Veterans Month
November 2003
NS Veterans Remember
Jutta Spencer
Chief clerk superintendent's office
Norfolk Terminal
Norfolk
Living in Europe for eight years and being stationed at various other bases because my father served in the U.S. Army, I was used to change and challenge. I wanted to take my life in a different direction after graduating high school and one year of college. So, without any warning to my overprotective parents, I joined the U.S. Navy.
At the time, there weren't many WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, a term used previously for women serving in the Navy) in the field I wanted to pursue. So, I thought I'd give it a shot. Just as in the movie Private Benjamin, I walked in the recruiting station and simply said, "sign me up I'm ready for a good challenge." After taking an 18-hour train ride from Virginia to Orlando, Fla., my journey began.
The first day of boot camp was definitely a challenge. After what seemed like hours of yelling, my company commander finally got us in rank and file. After successfully graduating from boot camp, I served from 1990 to 1997.
I started my career as an Airman at Squadron VAW120 during Operation Desert Storm. My duties included working on the flight line doing launch and recovery of E2 and C2 Hawkeye Aircraft. I was based in Norfolk. After my tenure as an Airman, I went to Survival Equiptmentman School in Millington, Tenn., which is also known as "PR" or Parachute Rigger School.
My first assignment was at Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Va. My job included construction of parachutes, ejection seats and other survival equipment needed by fighter aircraft pilots.
After my tenure at AIMD, I was stationed at VF-14, an F-14 fighter squadron. My duties included working directly with the pilots inspecting their flight gear and the F-14 ejection seat prior to flight departure. This proved very rewarding. On more than one occasion, pilots had to eject during flight, and their ejection was successful due to my crew's work on their gear.
During my tour, I went on detachment to the following locations: U.S.S. John F. Kennedy; U S.S. Theodore Roosevelt; NAS Key West, Fla.; NAS El Centro, Cal.; NAS Millington-Tenn.; and NAS Falon, Nev.