A USS Destroyer and Littoral Combat Ship hunt together in the South Pacific. Taken during a Pacific Deployment in 2014.
If there’s one thing that stuck with Bob Cline over his 23 years in the Navy, it’s that friendship means everything.
“The ability to communicate with people, befriend them, is essential. Every time you go somewhere new, you have to start all over,” said Cline. “Over and over again, you have to meet new people. And I guess that’s the biggest takeaway for me. Learning how to read people in all situations. Packing up a house every three years, finding new schools for the kids, a new job for my wife, is a lot. But it’s the ability to make and keep friends in each of those new locations that makes it work.”
Throughout his time and promotions in rank during his service, Cline averaged seven to eight months at sea in any given year.
“My wife was basically a single mom,” he said. “A supermom. And her parents were wonderful helping us with the kids while I was gone during those assignments.”
Enlisting in 1976, the Montana native worked in a variety of positions on submarines, minesweepers and commissioned destroyer ships, including multiple assignments in San Diego, Guam, Treasure Island (San Francisco), Seattle, Cuba, Great Lakes (Illinois), Idaho Falls and two tours of duty in the Gulf during the Iraq conflict. He’s sailed commissioned ships from Maine, through the Panama Canal and up along the Western U.S. coast; worked with submariners during his time in Guam; taught the ins and outs of minesweeping; and became highly trained in welding, pipefitting, firefighting and damage control — all required skills for “keeping a ship afloat,” as he described it.
His communication skills were essential in his role teaching select recruits who would, in turn, train the sailors on their assigned ships. As he progressed through the ranks, retiring at the highly senior enlisted rank of E9 (Master Chief Petty Officer), Cline spent the majority of his time training seamen in advanced chemical and radiological warfare defense.
Along the way, his wife gave birth to a son in Panama and a daughter in Cuba. To arrive in time for his youngest son’s birth in Montana a few years later, Cline literally jumped off the ship as it was docking in San Diego when he learned his wife was in labor, and made it to an airport with ticket in hand, so that he could make it to the hospital.
“I was off that ship before it had even stopped moving, I was so excited,” he said.
When the Navy began consolidating its boot camp and training facilities across the country into one location in Great Lakes, Illinois, Cline was part of the team of master chiefs, lieutenants and a chief lieutenant overseeing the construction and building of the new school and training facilities.
“After my two years of teaching there, I decided I was going to retire,” he said. “But before I could submit my retirement papers, I was one of six different damage control master chiefs who received a letter in the mail ordering us to report back to sea duty.”
Given the opportunity to select his location for what he knew would be his last, Cline chose a position in San Diego that he thought would allow him to stay on land. Overruled by his superiors, Cline found out he was to be on an aircraft carrier, which was deploying from San Diego to the Gulf within the next 10 days. He ended up serving as the warship’s fire marshal for the eight months the ship was patrolling the Gulf.
Upon his return in 1999, Cline retired and moved back to Montana where he continues to serve as husband, dad and grandpa. His three children and grandchildren all live within driving distance. Two years ago, he retired a second time from his job with the city of Helena, where he worked at the wastewater treatment plant.
“I know, I know, I still worked around water,” he said with a chuckle.
For anyone considering a career in the Navy, Cline said it’s a great experience for someone who wants to go out and see the world and meet people.
“Of course, if they have issues with being away for long periods of time, or being isolated, they might want to consider something else,” he said. “But for me, being on the water, watching the waves day after day, the water was a very calming sanctuary. I enjoyed it.”
To submit a Stories of Honor hero for consideration, or to learn more about the program, please visit aarp.org/montana/storiesofhonor.
