Thankfully regular sub deployment isn't as fluid as that, however, I did experience a 3 week "underway" turn into a 4 month hiatus. We were going to Alaska for sound trials before Westpac and we threw our shaft seal. It was kind of crazy going back into the engine room (gym equipment is near the shaft aft of the reduction gears) and seeing sea water spraying in from around the shaft as it was spinning. It was so bad that we had to emergency pull into Bremerton, sent in divers who confirmed we needed to dry-dock immediately. Unfortunately Bremerton had no open dry-docks, because we had to surface transit ALL the way to San Diego. That might not sound like a huge deal except for the fact that submarines don't have keels....ugh, lol. Anyway I suppose I'm just feeling nostalgic.

/endthreadjack

 

[Renegade One]

Wait, so this thing rates higher than an Air Medal? WTF?

I guess, but a lot of awards rate higher. There is certainly precedent for awarding "big gongs" to folks who fought their part of the war via radar picture, NTDS consoles and radio headsets:

"OSCM Larry Nowell [known in Navy fighter and TOPGUN circles as "Ace" Nowell…back in the day…] served afloat aboard destroyer Hamner, guided missile destroyer Mahan, and guided missile cruiser Chicago. While aboard Chicago 1970-74, participated in extensive air intercepts during the Vietnam War. Personally controlled over 100 live engagements for both Navy and Air Force fighter aircraft. Credited with assisting in 13 enemy MIG aircraft kills and with saving 4 friendly F-4 fighters, resulting in the first award of the Distinguished Service Medal in U.S. Navy history to an enlisted man for combat action. His knowledge, experience, and teaching ability caused him to attend the Navy Fighter Weapons Tactical School (TOPGUN) and to extensively rewrite the Navy’s curricula for AIC, AICS, NTDS AIC, and NTDS AICS to incorporate aviation and surface techniques."

 

[BusyBee604]

Anyway I suppose I'm just feeling nostalgic.

/endthreadjack

Speaking of threadjacking & Submarine nostalgia, there is a "Submarine" forum here on AW, which is seldom used (second to last forum at the bottom of the homepage). There are a number of prior qual'd "sewer-pipers"... some of whom are NAs, NFOs/in flight training/or wannabees on AW. Sub Sailors enjoy 'under-sea stories' just as much as BlackShoes & us'n Airdales enjoy sea & TINS stories. All interested are invited over to the Sub Forum, where we can swap undersea adventures and general info, without sporting the "scarlet letter" of Threadjackers!
BzB