Working
closely with the Gunnersmates, the Firecontrolman doesn’t fight fires as the name
might imply, on the contrary, we create them by aiming the guns and guiding the
missiles once in flight. Firecontrolmen
are responsible for the maintenance of the Directors, Rangefinders, Fire
Control Radar, Electric & Hydraulic Power Drives, Fire Control Computers,
Synchro-Servo Mechanisms, and Stabilizing Devices used to correct for the pitch
and roll of the ship. Naval Firecontrol is
at the cutting edge of technology capable of suppressing and attacking any
enemy. We are the tip of the spear!!!
Those Silly Firecontrol Guys ...
FC1 (SW) Here. I have been out of the Navy for 28 years now. Still miss it a lot. I was a gun type. Mk68 Mod 19 GFCS (Digital Upgrade). I still tell the stories, and people still don't believe them, but that's because they have never been there.
ReplyDeleteFTGC here...retired in '81...56,37.68 systems. Good times
ReplyDeleteFTG3, served one year about USS Askari as the only FTG on board. Returned to fully-operational our two Quad-40mm gun mounts linked to our handle-bar directors, after years of none operational status. I was really proud of myself. Got them working the same day I learned that the Navy was going to cut my remaining 49 weeks, exactly six months into my Vietnam duty, in February 1970.
ReplyDeleteSpent 49 months of sea duty as a FT2 1960-1964 on USS Ingersoll DD652 in WestPac and USS Duncan DDR874 homeported out of Yokosuka.Best rate in the Navy.
ReplyDelete