The Gilbert's Travels

But first meet our two kids

              

Christopher J. Robinson & Nicola L. Robinson

         Ron and his family have taken orders to Atsugi Japan where he will be attached to the Helicopter squadron based on the USS Independence. They will be leaving their house on the 25th of July to spend a week at the Navy Lodge in NAS Lemoore, CA. The children are fighting the move, but of course the parents will win! Ron is planning to stay there for at least three years. This is the fifth move for the family since they arrived in the states back in July of `87.

      It all started back in England Jun of `87 when Ron picked up Gabrielle and the kids. They arrived in Baltimore where they stayed at Ron’s sister’s house for two weeks. The marriage was performed on the 27th of July `87. The following day they flew from Baltimore, MD to Seattle WA where they were met by their sponsor and taken to Oak Harbor, WA. Ron was attached to the Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Department at NAS Whidbey Island for two years. Ron transferred from Whidbey Island to the USS Carl Vinson homeported at NAS Alameda, CA on October `89. He went to Alameda to meet his ship and make the cruise of `90 before the ship was transferred to the Shipyard in Bremerton, WA. While he was waiting for the ship to pull in, California decided to have a 7.5 Earthquake in the San Francisco Area in which he survived with some shaken but not stirred nerves. The family moved from Oak Harbor, WA to Bremerton, WA in April `90. Ron was back with the family in October `90 when the ship pulled in the Bremerton Shipyard. They stayed there for approximately two years. The NAVY in their infinite wisdom sent the family packing to NAS Alameda in July `92 thinking that the ship would be transferred in August `92. What they didn’t count on was setbacks at the shipyard which held the ship in Bremerton until May of `93. The family separation was tough but we survived it! Their next move was from NAS Alameda, CA to NAS Lemoore, CA June of `93. Ron was attached to the Weapons Department at NAS Lemoore, CA for three years. The Gilbert’s are headed to Japan!! Ron’s career in the Navy has been an around the world event.

He started his 15 year career at:

  1. Recruit Training Center at Great Lakes, IL October of `81.
  2. AR Gilbert was then sent to Naval Air Training Center Millington, TN for four months of Aviation Odrnanceman “A” School to learn about the various naval ordnance that he would be working with.
  3. April of '82 Out of AO “A” School AOAA Gilbert was sent to NAS Lemoore, CA, FRAMP School to learn about the armament system for the A-7 Corsair Light Attack Jet Aircraft. He attended classes for four months before transferring to his first squadron VA-56 based on the USS Midway homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.
  4. He immediately starting makeing cruises on the USS Midway from August of `82 until October of `84 where he visited Hong Kong, The Phillippines, Singapore, Thailand, Korea and Sasebo Japan on numerous occasions. The Equator crossing iniation was performed on AOAA Gilbert October 27th of 1982 during his first cruise. The longest at sea period in between ports was 113 days during the `84 Indian Ocean cruise. AOAA Gilbert made AO3 Gilbert before he transferred from VA-56 to Station Weapons Diego Garcia.
  5. November of '84 after a 45 day leave period back to the states, AO3 Gilbert reported to Diego Garcia for a one year tour at the Weapons Department. He was responsible for transporting, assembling, disassembling, delivering, picking up and storage of a variety of bombs, rockets missiles and marine ammunition while he was attached here. AO3 Gilbert left Diego Garcia to transfer back to Japan for the second time.
  6. during his 54 day transfer leave period, AO3 Gilbert got engaged to his girl friend/pen pal Gabrielle V. McTeer in London England. AO3 Gilbert began his 18 month tour at Misawa, Japan Janurary of '86. He was promoted to AO2 right after his arrival. There he worked at the weapons compound to support the VP squadron's that were temporarily detached there. When the tour finished July of '87, AO2 Gilbert went to England to pick up his new family.