‘Spiced’: A Very Special episode
April 6th, 2011 | Humor leadership Naval Safety Center Navy spice Uniforms Video | Posted by Dave Brown
Remember in the ’80s when sitcoms did Very Special episodes? Who will ever forget Jessie’s freak out when she took caffeine pills? Or the time Urkel got drunk and almost died? And don’t get Scoop Deck started on the time Brad got high, or on Uncle Ned’s drinking problem.
The sailors up at the Naval Submarine School in Groton, Conn., are reliving those glory days with “Spiced.” It’s a Very Special episode that naturally features puppets named “Josh” and “Greg” and the latter’s struggle with a very real problem in today’s Navy.
Spice and other designer drugs are scary stuff. And the part about getting kicked out of the Navy for using is no joke. Just ask any of these former mids or former amphibious assault ship Bataan sailors.
Thanks Josh and Greg. You made us laugh, and you made us think. You also taught us that sailors are referring to their Navy working uniforms as “N-dubs.” Brilliant.
The Navy strikes
March 21st, 2011 | Aviation Libya Naval aviation Navy Odyssey Dawn Ships Submarines Tomahawk Video | Posted by Bill McMichael
Navy ships and subs launched a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libyan air defenses Saturday, including this one, filmed by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman, leaping skyward out of the Norfolk-based destroyer Barry. The strikes, and subsequent bomb attacks by U.S., French and British aircraft, followed the March 17 passage of a U.N. resolution authorizing “all necessary measures” to protect civilians in Libya, particularly rebel fighters, being attacked by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s forces.
The coalition air strikes continued Sunday, with the Associated Press reporting that a line of Libyan tanks south of Benghazi were destroyed. Rebel forces had taken the city before coming under a withering counterattack by Libyan forces. AP also reported that a building in Gadhafi’s residential compound in Tripoli was destroyed late Sunday.
More on the other U.S. and coalition assets taking part in Operation Odyssey Dawn here.
Hello from space!
March 9th, 2011 | Facebook NASA Navy Video | Posted by Dave Brown
Let’s face it: Taped messages can be kinda lame. You’re at boot camp, you’re tired and confused, and someone wheels in a TV to give you a mini-speech by someone you’ve never heard of.
Then Scoop Deck saw this: a video of astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly that was posted on the U.S. Navy’s Facebook page. Kelly addresses recruits from the International Space Station, traveling 17,000 miles per hour and 220 miles above the Earth’s surface. No matter what he has to say, it’s more than a little cool to get a message like that.
And be sure to check out the somersault at the end.
‘XO Movie Night’ videos are out … all of them
March 4th, 2011 | Admirals Carriers Enterprise Fleet Forces Command Investigation JAGMAN leadership Navy Navy secretary Officers Personnel Video | Posted by Bill McMichael
As you probably know by now, Adm. John Harvey of Fleet Forces Command on Thursday unveiled the results of his investigation into the controversial “XO Movie Night” video skits aired on the carrier Enterprise from 2005 to 2007, recommending that secretarial letters of censure be issued to two admirals and two of the carrier’s former executive officers — including Capt. Owen Honors, who as XO played a primary role in most of the questionable productions.
If you haven’t read about the findings yet, here’s our short version. For those with a LOT of time on their hands, and perhaps curious about the 22 previously unleaked/unreleased videos containing what Harvey decided was objectionable material, go here. (Warning: Make sure you’re on a computer with a lot of juice and some volume control …)
The JSF STOVL lands — but will it fly?
January 12th, 2011 | Aviation Joint Strike Fighter Naval aviation Navy testing Video | Posted by Bill McMichael
The Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is officially on shaky ground, as observers of military affairs learned Jan. 6 when Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed concern over “significant testing problems” and announced he was putting the F-35B “on the equivalent of a two-year probation.” Oddly, that same day, manufacturer Lockheed Martin said the jet made its first vertical landing — at the same base, Naval Air Station Patuxent, Md., where the jet completed its first successful hover test in March.
Impressive. What can’t be seen, however, are the testing problems that Gates could lead to “a redesign of the aircraft’s structure and propulsion, changes that could add yet more weight and more cost to an aircraft that has little capacity to absorb more of either.” If these issues can’t be remedied in two years and the variant isn’t back on track “in terms of performance, cost and schedule, then I believe it should be canceled,” Gates said.
A not-quite arms race with China
January 10th, 2011 | Aviation China Navy Video | Posted by David Larter
The F-35C Lightning II joint strike fighter won't be the only new stealth fighter flying soon. The Chinese J-20 is getting close to operational. // Lockheed Martin
Apparently China’s super death ray carrier-sinking missile is still on Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ radar as he travels to China this week. Gates told The Telegraph that he had been concerned about the development of anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles since he took the job in 2006, and remained so. The trip was designed to ease tensions between the two powers, but so far it seems to have highlighted the jitters China’s recent military advancements have given the U.S.
The AP reports:
China has made strides in building a new stealth fighter jet, and Washington is also concerned about a new ballistic missile that could theoretically explode a U.S. aircraft carrier nearly 2,000 miles out to sea. China has also apparently beaten U.S. estimates to develop that weapon.
Gates told reporters traveling with him to Asia on Sunday that China had the potential to “put some of our capabilities at risk.”
“We have to pay attention to them. We have to respond appropriately with our own programs,” Gates said.
Hmm, responding to Chinese programs with programs. It couldn’t be another arms race, could it?
At their news conference Monday, Gates and [Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie] denied their governments are entering an arms race. Liang, dressed in his military uniform, animatedly defended China’s growing capabilities, calling them “entirely appropriate and consistent with China’s rise as an economic and political power.”
Well, that’s settled.
In regards to China’s J-20, Gates said that U.S. intel had dropped the ball on just how far along the Chinese were with the project.
“I think that what we’ve seen is that they may be somewhat further ahead in the development of that aircraft than our intelligence had earlier predicted,” Gates said.
This after cell phone video of the aircraft hit the Internet last week. Observe:
Support for Capt. Honors
January 3rd, 2011 | Aviation Carriers Facebook Fleet Forces Command leadership Life at Sea Morale Movies Navy Officers Video | Posted by Bill McMichael
The Navy didn’t mince words in its official reaction to Capt. Owen Honors’ role in the creation of what are viewed by many as overly suggestive or inappropriate videos — meant to be humorous — that were broadcast aboard the carrier Enterprise during his run as XO back in 2006-2007. “Those in command … are held accountable for setting the proper tone and upholding the standards of honor, courage and commitment that we expect sailors to exemplify,” said Cmdr. Chris Sims, spokesman for U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
You won’t find any such criticism on a Facebook page, “We Support Captain O.P. Honors!”, established on Jan. 1 — the same day the story was broken by Norfolk’s Virginian-Pilot newspaper — that describes itself as a “Support Group for a great Executive Officer and his extraordinarily funny XO Movie Night Skits.” It’s growing by the minute, with 1,230 members as of 12 noon EST Monday and nearly 600 posts, nearly all praising Honors, who now commands the ship as it prepares to deploy, and dismissing the videos as harmless fun meant to lighten the stress of shipboard life. Here are some examples:
“I used to be a sailor aboard the USS Enterprise and served while Capt Honors was both a XO and a CO,” one woman wrote. “I was aboard the ship while the videos under question were being filmed and watched them myself. The way the videos were reported to the world as `raunchy’ and `lewd’ is completely unrepresentative of the good-natured humor behind them. Capt Honors’ videos were always a highlight of the week.”
“I served with then-CDR Honors during the 2006 Deployment and know him to be an honorable man,” wrote one man. “The XO made the videos to address real shipboard issues in a comedic fashion. The crew always looked forward to them. Do not sacrifice this officer on the altar of political correctness.”
In the Tell Us What You Really Think Department, 0ne woman really let fly. “I pretty much hated EVERYTHING about being on the Enterprise EXCEPT for the people I worked with, and XO MOVIE NIGHT!,” she wrote. “Way to GO Capt. Honors! F*** EVERYONE ELSE that finds that s*** offensive….let them get back to their Lifetime Original Movies.”
The videos — you can see an edited version here — have generated national attention, with broadcast stories on every network. The videos include scenes of simulated same-sex showers and masturbation and a reference by one of Honors’ “alternate personalities” — a video trick — to another as “fag SWO boy,” leading some commentators to call the videos lewd, sexist and homophobic. Others raise questions about Honors’ leadership style. Sims said Fleet Forces has launched an investigation into the production of the videos.
What do you think?
Count Spirochete, AKA Syphilis
December 23rd, 2010 | Navy Video | Posted by David Larter
It seems as if there was a time in the Navy when they produced awesome training videos. Today’s videos (like the one where they teach you how to wash your hands), with all due respect, just ain’t what they used to be.
Exhibit A: Take this 1973 gem, The Return of Count Spirochete, produced by the National Naval Medical Center, which warns sailors about the dangers of syphilis. The vampire Count Spirochete wins top honors at the world Communicable Disease of the Year Award ceremony, presided over by Death himself.
Spirochete beats out the common cold, smallpox and even gonorrhea for the distinguished award, much to the chagrin of other pestilence present. Death is forced to justify the award to the attendees. And that’s what we call a “teachable moment.”
Training video gold. Observe:
Gator life
November 19th, 2010 | Gator Navy Video | Posted by David Larter
Happy Friday, everyone.
The gator Navy is a little different from the rest of the service, mostly because its sailors have to drive around a bunch of bored Marines for months at a time. Unless you’ve been in the gator world it’s hard to know what that’s like. But the sailors of the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard wanted to give you a little taste of gator living.
This retro, late-1980s sounding rap song is the Scoop Deck bored sailor video of the week. Observe:
Not impressing the women of Ronald Reagan much
November 12th, 2010 | Navy Video | Posted by David Larter
Usually the bored sailor videos that populate the YouTube universe are dominated by males. Well, the women of the carrier Ronald Reagan’s officer country decided to change that up a bit. In an impressive take on Canadian pop-princess Shania Twain’s hit “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” the women smash the bored sailor video’s digital ceiling.
A fine effort, ladies. Observe:
