A public apology for barfing on the COD
January 30th, 2012 | Aviation Carrier On-Board Delivery plane Carriers Chow COMPTUEX Enterprise Life at Sea Naval aviation Navy | Posted by Joshua Stewart
Dear VRC-40 “The Rawhides,”
I’m just writing to apologize for getting airsick in your C-2A Greyhound. It was certainly unintentional. You handled the plane with steady hands as we flew from Naval Air Station Mayport, Fla., to the carrier Enterprise last week. We even had weather on our side, allowing for a particularly calm flight.
If only my stomach was able to manage my breakfast as well as you flew the COD.
Usually I handle flights pretty well, but the combination of the smell of aviation fuel, the lack of windows, the heat and the sheer grittiness of the Navy’s draft horse airplane was more than I could manage. I didn’t even make it halfway through our quick flight. By the time we were headed into our approach, I wasn’t as excited about going from 100 to zero mph in less than two seconds as much as I was excited about just getting out of that torture chamber.
This C-2A Greyhound lands on the carrier Enterprise with a reporter who is very sorry he got airsick. // Navy
Please don’t think anything less of me for this; better-known reporters have handled it just as poorly (one former SWO who took a COD with a certain cable news star told me “Wolf ralphed” during a flight to the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower). And please don’t forget that I cleaned up after myself. I just wish I had had an airsick bag
While I’m feeling contrite, I should also apologize to the cooks who made breakfast before our flight back at Mayport … that was your banana muffin with green apple syrup that ended up in the seat next to me. This was not a commentary on your culinary skills; it was certainly delicious on the way down.
And to everyone else on the carrier who heard about my illness, from the chief medical officer who gave me a motion sickness patch (if you’re curious, they certainly work and I’m available for paid endorsements) to the three people who provided me with stacks of airsick bags for my return flight (I thankfully didn’t need to use them for their intended purposes, but I’ll hold onto them to carry lunches through the year), I appreciate all of your help.
Once again, I apologize for my faux pas and I hope I can one day fly with you again.
Sincerely,
Josh Stewart
Not-so-fair winds at farewell
January 17th, 2012 | Deployment Life at Sea Maritime operations Navy Norfolk Naval Station Photos Surface Force Atlantic | Posted by Bill McMichael
The temperature would rise to near 60 in Hampton Roads Tuesday, but winds gusting to 37 mph made it feel 45ish — and it always feels colder down at the Naval Station Norfolk waterfront, where the frigate Nicholas left around 10 a.m.
How windy was it? The line handlers had to go hatless:
Line handlers aboard the frigate Nicholas pull up the mooring lines as the ship prepared to depart Naval Station Norfolk for a regularly scheduled deployment to South America. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kayla Jo Finley
The chop also made for a tricky getaway:
A tugboat assists the frigate Nicholas as it departs Naval Station Norfolk Tuesday. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kayla Jo Finley
And off they went:
Family members watch as the frigate Nicholas heads out to sea. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kayla Jo Finley
Nicholas will be joining other U.S. and partner-nation ships in support of Navy Maritime Interception Operations, according to Naval Surface Force Atlantic.
CO vs. sailor’s mother
November 17th, 2011 | Blogs Carriers Facebook Life at Sea | Posted by Joshua Stewart
The fight is between blogger and Navy Mom Mary Brotherton and Capt. Brian “Lex” Luther, commanding officer of the carrier George H.W. Bush, a ship with ongoing commode problems.
Brotherton has a blow-by-blow account of the head troubles on the carrier, complete with accounts from her son, a sailor onboard. It’s pretty thorough and includes details on how sailors handle widespread toilet outages, the clogs that cripple the toilet system and efforts to fix breakdowns. It was her work that tipped off a bunch of reporters on what’s happening on the ship.
Not to be outdone, Capt. Luther has spoken up as well, explaining the head issue from his perspective in a post on the carrier’s Facebook page. The CO of the Navy’s newest carrier offers a bunch of data and figures to bolster his side and provides a nuanced account of life at sea.
In his Facebook page, Luther disputes some of Brotherton’s claims but doesn’t mention her by name (look for this tactic during candidate debates – political hopefuls almost never mention their opponent by name. Candidates do it to keep their opponent’s name from appearing in print, bringing them additional attention. Luther seems to be doing it out of courtesy to Brotherton.) In response, Brotherton was more direct and posted “just as [Luther] stated that he will defend my rights as an American, as that American, I will defend and advocate for, to the day I die, those men and women who are serving their country.”
This is a tough fight to call. Luther has one of the toughest call signs around, giving him a huge intimidation advantage. Brotherton, however, is a Navy mom, and Navy moms — and moms of any service members, for that matter — don’t back down.
Dive for that loose ball!
November 9th, 2011 | Basketball Carrier Classic Life at Sea Marine Corps Navy Photos Veterans Day | Posted by Bill McMichael
When the Navy agreed to hold an NCAA basketball game on the flight deck of the carrier Carl Vinson, one probably could have gotten decent odds against the prospect of rain in San Diego on Veterans Day. Now there’s an 80 percent chance, and it’s looking like the highly anticipated North Carolina-Michigan State game could get bumped downstairs to the much smaller hangar deck. That’s bad news for some ticket holders — just about all of them military personnel — because only 4,000 or 5,000 of the 7,000 who could attend topside would be able to squeeze into the hangar deck.
On top of that, an entire basketball court and stands had been erected topside. Workers are now feverishly assembling a second court on the hangar deck, my colleague Gidget Fuentes tells me.
But really, now: Who needs a wooden basketball court? The players are playing for veterans. Wouldn’t it be more interesting to let them play on the non-skid-covered deck, like sailors at sea do?
Sailors and Marines participate in a "3 on 3" basketball tournament in the hangar bay aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), on March 2, 2003, during fund raising efforts to support the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society. Kearsarge was in the Persian Gulf, operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. // U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Alicia Tasz.
That stuff is ROUGH.
It would make for some interesting play-by-play commentary over what might appear to be a reticence to dive for loose balls …
Busy days and nights aboard Ike
October 19th, 2011 | Carrier qualifications Carriers Life at Sea Navy Photos Ships Training Underway replenishment | Posted by Bill McMichael
The Norfolk-based carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower is deep into the basic phase of pre-deployment training while underway in the Atlantic. Technically, it’s taking part in a Tailored Ship’s Training Availability and Final Evaluation Problem, or TSTA/FEP, and conducting carrier qualifications for Carrier Air Wing 7 fliers.
An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower Oct. 14. // U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Parde
Ike will be out for several weeks to come, so it’s a busy time for the crews of the ship and the wing. All that activity demands fresh stores of all sorts. On Oct. 18 — not clear if it was pre-sunrise or post-sunset — the fast combat support ship USNS Arctic delivered the goods.
The fast combat support ship USNS Arctic sails alongside Ike during an Oct. 18 underway replenishment. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Julia A. Casper
During an UNREP, the flight deck remains quiet — but under a watchstander’s careful eye.
Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Nicholas Blackburn of the Eisenhower stands watch during an underway replenishment with USNS Arctic. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Julia A. Casper
Haze gray and underway
September 27th, 2011 | Carriers Life at Sea Navy Photos Ships Training Underway replenishment | Posted by Bill McMichael
This simple yet atmospheric photo should resonate with anyone who’s ever been at sea …
Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Airman Apprentice Raymond Duenas waits on the elevator operator during replenishment at sea operations aboard the Norfolk-based carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. In the background is USNS Lewis and Clark; USNS Arctic also took part in the "unrep." Ike is currently underway in the Atlantic conducting carrier qualifications. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Tony Bloom
No pain, no gain
September 23rd, 2011 | Carrier qualifications Carriers Life at Sea Master-at-arms Navy OC spray Photos Security Force training Training | Posted by Bill McMichael
So you want to be a Navy master-at-arms or join a ship’s security force? Know that this is a hurdle you’ll have to clear:
Air-Traffic Controller Airman Tom Smith, from Boston, Mass., is sprayed with Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) while qualifying for a certification to carry OC spray and a baton as part of the security force aboard the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. Ike is underway in the Atlantic conducting carrier qualifications. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Parde
Yep, that’s a faceful of Oleoresin Capsicum spray — a staple of master-at-arms “A” school training and part of a requirement for shipboard security force qualification. But you don’t just get a level one (directly in the face) spray shot of the (obviously) non-lethal pepper spray, which burns like the dickens and can cause breathing problems. You have to show you can fight through the pain and do your job:
Airman James Fritz, from Pittsburgh, Pa., performs defensive strikes after being sprayed with OC spray while qualifying to be certified as part of the security force aboard Ike. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Parde
That guy in the Storm Trooper gear? He’s gotta go down, as well:
Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Airman Larmonz Lynn, from Toms River, N.J., performs a takedown after being sprayed with OC spray while qualifying for a certification to carry OC spray and a baton as part of the security force aboard Ike. // U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Parde
Like they say, you really gotta want it.
The Dripper or the Trickle Down Café?
March 2nd, 2011 | Carriers Humor Life at Sea Navy | Posted by Joshua Stewart
On Jan. 31 a new coffee shop opened up on the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan. Apparently Hellcat Café, as it’s called, is popular enough to draw lines several sailors deep. Cafés on other carriers have also been notably successful.
However, there’s just one problem: the name. Granted, Hellcat Café has a nice ring to it, and it’s a clever reference to the 1957 submarine flick “Hellcats of the Navy” which starred Reagan. There are, however, other monikers that could have worked. Namely, The Dripper, a la The Gipper, or the Trickle Down Café, a reference to the 40th president’s economic policy.
Any other ideas?
Firing Honors, pro and con, Week 2
January 10th, 2011 | Blogs Carriers Fleet Forces Command leadership Life at Sea Morale Navy Officers Personnel | Posted by Bill McMichael
Adm. John Harvey learned about the controversial, four-year-old shipboard videos co-produced by Capt. Owen Honors on Dec. 31 — the day before they were published for the first time outside the skin of the carrier Enterprise — and “immediately ordered an investigation,” he says in a Jan. 7 post on his command blog.
Harvey also says he reviewed the videotapes published online by Norfolk’s Virginian-Pilot newspaper that weekend and then made his controversial decision to fire Honors, who’d graduated from executive officer — his position when the sometimes-racy, meant-to-be-humorous short films were produced — to become the 49-year-old carrier’s commanding officer. Honors was canned barely a week before the carrier deploys Jan. 13, possibly for the final time.
“When I did view those videos, I took action – just as I would have had I seen them four years ago,” Harvey wrote.
Those weighing in on Harvey’s decision seem to fall into two distinct camps. 1: Honors was a great leader who motivated his hard-working, much-deployed crew with humor they could relate to, the content wasn’t any edgier than what is broadcast every day on cable TV and his dismissal is a gutless reaction to outside media pressure. 2: XOs and COs are supposed to behave like grown-ups; Honors created a poor command climate that denigrated at least some crew members; and like it or not, today’s naval leaders must be cognizant of the image they project, here and abroad.
One Honors supporter’s view: “How dare anyone act as if those silly videos compromise the Navy,” wrote a civilian identifying herself as Dani MarieBernadette D’Angelo. “They are what they are, a means of blowing off steam for our sons and daughters who are so far from home and in dangerous situations. … the only reason that they have become a problem now is because the Navy wants to bow to the politically correct agenda. Captain Honors lives by a set of core values that anyone would be proud of.”
Another: “Leaders lead by example,” Anonymous wrote. ” CAPT Honors produced a funny, over the top, and professional [sic] filmed movie which was not to be taken seriously. You talk to his sailors; CAPT Honors was all business, a role model, and one hell of a Navy Officer. He is the guy you want fighting your ship in battle.”
Others say Honors set a poor example for others to follow. “What those individuals have missed is, to my mind, the TRULY grievous act that CAPT Honors committed: setting a negative, hostile command environment for the crew of ENTERPRISE when he was XO,” wrote James. “He mocked anyone who objected to his unacceptable behavior. He erased ANY personal credibility that he had when it came to dealing with issues of sexual harassment. It was even implied that filing a grievance would do no good — he was `above’ their control. That, more than anything, is what makes his behavior so damaging and toxic.”
Added SubIconoclast: “The line between ‘bold’ and ‘reckless’ can shift depending on whether we are at war or in peace, and senior officers must recognize that even units employed in war WILL be evaluated against peacetime standards when they appear in the national media of a nation which is generally at peace.
“Today’s combat leaders simply have to meet both standards; complaining about it won’t change the fundamental facts of the situation. CAPT Honors knew that – he just made the mistake of assuming that he could get away with skipping the `Washington Post’ test before recording videos and broadcasting them to thousands. That doesn’t make him a bad American but it does diminish his ability to command effectively.”
Both camps generally express a common thread: Go after the senior leaders who knew of the videos and didn’t react decisively four years ago. Some of those leaders are the subject of our story in this week’s Navy Times.
A tradition of the sea
January 4th, 2011 | Carriers Life at Sea Navy Photos | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
Burials at sea are a long tradition of the sea. Capt. Bruce Lindsey, who commands the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, salutes the national ensign during a Dec. 27 as the ship sailed near Hawaii.//MC3 James R. Evans//Navy
On a cloudy but humid tropical day, several dozen sailors, donning crisp uniforms, gathered on aircraft carrier Carl Vinson’s port side elevator No. 4 as the ship maneuvered in the waters of the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. On a table covered with a blue cloth sat urns of different sizes and colors – 43 in all – carrying the cremains of former service members and military spouses.
The honor platoon and rifle platoon lined up for the burial-at-sea ceremony on Dec. 27. With calm winds and flat seas, a trio of chaplains with the ship and Carrier Strike Group 1 led the ceremony, which included remarks by the carrier’s skipper, Capt. Bruce Lindsey. One at a time, each of the cremains was placed on a blue chute, committing the dead to their final resting place in the sea. Among those buried that day – it was the ship’s largest burial ceremony – was one of the Carl Vinson’s first command master chiefs.
The burial-at-sea is perhaps one of the Navy’s oldest ceremonies, an ancient tradition of sea-going sailors. It remains a benefit for former sailors and other service members, as well as their family members, and many ships and even submarines routinely perform the rite when at sea.
It can be a quite personal affair. Vinson’s ceremony marked a personal moment for Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Christopher Seubert, an honor guard member who also paid his respects to his grandfather, Fredrick Heidmann, a retired senior chief aviation machinist’s mate who died in August at age 74. “It was pretty intense for me,” Seubert said, speaking by phone Dec. 29 from the ship. “It was quite the honor to know I was part of the tradition.”
The burial-at-sea was a request of his mother, so Seubert carried his grandfather’s cremains when he and the crew deployed from San Diego last month. “She knew I’d be coming to the ship. She knew he wanted to be buried at sea,” he said. “I thought it would be a good opportunity for my grandfather and me to be on the same ship.”
Burial ceremonies are almost routine business on big-deck ships like Carl Vinson. “We’ve actually done a lot, probably more than any other carrier,” said Lt. Cmdr. Erik Reynolds, the ship’s public affairs officer. The public affairs office captured the ceremony in video and photographs, which with the chaplains’ help send personalized packages to each of the families. “We think it’s important, so we put a fair amount of effort and respect that goes into it,” Reynolds said. Reynolds himself is familiar with the ceremony. On his first ship deployment aboard the cruiser Princeton, he brought along the cremains of his grandfather, an Army veteran of World War II. “I kept his remains in my stateroom for about a month” before the ceremony, a bit unnerving to his roommates, he recalled.
Still, the ceremony is a revered tradition, if not one of curiosity for the junior sailors going to sea for the first time. “We usually get a very positive reaction,” said Capt. Keith Shuley, the carrier’s command chaplain. “The sailors take it very seriously. They are honored to be able to do it,” said Shuley, a Catholic priest. “They know that they are doing something special for the families who have made a very special request.”