Longest non stop trip home.

[FastEagle]

While in the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and roaming around in the Indian Ocean in early 1980 I received priority II orders to report to The Commander in Chief United States Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk, VA (no later than). Here is a brief outline of that journey.


Departed the USS Nimitz via H-46 helicopter for a very short trip to the USS Roanoke (AOR-7) which was replenishing the USS Nimitz.

Spent seven days in the USS Roanoke while in transit to the tiny atoll of Diego Garcia where I hooked a ride on a C-141 bound for Clark AFB in the Philippines.

Spent less than 24 hours at Clark AFB while hooking a seat on a tiger flight to Okinawa. Got off that flight and right on another one headed for Travis AFB near San Francisco. There were two stops, one in Tokyo and the other in Anchorage.

Spent two nights resting up at Travis and trying to get on some kind of recognizable time line. Ended up hooking another C-141 to Pope AFB near Fayetteville, NC where I got a Marine C-130 to Norfolk, VA.

Reported in at CINCLANTFLT and was told they really didn’t expect me to make it there that fast and to just go on leave for a few weeks while the rest of my future team mates wandered in for their new assignment.


FastEagle

[Seajay]

I think you got caught in the classic military .....''HURRY UP, AND WAIT''........ been there and done that myself on occasion.
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND BRING THEM HOME SOON AND SAFE
GOD BLESS OUR VETS FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THIS GREAT NATION
Seajay the sailor man...

[CorsairIIAT]

FastEagle you would love my 2 week West Pac trip on a P-3C with an Admirl.

[CorsairIIAT]

My last ride home was similar also. My retirement ceremony was held the way a sailors should be. It was in the gulf in 1999 at sea on The Hanger Deck of the USS Carl Vinsen. Next morning we pull into what is known as the sand box. It was at Dubai. I was piped ashore as MY Name USN RETIRED. Rode a bus for 3 hours to Fujairah. There we sat around for 4-5 hours. On an up note I used to fly out of there 4 years earlier. So I new what we could have ordered and delivered. Pizzias for everyone. Then caught a Marine C-130 to Manama Bahrain. Spent 4 days there. Then got on a Boeing chartered 757. With stops in Sicily, Naples, Rota Spain, The Azores. 36 hours later I landed in Norforlk Va. 8 hours later catch a commercial flight to Charlotte then on to LAX then to Fresno. Taxi from FAT to train station in Fresno. Take the the train to hanford Ca. 40 miles south. Taxi from train station in Hanford to my home. The next morning I report to the processing people. Lt ask if I had seen my son I told him no just got in last night. This was thurs. Morning. He told me to go see my son and come back Mon. Morning.