Navy Mom

Day 1: May 18, 2009 at 1300(1pm) the USS George H. W. Bush pulls out to sea for one of its sea trials. Which on this sea trial, we are getting our flight deck qualified for the aircraft to be launched and recovered 24/7. It so happens to be that I am on this ship for this one of a kind experience. This is my first time ever out to sea. As we are pulling out I am actually watching the ship pull out of port and make its turn to head out to sea. At first I didn’t want to watch because it was making me a little dizzy, but then I decided to watch it actually pull out. It was fun to watch, but after the first day of sailing out to sea, I got sea sick. At first I really didn’t feel anything, but the more we got out to sea the more I felt the ship rock back and forth. My schedule is 12 hours a day 7 days a week. So I work from 0700-1900(7am-7pm). Which is kind of nice, I can actually sleep for once.

Day 2: May 19, 2009 at 0700 is when I actually start my work day. My night was relaxing. As I felt the ship rock it actually put me to sleep after only having 2 hours of sleep the nigh before. Which sucked but I made it through the day. Right now I am still in indoc, the most boring thing ever! At 0930, the aircraft started to land and take off. But they had to stop due to a system not working so they sent the aircraft back to land to fuel up and come back. So around 1400(2pm), the system came back up and the aircraft came back to be launched and recovered. To bad I couldn’t see it happen, but there are 8 more days to see this actually happen. We could actually hear the aircraft being launched and recovered. I’m telling you, it was an amazing sound to hear. But I can’t wait to actually see it being done.

Day 3: May 20, 2009 at 0700 I start another day at work. Still in indoc, but it was my last day. So finally, tomorrow I can actually go see the aircraft being launched and recovered, which I can actually take pictures. I will post them up as soon as I can. Well, nothing really exciting happened today. But hopefully tomorrow I will have some exciting things to tell.

Day 4: May 21, 2009, another work day. This time no indoc, hooyah! Well my day once again started at 0700. Nothing really exiting happened until around 1200. Today I actually got to see the aircraft launch and recover. It was awesome just watching them take off and land. I watched that happen for about 2 hours then I had to go downstairs to take a command survey. Then after that, I went back upstairs to watch some training go on since I can’t participate in any physical activity right now. I am currently LLD (light limited duty), which sucks because I like to participate instead of sit out doing nothing. So that was my day. There will be more to come each day that we are out to sea.

Day 5: May 22, 2009, another day at work. It’s another day where I got to go to vultures’ row and watch the aircraft during flight ops. Vultures’ row is a place where everyone on the ship can go see the aircraft take off and land without actually being on the flight deck it’s self. In order for me to be qualified I have to go up there for 3 days and 3 nights, and then I have to take a test to make sure I know where everything is at and what certain things mean. It’s amazing to see how things work on the flight deck. Watching the aircraft take off and land is the most amazing to me right now. It’s actually better than watching a plane take off and land at an airport. So as I was watching and learning my job, I actually saw dolphins in the water close to the ship. It was amazing seeing the dolphins where they actually belong. When I was done with that, I went back to the hangar bay where I actually work and saw sharks near the ship. I think it’s cool, but it’s my first time actually out to sea. I think it will get boring after so many times of seeing it.

Day 6: May 23, 2009, another wonderful day at work. Since I am LLD, my senior chief told me I had to work in hangar deck control. Hangar deck control is the central port for calls when something happens or when someone needs another person for the hangar bay. So I sat in there all day eating, and answering phone calls. Today I actually got to email my parents and chat with them for a while, which was nice. I’m so glad that email does work on the ship. Today was my last day of standing on vulture’s row and watching the aircraft. Now I have to work on doing my 3 nights, but I can’t do it until they quit canceling the night ops. Besides that, today was our drill on moving aircraft from the flight deck to the hangar bay and moving them from one bay to another, then chocking and chaining them. Too bad I could not participate in tonight’s drill because I’m freaking LLD. It sucks because I want to be qualified, but can’t if I’m LLD. Hopefully next time we go out to sea I will be able to work on my Plane Handling qualification. This drill started at 2200(10pm) and will probably end at 0100. They sent me to bed since I couldn’t do anything, damn LLD. Well it’s time for bed. More will come tomorrow.

Day 7: May 24, 2009, another day in hangar deck control! Well not really, I never stay in there. Nothing really exciting happened during the day, but when it came to night it was on! I got to see the aircraft take off and land. It was actually awesome watching that. Well that’s all I can say for now.

Day 8: May 25, 2009, same shit different day. But it was a good day. Nothing really exciting happened today. It was just another day out to sea.

Day 9: May 26, 2009, another day at work. Nothing really went on except for me shining brass all day. O yeah the president came today. Might I say the former president, the one that was named after this ship? I had another night of night ops which was awesome to watch! That’s all for now.

Day 10: May 27, 2009, once again another day at work, how exciting. My last day of LLD!!!! Finally, I’ve been waiting on this forever. But in order for my knee to heal I had to rest my knee. Well today we had a ceremony for the E-4-E-6 who passed there test and got promoted to the next pay grade. I finally got to see the president. I didn’t get to shake his hand, but o well. He did there oath and then he gave his speech to us. He teared up because he was so happy that he got to be on the ship and give the oath to our new E-4-E-6’s. We also sang him happy birthday since his birthday is June 12. He was amazed by it. Well that was my day. Tomorrow is our last day at sea then we will be home on the 29th!

Day 11: May 28, 2009, it is our last full day out to sea. Nothing really happened except for flight ops and getting ready to pull back into port. Hooyah last day.

Day 12: May 29, 2009 today is the day we pulled back into port. Being out to sea was pretty awesome. Just experiencing what it is like was amazing. There are now new pics up for everyone to sea. So that was my journey. If you have any questions feel free to ask!