Well, it's been a little while since I worked on this, so I'll post a bit more today.

I finished my time on "Dodge" in late 1986. That's how we referred to Diego Gracia. From there I was assigned to a command in the Norfolk area, VC-6. VC-6 was and still is a target squadron. They operate several different types of targets, both aerial and surface. I was assigned to the NAB Little Creek detachment and operated the QST-35 surface targets. The QST-35 SEPTAR was essentially a 56-ft. fiberglass boat. It ran on 5 Mercruiser 340 HP engines resulting in approximately 1700 HP pushing a 36,000 lb. boat. It would cruise at about 35 knots. It was great to be on the open sea running one of the SEPTARS*. I loved it so much that I still have the fever to own a large boat to run on the open seas. I knew a lot of good people there and I have many "sea stories" from my time there. However, like every other command I have been at, I was ready to leave when it came time to transfer. When I transfered, I went back to school.


* SEPTAR = SElf Propelled TARget