I got promoted!

It took a few years, but I finally made E-6, petty officer 1st class. My family was there for the pinning ceremony, and my boss Chief Larry Baruwa and my dad Glenn Slaughter pinned the new rank on. 

From left, Aunt Ruth, Uncle Gilbert, mama Lois, Dad, stepmom Kathy. Great bunch!

Dad practicing before the ceremony. I'm trying to throw him off with a look.

Pretty much the entire building was there. All branches represented.

Don't drop the crows! There's 100 people watching.

Chief and Dadeo inspect their work. Good job!

Captain Norr is the top dog at DMA. He spoke at the ceremony told me to be ready to lead.

Uncle Gilbert is a Navy veteran. He's helping me upgrade the rank on my NSU jacket.

Next stop, chief petty officer!

Graduation Day

Class 050-16, our newest batch of MCs, is about to graduate. They've been here for about six months but the pain is almost over. 

These young squidlets have been hard at work, producing print and broadcast news and features stories, recorded still and video photography, and created graphic designs, all using the Adobe software suite.

I'll see you in the fleet! (Your grad video kicked ass, by the way.)

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Sea Trials

The final test for MC students is sea trials, a 4-day event simulating life on a ship. They're hit with a nonstop barrage of jobs, designed to keep them  on their toes.

Seaman Janine Jones is required to produce a feature story in a very short period of time. MC2 Gordon and I are being interviewed about life as a secdef videographer 

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Group shot!

Class 050-16 is doing their end-of-year group shot. It's all done without any help from the instructors. This can feel like herding cats. Seriously though, taking a group shot is an important skill to have out in the fleet. You WILL be asked to shoot large groups of VIP visitors and entire departments.

The number one thing to remember is that you, the photographer, are in control. Don't be afraid to give the group orders, no matter what rank they are. Be polite, but firm.

It may feel awkward to shout commands, but if you don't, you could end up with a crappy photograph with no chance for a do over.

Looking good MCs!

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