Captain James H. Dick, USN

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RV Roamer said:
Admiral in only two years would be pretty amazing, but we are rooting for him.  Becoming a captain as early as he did makes flag rank seem very likely in the future, even if it takes a bit longer than two years. We will be waiting and watching for the next ceremony!!!

Gary,

I agree it would be amazing but, in speaking with our Park Manager, a retired Navy Captain, he said jumping one or two levels at that point is not unusual. Whatever happens we'll be happy. :) At this point he has certainly gone farther than I did and the rest is gravy. ;D ;D
 
PancakeBill said:
Jim
Maybe some point my SIL and your son will be in the same ship.  SIL is also in Norfork, but right now Mark is on deployment.  Due back in Dec!

Congrats to your son, how many years has he been in now?

Hi Bill,

Thanks. I doubt your SIL and our son will be on the same ship. It seems like he "knows" he will not be going to sea again. That makes me a little disappointed as I have enjoyed two great Tiger Cruises with him. It appears he is now at the point where he is actually implementing programs to try to improve the operation of the Navy. I did a search on his group which includes the Sea Warrior Program and Distance Support. Lots of changes coming up and other branches of the service seem to want to tie into these programs. Should be an exciting time for him.
 
There are a lot of captains and very few surface warfare commands that would rate a full captain. Carriers do, but they generally require a flight-qualified captain. I would guess he is unlikely to get sea duty again until he gets his flag, either as Commodore or Admiral.

Jim: Did he get a new assignment with the promotion or was it in-place (same job, more responsibility)? It is my understanding that in-place promotions are rare and would be another sign that somebody senior really likes him. [I don't mean to imply he didn't deserve it - just the opposite!]
 
Gary,

You are correct about the number of sea commands for Captains. Carriers and Cruisers rate a full Captain at the helm. If you're not an Aviator then you won't get a Carrier. It just so happens his boss is a Naval Aviator. It appears his promotion will be in-place. I'm still not 100% sure of the real operation of his group but his boss said the marriage of his fleet experience and that of his shore duties makes it a perfect fit for him to do the job he is doing now. Apparently several Admirals had to sign off on his promotion so, yes, someone up there likes him. :) :)  From what I've been able to find out on the Internet, his group is shaping the future of Naval advancements for enlisted personnel. I thought he said it was supporting various systems throughout the Navy but everything I've read leans towards training sailors for future roles in the Navy.

Pat brought up a good point tonight. When his ship left the United Arab Emirates in 2007 he had only enlisted personnel on the bridge. They got the ship underway which may have been the first time this was done. If not it was the second. :) I think this has something to do with the mission of his current assignment for increasing the responsibilites and skills of enlisted personnel.

Pat did talk with a civilian employee of his new group who stated, very seriously, that Jim would be an Admiral in two years. Obviously he has nothing to do with any advancement of our son but it was quite interesting to hear. We'll see what happens. I'm ready for another trip north! ;D ;D
 
Jim Dick said:
......From what I've been able to find out on the Internet, his group is shaping the future of Naval advancements for enlisted personnel. I thought he said it was supporting various systems throughout the Navy but everything I've read leans towards training sailors for future roles in the Navy. .....

Jim,

I hope they do something with advancements in the service. I never understood why the services thought everyone had to become a supervisor if they made rank. I was stationed with a couple of guys that were outstanding technicians. They could fix a radio like no one I've ever been around. Never saw one of their units get returned by QC. But their people skills were down in the negative range on a scale from 1 to 10. One guy made E-6 and they took him off the bench and made him a supervisor. He got out of the service with 14 years in because they wouldn't let him fix radios. The other guy refused to take the test for E-6 and they discharged him under the up or out program.

Not everyone has the temperament and people skills to be a supervisor but they are top notch technicians. I never understood why someone couldn't get promoted and stay on the bench.
 
Hi Don,

I sure know what you mean. It happens almost everywhere. Even the telephone company had techs that were outstanding but the only way they could make more money was to take a supervisory job. Many weren't cut out for that so either failed or refused the promotion.

I really don't know much about this Navy program but I heard that the Army , Marine Corps, and Coast Guard want to be part of it. This could revolutionize the way the military handles enlisted transfers. It'll be interesting to see what happens. The problem I have is our son does not talk about what he does so it's hard to get good information. :)
 
Don,

There was a program when I was in the Army where you could progress in the pay grades as "Specialists".  Mine was a radar firecontrol mechanic and I made E-5 in 2+ years and could have gone for Warrant officer if I had stayed.  Don't know what happened to it but I think I saw the rank patch on a NG member a while ago. 

Jim,

It is a good habit for someone who works with the stuff your son does and the civilian contractors too.  I have a vague idea about what my ex-SIL and his brother do but they will not confirm or deny anything.  I still have stuff I cannot talk about as the weapon system is still out there doing its thing and although upgraded many times, the application is still the same.
 
According to Wikipedia,  since 1985 only the Army Specialist Four (SpecFour) rating remains in use - the other specialist ratings that existed 1958-1985 were abolished.

The Navy had only one specialist grade and that was abolished in 1948.  Maybe its time for a change?

Military Specialist ranks
 
James Godward said:
Jim,

It is a good habit for someone who works with the stuff your son does and the civilian contractors too.  I have a vague idea about what my ex-SIL and his brother do but they will not confirm or deny anything.  I still have stuff I cannot talk about as the weapon system is still out there doing its thing and although upgraded many times, the application is still the same.

Jim,

Yes it is. It's certain that nobody will ever learn anything from him!! ;D The phrase "loose lips sink ships" is as important today as when it was coined.
 
Congratulations Pat and Jim and to your son and hisfamily.  Thanks for sharing the great pictures.

Who pinned the eagles on his collar?
 
Congrats to your son and both of you for leading the way for him.  He certainly didn't get where he is without great leadership (his parents ) in his early years.  Way to Go, Jimmy!!!

Daisy and Fred
 
Jim Dick said:
The event took place on the O1 deck of the USS Barry, a Destroyer tied up at the Washington Navy Yard.

Congratulations, Dick!!! Can imagine how proud you must be.

I joined the Navy because of "my" Dad. He was a Pharmacist Mate (now part of the Corpsman Rate). Though only on active duty for a couple of years, will never forget how proud my Dad was when I arrived home after serving a tour in the 6th Fleet during the '57 Suez Canal conflict.

The captain of my ship was a Captain. So I know what it takes in a man to become a Navy Captain.
 
We just got back into town...

CONGRATULATIONS to your son!  Your pride & joy shows through in the family pictures you posted!
 
Steve,

Thanks. His wife and daughter pinned the eagles on his collar and his youngest son pinned the eagle on his cap.
 
Jim Dick said:
Steve,

Thanks. His wife and daughter pinned the eagles on his collar and his youngest son pinned the eagle on his cap.

Now that is somthing the Captains kids will remember throughout their lives I am sure.
 
Jim Dick said:
Hi Ron,

I'm sure they will though the meaning right now isn't going to fully register. :)

That is very true but as they get older I am sure they will realize that very few children ever got the opportunity to pin Captain Eagles on their daddy let alone being able to take part in the promotion activities..  I hope you have lots of photos.
 

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