Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Valdez, Alaska
Posts: 25

Fire Control Technician - What does this job entail?

My father was a Chief in the Navy
and my mother told me he was a Fire Control Technician.

He was in WWII and I was born at the end of the war.
(I'm in the baby boomer group!)

When he retired he worked for Mare Island Naval Shipyard
in San Francisco area (?) Most likely with the same skills (until @ 1975)

Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Lower New York State, Way to close to West Point!
Posts: 178

 

Here's what I dug up quickly, I don't know to much about these guys, knew some Fox Division guys who worked on the Sea Sparrow Launcher, most of them were Gunner's mates. Hope this sheds some light on things for you.

Fire Control Technician (FT)
As an expert in weapons, you will operate, maintain, and repair complicated electronic, hydraulic and mechanical equipment. You will use this equipment to help determine the accuracy of weapons fire.
Qualifications:
Aptitudes for detailed mechanical work. An interest in electronics. Above-average ability to solve practical arithmetic problems. School courses in electricity, algebra physics, trigonometry, and shop are valuable. Any practical experience in mechanical or electrical trades is also valuable.

Fire Control Technician (FT)
The Origins
The name of this Navy rating has changed back to Fire Controlman (FC). This was the original name of the job in the early days. After WWII, when the duties changed to more technical things like radar and computers, the name was changed to Fire Control Technician (FT). The FT name is now used exclusively for Fire Control personnel on Submarines. The rating insignia, is an optical rangefinder (on a tripod), with two lightning bolts signifying the technical side. It was also the rangefinder without the lightning bolts.

FCs maintain the control mechanism used in weapons systems on combat ships. Complex electronic, electrical, and hydraulic equipment is required to ensure the accuracy of guided missile and surface gunfire control systems. FCs are responsible for the operation, routine care, and repair of this equipment, which includes radars, computers, weapons-direction equipment, target-designation systems, gyroscopes, and rangefinders.

SparrowHawk62 has attached this image:

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Working on finding a job!

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Valdez, Alaska
Posts: 25

Thanks so much for this information. I didn't really know what this all entailed, and it sounds like it was a pretty important job. (Of course each job is important - you're a team). But iti makes me proud of my dad.

I've been wondering in particular, because he died of a heart attack at age 62 (about 30 years ago) So he didn't get to see all the grandchildren born ... and as I'm 58 myself, I'm thinking ... hmm that's kind of young to die of a heart attack.

and as I learned more about the 2-butoxyethanol that is in so many cleaning/degreasers I'm wondering whether he had rapid heart beat and other symptoms that could be from this chemical.

Many who are exposed to it are mis-diagnosed with heart attack (They actually collapse from lack of blood or other complications)

He had a change in personality after WW II - Mom said his ship was torpedoed ... and his nerves couldn't handle a baby's crying etc.

Are others who have this job coming down with 'gulf war syndrome' type symptoms?

Do you think it would be possible to locate his medical file after all these years and see what other notes are there: red blood cell counts, etc?