Another New Member Checking In

[chucktx780]

Hi, I'm Chuck from Boerne, Texas.

I'm a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer and am now serving/deployed with the Military Sealift Command (Merchant Marines)

Just moved my family to Texas but I have been smokin meat for about six years in my Texas Tejas smoker back in Minnesota. We have a beautiful elevated deck on the back of the new place and I am planning to build an out door kitchen complete with a new smoker when I get back off of deployment in December. That gives me plenty of time to plan, design, and most importantly, pick all of your brains so I don't make mistakes. I plan to do as much of the work myself (including metal fabrication). So that being said, does anyone have any advice, designs that have worked for them, links to sites that I can research, or any other help the can offer? Thanks

 

[noboundaries]

Welcome Chief!  Thanks for your continued service. 

Sounds like you have grand plans while living in God's Hill Country, appropriately claimed by Texas, or so my Texan wife would claim.  There's an outdoor kitchen in my future too but still off a ways.  I'd be interested in folks responses too about the outdoor kitchen. 

Glad you're here and looking forward to seeing you around the SMF mess!

Have a safe deployment.

Ray

 

[chucktx780]

Thanks Ray.  I see you have "Wings of Gold".  What do you/did you fly?  I was an AT and worked on Prowlers for 14 years.  Long live the Brown Shoes!!!

 

[noboundaries]

YW Chuck.  Yep, flew A-7E Corsair II's off the Kitty Hawk and Enterprise.  Now me, both ships, and the airframes are all relics, out of service.  The planes impersonate a popsicle these days.  The first time I saw an Echo on a stick I felt OLD.  Oh well, at least I'm not scrap yet! 

Oh, and I just remembered, the boat I carrier qualified on with the T-2 Buckeye, TA-4J Skyhawk, and the Corsair II, the Lexington, is now a friggin' reef!  Well, at least I can visit it.  My wife and I are divers. 

Edit and correction: My wife reminded me it isn't the Lexington that is the reef, it is the Oriskany.  I knew I kept her around for some reason.

 

[chucktx780]

Which A-7 squadron and what cruises on the Big E?  I was with VAQ-133 on the 84 and 86 Enterprise West-Pacs.

 

[noboundaries]

I was with VA-22 Fighting Redcocks, joining them on cruise on the Kitty Hawk in 81 when they were coming back from West Pac.  Joined them in Singapore.  Then we switched to the Big E and went on West Pac again in 82-83.  I did the workups for the 84 cruise but went to shore duty just as you all left on the 84 cruise. Sounds like we worked up together!  Small world Chuck.  Small world.

 

[chucktx780]

A small world it is!!!!  Good luck to you Sir!!

 

[gary s]

Hello and welcome from East Texas and Thank you for your service. Check out the different forums and threads a ton of information on smoker building on here

Gary S

 

[chucktx780]

Thanks Gary

 

[gary s]

Anything I can help you with give me a shout

Gary S