Greetings and Salutations! Welcome to SpikesAZAdventure.com. Where we share Arizona’s many natural wonders and explore a variety of fun outdoor activities My name is Mark Robbins and I am also known to my Navy brothers and sisters by my nickname “Spike.” SpikesAZAdventure.com is a blog where we cover a variety of outdoor activities here in Arizona. I am a world traveler having grown up and lived in Germany & Holland as well as several States here in the US.
I’ve spent close to a third of my years living here in Arizona where I currently work in the medical industry in Information Systems. Yes! I’ve gone from cool mechanic guy to geek.
So why SpikesAZAdventure.com?
Well… I have a varied interest in a lot of outdoor activities. I’ve always loved fishing and shooting sports. I’ve fished from Arizona to Alaska and as far east as the mid-west. I’ve caught salmon, trout, bass, bluegill, and catfish. Let me make a confession here. Trout on ultra-lite tackle is my all-time favorite.
I’ve been a “buckskinner”. Built my own black powder rifles and pistols, made knives, and crafted leather goods. Shooting is another pleasure I indulge in. In addition to enjoying things like gunsmithing, building AR’s, and reloading ammunition.
My goal here at SpikesAZAdventure.com is to share with my readers and viewers Arizona’s many natural wonders and explore a variety of fun outdoor activities. Interests like fishing for Gila and Apache trout, panning for gold, exploring historical sites and ghost towns, or maybe writing just writing about the latest Mogollon Monster encounter.
Who knows what we’ll do? So stick around, enjoy the ride and let us discover some cool stuff together.
Who is Spike?
AMS2 Spike with a Grumman A-6E Intruder the morning of Operation Praying-Mantis 18 April 1988
Having the good fortune to be a 12-year veteran of the Worlds Greatest Navy and a Trusty Shellback. I was blessed to of served with some of the greatest young women and men of this Republic. Enlisting as an Aviation Structural Mechanic (AMS). I achieved the rank of AMS1(AW) or E-6 while working on the A-4F/TA-4J Skyhawk, the Grumman A-6E/KA-6D Intruder platforms, and the EA-6B Prowler.
My first duty station was Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA and I finished the rest of my time in the Navy up in gorgeous Whidbey Island, WA in the Puget Sound at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
In addition to being an active duty sailor, I serve my community of Coupeville, Wa as a volunteer firefighter with Island District 5 for over 2 years.
During my 12-year career, I was a participant in Earnest Will missions escorting reflagged Kuwaiti tankers, waged war against Iran in the largest Naval engagement since WW II with Operation Praying Mantis, and deployed 3 times on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) between 1985 and 1990.
Earning the Navy Achievement Medal (NAM), Joint Meritorious Unit Award Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. I also got some cool tattoos over in the Philippines. I even managed to do a tour in alcohol rehab (I have 40 years of sobriety) and most importantly in my 12-year Navy career, learned to play Spades and Acey-Ducey.
VA-95 Green Lizard Intruder on the catapults.
I can’t say it enough, but I thank God for the privilege of having served with my shipmates. Even after all these years, we can still trash-talk each other and have fun as we did in our youth. God Bless each and every one.
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