More elements of our NAVOCS experience.
Firefighting
One of the most exciting evolutions we had was firefighting. It took place under controlled circumstances, of course, but fire has a certain lack of control inherent in it.
The picture above shows action outdoors. I remember being on a hose crew advancing toward fire inside a structure (USS Buttercup?). My strongest memory is that I tried something I believe we were told prior to the exercise. I recall we were told that you could extract oxygen from the water in the hose through the surface of the hose by affixing your lips to the hose and breathing in. That seemed implausible, but I tried it during the exercise, when the smoke was particularly heavy, and I remember it being effective. (This also could well have been a joke pulled by NAVOCS enlisted, figuring some dumbass OCUI would try it.) I have seen nothing online since to support the notion that one can do this. Again, I’m thankful I never had to resort to it.
USS Buttercup
The Buttercup is described in Seachest as “a full size replica of a ship’s compartment, afloat in a huge tank.” Buttercup could be flooded, through holes simulating battle damage. “Students are required to enter the dark, cluttered interior up to their hips in water, and patch holes, shore up the damaged bulkheads, and pump it all out before the BUTTERCUP takes on the seven-degree list indicating ‘lost at sea,'” according to Seachest.
I remember being part of a crew — yes, up to our hips in water — trying to push a mattress(?) against the water flowing through the bulkhead. I believe we were successful . . . and I know we were drenched.
Shots
One of our perhaps least favorite evolutions was inoculation. Shots. Periodically, we would go en masse to a location where Navy corpsmen, armed with “jet injectors,” would immunize us against a wide variety of diseases. Yellow fever, rubella, mumps, flu, etc. I remember feeling a bit disquieted when I saw that I was being inoculated against plague. Where would the Navy send me that I would need protection against plague?!
The jet injectors, which were kind of new and “advanced” at the time, sent vaccine through the skin using high-pressure air instead of the more traditional hypodermic needle. On at least a couple of occasions, I believe, we received inoculations in each arm at the same time.
I’m not sure the jet injectors were that effective. NAVOCS was, I believe, the only place and time, even with another 16+ years in the Naval Reserve, that I ever received shots through that type of instrument. Cockrill remembers coming down with the “Asian flu” around Christmas. I remember having some low-grade “crud” that I expect was a reaction to one or more of the many shots we got.
Cold and wind
Most of our time at NAVOCS was when Newport was cold. December and January, bookended by November and February. The exposed location of NAVOCS on Narragansett Bay lent itself open to wind. That combination made for some very uncomfortable times.
Such times were exacerbated by the requirement to stand in formation before entering the chow hall, for example. Our marching drills on the grinder had a certain edge when wind was high and temperature was low.
YPs
NAVOCS had a “fleet” of eight Yard Patrol Craft (YP), or “Yippies.” I remember that we went “out to sea” (in Narragansett Bay, never far from land) at least once on them. As a prospective Special Duty Officer who was not eligible to stand Office of the Deck Underway watches, I may have been somewhat behind the scenes, or was a lookout.
Obstacle course
The “O Course” at NAVOCS was pretty traditional, as I recall. I doubt I was proficient at it, especially early, but I don’t remember being stymied by any particular part of it. I’m not saying I liked it, but I don’t recall it as a real nemesis. We also probably had limited access to it, because winter made conditions very different from those in photo at right.
I do remember exchanging letters with friends who were undergoing Army basic training, as enlisted men, at about the same time. I would point out how we had workout gear, e.g., sweats, sneakers, etc., and that, if the conditions were too adverse (below freezing?), we would have bus transportation or have workouts canceled. They responded, somewhat haughtily, I thought, that they worked out in all conditions, in fatigues and wearing combat boots. I had to point out the distinction — they were not officers and gentlemen.