Second sign
View of RTC
I believe this is the sidewalk leading to the Nuclear Power School. The A school would have been off to the right. I think this is where we all gathered when it was announced that Admiral Boorda had committed suicide.
Ok, THE McDonald's. Whenever we were dismissed early for lunch, this is where we would go. If not, it was off to the E-Club for some frozen pizza.
This is the front gate
View from what I believe is Lake Baldwin (correct me if I am wrong).
Boarded up guard house.
Chapel
Not sure what this building is, any ideas?
Bennet Boulevard
Bench
Bench at Lake Baldwin
Barracks? Not like any of the ones I stayed in. 
Recruit graduation and below that a picture of the barracks. These are the type of barracks I stayed in from 1996-97. There were three single beds, so three girls per room. One bathroom. There were four units on each floor (12 girls total) with a shared common area which was never used.
Not too long ago I had the chance to go back to Orlando, Florida. I really wanted to see the old base (I had not been back since 1997). Driving down Colonial Boulevard, everything seemed familiar. The gas station I always went to was gone, but Fashion Square Mall was right where I left it. . . and then? Suburbia. NTC, NNTPC, everything is gone and replaced by houses and condos. It's so weird that a place that is so very clear in my memory is just that - a place in my memory and nowhere else anymore. Poof, gone, no more!
I started searching for pictures online and these are all I came up with. . . wish I had taken a few more pictures while I was there! I would love to see some pictures of when the base was still alive and thriving. Although I appreciated finding even these pictures, it was a little sad to see the guard house boarded up and a lonely deserted McDonald's. I prefer the way it was in my memory, alive and bustling, full of young sailors. Even so, when I was there from 1996-1997, the base was on it's way out. Only the Nuclear Power School, Officer's school and A schools were still open. The RTC had recently been closed - coming from a winter at Great Lakes RTC, I really wondered why the Orlando base had been chosen for closure.
If you have any photos you would like to share, I would love, love, love to see them. In particular the NEX (I wasted so much money at that place), the E Club (also wasted a lot of money on crappy pizza!), etc., but really any pictures would be great. Also please comment on any memories you have of the naval base in Orlando!
101 comments:
Hi - I wrote the KnowProSE.com post on NTC Orlando. The pics here really brought back some memories... I went through there about 6 years before you did.
And there were no females in NNPS... that would have been much more interesting. :-)
Good to read others are keeping the memories alive.
I liked your pictures that you posted of the old Orlando Recruit Training Center. I am a Naval Civil Service Engineer out of D.C. and will be going back to Orlando for training and thought I would look for landmarks. I was there in '93 and once I left I never got to go back.
Thanks Again,
Shawn
That building you had a question on was a dormitory it was 7 floors I think, but you were not allowed to use the elevator (of course, and no trash in the wastebasket!)
People that were in torpedoeman and other schools lived there. I lived there for a few days while waiting for A school to class up. Then for a few weeks in the roach motels while waiting for nuke school. This was in '89 when there was a bad cold spell and they did not give us blankets.
Hello,
That building you questioned looks just like the one I lived in while attending ET "A" school back in 1990. I have never gone back to Orlando NTC since then but now I am finding out that nice place is no longer. Everyone on the net attests to the great memories from here. Oh, the sadness that politicians (especially from places like Illinois) bring to the rest of us.
Thanks so much for sharing your memories and pictures. I went through the "Pipeline" in 96-97 too, though I was a MM/ELT.
One thing I distinctly remember about the galley was the lady who normally served "sliders" (hamburgers)...she'd stand there and chant "All the way down, please. All the way down!" to keep the line moving!
Thanks again for sharing!
Thanks for all the pix good memories, i was there in 1983 June-July wish i had pix of my passing in review, i sang in the chorus doing hell week, take good care of self and ur fam .....
RTC Orlando 89-1991 ...
I was there for C033 bootcamp and Nuke A and Nuke Power school... Best times I ever had with the greatest of friends. Loved Manatees, Foxhole, use to to travel to Daytona beach alot, go to Pleasure Island, Razzles, etc, etc.
My first day reporting to Nuke A school, I had a Foxhole plate on the front bumper of my 86 Firebird, and a garter on the rearview mirror, while parking in Capt Fages spot at the Quarterdeck... of course it was 2am..lol
We had great times... Wish RTC Orlando was still there..
It is a shame that the politicians let this one go... Heard it was shady land deal to boot...
Some of my friends were Ken Naff, Lionel Phelps, Hall, Joe, Alfred, ..Keith and Heather King... Heather while borrowing my car almost had the baby in the Firebird...lol...loved those spaghetti dinners with wine at the apt you and wife rented while Keith attended Power school...We all were young with little money but we had the best of friendships and the best of times...
God Bless,
lou
I was there when you were there... who is this? I was also an ET. cannot remember class number etc...
jocelyn,
hi.. are you referring to me... I was a MM... my friend Ken Naff was an ET... He also taught ET stuff so he stayed there a little extra time before transferring to prototype...
lou
jocelyn,
hi.. are you referring to me... I was a MM... my friend Ken Naff was an ET... He also taught ET stuff so he stayed there a little extra time before transferring to prototype...
lou
Loved what pics you have. Brought back yesterdays of my Fall of 1987 RTC (K095) at Orlando and ATD School. Good ol days and a shame to have it stripped away into a subdivision.
Thanks for the pictures. Really brings back memories. I went through in 1987 (NPS class 8703 I think). Some of the Classmates I remember are Richard Anderson, Craig Wetstein, David Billington.
I went on to protoype training at
S1W in ID (class 8704). I recall the horrendous daily bus ride and the god aweful 12 hour shifts.
I was there in 94-95...I was literally one of the first females back in the program!! I was an ET...graduated class 9448!! I had a blast there...we never stayed in the 7 story building, only the 3 story barracks! Definitely some great memories in that place!!
Wow! So many memories! I was soooo excited when I found this blog. Thank you for sharing! I was at RTC Orlando in the spring of 87. I had never traveled before so when I boarded the plane in February it was 22 deg. in Columbus Ohio. When I de-planed, in Orlando, it was almost 60 deg. FANTASTIC!!! I'm so sad that it is gone. Some of the BEST times of my life. Nuke "A" school was grueling, to say the least, but I wouldn't give up that time in my life for anything! Thanks for the memories.
By the way, I found a few more websites with some more photo shots of our old naval base. You may want to check these out!.....ENJOY!!
http://www.overall.org/NTC-Orlando/ntc.html
http://www.miltonmckinney.com/Travel/travel3/ntcorlando2.htm
http://company169.tripod.com/ntctour.htm
Goodness .. the memories
Marching across the Grinder
The U.S.S. Neversail
I hated that I shipped Christmas Eve 1985 but wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
I just can't believe that they turned it into Suburbia
Power school class 9602...love the blog. I'm still in so we talk about O-town occasionally. I, too loved my time there. Church St, Disney, Wet n Wild military day, Daytona, the 3 pm rain everyday!
Love the blog. Great memories. NNPS class 9602!
I think I was in EM A school at the same time as you, I graduated A school in Jan '97
Hey JT,
Oh Yes! Some of the most DRAMATIC storms that I have EVER witnessed were in Orlando! When the storms would come in they ordered us to drop flags or anything else (metal)and seek shelter IMMEDIATELY!
Phil
Hey JT,
Oh Yes! Some of the most DAMATIC storms that I have ever witnessed were in Orlando. When storms would roll in they would order us to drop flags or anything else (metal), that we were holding, and seek shelter IMMEDIATELY!
Phil
Sorry if some of my comments are double. I'm not real familiar with blogging.
Phil
Hey JT,
I have many fond memories of the Orlando base as well! A GREAT time in my life!!
Phil
Hey Eric,
I'm afraid I was in Orlando in
1987. But I'm sure your memories are as fond as mine!
Phil
wow i went in 1992 rtc company C074 i have so many good memories thanks for the pics
Born and raised in Orlando then RTC C160 July '69, GLakes BP&E + MM-A, NNPS Bainbridge 7002, A1W + ELT then USS Truxtun DLGN/CGN-35.
I remember the base from the old days when it was the OAFB. It is sad that most of the places I was stationed or ports visited are gone.
MM NNPS class 9607. I miss that place.
I was there from 96 to 97 as well.....EM a school class 9649m. Great memories!
I was there from 96 to 97 as well.....EM a school class 9649m. Great memories!
I was there from 96 to 97 as well.....EM a school class 9649m. Great memories!
I feel you on the memories being erased. I would be heart broken if I went there today. I was class 9708, became MM-ELT. I went back in 2001 and it was a wasteland, so seeing condos now would result in a stroke, lol. Good job
I got to NNPTC in January of 97. Good times on the smoke pad at the E-club!
Hi- My husband was in Orlando in 1991 for A and Power school. We had so many memories!....he is now retiring and I want to make him a shadow box and our pictures are not good, and I need pins and patches....any ideas?
tracy davidson
Thanks for the site. I will send you any other pictures I come across. ET.
Thanks for the post. Former NUC ET student.
I frequented that McDonald's with buddies from boot. I was trying to let a female recruit know i had a crush on her until she let us all know she was being kicked out on section 8. It was a true WTF moment.
RTC Orlando circa 1994 C033 Sr. Chief Petty Officer Caldwell. Nuke school. Great times at boot camp and at school there. Beautiful memories and great friends i.e., Adam Rice, Dan Yoswein remembering some funny times c/o Albert Switzer, Jeffrey Duncan. God bless :)
The picture which you question with this remark-"Barracks? Not like any of the ones I stayed in". If my memory serves right, at least one of buildings served as barracks for the Signalman A school attendees. I graduated Signalman A School in December 1985. Went to RTC across the street, company C220.
The picture which you question with this remark-"Barracks? Not like any of the ones I stayed in". If my memory serves right, at least one of buildings served as barracks for the Signalman A school attendees. I graduated Signalman A School in December 1985. Went to RTC across the street, company C220.
Hi, glad I found this post - I've been looking for something like this sense the first time I went to show someone NNPTC on google maps and realized it was re-zoned.
I was there from 88-90 for boot camp, ET A-School and NNPS. Then off to Idaho Falls for prototype.
We were buskells last training co. before his retiring. 81 82. I drew the co. flag and was wondering were it is now. If it still exists I kike to have it back. Kenneth mcdonald.
I was there 96-97 as an EM and would love to get in touch with anyone that I might have known. A lot of fond memories.
I was in c075 and I was also an et...I was a vamp. ..1 of my fondest memories is getting 5 people together to order pizzas that were 5 for 25 at Louise's or something like that. .buttercheese crust...mmmmmm
Great memories. I was there 89-90. MM. Power School Class 9006. Then A1W in Idaho Falls.
Concerning the building that you're not sure of, that might be the Torpedoman A-School. Between boot camp and Nuke Field A-School, we stayed in a 7-floor barracks that was connected to the Torpedoman A-School. This was in 1989.
This was really close to the McDonald's on base. Whenever I went there late on Friday and Saturday nights (after getting off work at the galley), we would always see First Classes and Chiefs in uniform there that were drunk off their asses. When you start drinking at the Mariner's Club at 3:00, I guess food at McD's around 9:00 is just logical. I still remember the Senior Chief going outside and puking his McRib all over the parking lot and the master-at-arms calling a taxi for him.
Great memories, I was a nuke MM in class 8906.
For the barracks that you're not sure about (2nd photo from the bottom), that might be the roach motels. I stayed there for about 2 weeks between boot camp and A-School. Nasty place. It was just after Christmas, unusually cold, and I bought a blanket at the mall because they wouldn't provide us any. That place was horrid, there were places where you could literally see daylight through cracks in the walls.
Here's a great memory: I was staying at the Torpedoman A-School barracks in Jan. 1989 when the building was evacuated due to a bomb-threat. A few of us were sent back in to inspect for any suspicious packages or anything else laying around.
Once inside, I spotted a brief case sitting next to the elevator (that only E-5s and above were allowed to use). The guy that I was paired with walked over to the brief case, picked it up, and shook it. Moron!! I had visions of it blowing up and taking us both out. I was so mad that I ran up and slugged him in the face (actually, I missed the punch and hit him in the ear).
The guy that I was paired with told an old salty senior chief at the scene that I slugged him. He asked me what happened, and I told him about the guy picking up the brief case and shaking it 6" from his face and about 10' from me. He turned to the guy and said, "You dumb mother-f***er!! If you'd done that in front of me, I would've kicked your ass around the block!!" Nothing ever came of it and neither of us ever said anything about it to anyone. The other dude failed out of A-school and I never saw him again.
I am looking for class photos of NNPS btw the months of 11/81 and 05/82. Does anyone know of a website that contains class photos for the officer side?
NPS Orlando '76?
the library in the vault
fire drills w/ cow & sheep noises
brand new
outrigger garden apartments
right outside the back gate
Quick thunderstorm every
day in the early afternoon?
Every day during Muster...like 4pm
Don't forget, Orange Blossom Trail, where the CCs and instructors told us to stay away from. House of Babes, Ambrosia, parties at Howard Johnson's, "time traveling" at NNPS, Club Mariner, Manatees, 4th Fighter Group Bar, and the dive bar right outside the gate that had all you can drink Natty Light. The NNPS students thought they were "petty gods" with their brand new crow, and the Ensign insructors insisted anyone within a half mile radius salutes them or they go off on you. Good times! haha
Hi. How can I find and order my Bootcamp Graduation Photo from 1989? My company was C066.
Thank you for your help.
David Hauck
214-641-5032
Wow, talk about a random encounter! Made me pull out my Rudder (C208 1989) and my old NNPS photos (9005). Never thought I would miss that place, hard to imagine it's all gone!
Here's an experience I had: right at the beginning of Power School (spring of 1989), a couple guys and I were coming out of Roxy's (off-base bar & grill within walking distance of nuke school and barracks). We saw this guy passed out drunk in the parking lot. We found a Navy ID in his breast pocket, so we decided to put him in our car and take him to base. It took us like 10 minutes to get his dead weight in the car. Dude was snoring the whole time, he was OUT!!
When we got to the front gate, we told the gate guard what was going on. They called an ambulance for him. Then a chief MAA and a couple of blueshirt MAAs showed up. Then an LT came on the scene. They asked us a thousand questions and MAAs made us all write written statements after the ambulance took this guy away. He stayed unconscious the whole time.
I have no memory of this guy's name and I have no idea what ever came of this. The chief of our nuke school section and an LT asked us about what happened that night and we never heard another thing about it after that.
Someone up there said they spent time on ye old CGN-9 as well? (shivers) Itcs a small world after all lmao.
The barracks picture that you posted just above a recruit graduation photo, near the end. They are 1 story older buildings. Those looked like the ones that we moved into right before our A-school started. I think they were from the 40's. The Nuclear program was really taking off in the late 80's, and I think they were recruiting people as fast as they could. Luckily we only lived in those barracks 2 weeks or so, before some of the more modern Aschool barracks opened up.
Thanks for the pictures. There are a couple of groups on Facebook pertaining to RTC and NTC Orlando, if you or anybody else is interested.
Yes I had forgotten that we called it the Roach Motel. It was like a downgrade from boot camp berthing. The bathroom stalls were small you practically had to back in to sit down, and your knees practically touched the door.
Ah yes, the ole roach motel. There were also the anthills, I guess they were nicknamed based on what was infesting them. After staying in the roach motel, which was like camping out in a demilitarized zone, the A School barracks was luxury accommodations.
what a dump, FTN
Hi there, great to see the old base again. I was there for boot camp (C116) in 1987 and MM "A" School (8739A) and Power School. Good times ! I also wish I had spent more time enjoying the place while it was here, but man they did keep us busy.
I definitely remember her! MM Power School class 9705
EM class 9630. this post brought back so many awesome memories of my youth!
thanks for sharing
Was there for boot in fall of 89 Company C226 at 17yrs old.. Waaayyyy too much fun, and the result being I don't remember my "original" A school class.. lol I graduated in MM class 9012 - I got "rolled" because of spending way too many nights out at Pleasure Island..and then hotels and not coming back to the base until half hour before morning muster - so we had a physics exam one day -- got about 6 questions answered and nodded off.. lol the instructor apparently didn't mind and he let me sleep -- woke up on my own with about 5 minutes left.. needless to say I failed that exam.. which in the end just made me worse.. needless to say that led to even more partying since we were doing material I already knew backwards and forwards.. But I never let the sleeping thing happen again before an exam day... hated power school.. that was grueling to me for some reason.. Had some of the best times of my life down there those years.. and like several people mentioned.. I found out the hard way that the base was indeed gone..
In early 2002 I went through Orlando with my wife on the way to leave on our honeymoon and when I got the to where the Maguire Blvd gate was.. the condos were already up and people living in them..but they only went in a block or two and as I drove on in and through and was actually kind of emotionally wrecked.. It was a complete wasteland.. you could drive through the property all the way back to the RTC areas at the Bennett gate.. but it was ALL gone -- nothing but dirt piles and sand and roads through it .. couldn't drive into the RTC area as it was still a demolition zone.. I parked on the street at the gates which were behind the old bleachers on the parade field and took some pictures.. Neversail was gone.. the bleachers and almost everything else was gone except for ONE of the old barracks buildings.. standing all alone in the middle of that area.. no idea why they left one standing there untouched I would have been one of the buildings behind the RTC galley.... Of course you can look at google maps of the area now and there isn't a trace.. a middle school and a park sit on what was most of RTC.
Still cant put it into words what its like to drive down somewhere you spent many years of the behinning of your adult life.. and it just be smashed all around you wish I knew how to upload some of those pics I took while driving through..
Wow! Thanks for the memories. Both my parents were in the Navy, and although we didn't live on base, I felt like I grew up here (and the Annex too). I remember there was a Baskin Robbins across from the galley for a while, and playing video games at the bowling alley. Good times. Whenever I drive nearby, I'll spot the old hospital (where I was born), and it reminds me of all the good times.
I helped close the NNPTC base after graduating from MM school. Was one of the last students to leave the base in December 1998. Had a lot of good memories here. Crazy midnight bomber, spiders and the huge bugs not some of the best, but all memories of good times and good friends.
I went to bootcamp here in the summer of 1987. Then I went to Nuclear EM A school and NNPS in Orlando, FL. One of my best memories of my life was when I joined the Navy. Orlando was great! I'll remember the great times forever!!
Might have been me. I taught Mm A school 88-92
Glenn Bacala
Central Florida Navy League just installed a Lone Sailor Memorial at the location of the grinder, now BlueJacket Park. We are working on a History Wall that will be finished as soon as we get enough high-res pictures. If you are interested in helping out, post here or visit http://cfnavyleague.org/contact-us/
Thanks, Marc
I was an MM there in 1997. Power school class 9745? Cannot remember. The blog host just brought back a flood of memories that I had forgotten. God where did it go? All I remember is those were some of the best times of my life... I just didn't know it.
9535T class member here. I drove my wife past the mall to see the old base in 2000 and was greeted with bulldozers. How disheartening that was. It was definitely a formative time in my life as it seems to have been for the rest of you.
MM in NNPS Class 9508. I remember lots of people getting hammered by the CO for alcohol incidents, but I don't remember his name. I remember someone telling me when I got to the Truman that he had gotten two DUIs himself but couldn't verify it.
@Nathan Deunk was Captain Slaton still the CO in '95? He was the one while I was there in '93.
@Trent Isaacson, sorry, wish I could remember who it was after this long, but I don't. I do know that CAPT Slaton was CO of USS Michigan from 1994 to 1996, so it was someone else.
The building you questioned as barracks.. Tom is correct. I believe that i stayed in that exact one while going through Signalman A school in 1979. Great old buildings!
Jeff
OMG- my hubby and I went through there in '98. We still mimic her voice and say "all the way down" 😆. Our kids think we are nuts
I'd do it all over again! Boot Camp 8707. I guess we kept the class number for NFAS ... not sure about NPS ... but I was the anchor man for that class and I made it through!
I wish that I still had my Boot Camp book. But, it's been 39-years..
My boot camp group was C216. Finished I think late October 1987. I was in class 8806 for NFAS.
ET 9650 all the way down. Omg. I wondered why that was stuck in my head. Sports town is still here in Orlando. 50 50 90 10
NNPS 8202 Section 8. Thank you all for refreshing my memory... 3 memories. 1) the year I spent in Orlando at NPS was the year Nuke School changed the unit seal from a slide rule to a calculator. 2) just before each class graduated, they would tow a wrecked car into the circle between the two buildings, which we called Rickover Circle. This was to convince us driving drunk was a bad thing. 3) after our final exam, they posted our scores on one of the glass doors on the officer side building. Once you saw that you had passed, some of us ran out and smashed our calculators on the wrecked car to celebrate.
I was there as a NUKE ET from Dec 96 to sometime in early 98 cant remember exactly I do know I graduated prototype in Goose Creek, SC in Dec of 98 and that school was 6 months long I think I remember thinking it would be a smart thing to be the first to pass boards. I did the whole thing in just under 3 months stupid because then I spent the next 3 months becoming very intimate with the engine room chem wipes and performing 12 hour a day quantitative approach to Navy cleaning. NNPTC Orlando now that place wow some good and some bad memories of that place. That 7 story building I believe had just been built so it what brand new. Also, there was a galley that the contractors had to finish but was never used as well as some recruit barracks and several other buildings millions wasted. I remember the city was not happy with the Navy leaving either. Luckily I didnt have to live in those 4 room barracks i guess been long time but I do remember the AC/Heating policy of it had to be hot for 3 days before they turned on the AC and then inversely cold for 3 days before they turned on the heat. I dont think there was ever a good temperature while I was there lol. One hilarious intro to Navy life and life in Orlando was when I had to ask my LPO permission to get married on our lunch break during A school and then asked permission to spend the night off base with my new wife. Crazy times. I remember OBT and I wonder if they ever finish construction on it lol they were working on it when I got there and was still deep into working on it when I left. I remember starting to smoke at age 20 because of that place lol. Remember running to the E club on 10 min breaks and somehow finish a cigarette in time to run back just in time lol. Mandatory study were 2 words that should never been used together lol. Then I remember resenting the few that never had to study at all. That wasnt me I did manage to not have assigned hours some weeks but one thing Nuke school taught me and it was a crash course and that was time management, how to study effectively, to always take time to appreciate the little things in life, and always check for an adams apple lol.
Well I didnt expect this post to be this long but I hadnt thought about Nuke school in almost 20 years. but one more thing does anyone remember having a chemistry instructor that had tourettes lol wow had I managed to pay attention to the material while also trying not to laugh was a feat only God could explain. We would keep count of how many voice ticks he would make an hour and I think once it got up to 96 lol. wow the things we would do to amuse ourselves in a white room with no windows one door 68 tiles 9 sets lights and 56 desks not including the big one in the back that contained the worst nectar of the gods around. of course this was before starbucks and when drinking coffee waS necessary not for enjoyment yet lol.
Well been good reminicienising always enjoyed talking to most nukes. nothing beats intelligent conversation if I miss anything its the deep conversation and outrageous math/physics contemplations i.e. mathematically and scientifically determining what color the core would glow at full power. lol loved. Peace feel free to contact me if you want. Matt Duckworth matthewpduckworth@yahoo.com 936-645-7812
WOW.....Just ran across this site, and boy how the memories assault you! I was in boot unit 8005 and went on to Nuke school there right after that. Then, on to Idaho Falls for prototype training. S1W ( I think ), and then onto the fleet. Been SOOOO long, but it’s great thinking about the times and the friends and the...everything else ! Does anyone remember the restaurant at that airport..I THINK it was the 94th Aero Squadron, or something?
Man, to go back and re-live those days would be awesome !
May God bless all of you out there that served, or still doing so.......
(Former) Clifford Vogt, MM1/SS
the pic you have above of the old barracks was the TM A School barracks. I was there in that exact building Dec 82 - Mar 83. Fond memories. I remember the last episode of MASH, everyone gathered in the Rec Room to watch it (I was on watch).
I was in boot camp in 1994 company C059, the very last boot camp. From there it was on to MM A school 9510A and then on to Nuke school 9506. Does anyone have any idea who the commanding officer of the base was at that time?
I was there in 97 and that 7 story building was for recruits just arriving out of boot camp and also for the flunkies who are held on the 7th floor at tpd, or transient Personnel Department, before they were given new orders or completely separated from the military.
Coming out of boot camp in Jan. 89 the 7th floor was for guys working in the galley and waiting to class up for Nuke Field A School. It was a great barracks to live in. I don't even have a gripe about not being allowed to ride the elevator because we "didn't rate it". I was young and in shape. That lardass chief should've refrained from the elevator. The hard thing about that place was not the building, which seemed brand new, it was in great shape. The hard thing was working in the base galley 21 days in a row, that was worse than boot camp. We'd get cut loose about 8-ish PM and get woken up about 4-ish for another fine day of galley duty. No time for anything but to take a shower and hit the rack. The place was quiet, everybody was too damn tired to whoop it up after taps.
I was in C075 in 87. I believe you may have been in our sister company.
No, I went to boot camp in 1995, so it wasn't me if you went in 1987.
I am surprised that there aren't more photos of the old base. I have googled it many times and come up with the same photos. It speaks volumes about the federal government that they could spend so much to build, run and maintain this base and then one day decide to shut it down.
I was in NNPS class 85-06. I was so proud of graduating because it was such a challenging school. I remember the 94th Aero Squadron as a shipmate stated earlier, it was the place to go after the base club was closing. It was one of the best experiences of my life to this day and I will forever be thankful for what it gave me. For the people that are on here, always remember the this time in your life. Things happen and change so quickly at times, if you don't take the time to smell the roses you will forget to enjoy seeing them.
The building that everyone is commenting about was a barracks. I attended Torpedoman C School in 1971 and was a TM2 at the time. I stood barracks MAA watch at that building. It housed E-3s and E-4s primarily. One Friday or Saturday when I had the watch there was a young torpedoman (I was pretty young too at 24) who was quite drunk and causing a disturbance. I was able to get him calmed down and with the help of a few of his buddies, got him into his room. I used discretion and did not report him. Someone in the barracks complained about the ruckus and I ended up at Captain's Mast because I did not turn him in. When it was all over, the CO commended me for my "mature" judgement.
I loved my time there and like many, would not trade that time for anything. I met my wife at the Acey Deucey Club and we are still together after all these years.
I see a lot of 1995-1997 people here, I was at the school at 1995-1996. Class 9539A. Good times. Good times.
I arrived at RTC Orlando March 1, 1969 and was assigned to Co. 077. There were not many solid structure buildings yet. Some of our classes were held in tents on the edge of the woods. We did a lot of our marching on the grinder that used to be a WWII Army Air Force base. The week before graduation our company acted as honor guard for the graduating companies. We were evenly spaced around the parade grounds at parade rest. A Rear Admiral was walking along our lines and each recruit came to attention and rendered a salute. When this flag officer walked by me I snapped to attention and sharply saluted him with my LEFT hand. The admiral's eyes never looked my way but said, "Other hand, sailor." I thought I was done before I got started. Nobody knew but me and the admiral.
Summer of 1974. The sweet smell of orange groves was the only pleasure on the grinder. While the fruit flies crawled up my nose ( leave my bug alone) rang out from the CC. The best view was the Waves at the chow hall. Managed to get a passionate kiss from Wave in fire fighting school during service week. Although so long ago I can still smell the wake call at RIFF. To all my brother and sisters who passed through RTC, we are the few, the proud, the many. My God bless you all
TMA April 75. Great time. Spent the weekends heading down A1A, sleeping on the beaches with my buds. Hasseling the recruits on the way to the chow hall was the best entertainment. WENT bavk in 92 and the subroc was still at the entry. Wouldn't trade it for the world .
I love all the posts everyone keeps adding to this. Since there is a shortage of photos I figured I'd upload some of the pics I took while I was there in 1992-1993.
https://imgur.com/a/jv2C2CN
Does anyone have pictures of Orlando NTC from early 1969?
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