Previously Held NEC SR-0000-Seaman Recruit
SN-0000-Seaman
SN-9740-Seaman - Other Technical and Allied Specialists
IC-0000-Interior Communications Electrician
I retired on the last day of June, 2011, the month I turned 61,
and took my Arizona State pension, then Social Security at 62.
I spent my post-navy life as a photographer and media manager.
The Navy gave me gypsy feet, and I've enjoyed them all my life.
As a result, traveling was not just a bucket list item for me.
With the way things have gone, it was a good investment.
I'm a direct descendant, tenth generation, of Joseph Loomis.
The Loomis Family arrived in the New World on 17 July, 1638.
We have defended America ever since.
Other Comments:
"Service included boots-on-the-ground in Viet-Nam"
[ One year, 365 days, 24/7 -- 7 June 1970 to 7 June 1971 ] U.S. Naval Advisory Group, Vietnamese Naval Shipyard, Saigon RVN.
I am also a Plank Owner and Shellback, USS Harlan County (LST-1196).
During my 4 years of active duty, 3 years were credited as foreign or sea service.
Technically, I was on Active Duty, USN, 3 years, 11 months and 16 days. However, I was in the Naval Reserve before that and after that, both Active Reserves and Inactive Reserves. So N/TWS has credited me from April 1969 through April 1983, 4 years active USN plus 4 years USNR and 6 years inactive Naval Reserves, and that is why my profile may occasionally show three hash marks. 1983 was my final Inactive Naval Reserve discharge date. Also, because I worked overseas, I never managed to take the 2nd Class Exam. So, actually I never wore more than one hash mark on my dress blues. And yes... there is a "V" on my Navy Achievement Medal even without having a Combat Action Ribbon because that's the way it was awarded. For more information click on the NAM w/V ribbon in my ribbon rack.
I am glad, proud, to have been born an American.
I voluntarily joined the armed forces, and for that
matter I volunteered for duty in Viet-Nam.
What I had hoped for was to not bring the violence,
the lack of value of a human life that I experienced
in Viet-Nam, back to America. It is that simple.
During my civilian career I spent over ten years as a hospital/medical photographer, two years in Saudi Arabia with Lockheed, and then two and a half decades as the media specialist and manager for a 9,000+ student public school district in Phoenix, Arizona. I feel fortunate to have retired without ever having a single unemployment or welfare check.
I was the medical photographer and corporate audio-visual specialist for Baptist Hospitals and Health Systems in Phoenix Arizona from August 1981 to August 1987. Much of my medical photography took place at Phoenix Baptist Hospital but I was actually an employee of Wesin Enterprises, a for profit wing of the hospital system. I was also Chief Photographer for Vim & Vigor a healthcare magazine which we launched through the corporate office in 1984. When I left, the magazine was regional in 16 areas of the US, and the hospitals I was responsible for stretched from San Diego to Bradenton Florida. It was a great job, 60 hours a week, and on the road every time I turned around. Too bad about the ethical confects I had with the top management. Six months after I resigned both of the "worse" had been gotten rid of. Such is life. No regrets.
. . . . . . . . . . . update:
Baptist slashes top staff
July 30, 2000
Baptist Hospitals and Health Systems Inc. has laid off the bulk of its corporate staff following the sale of its two Valley hospitals for $44.5 million to Vanguard Health Systems Inc.
Once employing 74 people at its Phoenix corporate headquarters, Baptist has 18 employees remaining.
But one company's demise may be another's fortune, as Vanguard beefs up operations in the Phoenix market.
So far, the Nashville, Tenn.-based health system has paid a total of $80.6 million for three Valley hospitals and is scouring the area for more.
Two years ago, Vanguard paid $36.1 million to Samaritan Health System for Maryvale Medical Center in west Phoenix. It just paid $31.1 million for Phoenix Baptist Hospital and $13.4 million for Arrowhead Community Hospital in Glendale.These figures, filed with the Maricopa County Assessor's Office, only represent real estate and/or furniture and fixtures of each hospital. The actual total sale price, which includes intangibles such as debt, were not disclosed by the hospitals.
It has been no secret that Vanguard chief executive Charlie Martin is knocking on the doors of local hospitals. Nearly every Valley hospital executive admits to chatting with Martin about possibly selling their health systems.
But so far, even though many local hospitals are experiencing financial problems, Baptist and Samaritan have been the only two takers.
Baptist also is selling its two Phoenix retirement centers to Gables Group International, with the deal expected to close at the end of August, said Gerald Wissink, president and chief executive of Phoenix Baptist.
It also recently sold its 90-bed Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City to Community Health Systems Inc. of Brentwood, Tenn., for $24 million in cash, according to public documents.
Wissink, who will stay on as a consultant to Vanguard and its foundation, said of the 74 original Baptist corporate employees, "about 10 percent of the people ended up looking for other positions."
As Baptist winds down its operations during the next several months, other positions will be eliminated as well, he said.
About 40 of Baptist's information systems employees now are part of Vanguard, handling billing, accounting and payroll.
Wissink, playing down the layoffs, said what is important is that Vanguard is an excellent company.
"They're going to do a lot of good things in the community," he said. "They're going to grow the health care programs at the facilities."
A relatively new company, Vanguard now has eight hospitals in Arizona, California and Illinois. It also operates a clinic in west Phoenix.
Its leader, Martin, is a former chief executive of OrNda Healthcorp., a national health system that had operated Mesa General Hospital, Community Hospital and Tucson General Hospital, St. Luke's Medical Center and Tempe St. Luke's Hospital in Arizona before selling to Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Santa Barbara, Calif.
Vanguard had attempted to buy Samaritan Health System in late 1997 when Samaritan was looking for ways to infuse capital into the health system. But Samaritan turned down Vanguard's offer to buy the entire system, and less than a year later sold its Maryvale hospital to Vanguard.
Last year, Samaritan merged with Lutheran Health Systems of Fargo, N.D., to become Banner Health System.