Balcom, Robert, DCC

Damage Controlman
 
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Service Status
USN Retired
Final Rank
Chief Petty Officer
Last NEC
DC-4811-Senior Enlisted Damage Control Prog. Management & Training Spec.
Last NEC Group
Damage Controlman
Primary Unit
1999-2002, DC-4811, Naval Station (NAVSTA) San Diego
Previously Held NEC's
HT-0000-Hull Maintenance Technician
HT-4954-General Maintenance Welder
DC-9502-Instructor
DC-0000-Damage Controlman
Service Years
1980 - 2002
Official/Unofficial US Navy Certificates
Decommissioning
Panama Canal
Persian Excursion
Plank Owner
DC-Damage Controlman
Five Hash Marks

 Official Badges 

US Navy Retired 20


 Unofficial Badges 

Order of the Shellback



  1981-1983, HT-0000, USS Orion (AS-18)

HT-Hull Maintenance Technician

From Month/Year
- / 1981

To Month/Year
- / 1983

Unit
USS Orion (AS-18) Unit Page

Rank
Petty Officer Second Class

NEC
HT-0000-Hull Maintenance Technician

Base, Station or City
Sardinia

State/Country
Italy
 
 
 Patch
 USS Orion (AS-18) Details

USS Orion (AS-18)
Hull number AS-18

Type
Surface Vessel
 

Parent Unit
Fulton-class

Strength
Tender/ Repair Ship

Created/Owned By
Not Specified
   

Last Updated: Feb 24, 2009
   
Memories For This Unit

Best Friends
HT2 Dan Peters- (Weld Shop) We used to sign up for tours and also traveled around Sardinia on our own. He was a good guy. One time when I was on USS Shenandoah and we pulled into Fort Lauderdale from GITMO, he was in a rental car waiting. We drove pretty far south, but didn't make it Key West.

HT2 Paul Daniels- (pipe shop) My craziest buddy. We hung out and did all kinds of things together. Early one Sunday morning we were bored so we inflated a surgical glove with oxygen and acetylene and exploeded it by throwing a hot sheetmetal scribe at it. It made a huge boom and got us in a little bit of hot water, which thankfully Chief Meile was able to get us out of. I heard he passed away, but have not been able to confirm it. If so, rest in peace my friend.

HT3 Vince Janowiak- (pipe shop) Still on active daty as a LCDR, I remember Vince as a brand new fireman. He was a good guy, very talented at playing the guitar and singing. I always enjoyed watching Vince play.

HT3 Alvin Tyler- (pipe shop) I know it sounds strange having grown up in Los Angeles county, but Alvin was the first African-American I ever knew. Alvin was a great guy, funny and very nice. Alvin- I didn't appreciate your music back then. I do now.

HT3 Scott Vandehei- (pipe shop) Scott told me that he grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and that when he was a kid he didn't wear shoes in the summer and only had to bathe on Saturday nights. I'm not sure I believed him, but it made a good story. I enjoyed spending time with Scott and his girlfriend.

HT2 Jeff Earl- (pipe shop) One of my mentors when I arrived aboard the USS Orion as a brand new pushbutton Third Class. He showed me a lot and I am grateful for it.

HT2 Tony Roberts- (pipe shop) Along with Jeff Earl, he took me under his wing and showed me the ropes when I was new onboard. He was from a small town in North Carolina and I always enjoyed reading his hometown newspaper.

HTFN Pat Cary- (pipe shop) From Alabama. He kept talking about this new thing called "MTV" where they played music videos on televison. Of course that was when MTV actually did play music videos instead of the stupid reality shows that they have today.

HT3 Joe Mykut- (pipe shop) Also from Alabama, Joe was a fun guy. He was a funny guy to hang out with.

PH1 Terry Whitter- (photo lab) Terry was a nice guy who showed me quite a bit about taking and developing photos. I am definately better at photography today because of his assistance.

And many, many others. My Orion shipmates were all great guys.

Best Moment
I think they were almost all best moments. Orion was my first ship, and as far as I was concerned it was also the best.

   

Worst Moment
Standing armed security guard watches and being part of the Personal Reliability Program. I used to hate being the weapons rover and roaming around the torpedo shop and various other areas watching the weapons department guys playing cards when I knew that I was going to be staying up all night after I got off watch and working a hot job. It took me a while to understand the equal importance of both military duties and my job related duties. I guess I must have missed that class in boot camp. I apologize to the weapons guys for all of the abuse I threw your way.

Chain of Command
HTC Joe Meile- The best Chief I ever worked for and the model of the Chief I tried to be. A real stand up guy, Joe took care of business and he also took care of his people.

   

Other Memories
Assigned to pipe shop and flex hose shop.

When I arrived aboard the ship people lined up and couldn't wait to tell me how bad it was and how they were short timers and getting the hell out of there. Of course with a fifteen month tour we were ALL short timers.

I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but ended enjoying myself so much that I decided to extend my tour for another year.

I loved living in Italy and traveling to another country every few months. I think that anybody who was bored on "The Rock" wasn't trying. I wish I had never left.

   
Yearbook
 
My Photos For This Unit
 (More..)
USS Orion (AS-18)  off Monte Carlo, Monaco
USS Orion bumper sticker
USS Orion change of command booklet
R1 Division USS Orion (AS-18) 1982
255 Members Also There at Same Time
USS Orion (AS-18)

Barbour, Moses, PO2, (1978-1982) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Bernard, Bruce, PO2, (1979-1983) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Diefenbacher, Thomas, PO2, (1978-1982) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Haselhuhn, William, PO2, (1981-1986) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Herrera, John, PO2, (1978-1982) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Landry, Wilson, PO2, (1976-1981) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Leonhart, Scott, PO2, (1977-1981) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Martin, Paul, PO2, (1976-2008) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Minnicks, Keith, CPO, (1977-2003) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Neal, Steve, PO2, (1981-1985) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Second Class
Licon, Manuel, PO3, (1980-1987) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Third Class
Riley, Brian, PO2, (1982-1989) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Third Class
Torkelson, Kenny, PO2, (1981-1987) HT HT-0000 Petty Officer Third Class
Wellington, Robert, PO1, (1980-1997) HT HT-0000 Fireman
Hull, Darrell, CPO, (1965-1985) HT HT-9502 Chief Petty Officer
Grisham, Larry, CPO, (1969-1990) HT HT-4956 Petty Officer First Class
Shaw, Charles, PO1, (1977-1995) HT HT-4956 Petty Officer First Class
Boyles, Michael, CPO, (1977-1997) HT HT-4943 Petty Officer Second Class
Crapps, Michael, PO2, (1978-1982) HT HT-4953 Petty Officer Second Class
Crapps, Michael, PO2, (1978-1982) HT HT-9593 Petty Officer Second Class
Huskey, Robert, CPO, (1976-1990) HT HT-4956 Petty Officer Second Class
Lint, Robert, PO1, (1977-1997) HT HT-4935 Petty Officer Second Class
McHale, Randy, PO1, (1976-1991) HT HT-4955 Petty Officer Second Class
Brown, Glenn, PO2, (1981-1988) HT HT-9593 Petty Officer Third Class
Thompson, Thermond, PO1, (1978-1994) HT HT-4953 Petty Officer Third Class
Waldecker, Robert, PO1, (1978-1995) HT HT-9593 Petty Officer Third Class
Foster, Dennis, LT, (1966-1987) OFF 641X Lieutenant
Gill, Bruce, LCDR, (1961-1989) OFF 613X Lieutenant
Henry, Rich, LT, (1963-1988) OFF 626X Lieutenant
Hughes, Richard, LT, (1978-1982) OFF 220X Lieutenant
Hughes, Richard, LT, (1978-1982) 00 220X Lieutenant
Misisco, David, CAPT, (1981-2008) OFF 230X Lieutenant Junior Grade
Parsons, Thomas, LCDR, (1963-1993) OFF 651X Lieutenant Junior Grade
Wojtuniak, Joe, LCDR, (1971-1995) OFF 626X Lieutenant Junior Grade
Harpst, Mathew, CDR, (1980-2005) OFF 310X Ensign
Johnson, Craig, LT, (1968-1988) OFF 626X Ensign
King, Donald E, LT, (1970-1997) OFF 629X Ensign
Coffield, David, CWO4, (1965-1985) WO 724X Chief Warrant Officer 4
Pryor, Glenn, CWO4, (1965-1990) WO 741X Chief Warrant Officer 3
Bailey, Dwayne, CPO, (1981-1994) 00 9502 Chief Petty Officer
Borrelli, Richard, CPO, (1966-1989) EN EN-9502 Chief Petty Officer
Bostic, Thomas, CPO, (1961-1983) SK SK-0000 Chief Petty Officer
CRENSHAW, JAMES, SCPO, (1963-1985) RM RM-2319 Chief Petty Officer
Davis, Edward, CPO, (1964-1985) SK SK-2821 Chief Petty Officer
Davis, Roy, CPO, (1965-1984) SM SM-0000 Chief Petty Officer
Drexler, Robert, MCPO, (1970-1992) MM MM-4294 Chief Petty Officer
Gauthier, Frank, CPO, (1969-1989) DC DC-0000 Chief Petty Officer
Guy, Douglas joe, CPO, (1966-1987) RM RM-0000 Chief Petty Officer
Hewitt, Robert, CPO, (1977-1999) ET ET-1588 Chief Petty Officer
Ryan, Brian, SCPO, (1973-1994) MM MM-4283 Chief Petty Officer
Searfino, Michael, CPO, (1973-1996) IM IM-1820 Chief Petty Officer
Vance, William, CPO, (1970-1992) 00 9512 Chief Petty Officer
Abernathy, Charles, PO1, (1979-2002) IM IM-1820 Petty Officer First Class
Bauers, Roy, PO1, (1979-1998) MM MM-4230 Petty Officer First Class
Brochu, John, SCPO, (1977-1997) MM MM-3395 Petty Officer First Class
Dowell, Robert, PO1, (1973-1981) RM RM-2346 Petty Officer First Class
Fletcher, Robert, PO1, (1977-1988) MM MM-0000 Petty Officer First Class
Fusco, Bruce, PO1, (1971-1985) BM BM-0000 Petty Officer First Class
Geraci, Robert, PO1, (1979-1989) DC DC-0000 Petty Officer First Class

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