Hands on Deck!

I was a little worried when I saw the old working party list outside the holds office this morning. But I didn't bother to bother the people inside to find out if I changed or not. So I reported to the BPO... which was convenient, since I needed to get my keycard re-coded after locking it in my room twice this weekend. :)

Relly had me go get the truck loaded with the fridges from last week and load it with all the microwaves as well before driving it over to the barracks building manager. Once I parked, my phone rang... the hold's office wanted me to go to the USS Benfold! They were wondering if I could drop everything and report right away?! So I said "no problem". :)

Apparently, the other four or five people they wanted to go didn't answer their phones. So it was just two other girls and I who the Benfold duty driver brought back to the ship. We ended up hanging out with the Deck department... a bunch of undesignated seamen and a couple third classes. It was a little bit rowdier bunch, but we got some stuff on deck put away. Spent a lot of time faking lines (some of them were new and very stiff) and hauling large, awkward pieces of metal to its storage places below or inside. These things were in boxes or on pallets because when the ship went to the dry dock they had to put all these things in storage containers off the ship.

I was able to put my brains into action to help with a couple of things... like re-tying pipes on a pallet down (because we didn't have time for them) and lowering a heavy piece of tackle down the hatch. Also ran into another officer that was annoying. An ensign made us put on our awkward safety glasses. Last time I was here a lieutenant stopped and asked us what we were doing (since we were waiting around for the petty officer who was taking us below) and when told by us, and then the other petty officer, he said, "I don't like it when people are just sitting around". Anyway, I'm making notes on how I would want to act if I became an officer.

Unfortunately, we had to wait nearly an hour for the duty driver to take us back to base... and we didn't get back until a quarter to five. And I got a rather dark sunburn on my face and forearms. We had to wait a while for the duty van at lunchtime too. But we had enough time to go with them to Subway on the dry side of Naval Station San Diego.