Away the boarding party (VBSS and SWOs with guns); Marines, too!

[CAMike]

Ok so we do get issued personal weapons? There were at least 5 completely contradictory posts there.

By the empirical method of post-averaging, it appears that I get issued and qualify on a sidearm, then it is mine, and I just don't carry it around with me while underway. Unless I'm on VBSS, in which case I pack it and some more serious heat.

Slightly unsure, but I want a gun so I'm bringing a super-soaker just in case.

pmasters-

NO. In the NAVY You NEVER get issued a sidearm permanently. No Bevo style Kevorkian revolver- No 1911 .45 -No 9mm Beretta, no .50 cal for the Navigation
brief. Upon Pistol Qualification you may or may not get a couple of "permanent" blue colored ribbons to wear on your uniform IF you qualify but that's it- unless somethings changed dramatically in the last 25 yrs. (which is possible)

If you stand OOD Inport you will get to wear the weapon DURING WATCH- then you have to give it up to your relief 4 hrs later. If you get to escort the DISBO to the bank- you get to wear a weapon and drive him to and from the bank- then you return the weapon to the GMG's armory when you're done etc.. If the Disbo takes off with the payroll upon departure from the bank- DON'T SHOOT HIM. Call the Captain. The DISBO may have just temporarily lost his mind. (circa 1986 Mayport FL.)

Sorry if the post's seemed confusing. While Underway you can call "Capt to the Bridge" over the 1MC if you feel threatened without a weapon. The again just pick up the (1JV?) and brief him on what's making you nervous. You want to avoid the Fitrep Bullets that declare you a Nervous Nellie. I hope this clears things up- or were you just kidding in the post above?

 

[pmasters]

THAT clears it up, thanks.

And I was just kidding about wanting to carry a gun around.

 

[skim]

By the empirical method of post-averaging,

talk like that with the other JO's around and YOU will get eaten alive.....

 

[picklesuit]

pmasters-

If you get to escort the DISBO to the bank- you get to wear a weapon and drive him to and from the bank- then you return the weapon to the GMG's armory when you're done etc.. If the Disbo takes off with the payroll upon departure from the bank- DON'T SHOOT HIM. Call the Captain. The DISBO may have just temporarily lost his mind. (circa 1986 Mayport FL.)

Okay I tried to find the story on that...you have got to fill us in...Pork Chop shenanigans?!

 

[HeyJoe]

You will qualify and be issued a M9 for watch, VBSS, and SAT/BAF (or SRF/BRF).

As seen here. Of course, you might just be watching others have the fun like the SWO who took this picture

090507-N-4124C-001 ATLANTIC OCEAN (May 7, 2009) Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) conduct live-fire 9mm pistol qualifications on the flight deck in order to qualify watch standers for force protection positions. The ship has been underway from Norfolk, Va. since April 27, with a port visit in Port Everglades for Fleet Week. (U.S. Navy Photo by Ensign Adam R. Cole/Released)

 

[HeyJoe]

090612-N-2638R-003 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 12, 2009) Ensign Robert Thomas, the visit, board, search and seizure officer aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), left, and Lance Cpl. Ryan Throne, assigned to Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Pacific, secure the area during a visit, board, search and seizure drill. Mustin is one of seven Arleigh Burke-class destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and operates from Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bryan Reckard/Released)

 

[HeyJoe]

Can Intel O lead MSD or VBSS?

According to Tom Clancy...

Mobile Security Det OIC is a SWO billet, no intel OICs.

Glove, there are intel officers assigned to MSD's correct? Do they serve in the operation aspect of the Detachment, as in, going out there and carrying a weapon with the troops?

Talk about misuse of assets. I know you're fantasizing about all this stuff, Husker, but I think you might need to do a reality check about what an Intel O really does. Prepare yourself for at least a couple tours worth of being the dork of the readyroom that gets in the way and is the butt of jokes. You'll most likely be couped up in a vault somewhere, not on on patrol looking for people to shoot. You need to dissuade yourself of all this Tom Clancy nonsense.

Brett

What exactly is Tom Clancy about being a det commander with a Mobile Security Detachment. Tom Clancy is sneaking behind enemy lines, blowing **** up and going home. MSD's are no different than VBSS teams that are formed on EVERY Naval ship I know of. Most VBSS teams are led by intelligence officers because A) They know what to look for when they board a ship and B) They often know the language or the culture of the people onboard the ship or in that region.

It is good to see that you guys treat intel officers so nicely. They only find you a nice target to hit and then tell you the safest way to get there.

That is actually why I would prefer getting a warfare qualification before going into intel through a lateral transfer. But that is just me.

If you think VBSS teams are lead by Intel Os you are back in Clancy land. Take a deep breath and count to ten before you make a qucik comeback because some of these guys have more time in the cockpit than you have on the planet. They gave you a straight answer on your original question so relax.

Pigs can occasionally get airborne, hell can get a bit chilly, and intel Os can occasionally find themselves leading VBSS teams. A good pal of mine, now a Boat School instructor, just came back from a cruise on a CG. He was leading dhow VBSS's in the Arabian Sea and off of Somalia (Arrr, me hardies!). He ended up doing this the same way he ended up qual'ing as OOD underway: because he expressed an interest in it to the skipper & Ops, and then put the time into learning what needed to be done. The shoes are always looking for people who volunteer to learn/do these kinds of things, as it frees them up to get more rack time.

Then maybe you need to get your facts straight. As Spy said, Intel officers CAN lead VBSS teams. I didn't say all VBSS teams. A good friend of mine is an on his O-1 intel cruise, he asked the skipper if he could qualify as a VBSS team leader and the skipper approved. Now he is leading VBSS teams aboard suspected pirate vessels off the Somali coast line. I don't appreciate being told what can't happen when it really, truly IS happening. Like Spy mentioned, if you are doing your job right and talk to the skipper about taking on some extra duties (qualifying for OOD, VBSS Team Leader, etc.), he will not say no.

And to back up to whoever asked about VBSS teams being on big deck ships, as of 2004 there is a VBSS team onboard LHD's across the fleet. I do find it funny that in one thread, no one knows what the hell a MSD detachment is or what it takes to be a VBSS boarding officer but all of a sudden they know what they are talking about. Give me a little credit, I do know a thing or two about the Navy.

Depending on how many intel officers there are on a boat, the likelyhood of an intel o leading a VBSS team (which by the way is totally different from MSDs) is slim. Also, deployed MSD dets are usually lead by a chief or sometimes a warrant. When I was deployed, the security detail for our camp was handled by 7 sailors from an MSD det and they were led by a highspeed LPO.

If y'all still want to know about MSD, I just came from MSD 24 in Portsmouth, VA.

We have one Intel officer for the whole squadron (MSRON 6 has 4 Dets, 24, 25, 26, 27).

Dets consist of 3 officers and approx. 82 enlisted.

OIC: O4, used to be only SWOs, but now open to any post dept head, any community. 24-SWO, 25-Subs, 26-SWO, 27-Aviator.

OPS: O2 SWO

SECO: LDO O1, O2

3 small boats: 25 ft SAFE boats, BMs, ENs, and MAs manned

Other landside teams consist primarily of MAs with one IT, one ET, two HMs, one SK, one DC.

Questions?

Lee

Husker, you might also want to check out the Navy intel discussion board at: www.military.com as you may be able to get add'l info there. I found that I usually get all the info I could possibly want between both this group and that group! There's a third group that's strictly special ops: www.socnetcentral.com and this one's pretty cool and informative as well.

 

[HeyJoe]

090612-N-2638R-002 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 12, 2009) Ensign Robert Thomas, the visit, board, search and seizure officer aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), climbs aboard the ship during a visit, board, search and seizure drill. Mustin is one of seven Arleigh Burke-class destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and operates from Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bryan Reckard/Released)

 

[HeyJoe]

090613-N-6639M-136 RED SEA (June 13, 2009) Boatswain's Mate Seaman Recruit Leslie Ramer fires a pistol during a live-fire exercise aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95). James E. Williams is deployed to the U.S. 5th fleet area of responsibility supporting maritime security operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Laura A. Moore/Released)

 

[ChuckMK23]

It all goes back to the SWO community lacking real warrior spirit.... It's the big secret everyone knows and has known for decades. The over emphasis on engineering and industrial sensibilities are big drivers in the SWO culture.

That said it would be awesome to see the culture change. Having Officers and enlisted intimately familiar with weapons would be a great start.

 

[HeyJoe]

090611-N-5624R-002 BALTIC SEA (June 11, 2009) Members of the visit, board, search and seizure team from the guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) return to Forrest Sherman after participating in a boarding training exercise during Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2009. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

 

[HeyJoe]

090609-N-5345W-155 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (June 9, 2009) LT John Fairweather, assigned to Naval Beach Group 2, checks over the ship's bridge logbook while serving as a Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) team leader during a VBSS drill aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43). The Fort McHenry is deployed with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) in support of maritime security operations in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson/Released)

 

[HeyJoe]

090609-N-5345W-029 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (June 9, 2009) Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) fast rope from a CH-53 Super Stallion, assigned to Thunder Chickens of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263, to the flight deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) during a Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) drill. The Fort McHenry is deployed with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) in support of maritime security operations in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson/Released)

090609-N-5345W-071 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (June 9, 2009) A 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) team from the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) crosses the flight deck of USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) during a VBSS drill. The Fort McHenry is deployed with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) in support of maritime security operations in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson/Released)

090609-N-5345W-008 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (June 9, 2009) An AH-1W Super Cobra from the Thunder Chickens of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 performs a low-altitude surveillance pass during a Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) drill aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43). The Fort McHenry is deployed with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) in support of maritime security operations in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson/Released)

 

[Picaroon]

ENS Adam R. Cole took some of these pictures I see. Wonder if he's the same Adam Cole that was in that OCS special article who was in Mass Communication.

http://www.projo.com/extra/2008/ocs/stories/day5.html
Click on Cole's picture.

 

[HeyJoe]

ENS Adam R. Cole took some of these pictures I see. Wonder if he's the same Adam Cole that was in that OCS special article who was in Mass Communication.

http://www.projo.com/extra/2008/ocs/stories/day5.html
Click on Cole's picture.

Likely a good guess since he was a Mass Communications PO prior to OCS so that would have been his trade and he'd know how to get his images into the system.