A BIT OF HISTORY: "...July 11, 2002 - Naval Air Reserve Norfolk taps PR1 Rose as Sailor of the Year - BY JO2 SARAH R. LANGDON..." The Flagship http://www.flagshipnews.com/archives_2002/july112002_11.shtml [09MAY2005]

While many sailors spend their entire careers working and perfecting their knowledge in a specific job field, others seek change and possibly a completely different job field as another way to reach success.

PR1(AW/MTS) Clayton E. Rowe is a parachute rigger who has spent most of his career in aircraft squadrons, working on aircraft, aircraft equipment and in other aviation supporting positions. Three years ago he arrived at Naval Air Reserve, Norfolk — not to work in one of the NAR's reserve squadrons, but to join the NAR training department as an instructor supervisor. A few months ago he became the command's Sailor of the Year for 2001.

Rowe decided to join the Navy in 1989, he said. He was 20 years old, had gone to college for two years near his hometown of Dongola, Ill., and decided wanted to do something different with his life.

"I wanted to better myself," Rowe explained. "I also wanted joined up for education purposes — initially to get the (Montgomery) G.I Bill.

"When I went to the recruiters' office and talked to the recruiter, he asked if I wanted to go aboard ship," he continued. "I was a newlywed and had been married less than a year so of course I said no. So, he made me a TAR, Training and Administration of Reservists. At the time I had no idea what that was."

Rowe began his indoctrination into the Navy in February 1989, through Recruit Training at Great Lakes, Ill., followed by 2 1/2 months at Parachute Rigger "A" school in Lakehurst, N.J. It was there, as a PRAN, that Rowe learned that he was different than everyone else in his class — they were all active duty … in other words, deployable aboard ships.

"It wasn't until "A" school that I learned what being a TAR really meant," Rowe said. "It was almost the end of the school and here comes my senior chief yelling at me across the room that he couldn't believe I was a TAR. Before he found that out his plan was to have me assigned to the same ship he was getting sent to. This was before he realized I wasn't going to a ship. When I told him I had no idea what he meant, he explained that TARs weren't deployable and that everyone else in my class was. He told me I was lucky."

Rowe traveled to his first official duty station, not to a ship headed to sea, but to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pa., where he joined the ranks of the sailors assigned to VP-64 to work with the P-3 Orion aircraft.

During the four years he was attached to VP-64, Rowe worked as the flight gear custodian and learned how to do maintenance on the P-33s. He also reached the rank of second class petty officer in the first 2 1/2 years he was stationed with the squadron.

Rowe's greatest influence at the time, and the greatest of his career, he said, was his shop supervisor at VP-64, AME1 Don McCoy, who is now a master chief, working in New Orleans.

"One of the best experiences I had in the Navy was working under him and learning the Navy from him," Rowe said. "He was a big influence in my decision to stay in the Navy. He believed that you should always push to better yourself and always keep learning.

"When you get to a new command, (McCoy) said, you should share everything you know with the people you work with," Rowe continued. "He believed it was important to share your experience, your trials and tribulations and then to pass that on."

According to Rowe, those are a few things he's kept in mind over the course of his career as well as practice.

Aside from the influence of McCoy, the squadron's frequent 30-day deployments also left a favorable impression on Rowe.

"I really enjoyed my time spent there (VP-64)" he recalled. "The best part was going on deployment. We would fly over to places like Puerto Rico, Bermuda and Rota, Spain. I had a chance to travel the world and that was really nice. If I had stayed in Illinois I never would have left the state."

Rowe enjoyed the deployments so much, he said, that decided to re-enlist for six years before heading to his second duty station, Naval Air Station Glenview, Ill., where he went to work with another P-3 squadron, VP-60.

Rowe stayed with the VP-60 squadron just about a year, working primarily in the quality assurance department. The base closed shortly after his arrival and in 1994 he headed back to Willow Grove to work with VP-66 — the same hangar as VP-64, he said, just the other end.

He spent three years of that tour temporarily assigned to the base Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department and was promoted to the rank of first class petty officer just before transferring in March 1999.

Before arriving at NAR, Norfolk, Rowe's current duty station, he attended a 30-day instructor training school, a course that qualifies its graduates to teach and train sailors — both active duty, TAR and reservists in many fields throughout the Navy. According to Rowe, the experience so far has been rewarding.

"I needed a deviation in my career path and receiving this qualification, attending the 9502 school, was a requirement for the billet here," Rowe explained. "It's great because I get to teach. I love to teach. While I do miss being in a squadron, this has helped me learn more about training.

"We (training department) work with the command and drilling reservists on all kinds of training," he said. "We keep the reservists up to date on their rating knowledge, training and military knowledge. It's very challenging because we have to anticipate what training they are going to have to have done in the future."

Rowe is also responsible for giving the non-prior service reservists a two-week indoctrination class into the Navy. While he said he is proud of the job he does, he said he was surprised when he received the sailor of the year award.

"I was overwhelmed and I was surprised," Rowe explained. "There were many others who deserved it, but it's definitely a nice feather in the cap. I just try to stay organized, keep my uniform squared away and lead by example. It's just doing your job."

According to Rowe, the real reason for his success in the Navy is his family, his wife, Laura ,and his sons ,Bryce, 12, Ryan, 11, and Aaron, 8.

"I have to give my family all the credit," he said. "My wife takes the brunt of a lot of stuff. She stayed behind while I was on deployment taking care of things. She takes the kids to school, to soccer and baseball practice. I give her and them lots of credit."

Rowe, who is due to transfer from the NAR in December 2003, is currently working on his bachelor's of science degree.

"VP-64 History Summary Page"

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