The Ready Room

And now for what's happening with our "survivors"....

Postings for AUG 99

• And congrats go to the 1999 Lieutenant Commanders select:
  
  • Jim "Boz" Boswell
  • Linwood "Blair" Brown
  • Barbara "Barbi" Burgett
  • Michael "Rug" Burns
  • William "Huggie" Dodge
  • Stephen "Keyboard" Dvornik
  • Jeffrey "Jungle" Goerges
  • Kyle "Oscar" Karstens
  • John "J.P." McCallen
  • Doug "Spook Dougie-Doug" Powers
  • Raymond "Guido-Ninja" Tortorelli
  • Dennis "Bort" Warren
  • Evan "Burma" Weintraub
  • Jim "Woodsy" Wiggs
• From LCDR Dave "Ferris" Clement: "I arrived in Leavenworth about two weeks ago (JUL 99). Jennifer and Liam will be out in AUG 99. I'll be here for about ten months doing the Army's Command and General Staff Officer's Course (their JR War College).
• Gary "Fletch" Fletcher left the Navy in February 1999 and is now a first officer flying the 737-300 out of San Francisco. He and Missy are building a house in Chicago where Gary will transfer sometime in the autumn of 1999.
• LCDR Keith "Roybob" May sends: "I finished my Department Head tour as OPS for VQ-2 and have reported to COMPATRECONWING ELEVEN in Jacksonville, FL. The VP guys are not quite sure what to do with me yet, so I'll make up my own rules...."

Postings for JUL 99

• Email Scam Alert! In late July, most VQ survivors were mass emailed about some major scam involving former foreign military officers with money to "invest" in U.S. interests. DO NOT BELIEVE IT. By this time, both NCIS and the FBI have been notified. The reference the the VQ Survivors' Pages was obviously taken without my permission or awareness. Let your friends and peers know about internet predators and be alert for any similar scams. LT Anthony "Punisher" Vivona
• OK, with TPS behind me, it's time to get back back to work with a HUGE page update. And Vicky assures me that a "new look" is in order, once all the data is up to date. Stay tuned! LT Anthony "Punisher" Vivona
• For the last several months, CDR Kevin "Stretch" Ketchmark has been assigned as Navigator on the USS Carl Vinson. He and Linda maintain residence in Seattle.
• LTJG John "Meat" Kelly sends: "Left for cruise with VF-41 on the USS Roosevelt at the end of March. I can be reached through Mary at my posted e mail address.
• LCDR Scott "Wolfeman" Wolfe sends: Hanging on in the great northwest. Have been at VQ-1 since Oct 98. Currently the configurations department head waiting for bigger and better things. Other notables in the squadron include: Ray "Sugar Ray" Warren, Joe Speranzo, Jim Hildebrand, Key Watkins, Joe Sullivan, Ron Higgs and soon Ian Sorenson. Mike "Moose" Moreno is nearby at wing ten.

Postings for JUN 99

• Our friend, former VQ-2 squadronmate and favorite IS (Intelligence Specialist) Mr Barry Talmadge, AKA IS1 Talmadge, has been diagnosed with a rare and very debilitating cancer. For more information see the VQ Survivors Main Page

Postings for JAN 99

• From "The Punisher" on 18 JAN 99: "Yes, in case you've noticed, my updating has been rather sporadic in the past few months. 100% my fault. Between getting married last year, finishing my MSEE at PG School, PCSing to Pax River, buying/building a new house, and trying not to fall behind at the Navy Test Pilot School, my time to stay current on the pages has suffered somewhat. But be assured that I will continue to update the pages more regularly, especially after TPS graduation in JUN 99. Stay tuned...."
• LCDR Merl "Lobo" Fuchs can now be found at 562nd FTS at Randolph AFB, TX, as of May '98 for Instructor duty and then retirement (around summer '01).

Postings for OCT 98

• LCDR John "Slick" Harber will be finishing his stint at USNPGS and reporting to the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) in December 1998.
• LT Bill "Huggy" Dodge is currently going through the EA-6B Prowler RAG with follow-on orders to be the VQ representative at the Weapons School (EAWS).
• From Joe "Villa Gorilla" Grady: As of Dec. '97 I moved from Vanguard, the mutual fund company, to Price Waterhouse as a consultant (they've recently merged with Coopers & Lybrand) My wife Bonnie just had our 5th (y la ultima!) child on September 3rd, a girl, named Shenna Norrett Grady. I'm currently on a project during the week in the Northern Va/D.C. area (Herndon) so if anyone is in the area, please look me up!

Postings for SEP 98

• Congrats to all those whom made the O-4 list this year. My list is by no means complete, but here's the VQ-types I know whom made it: Bill "Betty" Beddie, Dave "Ferris" Clement, Mike "Pearl" Harber, Derek "Icky" Ikehara, Tony "Friar" Johnson, Todd "Krude-Dog" Kruder, Bill "Shama Lama" Ringer

Postings for AUG 98

• CAPT (Ret) "Sugar Ray" Leonard sends: "I have been accepted into a graduate program at Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia campus for math/science teachers that leads to an MA Ed. It is a program that leads to certification for math and science in grades 6-12. I have already completed 3 classes and the program finishes next July. It includes a full year of student teaching, one semester in middle school and one in high school. My plans are to try to teach high school Physics starting in September '99 in the the Northern Virginia area, but will also be looking at middle school science/math if my certification covers them all. This means that I will be a full time student for the next year or so."

Postings for JUL 98

• CDR Tom "Wraith" Brennan sends: "I have finally moved from my NATO job at Northwood on the outskirts of London, UK to the CINCUSNAVEUR staff in downtown London. I am working in the N5 (Plans) section. My new work phone is DSN 235-4098/Comm (44) 171-514-4098. CDR Bill Schmidlin has ably relieved me as the C2W Officer at EASTLANT. If anyone has questions about billets or things to see in London, please get in contact. Cheers!"
• LT Rob "Jane" Pauley is now on the USS Abraham Lincoln steaming to The Far/Middle East. He assures The Continuum that being a "shooter" is much better than you may think. As he says: "...it is a real kick. The flight deck is wild." Also found on the USS Lincoln are CDR Scott "Bumpkin" Orosz as the CDG-3 C2W officer and CDR Mike "Wilbur" Wilcox as the ship's CDC Officer.

Postings for JUN 98

• CDR George "Windsock" Womack sends: "I reported to VPU-1 as XO in March...I'm definitely not in Hawaii anymore...Brr. New e-mail addresses have been submitted. If any of you get up this way, please contact me at (207) 921-1258...lobsters on me. Best to all!!!
• CWO3 Paula (Thompson) Gough is doing well, following her cancer treatments.
• LT Ken "Fergie" Ferguson was married in Annapolis on 30 MAY 1998.
• CAPT B.W. Buckley sends: "CAPT "Sugar Ray" Leonardwill be retiring from active duty after over 26 years of service on 1 Sep 98. His departure from NRL and the Navy will be marked by a retirement ceremony and luncheon on Friday, 26 June 1998. I don't have to tell any of you that know Ray what a superb job he has done here in the past 4 years in every respect as the Chief Staff Officer of NRL. I rely on him for every aspect and I will miss his experience, expertise and friendship. I hope you and your division personnel will help me wish Ray and Barbara the very best by attending the Retirement Ceremony and Luncheon if at all possible."

Postings for MAY 98

• Congrats go to CAPT (Sel) Daniel "Wensley" Wenceslao for selection to Navy CAPTAIN.

Postings for APRIL 98

• The Continuum: A VQ-1&2 Survivors' Page has moved due to LT Anthony "Punisher" Vivona's graduation and subsequent PCS from Naval Postgraduate School. The pages may now be found at http://www.viablewebsolutions.com/vq/.
• LT (Ret) Mel "Blanc" Davidow writes: "I was one of the original 12 pilots that received orders in January 1951 to form what eventually became VQ-1. I left the unit, at that time VW-1 Detachment Able in September of 1953. I would appreciate any contact from anyone associated with the Special Projects Division or VW-1 Det "A" during the time I was involved. I am especially trying to locate "Howdy" Taylor who was the PP1P on our crew. I am in contact with Bob Bublitz and Ralph Dannettell the other two pilots in our 4 pilot crew."

Postings for MARCH 98

• LT Anthony "Punisher" Vivona completed his MSEE at Naval Postgraduate School. Due to extensive time constraints regarding MSEE thesis writing/research (and his PCS move to Patuxent River, MD), VQ Page updates have been lax for the month of March. Fret not---Updates will be much more timely in April/May....

Postings for FEBRUARY 98

• LCDR Wade "Boggs" Smith and family are transferring from CTF 72/57 Kami Seya, Japan to "that cool squadron" in Barbers Pt, Hawaii for his Department Head tour. Wade sends: "I'm looking forward to finally getting into some "real surf" on the North Shore again and Sabrina, Wiley and Taylor are looking forward to thawing out after a snowy winter in Japan."
• LT Tom "Rosie-Palmer" and Leigh Rosdahl are heading to Newport, R.I., where Tom will start the spring semester at the Naval War College.

Postings for FEBRUARY 98

• CDR Mike "Wilbur" Wilcox is on the move again. He sends: "Current schedule has me starting school 04 May at TACTRAGRUPAC (San Diego) and reporting 06 Jul to the USS Abraham Lincoln as Combat Direction Center (CDC) Officer. Since I'll most likely meet the ship on cruise, Debbie and Holly plan to stay in Dayton, OH until I return. We will conduct a delayed HHG shipment to Everett, WA around the end of the year. The search is still on for my replacement at the Joint Airborne SIGINT Program Office. Ideal candidate would be an O-4 just completing Department Head tour from VQ-1/2/5/6."

Postings for JANUARY 98

• LCDR Larry "Flash" Martin PCS'd to BUPERS in JAN 98, where he's working as the Aircrew/Aviation Technical Rating Enlisted community manager.
• Ron "Rico" MacDougall sends: "My father was in VQ-1 from November of 1965 to November of 1967. He has passed away in Jan of 1996 but I remember all of his stories and pleasant times with VQ-1. He always laughed and remembered fondly the many fellow crew-members and times he had. I hope there is some of his fellow squadron members out there. I remember a few names and those are Jim Vanice, Max Auto and Jim Wheeler. We were stationed at Atsugi, Japan and he would leave to go to the Cubi and then onto whatever carrier was there. He spoke of the Ranger, the Connie, and the Oriskany. My father was a pilot and retired as a LCDR and his name was Ron MacDougall. I hope this letter of him reaches any of his old crew."
• LT Bill "Huggie" and Sharon Dodge are moving to Whidbey Island in May. Bill will be attached to ECWS as an instructor.
• Anyone looking for CDR David E. "Igor" Meadows? With thirty years in, he's on active duty at CINCUSNAVEUR.
• VQ-1, watch-out! LCDR Key "Key-man" Watkins, aka "The Spam-shiner," is transferring to VQ-1 for his DH tour in late FEB 98, after his year of U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
• LT Jeff "Gap-Daddy" and Roseann Gapusan have completed their first tour in Rota at VQ-2, and are on their way to CTF-72 in Japan.
• ENS R. Christian "Slater" Boldig will be arriving in Rota, Spain in late March to begin his NFO career.
• CDR (Ret) Larry "Boy Pilot" and Noreen Holmes can now be found at Springfield, VA. Larry is now working for Atlantic Coast Airlines, while Noreen is working at Total Crafts.
• As of 31 DEC 97, Karin "KK" Klose has entered the civilian sector, completing her navy pilot commitment.
• CDR Tom "Wraith" Brennan sends: "As an update since my last posting here, I am halfway through my fourth year as the C2W Officer at CINCEASTLANT, a NATO Command in Northwood, UK (Outskirts of London). CDR Bill Schmidlin (currently in N3 at CINCUSNAVEUR (CNE) in London) should be relieving me in June 1998. I will be reversing that path, as I have received orders to N5 (Policy and Plans) at CNE and will be working European Navy policy issues, probably involving Military-to-Military programs with a variety of European countries. Hopefully I can be in a position to help VQ-2 stay visible and engaged as long as they remain in Rota."
• Layne "Auburn" Thomas is keeping busy at graduate school. She's in a two-year Physical Therapy Program at Old Dominion University, so the whole family will be remaining in the Norfolk, VA area for another couple years. LCDR Jay "Rotors-To-Jets" Thomas is currently a flight engineer on DC-10's at United, flying out of San Fransisco, CA. He's still doing weekend reserve duty at HM-14, flying H-53's out of Norfolk, as well.

Postings for DECEMBER 97

• LT Tone "Punisher" Vivona is no longer slated for "that cool squadron" in Hawaii. He will be a member of the JULY 1998 class at Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland---to follow on for another year in the same geographic location at Force Warfare.
• Last Monday Night, 01 Dec 97, LT Harvey "GQ" Klyce asked his longtime Spanish girlfriend Nuria to marry him, and she said yes. He writes, "We plan to get married this summer and I hope as many of you will be able to make it as can. How do I feel? I feel fantastic, and really excited about it. Nuria appears even more so."

Postings for NOVEMBER 97

• Former VQ-2 EWAC Larry "Zoot" Seutter now flies C-130's with the reserves when he's not flying L-1011's for Connie Kalitta (American Int'l Airways).
• LCDR Chris "Teddy" Kennedy should be finishing up at the Naval War College in MAR 98. Here's to hoping you don't go to the boat!
• CDR (Sel) K.C. "Hoover" Coggins sends: "I have PCS'd from ECWS and will start the junior class at Newport in November.  Beth and girls will remain in Whidbey.  Home e-mail is "coggins@whidbey.net".  It's looking like Bill Dodge will take my ECWS spot in February.  VQ Tactics Cell will stand-up at Fallon in early '98. People passing through Newport, look me up."

Postings for OCTOBER 97

• ENS Stacy "E.F.P." Best-Bowman just got accepted to attend the Junior Officer Cryptologic Career Program (JOCCP).  She will be completing the 3-year tour in a 2-year timeframe, graduating in OCT 99.  Hopefully, her husband Scott will be graduating from U of M and getting commissioned to join the SWO community at the same time.  Their son Jacob is on the verge of crawling.  He is now 16+ pounds and will be 6 months on the 1st of November.
• LCDR Hal "Hal-Bob" Baker sends: " I just ran in to Andy Capra on my drill weekend at NAS Brunswick. I am a LCDR in the reserves at VR-62 pushing paper. With me in that squadron are CDR Seth Goodman (EA-3B Pilot) and LCDR Larry Seutter EP-3E Pilot). I just saw Kevin Maguire and his wife Di (former ER doc at NAVHOSP Rota) when they came in to Beantown for his sibling's wedding. I haven't seen them in over a year, but Ed (EP-3E SEVAL) and Virginia Carmody had a son, Jay, in the summer of 95 and were living in Hampton Beach, NH. Seth Goodman is married (last December), flying for Northwest, living in VA Beach and Maine, and waiting for his lovely wife to give birth to their first child. Larry is flying for American International and living in Weymouth. You should be hearing from him soon via e-mail. I'm still single and waiting for a woman to stay with me all the way to the altar. I left active duty in 94. Stayed five months too long in San Diego. Moved home to Mass, moved back in with my folks, worked contract tech writing, fell in love, got engaged, got a permanent job, and got disengaged."
• LCDR Joe "Villa Gorilla" Grady sends: "As far as updates go, I married Bonnie, the Navy nurse I met in Rota (86-89), and we now have 4 children: Eric-5, Brendan-3, Maura 20 months, and Liam 4 months.  I work for Vanguard, the Mutual Fund Company and Bonnie's working at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital." 
• CAPT Andy "Dirty Duck" Niemyer, USNR, former EA-3B SEVAL and NATOPS checkrider is now XO at NR Tactical Training Group Atlantic 106, where's he's been assigned since 10/96.  He was tickled to find none other than the legendary CAPT George McKnight (retired 9/97) in the C2W side of the house.  George will be relieved by another VQ-2 Whaler CAPT Rich Schwenk starting 3NOV97.  Andy left Rota back in 79, picked up a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from the Univ. of California, Hastings College of Law in San Francisco back in '82 and went right back to Whales, virtually full-time, flying as an overwater NAV on KA-3B's with the Reserves until 9/88.  He then wangled his way into A-6E's for a 4 year tour and 500 hours at VA-304 up to 1992.  He then found a "double-secret" 13XX slot in the nascient Coastal Warfare/Harbor Defense warfare area and stood up the Navy-Coast Guard program to 1996.  Somewhere along the line he also commissioned his wife, Lisa Abrahams, MD, FACC, into the US Army Medical Corps (she's since retired) they had two boys (Rob 9/89 and Eric 2/95) moved them all to North Dakota and now is the Editor-in-Chief of the North Dakota Aviation Quarterly and a "soccer Dad".  He also picked up a 2nd callsign that many of the Whalers from the 80's know, COMJAM.  He vehemetly denies owing anybody $20.00. 
• CAPT (Ret) Ken "Pick" Pickle alert! "Just found out about this page from a fellow shipmate I ran into at NAS Whidbey NEX---who told me the reunion was going on this weekend.  Figured I better log on and get on the mailing list.  I was in VQ-1 as a SEVAL from June 69-June 72.  I think I was part of the relief crew for the 121 that was shot down by the North Koreans.  These three years was a great time to be in the squadron because there was so much going on.  I just retired on June 1st from the Reserves as a Capt. Of the group of SEVALS that came into the squadron about the same time I did, one is a minister, one is president of Marshall Fields, one is a fellow Captain is the Naval Reserve Intelligence Command, and one was president of Hickory Farms and now Borders Books.  I guess it proves that VQ experience can give you some good training under pressure...."
• LCDR Mike "Pags" and Mary Kaye Pagliarulo will be leaving VQ-1 and heading off to HQ, U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany later this month.
• CDR (Sel) K.C. "Hoover" Coggins sends the update to the Tactical EW Training Cell.
• The 1997 Lieutenant Commander List is finally here. The overall percentages for the EP-3E folks was 74% (86% pilot/62% NFO).  On the ES-3 side it was 83% (80% pilot/86% NFO).  We did get 3 above-zone folks. I have seen the list, but I am probably missing a number of names. Let me know if you notice obvious omissions. But be among the first to congratulate:
  
  Jim "Soup" Campbell
  Michael "Carsdog" Carsley
  Cathy "Tatonka" Donohue
  Gary "Fletch" Fletcher
  Kevin "Fury" Foster
  Mike "SafetyMan" Guerrera
  Todd "The Man Toddler" Kotouch
  Dennis "Big Meat" Leete
  Bill "Bugsy" Malone
  Mike "Lurch" Moreno
  Tom "Rosie-Palmer" Rosdahl
  Matt "The Stork" Stoeck
  "Little" Chuck Quinley
  Mark "Amway" Stansell
  Paul "The Hammer" Williams
  Scott "Lupo" Wolfe
  
• The 1997 Command Screening results are in. The following people are selected for VQ (EP-3) command:
  CDR (Sel) Bernie "Shotgun" Lessard
  CDR (Sel) Jack "Score" Scorby
  CDR (Sel) Kevin "Tank" Sherman
  CDR (Sel) George "Windsock" Womack
  
• Additionally, CDR (Sel) Andy "Topper" Eddowes was selected for ES-3 operational command.

Postings for SEPTEMBER 97

• Conor "Condor" Dolan, LT Dan "Danger Boy" Dolan's son, is getting into HTML coding now. If you are a computer gamer (and what computer geek is not?), check out Conor "Condor" Dolan's Computer Games Page! It's worth a look, and it can also be found on the VQ Links Page.
• Make way for LTJG Richard "Robert" and Emily Downey! He just received his NFO wings and is on his way to Spain. You know he cannot be ALL bad, after having Stuart "Stu-Bob" Gaudet as an NROTC instructor at MIT....
• LCDR (Res) Tim "Rush" Elliot is now online: "I'm back to work flying with Valujet and have moved to Atlanta. (Before the shutdown last year, I was commuting from JAX and rarely saw the wife and kids.) I made 0-4 in the reserves, and have recently affiliated with a reserve intel unit here in Atlanta. I had been drilling with a navy reserve intel unit a Patrick AFB, in Cocoa Beach for the last year or so. (I'm in the process of changing my designator to 1635, reserve intel.) During my furlough last year, if it hadn't been for the navy reserve intel community, things would have been a lot more "interesting", to say the least. I spent three separate periods of active duty with Joint, Interagency Task Force, East (JIATF EAST) based in Key West, FL.
• CDR (Sel) John "Jack" Gough sends: Paula is going thru radiation treatment for cancer, and prognosis looks good. My new billet is NAS Whidbey Island Admin Officer. And it sure beats the BOAT !!
• LT Tom "Rosie-Palmer" Rosdahl sends greetings from VT-3: "In other crazy news, we lost our home and most of our belongins to a fire (They think electrical---probably a lost tron from Christine!) on the 2nd of June. The dog (Watney) and I escaped unhurt. I was in the shower while Leigh and Emily were at the gym. Putting the peices back togather has been a pain in the ass; however, USAA has been as good as expected. Additionally, the bad luck continued in September, as I was hit by a car while riding my bike. Damage was limited to a seperated shoulder and several scrapes." But fret not, friends, he's doing well and maintaining a very good attitude, as well.
• CAPT Bob "Samurai" Kusuda wishes to dispel the rumors regarding his FORMER orders as CO to NS Rota, Spain:
  "This is an input for the "Wardroom" section since there has been lots of speculation about why I'm not going back to Rota. I thought I would share with everyone what really happened. After deep selection to CAPTAIN in 1994 and screening for Major Shore Command I was slated to take over command of Naval Station Rota in 1997. I had a 2.5 year wait because CAPT Simms was still in Rota and his relief was already identified. In 1995, the detailer said everything was still on track for Rota. In Sept 96, I called the detailer to check on orders and he informed me that I was getting bumped. RADM Ryan (CTF67) had called BUPERS and said he wanted his Chief of Staff, CAPT (SEL) Stairs to take over Rota next. After checking around BUPERS and OPNAV the word is that since the VP community is losing so many major commands due to base closures and such, the VP community is scrambling to "lock in" those other major commands that have historically been open to any aviation community (like Rota). As an alternate, the detailer offered me Command of Training Wing SIX in Pensacola. I accepted as long as I wasn't going to "bump" someone who had already been slated for it. Two weeks later I found I was "bumping" someone who had already slated for Training Wing SIX so I told the detailer I wouldn't 'screw' someone like I had been 'screwed.' I wasn't willing to wait another 2 years for a major command, so I decided to extend in OPNAV with intentions to retire at the end of 1997. So those are the facts."

Postings for AUGUST 97

• And let's all congratulate the newest 1997 Commander (O-5) selectees:
  
  Bill "Billy-B" Beaumont
  Rick "Bonny" Bohner
  Irv "Duke" Bough
  K.C. "Hoover" Coggins
  Andy "Topper" Eddowes
  John "Jack" Gough
  Tom "Nifty" Kean
  John "Possum" Kuehn
  Randy "Hawk" Hauke
  Bernie "Shotgun" Lessard
  Chuck "Jonathon" Livingston
  Michael "Ichibod" Paul
  Bill "Zen" Schmidlin
  Jack "Score" Scorby
  Kevin "Tank" Sherman
  Gary "Oldman" Shiple
  Fred "Flintstone" Smith
  Brad "Cold" Steele
  George "Windsock" Womack
  
• Mike And Marilou Bell have some very bad news concerning their son Chris: In July, as he was trying to exit the freeway on the northeast side of Indianapolis, a drunken driver was going the wrong way on the exit ramp, and hit his car head-on. Chris barely survived the crash and required a number of surgeries since the accident. He is now at home, and is slowly recovering. We all wish him a quick and thorough recovery, and thank God that he survived the ordeal. As a follow-on to this, the drunken driver had a broken leg in the crash. When he was released from the hospital he left the state, but the Federal Fugitive Task Force located him in Ohio and returned him to jail in Indianapolis. He's facing six felony counts relating to the crash, and will likely receive more than 20 years of jail time.
• Vince "Lemieux" and Linda "Lynn" Nagy are back in Phoenix, AZ after their stint in Denver, CO. Yes, looks like Vince is enjoying his time with United Airlines. But hey, he's in fine company, since other United VQ-1&2 Survivors include Greg "Trails" Conway, Jay "Rotors-To-Jets" Thomas, and Lucinda "Luke" McKinney.

Postings for JULY 97

• Ron Rodgers just got hired by Delta Airlines.
• LT Todd "The Man Toddler" Kotouch will be heading for Saudi Arabia next month to be an EP-3 Mission Planner for three months, coordinating operations over there. VQ shore duty people beware, this could happen to you (similar to the VQ-2 Vicenza job, only the location is less "desirable"---just ask LT Pat "Fish" Escobar). While he's gone, Vanessa and Vianna will be in Guatemala.
• LCDR Larry "Gunny" Ninas sends greetings from his job at DIA. His job title is Joint Program Plans Officer working in Program Assessments---doing programmatic and budget oversight for the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office and the Defense Space Reconnaissance Program.
• Please send congratulations to LT Pamela "Poopy" Neumann and Fritz "Arnie" Holland. They were married at Lake Tahoe on 02 MAY 1997.
• Looking for a job in the civilian world? CAPT (Ret) Del "Dolph" Lopez sends: "We've got job openings in a classified space program---folks applying need a current SBI. The acquisition experience can range from program management type work (contract monitor counts) to test and eval, system engineering, systems integration, etc. Any one of those counts and the more qualifications, the higher the pay. LTs or LCDRs getting out would be about the right level.

Postings for JUNE 97

• Well, if you have not checked it out recently, catch the photos of then LT's Tom "Wraith" Brennan and Richard "Swank" Schwenk washing their aircraft.
• Scott Bowman will soon be joining his wife LTJG Stacey Best-Bowman in the ranks of the officer community sooner than you think. Scott is currently in NSI doing Officer Training until graduation on July 23, 1997---then on to 2 years at University of Maryland and commissioning in 1999.
• LCDR Dennis "Shaka-Khan" Sacha has started his new job as the Information Warfare Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Command, Control, Communication, Information (C3I)/Theater Defense and Space. (DASN C3I for short.) He will be working major (large) programs and setting direction for the Navy into the 21st century. This being a one-year rotation in the DC area--just down the street from where he is now---Dennis will not be moving for another year (Spring '98).
• CDR Tom "Wraith" Brennan sends: "I am happy to announce that the CINCEASTLANT/COMNAVNORTHWEST EW Coordination Cell (which I am in charge of) has been selected by the Association of Old Crows as the Outstanding EW Unit in NATO for 1996. I hope to see a number of VQ-ers at the annual AOC Convention in D.C. at the end of October."
• LT Greg "Milty" Milton is tentatively approved for separation in November, hopefully starting his terminal leave the last week of August. After that he plans to finish his MA (December), and then drive back to the Bay Area, CA. After that, he's looking at PhD programs (after a Spring in Barcelona and a Summer in Rome, hopefully). Keep us posted "Milty"!
• CDR Dave "Snake" Wallace sends: "I would like to take this opportunity to set the record strait on a rumor that got back to me the other day, that I had lung cancer. That is NOT the case. Briefly, here is what happened. During my retirement physical in April 97, the X-ray revealed a mass in my lower right lung. Subsequent bronchoscopy confirmed a mass and the biopsy was negative for lung cancer. On 21 May, I was operated on at Bethesda Naval Hospital and the lower right lobe of my lung containing the mass was removed. The removed mass shows no evidence of lung cancer. This type of mass is not attributed to smoking, although I am a former smoker. I am at home now recovering on convalescent leave until 28 Jun 97. My wife, Maggie, and I live at 8423 Damian Ct. Annandale, Va. 22003. I expect to be returning to work at the Tactical EW Division at NRL Washington D.C. as the Program Manager for Special EW Programs in early July. My retirement has been put on hold until I fully recover from surgery." The VQ-1&2 Survivors' Page wishes you an quick and healthy recovery, "Snake"!
• Anybody heard from LT Doug "Chooch" MacPherson? He was last seen years ago (early 90's) on recruiting duty in Indiana....

Postings for MAY 97

• LT Doug "Spook Dougie Doug" Powers has just joined the Naval PostGraduate School crowd in the Electrical Engineering Department. I guess he didn't catch my memo to go ITM vice EE....
• LT Bill "Doc" Reed is now the Wing Flight Surgeon for HSLWINGPAC in San Diego, CA. Both he and Lura miss Spain, though....
• CAPT Dave "Hang 'Em High" Durfee is on the move. He's now a member of the CNO's staff, Navy Space Systems (N63B). He may also be reached regarding O-4/5 orders for the same staff. He writes: "N6 is looking for an 0-5, possibly an 0-4 for a fleet liaison job; it is a new position. Looks like a good job." So email CAPT Durfee for more info, if you are qualified/interested....
• OK, they are only verbals, but it appears that LT Anthony "Punisher" Vivona does NOT have to change his callsign to "Punished". Yes, it is true, he's off to that "cool squadron" in Hawaii after his Post Graduate School tour ends in March 1998! Woo-hoo! No Boat! Woo-hoo!
• And speaking of those "cool squadrons": CDR Hibbert (a VQer) took over command from CDR Kreitler in Brunswick.
• LCDR Dennis "Shaka Khan" Sacha has news for any job seekers: "If anyone knows of anybody getting out (or is already out) of the NAV, who might be interested in working on the development of EP-3s and ES-3s and wouldn't mind living near Patuxent River, MD, let me know. As usual, the program is always understaffed, and we are looking to hire some extra help. It is very difficult to find someone with a college education, knowledge of SIGINT, and the clearances required."
• LT (Ret) Ray "Rainman" Goodwin is now online. He's flying for Continental out of Cleveland, OH and is living with his wife Kerry (married in 1995) and his Dalmatian puppy in Perdido Key (Pensacola), FL. Kerry "Kiwi" Goodwin works as a court reporter in Pensacola.
• CAPT (Sel) John "JV", Diane "Jazz" Vinson and family pack out 17/18 June and hit the road in the Family Truckster and the Jag on the 19th. (Still not too late to donate that Jaguar to the VQ-2 JO's....) He'll be stationed at SPAWAR in San Diego and living in Solana Beach.
• John "JD" Daniher is due to enter the civilian world on 15 May 97. He writes: " My illustrious 20 month tour of duty at Corry is now the stuff of legend. No immediate plans other than lots of travel, to include a month biking through Vietnam, Phil's (Schulz) wedding in Spain, and a return trip to Yugoslavia."
• Congratulations are in order for CAPT (Sel) Robert "Bob" Boyd, CAPT (Sel) John "JV" Vinson, CAPT (Sel) John "Soul-Man" Brownell, and CAPT (Sel) Richard "Swank" Schwenk due to their recent selection to Navy Captain! Most excellent guys! I don't suppose you could put in a good word to keep me from going to the boat....
• Jay "Rotors-to-Jets" Thomas is in Denver at the United Airlines flight training center. His initial assignment is DC-10 flight engineer out of San Francisco. (That's what happens when you're 4th from the bottom of the class seniority list, but he is extremely happy and should be able to slide over closer to Norfolk and fly out of Chicago within 6 months.) Laine "Auburn" Thomas was also accepted into the Physical Therapy Masters program at Old Dominion University, so they'll be in Norfolk for 2 more years. Good luck to both of you guys!
• LCDR "Billy Ray" Warren has been sighted at Wing Ten, Whidbey Island. (He is the Asst. Training Officer there.) He'll be heading to VQ-1 in November to start his department head tour.
• CDR Rob "Prince of Darkness" Leeds writes: "My COC is scheduled for 2 July 1997. The date was recently approved by CTF67/RADM Ryan, so we're in the planning stages now. Hard to believe it has been almost two years. Very fast but also very rewarding. I've been accepted as a Navy Fellow (part of the Federal Executive Fellowship Program) and will spend a year at "The Atlantic Council of the United States" in Washington, DC. It's a non-profit, public-policy "think tank" which deals a lot with European issues and the US State Department. I'm looking forward to it! It's a civilian-clothes job with a probable follow-on at one of the Staffs at the Pentagon--won't know that for sure until next year. PXO is CDR Jim "The Hammer" Hamill who is due into the Squadron 13 June 97." Good luck Rob, the squadron will miss you!
• Donna Stephenson can now be found in the FBI in Washington, D.C. Sally Smith is on her way to the FBI Academy, as well.
• Kathy Graves is now instructing at Annapolis in the PE Department.
• LT Melissa "Melvis" Torres writes "Annapolis is great, but I do miss the aviation command life! (I'm one of three aviators in a 35 member SWO wardroom---ugh!)" Her husband Alex finishes culinary school in October, as well.
• CAPT (Ret) Jack "JET" Taylor is online and sends regards to all the VQ-types he's known in his FIVE tours at the two squadrons. Yes, this is the man whom was CO of VQ-2 twice! Take a look at CAPT Jack "JET" Taylor's Email to the Pages.....
• LT Derek "Icky" Ikehara has sent the pages a large listing of VQ-2 Officers' Follow-On Assignments. I think you'll agree that it's quite a diverse selection....
• LCDR K.C. "Hoover" Coggins sends greetings from the new Electronic Combat Weapons School at Whidbey Island. He is currently setting up the VQ Tactical Training Cell there, so that the squadrons can focus more intently upon the operations aspect of the VQ mission.