Surface Effect Ship (SES) Test Facility Pax River
March 1971 to January 1976.
It sure pays to have a different number of NEC's. I had all of the required ones needed for the position of ships operating engineer except one. I needed to be certified as a navy diver self contained (no mixed gas). Off to Key West to accomplish this with the current age cutoff being thirty at that time. If I remember, I was around twenty nine and a first class. I passed and earned the NEC but it was rough. The hardest part was running, the only thing behind me was the ambulance wanting to know if I wanted a ride so I would drop out. I made the mistake of going to club and running into some of the instructors which made it rough the next day. It was a great day when I picked up the NEC and my pin. Surface Effect Ship (SES)
"Now called Special Trials Facility Pax River"
