First Week, First Underway

In the interests of OPSEC, or operational security, I feel I need to be much more vague about my daily goings on than I have been in the past. My ship of a couple hundred people depend on security to keep them safe, not to mention the regular concerns about keeping a ship of war ready for that mission.

I'm keeping a paper pocketbook log my experience, so if in the distant future I want to make it public, I will be able to recall specifics.

So far I have finished checking in, and am starting to get used to the layout of the ship. Today was my seventh day aboard, and just yesterday, I forgot a couple times how to get topside! (did have a ten-day break that allowed me to forget some things though! :) I did note good progress today though. I only got turned around for a brief moment when I was getting familiar with the lower stern part of the ship. Had a couple little assignments, and that made me feel good. Been escorting people to Sonar spaces, and doing a little bit of clean-up.

We had a one-day underway a couple weeks ago, and I very much enjoyed the gentle rocking of the calm sea. I got to do line-handlers (for tying up the ship to the pier) and early in the morning I saw stars from the fantail, all by myself, and later on I saw the golden sunrise on the bright blue ocean... and I was speechless. A jumping dolphin coming from right under where I was standing by the rail made me exclaim, though. :)

In the Navy, school is important, but it is not the most important. Everything depends on Qualifications or QUALS. Right now, that is the biggest thing looming on the horizon. Just printed out my first couple PQSs (personal qualification sheets) yesterday. After work, I finished a couple NKOs after noticing my name on the list to complete them that was sent out over email (logged into my Navy email on a ship computer the first time yesterday too). Everything will be a hassle until I get my Quals done, so I can't wait until then! Then it will be watches that will be a pain in the neck again.

I really like my division. Been getting to know everyone pretty well in just a few days. We've got a diverse group, but it looks like everyone works pretty hard and gets along reasonably well. I really appreciate my Senior Chief (who has a lot of clout on the boat) and the ASWO too. (anti-sub war. officer). They both get things done and take good care of the division. (pic on Senior Chief's door).

This will probably sound silly, but I really enjoy living on the ship. Since it's in port, most people live off the ship, so it's no big deal to move around Female Berthing. We have a few over forty racks in berthing two, so I'm a little worried about what having two showers, four toilets and skinny spaces will be like on deployment, but I guess I'll roll with it. I have a top rack (#30) on the port side of berthing two. It's a good one because I have lots of head room and my stand-up locker is right next to the rack (and it's the first in the row).

Here are some pics...

the first looking down into the sonar equipment spaces... thought it was pretty cool.

And the rest from berthing:

The last two are pics of the access hatches, two decks down to berthing two.