my husband and i had an experience of a lifetime over Mother’s Day weekend.
it’s apropos that i post this on Veteran’s Day.
we were invited as Distinguished Visitors for a weekend on the US Navy’s USS Vinson, one of 7 aircraft carriers that travel around the world to protect and provide assistance in times of need.
i hadn’t given much thought to these massive boats. sure, i had a classmate who served after college and was at sea during the Persian Gulf War. but i hadn’t considered what it really takes to run an operation and why we’d even run an operation on such a massive scale.
they should teach this stuff in business school. the leaders within our Armed Forces are incredibly talented, capable, command respect, and quite frankly, get stuff done! period.
did you know that:
- an aircraft carrier houses 5,000 people
- the average age onboard is early 20s
- an aircraft carrier can be deployed anywhere in the world within 3-7 days
- a carrier can make up to 1 million gallons of fresh water each day and generate enough electricity to power small cities. we do this to help our friends around the world after massive natural disasters
- the USS Vinson is named after Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson, who was the leading supporter for the US Navy to have what’s now known as a Two-Ocean Navy. without his vision and leadership, the US most likely would have suffered a different fate after WWII
- all of the US aircraft carriers are nuclear-powered and are commissioned for 50 years. they’re dry-docked at their 25 year mark where they get a complete overhaul of systems and equipment
when we first arrived in Coronado for the trip, they gave us a full rundown of what to expect.
they said “Expect a LOT of walking and information. You’ll be tired by 1630, but we’ll be watching night landings and will have lights out around 2100.”
i thought “These guys clearly have no idea who they’re dealing with. I’ve got two kids and will sneak into the mess hall at 11 for cereal!”
um….
so….
we boarded a C2 Greyhound COD (carrier onboard delivery) plane and took off from North Beach in Coronado around noon.
you’re strapped in so tightly, are wearing cranials (aka helmets), goggles, and ear muffs. i could hardly move. and it’s dark. very dark. and you’re facing the back of the plane. so the whole thing is different than anything you’ve ever experienced.
my husband sat next to the only window on the plane and kept saying and pointing “cool! look at that, do you see the boat?” to which i responded with a blank stare bc there was no way i could possibly crane my neck to see anything out the window.
i could barely wipe my nose.
they gave us a 10 second warning before we had an arrested landed, which they explained is where a tail hook on the plane catches one of three huge wires on the boat. if we missed the wire, we’d be taking off again and looping back around. it would be better than any roller coaster ride we’d ever ridden, and let us know if you need a barf bag.
the landing was incredible. they gave us the 10 second warning, and literally in 11 seconds, we were completely stopped. and i didn’t barf. my husband looked close, but he kept it together.
then the back door opened….and all i could see was the horizon of the dark blue Pacific Ocean and hundreds of people on deck greeting us. they all had different colors on. some green, some purple, yellow, blue. their shirt colors signified the different jobs they had on the flight deck.
it felt surreal as i walked bc i could only hear muffled speech with my ear muffs on. and i was sort of in shock, to be honest. i felt numb. i was overwhelmed with emotion. why was i so lucky to have this experience?!
then we met the Commanding Officer who greeted us in his quarters and gave us more history on the operations. he also reiterated that we’d be exhausted by day’s end. i was starting to have an inkling that he may be right.
the day we were on board was the 2nd day of training operations for the entire crew before they deployed in August. the energy was palpable.
we were brought on deck to watch flight operations…i mean F18s….the crazy planes we all dreamt we could fly after watching Top Gun in high school.
we literally were 30-40′ away from where these planes were landing.
the amount of coordination, dedication, focus, and passion by the crew is indescribable and sort of mind-blowing. makes me think that pulling together a dinner party is a snap!
we got to see the entire boat. we walked. up, down, up, down, across, through. i had no idea where i was. i just followed.
we met the nicest crew.
we saw night operations.
we met pilots.
i met and ate meals with REAL top gun fighter pilots. WHAT!?
we saw bombs and missiles.
and by 16:30, i was wondering is it bedtime yet?
oh no, little lady. we’ve got 4.5 hrs to go!
we watched night landings. the entire crew were training and getting certified. take-offs, landings, touch and gos.
think about that. the boat is moving at 20 – 30 knots into the wind, you’re flying a multi-million dollar plane, and you’re trying to land on a strip the size of 3 football fields.
when we were finally escorted to our rooms – no fraternizing, so i got a solo room bc i was the only woman in our 12 person group – i was exhausted. and when i say exhausted, i mean like first trimester can’t keep your eyes open exhausted.
but….
we were only 2 decks below the flight deck.
so it wasn’t conducive to much sleep.
i wore my ear plugs and managed to catch a few zzz’s in between the emergency drills.
but it’s not settling to try to rest when you’re hearing “emergency in the nuclear reactor 1, emergency in nuclear reactor 1…”
is that a drill?
or …
is…
that…
…cereal…
i’m tremendously grateful for the opportunity to have had this experience. i have a much deeper appreciation and understanding of what our Armed Forces do. THANK YOU to all who have served and currently serve. God bless these people and their families and God Bless America.
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