Previously Held NEC AW-0000-Aviation Warfare Systems Operator
AS-7618-Afloat Support Equipment Technician
AS-9502-Instructor
AS-0000-Aviation Support Equipment Technician
HM-8404-Medical Field Service Technician/FMF Combat Corpsman
HM-8432-Preventive Medicine Technician
Currently working in Shelby County Schools (Memphis) as a Shelby County School Administrator. I have enjoyed my eighteen years in the Shelby County School system, which is the largest school district in the state of Tennessee (2003 - 2021), and look forward to my next assignment. I became State Certified in Tennessee's Leadership in Supervision and Curriculum 2006 while receiving my Master's Degree in Education and then my second Master's in Theology in 2007. I received my Ed. S. in Turnaround School Leadership in 2015 and graduated in July 2017 with my Doctorate in Education (School Leadership and Supervision).
Upon graduation, I became employed as an adjunct professor at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, where I will continue to facilitate the doctorate program for school leaders in their pursuit of Ed. D.
I still enjoy four-wheeling, theater, playing music, and any day at the beach or lake. I look forward to hearing from friends throughout the Navy and Marine Corps and anyone interested in a Veteran's Motorcycle rally throughout the United States.
Other Comments:
As some of you may know, I am a single father, and unfortunately, my former spouse and I have split after 30-years of marriage. NO harm, no foul. We just grew apart, especially after the loss of her parents. I still wish her the best and we will always be the best of friends. As they say, "Life is too short to wonder what might have been!" I have two great young men who are now ages 23 and 21: Cody Steven and Colton David.
We call Memphis our home but I still love to travel. Cody received a full academic scholarship to the University of Memphis whereupon he igraduated this year. Colton is growing and still finding out what he wishes to do with his life. He strides to the beat of his own drum. Still waiting for him to quit growing. He is 6' 2" and 285lbs. I just wished he liked sports.
Take care and stay safe.
Tim
Gulf of Sidra Incident (Libya)
From Month/Year
August / 1981
To Month/Year
August / 1981
Description On the morning of 19 August, after having diverted a number of Libyan "mock" attacks on the battle group the previous day, two F-14s from VF-41 "Black Aces", Fast Eagle 102 (CDR Henry 'Hank' Kleemann/LT David 'DJ' Venlet) (flying BuNo 160403) and Fast Eagle 107 (LT Lawrence 'Music' Muczynski/LTJG James 'Luca' Anderson) (in BuNo 160390), were flying combat air patrol (CAP), ostensibly to cover aircraft engaged in a missile exercise. However, U.S. Navy Commander Thompson S. Sanders wrote in Air & Space/Smithsonian that his S-3A Viking's mission was the real precursor to this incident. Sanders was ordered to fly his Viking in a racetrack orbit inside Qaddafi's claimed zone but outside the internationally recognized 12-mile territorial water limit to try to provoke the Libyans to react. An E-2C Hawkeye alerted Sanders that two Sukhoi Su-22 fighters had taken off from Ghurdabiyah Air Base near the city of Sirte.
The Hawkeye directed the F-14s to intercept while Sanders dove to an altitude of 500 feet and flew north to evade the Libyan aircraft, an experience Sanders found stressful because the S-3A was not equipped with a threat warning receiver, nor with any countermeasures, a deficiency later remedied on the S-3B.
The two F-14s set up for an intercept as the contacts headed north towards them. Only a few seconds before the crossing, at an estimated distance of 300 m, one of the Libyans fired an AA-2 "Atoll" at one of the F-14s, which missed. Then the two Sukhois split as they flew past the Americans; the leader turning to the northwest and the wingman turning southeast in the direction of the Libyan coast. The Tomcats evaded the missile and were cleared to return fire by their rules of engagement, which mandated self-defense on the initiation of hostile action. The Tomcats turned hard port and came behind the Libyan jets. The Americans fired AIM-9L Sidewinders; the first kill is credited to Fast Eagle 102, the second to Fast Eagle 107. Both Libyan pilots ejected.
Prior to the ejections, a U.S. electronic surveillance plane monitoring the event recorded the lead Libyan pilot report to his ground controller that he had fired a missile at one of the U.S. fighters and gave no indication that the missile shot was unintended. The official United States Navy report states that both Libyan pilots ejected and were safely recovered, but in the official audio recording of the incident taken from USS Biddle, one of the F-14 pilots states that he saw a Libyan pilot eject, but his parachute failed to open.
Less than an hour later, while the Libyans were conducting a search-and-rescue operation of their downed pilots, two fully armed MiG-25s entered the airspace over the Gulf and headed towards the U.S. carriers at Mach 1.5 and conducted a mock attack in the direction of USS Nimitz. Two VF-41 Tomcats headed towards the Libyans, which then turned around. The Tomcats turned home, but had to turn around again when the Libyans headed towards the U.S. carriers once more. After being tracked by the F-14s' radars, the MiGs finally headed home. One more Libyan formation ventured out into the Gulf towards the U.S. forces later that day. Fast Eagle 102 (BuNo 160403) is presently stored at the Commemorative Air Force headquarters in Midland, Texas awaiting restoration. Fast Eagle 107 was destroyed in an accident on 25 October 1994.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
August / 1981
To Month/Year
August / 1981
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember ASE2 Risner AO3 White
Memories 50-cal Machine Gun crew: Dwight D. Eisnehower CVN-69 24-hour General quarters with small ship approaching fantail. Given orders to "standby" and "At Ready" before vessel steered clear.