ENS Nick Buls  
on his last underway. The first two shots are of the Uraga Suido Traffic separation scheme and the route past Izu and Sagome. The third shot is of ENS Buls on an exercise with the USNS Yukon...Yar!




ENS Chris Morton
I am currently stationed in Mayport, Florida onboard the USS HUE CITY (CG 66).  I will be here until May of 2006.  My email address is above.  I have learned a lot over the past 18 months (I graduated in December of 2003), and there are a few things I would like to share ESPECIALLY with the Mids that are interested in SPECWAR/SPECOPS.  I learned a lot and have spoken with a lot of people about the selection process, and all of it is stuff that I would have LOVED to have learned in college.  NROTC, in general, does not have the knowledge network or support structure in place to help the students that want to do the SPECOPS/SPECWAR, and the selection process is so tough that these guys are the people that need it most.  I am not all knowing nor am I claiming to be, but I would be more that willing to share that information to anybody that wanted to contact me.  Also, I have a question that you may be able to help me with.  I am trying to track down Kirk Anderson, would you happen to know his email address.  He is stationed on the George Washington.  Thanks.  


ENS David Nichols has completed Navy Dive school, NNPTC, NPTU, and Sub School.  He is currently stationed on the USS  Miami biased out of New London, CT

ENS Pat RonanI graduated in 03 and am currently stationed at NAS Jacksonville at VP-30 (the P-3 FRS).  I am fresh out of flight school, so if anyone has specific questions about becoming a P-3 NFO, and what the pipeline is like, just give me a shout.


ENS Mike Steffens 
Sir, Pls share the info with whoever you like. Additionally, Fort McHenry is a great place for SUMMER CRUISE. Lots of UNDERWAY time and we hit all sorts of foreign ports. Anticipate operating with some foreign navies this summer although some people think AMPHIBS are BORING, I think they are great -we don't sit around all day waiting to SHOOT a missile (which are rarely done anymore now that there are SIMULATOR missiles) - we actually do stuff!! Drive close into the beach, launch some marines/helos/rhibs/LCACs and are always pulling into ports to onload/offload marines (Did mention we do all of this at night??) Between anchoring about 40 times in my first year onboard and working with Korean, Australian and Philippines Navies (to name a few) we stay very busy; it took me 14 months to earn my SWO pin. I recommend Japan (and Fort McHenry) for anyone who is SINGLE and is looking to doing some sailing. V/R ENS Steffens 


ENS Matthew P. Wallen
I am currently assigned to the USS Seattle and we are on our final 6 month deployment. We have been underway for a little more than a month and have been very busy keeping the other ships of the 5th Fleet fueled and supplied. I have been made the Communications Officer on the ship and we will be decommissioning in March 2005. We average about 1 UNREP per day and stay very busy going back and forth in support of the War On Terrorism. I am quickly working on my qualifications to receive my SWO pin and plan on going to SWOS immediately after our return to Norfolk in December. I should have my OOD Letter by September by the latest. All of the classes taught to me during my time at Virginia Tech are vital and I wish that I would have put more time into studies. During one of the previous UNREPs off the coast of South Carolina I was the Conning Officer alongside the USS Carney and saw MIDN Sansbury standing on the bridge wing and seemed very interested in learning the process. Anyhow sir, I just wanted to let you know that things are going great and the Navy is treating me well. I wish the Unit well and I continue to hear good things about VTNROTC.

LTJG Mark Hamilton
Experiences:
-PMA '04:  4-month yard period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
-Surge Lift Mission 2004:  2-weeks notice for  3-month surge lift mission in support of OIF
-Complete Work Up Cycle
-Ammo Onload at Earle, NJ for deployment and via Vertrep for Surge '04
-Deployment 2005:  Regularly scheduled deployment with ESG-6 (USS  Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group) in support of OIF and OEF
-Overseas Port Visits:  Souda Bay, Malta, Palma, Bahrain, and Jebel Ali

Last September I finished a deployment with the Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group which deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. I had the great pleasure of deploying with 3 other Hokies: LTJG Matt Wallen, 1LT George Flynn, and LTJG Adison Daniel. Unfortunately during our offload of the 26MEU off the coast of North Carolina in September we received word that contact with a SH-60B had been lost. It wasn?t until almost a week later that I found out LT Nick Brantley had been onboard the helo. It truly is a small world, and even a smaller Navy where fellow Hokies and classmates are there every step of the way. After checking off of Kearsarge in April 06, I spent the summer up at NSWC Dahlgren learning the ins and outs of the AEIGS Weapon System and SPY-1D(V) radar. And now, I am on my 2nd Divo Tour serving onboard the USS Nitze (DDG 94) where I relieved (in a round about way) another Hokie, LT Paffenroth, as the Fire Control Officer. After checking onboard at the end of July we have been extremely busy and now we are preparing for the ship?s upcoming maiden deployment. HOTEL FOREVER!

LTJG James Conway
I am currently stationed onboard the USS CARTER HALL (LSD 50) out of Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, Virginia Beach, Virginia. I am the AUXO onboard and I will be transfering to the USS Enterprise in September 2005. Since I have been onboard I participated in the CARTER HALL's 2003 deployment to the Med and Persian Gulf. We also sat off of the coast of Liberia for 100 days conducting peace-keeping operations with Marines and the United Nations when the country broke out in civil war. Recently in May we participated in Operation New Horizons in Haiti. I have had the opportunity to visit Bahrain; Jebel Ali, UAE; Rota, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; and Puerto Rico.

LTJG Sean Thorne
I am currently stationed in Groton, CT where I am the RCA (Reactor Controls Assistant) onboard the USS ANNAPOLIS.  ANNAPOLIS is getting ready for a six month deployment with the USS Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group to the Persian Gulf.  We are scheduled to leave in early September and return in March.  Had the pleasure of having a fellow Hokie, MIDN 2/C Mason, on my submarine this summer and it was nice to catch up on the Corps and the Unit.

ENS Chris Jensen
I am Currently stationed at Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, GA and will graduate in Dec awaiting orders.  Past assignment was to VT-4 for flight training