McAnelly, Robert L., MACM

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE NAVY.
During my mid-teen years just prior to enlisting I found myself with no real direction and tired of school. I began hanging with the wrong crowd. It was that period that I looked toward the service. (Believe it or not I had decided to join the Marine Corps before the slick old Chief in the local Recruiting Office reeled me in.)

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BOOT CAMP AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, SHIPS OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
Fresh out of Boot Camp, I was headed to Jacksonville for AO "A" school with stop overs of a thirty day leave and six weeks learning to be an Airman in Norman, OK.

Life for a 137 pound Ordnanceman was a bit tough, starting out, but I learned the "BB Stackers" were a proud group who stuck together, pulled their own weight and played hard together. It was a rating I worked and grew with for eighteen and a half years with duties as Leading PO, Division Chief, Maintenance Chief and Leading Chief with a number of curricular duties as Career Councilor, Shore Patrol Chief and Small Arms Marksmanship Instructor. (I competed for seven years at the ALL Navy level with that nasty "forty-five", everyone complained you couldn't hit anything with.) Well I was good enough to shoot with the best but not quite good enough to beat them. I never made the All Navy Team.

I found I could only stack those "BB's", I mentioned, eight high so in 1973 when the Navy brought back the Master-At-Arms rating I jumped at it. It was at my first duty station as a "Cop", Fleet Training Center, San Diego, I put on my second star.

I was the curriculum model manager for the Master-At-Arms, Shore Patrol and Shipboard Safety courses. (I believe much of the material we inaugurated into our courses is still in use, Navy-Wide, even today.) I served in two subsequent commands as an MA, transferring to the Fleet Reserve in 1980, retiring in 1984.

IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY?
If you take a close look at the ribbons in my retirement photo you can readily see I was no hero. I rarely even acknowledge having served in a combat zone. My feelings on this subject are that duty on an aircraft carrier more than a couple hundred miles at sea, most of the time, wasn't really "combat duty", as it was in past wars. Now the guys who slogged through those jungles, and even the pilots and crewmen who launched from our decks on Yankee Station were the heroes. (Now, this is not to belittle or demean others who did the same job and fulfilled the same duties as I, it''s just my own personal feelings.)

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
In better than a quarter century there were so many moments I recall as memorable not one stands out as "The" one. My one great memory is of all those I served with. The men I worked with and for; those who worked for me. They were the greatest.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
I believe I treasured The Special Duty Ordnance Aircrew Wings and the two bronze, (yes, bronze, not gold, darn it.), Excellence-In-Competition Badges I earned with the Pacific Fleet and All-Navy Pistol competitions. Of course the plaques and trophies which accumulate over the years were of some matter of pride, too, but most of us just referred to them as "Dust Catchers".

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
It would be hard to name any one individual who stood out in my career without faulting others. Those having the most impact and those to whom I owe ALL my success to are those petty officers, chiefs and officers in whom I observed great traits in their professional and leadership efforts and adopted them as my own. These fine men; Shipmates of the Highest Order, were those who were there for me. Many, many thanks to you all.

CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
We all have to take our "Bumps" and embarrassments. I remember, as a brand new eighteen year old PO3, given temporary assignment as PPO, (Police Petty Officer), for my squadrons berthing compartments I had several compartment cleaners to keep the spaces "Ship-Shape". I had observed earlier some of the more senior petty officers pulling jokes at the expense of the less experienced. With that in mind, I remember sending this young man, (although older than me and the rest of my crew), for fifty yards of "shoreline". I found him on the mess deck the next day playing cards with his buddies. He saw me as I walked up and said, " I haven't found any shoreline Mac but I'll go out and look some more after this hand". Everyone at the table cracked up and I'm sure I turned several shades of red, then had to laugh along with them. I still chuckle when I think about it.

WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
Not finding much demand in the civilian sector for those qualified to load bombs and rockets on airplanes, a skill learned quickly as an Ordnanceman, I looked to my later training. Almost all of my civilian work was as a Police Officer / Investigator, and later as a Private Investigator. I'm fully retired now.

WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
I've been a member of the FRA, (Fleet Reserve Association), for better than a half century. Not recognized for this long service due to several lapsed memberships but the "Fleet" as many members refer to it is the only organization of military men and women who have a lobby in Congress.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?
Meeting and dealing with people in and out of the service, senior and junior, has given me great insight on some of life's problems and how to deal with them. I can't readily recall meeting any one I haven't learned something from. (Even if it's only how to spell their name.)

BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE NAVY?
Although the Navy has changed considerably in the thirty plus years I've been inactive but the most important things still exist. To the young men and women I would advise you to look closely at those with whom you associate. It's easy to find "Roll Models" if you're looking for them. They're there; they always are. Look for the qualities you see in them that attract your admiration and try to implement those for yourself. Work hard and study in your new life and it will do well by you. To the older, more senior people; take care of your subordinates, cultivate them, teach them and you and the Navy will benefit from their efforts.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.

TWS and the US Navy

Not that I don't think about the Navy and I miss it every day but, alas, we must all move on. Togetherweserved gives me a platform on which to reminisce and locate some of my old shipmates. There's still many "Sea Stories" yet to be told.

DS 12/2/16