[WriteLog] End of the RM Rate

[Jon Harder]

This is so sad, I'm interrupting my efforts with the XE RTTY test for a
quick comment.

During my years as a comm and ops officer in the USN Pacific Fleet in
'60-'63,  the RMs were a great bunch.  Your description of their incredible
multi-tasking (long before anybody called it that) brought back many
memories of night watches on board two different AOs in WestPac, and the
efforts they'd make to solve almost any problem they had with the gear, even
when the ETs couldn't do it.  Even the pesky KWR-37s!  Long live the RMs,
and thanks!

73, de Jon         K1US

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alan C. Zack" <k6acz at earthlink.net>
To: "Wrecking Crew" <thewreckingcrew at wcrew.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2003 10:17 AM
Subject: [WriteLog] End of the RM Rate


> How many of you remember the USN/USCG RM Rate?  You know, those radio
> operators that could work CW at 30 WPM, typing on a mill (manual
> typewriter) drink coffee, and carry on a conversation with you at the
> same time.  I remember visiting the old USCG NMC Radio Station on the
> top of San Bruno Mountain when based at San Francisco Intl Airport
> before NMC moved to Pt. Reyes and seeing them in action.  It was a
> couple of years ago that the Coast Guard retired it's last CW key on
> active duty.  RM's were no longer required to know morse code.  Now
> the RM rate is phasing out completely.  They haven't been called RM's
> (Radiomen) for awhile, the new name is Telecommunications Specialist
> but they still wore the Sparks on their arm like a RM.  But now the
> Sparks insignia is also being retired.
>
> Here is a write up from an unofficial Coast Guard site:
>
> Telecommunications Specialist "A" School Class 06-03 is the last class
> to go through TC training at
> Training Center Petaluma, CA. The Telecommunications Specialist rating
> will soon be incorporated
> into either the Information System Technician (IT) or Operations
> System Specialist (OS) ratings.
> Many of us remember the old Radioman (RM) rating - long known as
> "Sparks". Not only are we
> witnessing the passing of the TC rating but also the passing of the
> "sparks" rating designator.
> These men and women will be the last people to wear "sparks" on their
> arm.
> We will follow this class through their training period. Each week we
> will post photos of their
> progress.
> You can see more at:
> http://www.fredsplace.org/photo/tc/
> --
> __________________________________________________________________________
>                                 Alan Zack
>          Amateur Radio Station K6ACZ
>                       Anaheim, Southern California, USA
>                    Home of the World Series Winners ANGELS
>                 Quality Engineer, The Boeing Company, Retired
>          Aviation Chief Warrant Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
>                 U.S. Coast Guard, Always Ready, Always There
>         Every hour, Every day, Around the Clock and Around the World
>                               SEMPER PARATUS
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