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In a nutshell, this is where I've been.

Donovan

Donovan

beer, I want beer
Might be one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I've had a fistful good and bad. In this thread I will entertain any and all questions regarding the two week event.

I will start by answering the most obvious:
Yes, that is actual footage of our homecoming Friday Morning.

Yes, I am manning the rails, although you can't pick me out because I'm behind the sailors so as not to break the row of white. My son and I are directly to the forward side of the main central control tower on the ship, facing the side that doesn't have "76" on it. More than likely, I am busy taking a picture with a pepper shaker or cracking up several of the sailors by telling my son all the people onshore are shouting "Melba Toast!"

Yes, it felt as awesome as it looks.

No, the footage is not mine but it is extremely well done.

[YOUTUBE]K8ohIO3SKSI[/YOUTUBE]
 
question: Did they let me see the whole ship?

answer: damn near all of it, except a very few areas. Even the sooper secret command center where they had to turn off a few key monitors before we went in. We saw where they steered the thing, directed the jets from, lived, ate, slept, worked: everything.

addendum: the ship is 77,000 tons of nuclear powered badass. Seeing everything takes a LOT of walking and a LOT of climbing narrow causeways and stairwells. I damn near kilt myself.
 
Dick Leaky said:
That's really cool dude, did you get to bang any hot Navy women on that ship or were you the meat in a sailor sandwich?
Click to expand...

Nope to both. Although there were hundreds of fine-looking specimens of either gender to choose from, turns out Uncle Sam is very serious about not wanting any extracurricular activity on his boats. Fraternization is prohibited.

How serious? I saw a two-person, armed MP duo standing outside the Head one night in my section (that's the men's bathroom for you landlubbers). One stood at ready while the other went inside. I thought it odd to need an armed escort to take a piss, so I asked about it. Turns out, those MP's are assigned to patrol any and all "hot spots" on a routine, regular, random schedule looking for illicit sex. And in order to prevent any "look the other way" action, any MP who catches sailors having sex is handsomely rewarded with chunks of leave time.

Given the history of the American Navy, I was somewhat surprised by this rule. I could only guess that between the hard fucking beds and the hard line on fucking, Uncle Sam wants his sailors mad enough to kill when they get to the war zone.

I know I was pretty grumpy...
 
curiousa2z said:
so you were being literal when you tagged "my ride" on that fb photo...
Click to expand...

Yep. I couldn't really say anything specific before I left, being that it's still technically wartime and they ask us to be careful with details etc, but essentially the deal is this: every couple years or so, after a long deployment, the Navy will allow what's called a Tiger Cruise, where family members can come out to a set location, generally Pearl Harbor, go onboard the ship, and ride the last leg of the journey home with their sailor/marine. Along they way they party it up and get a good look at exactly what it means to be in the military, the crew gets a huge morale boost for the ride home, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing for the riders.

It happens on other ships as well, I just got lucky in that my sister is stationed on the motherfucking Flagship Carrier of the fleet, nuclear powered and fresh off from saving the world one tsunami at a time...

I'm posting more pics soon on the FB. Plenty of coolness to be seen.
 
Wait second...

The United States Navy let Donovan near something nuclear powered?

Our Donovan?

Hey Donovan- Still have all your hair and fingernails?

[Riotgear doublechecking how many Donovans he knows]
 
'Gear said:
Wait second...

The United States Navy let Donovan near something nuclear powered?

Our Donovan?

Hey Donovan- Still have all your hair and fingernails?

[Riotgear doublechecking how many Donovans he knows]
Click to expand...

Not only that but they let me in the room where they fire the big giant guns and stuff. And the giant slingshot room where they fling the jets off the boat, and the one where they control all the key "destroy the world" buttons.

Know what I found weird? All that hightech military hoobajoob, and no real security cameras anywhere. Guess they figure they can trust the six thousand government employees onboard, but I dunno...
 
You just didn't see em'.

Can you post some pics here for those of us monkeymen who don't fb?

hoobajoob lulz
 
Dammit, I just made a lengthy post all about a man overboard thing and fucking comp ate it.

Short version: a "man overboard" alert the last night set the ship on full drill alert, complete with mustering the entire crew and guests roster out of bed at midnight, launching SAR boats and prepping helicopter backup before it was discovered someone had simply tossed or dropped a chemlight overboard. Impressive display of teamwork and military efficiency, the entire thing took about an hour, but it raised the question "why no security cams to see who did it?"

Short answer: the Navy trains its sailors to act responsibly, expects them to do so and has dire consequences if they don't. So aside from key areas like flight deck, hangar bay, and sensitive command areas, no real camera presence.
 
Dono, that's a pretty damn epic trip you had there, color me completely in awe.
There's only one question left in my mind - did you get 'em coconuts?? :P

the Navy trains its sailors to act responsibly, expects them to do so and has dire consequences if they don't.
Click to expand...
hehe, so the Navy places a lot of trust in their sailors, that's cool. Unless it's about sex, apparently.... but hey, can't blame them for being realistic ;)
 
Ilyanna said:
Dono, that's a pretty damn epic trip you had there, color me completely in awe.
There's only one question left in my mind - did you get 'em coconuts?? :P

hehe, so the Navy places a lot of trust in their sailors, that's cool. Unless it's about sex, apparently.... but hey, can't blame them for being realistic ;)
Click to expand...

Not so much about trust as it is about a very clear and decisive punishment system. When the one thing they want most, personal liberty and the opportunity to find sex etc during shore leave, is directly controlled by the officers above them in the chain--it's powerful incentive to behave.

They have this system that involves progressive discipline, very ritualized, when a sailor fucks up. They "go before the mast" by appearing at a designated Master Chief's office, in full dress whites, accompanied by two armed MP's. The sailor is made to wait at full attention outside the door, which is in the Chief's mess hall is view of hundreds of shipmates, until the Chief calls for him/her. Then there is a full panel of chiefs inside that basically decide the fate of the sailor after they take turns reaming them out for a half hour or so.

Punishment starts at "restriction" which is banishment from all non-work stations. Bunk or station, no liberties. Shore leave cancellations, loss of rank and pay, permanent demotion, cleaning detail, transfer to a shit department, brig time, possible DD from the Navy itself. I got to see one of these happen and heard in detail about another case. Not pleasant. So I wouldn't say "trust" as much as "strong deterrents".

As for coconuts: Hawaii thread pending.
 
I sure as fuck didn't want to be in the shoes of the guy I saw waiting to go before the Mast, and I ain't even in the Navy. Looked terrified and sick all at the same time.
 
Pretty badass.

Are Navy ships as small/narrow/tight as I imagine, inside? I'm 6"6 with a wide frame. I'm quite then, but it doesn't matter much. I've had a bitch of a time on a few ships, simply getting around. I feel as if I'd have to limber up every morning just to get from point A to B without cramping.
 
gotta upload them first, make a flickr account or something

You can use the server space at TKR with your priv and a media folder, which you can make.

I'll show you over there if you like.
 
Jibbles said:
Pretty badass.

Are Navy ships as small/narrow/tight as I imagine, inside? I'm 6"6 with a wide frame. I'm quite then, but it doesn't matter much. I've had a bitch of a time on a few ships, simply getting around. I feel as if I'd have to limber up every morning just to get from point A to B without cramping.
Click to expand...

They were roomy enough, just not built for comfort. You'd have been fucked for sleeping though, the berths are like 2.5 feet wide and as deep, maybe 6.5 feet long. Little fucking metal coffins...stacked three deep. We were lucky and got placed in a little room at the extreme aft (rear) section with only 12 berths, some unoccupied. I saw another section with a couple hundred guys in it.

As for walking, between the hatches and kneeknockers and protruding hardware and steep ladderstairs, you'd have been munching motrin like candy before long. I was...
 
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