Comment

Comment by Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom on February 12, 2014 at 1:57am

The biggest and best N/EX is in Norfolk VA (love shopping there, just ask my son LOL) but the shirts and hats are mostly generic Navy.  Better to browse http://www.zazzle.com/corpsman+gifts and http://www.cafepress.com/+corpsman+gifts for designs you like.  And this is a former corpsman with some cool designs; I like his "signature" corpsman shirt. He donates 10% to corpsman groups too - https://www.facebook.com/FlexAbiliTees. 

Comment by Bobbo on February 12, 2014 at 1:34am

Okay Marcy, let's get down to brass tacks...the important stuff.

Where are the NavEx with good Corpsman gear? I need to get a new hat and a Tee would be nice.

:-)))

Comment by IDCmom#1 on February 11, 2014 at 8:09pm

Marcy, thank you for providing the link to Navy bases.  I didn't realize there were so few navy bases.  My husband told me a few of these bases are pretty much closed down. 

My son starts looking for "sea duty" orders next month for December PCS.  Because he is an IDC, his choices get even more limited.  Would be wonderful if mothers could do the selecting, especially now that we know our third grandchild is on the way in October.

Comment by Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom on February 11, 2014 at 7:45pm

Here's a great link to save and share - an interactive map of the Navy's major bases in the continental U.S., plus a list of ship homeports.  Clicking on the name takes you to the website for that location.  Navy facilities in the U.S. - interactive map.

Comment by Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom on February 10, 2014 at 8:02pm

With the recent Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships, CNN's Sanjay Gupta asks why Navy Sailors don't get sick.  Great story that aired February 8 and features the Medical Department on USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7)!  Can you say 'prevmed'?  :)  

Comment by DramaSoul on February 8, 2014 at 10:49pm

Marcy, I saw it! Both the film and the NPR interview.  I saw the film with my son when he was home on leave for Thanksgivukkah.  It was an unbelievable experience to share it with him and then to spend time afterward talking about it.  I had read about HM2 Albert as well.  He told me about the ship but I didn't realize they are called LHD's. 

I read about the Bataan ARG departing online.  Pretty amazing.

I think that was my son's first choice for his next orders...to be on an LHD. It wasn't available soooo....you know where he will be going!

Comment by Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom on February 8, 2014 at 10:31pm

You're exactly right!  He was flown from the destroyer Bainbridge to USS Boxer (LHD-4).  And you probably know that the corpsman (HM2 Danielle Albert) in the movie is the actual corpsman who treated him.  That scene wasn't part of the movie's original script and they winged it in a couple of takes.  There is a great interview on NPR with Tom Hanks and the director, and they talk about that at the very end.

The Navy has eight LHDs.  Here are their homeports:  USS Wasp, USS Bataan, and USS Iwo Jima in Norfolk Virginia; USS Boxer, USS Bonhomme Richard, and USS Makin Island in San Diego CA; and USS Essex in Sasebo Japan.

Each LHD has two smaller transport ships that make up its Amphibious Ready Group (ARG).  In fact, the three-ship Bataan ARG departed Norfolk just today for an eight-month deployment.  The Iwo ARG is moving its homeport to Mayport Florida this year.

Comment by DramaSoul on February 8, 2014 at 10:17pm

Marcy...WOW!!!

I think an LHD was used in "Capt. Phillips".  At least it looked like the Iwo Jima. 

I love that they are used for humanitarian missions....

Thanks Marcy! YOU ROCK!!!

Comment by Marcy ~ Corpsman Mom on February 8, 2014 at 9:58pm

OK Dramasoul, here goes!  As I've come to know about and visit these ships, I find them fascinating.  First - Landing Helicopter Dock is the Navy's classification for the largest of its amphibious warships.

At 844 feet long, the LHD is second in size only to aircraft carriers (1,092 feet).   While the aircraft carrier is single-use, the LHD is multi-dimensional.  She carries jets and helicopters (29 in all), and in addition to her crew of 1,000, she can carry and deliver up to 2,000 Marines to land, including their vehicles and equipment.

But what's really cool are the LHD's extensive medical capabilities that makes this amphibious assault ship also the choice for providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.  In such a mission, an LHD can not only transport people, deliver food and make drinkable water, the medical crew  (including some two dozen ship's-company hospital corpsmen) can provide top-level medical care in the onboard facility that includes operating rooms, x-ray facilities, a blood bank, laboratories, and patient wards.  In a catastrophic event, the hangar bay and flight deck can act as an overflow triage area.

As an example, following Hurricane Katrina the Iwo Jima was used as a command and control platform and as a hospital for those who could not get to area hospitals; and its search and rescue efforts lifted 3,400 people from rooftops, rescuing them from rising waters.  These ships are called upon in rotation with USNS Comfort and Mercy for the humanitarian missions Pacific Promise and Continuing Promise.  

When he was part of a Fleet Surgical Team, my son took part in Continuing Promise 2010, when USS Iwo Jima visited eight countries in four months, providing medical care - over 160,000 medical, dental and optometry services!

Since then I've been so fortunate to tour the Iwo, including viewing the enormous 'well deck' than can fill with seawater for the amazing landing craft), and visit the medical departments on the Wasp and the Bataan.

 If you can't tell by now, I really am fascinated by these ships - they truly inspire the word "awesome"!  :)   

Comment by DramaSoul on February 8, 2014 at 4:00pm

Thanks, Marcy!  Gotta ask...LHD?

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