A Long, Short Underway

This eight-day underway (11 MAR to 22 MAR) felt much longer from the very beginning; I'm pretty sure the few days we spent at Yorktown beforehand contributed to the feeling a great deal, but in general, everything felt like it took forever. The weekend we were out felt doubly-long too. I suppose it was because we were so busy, and anticipating it to be quick... and it wasn't quick enough!

I had duty the Sunday liberty expired on-board for all hands (at 2000). Our command treats us like children this way, not trusting us to make it here early in the morning. So people griped... but it wasn't so bad for me. I had to be there all day. I felt bad for the folks who had duty on Saturday though... hard times.

Although the pre-underway check worked just fine on our depth-reader, it didn't work on the way up the bay and the York river. So besides my getting our contractors on my cell phone to come fix it as soon as they could, I was pretty useless during the transit. They did come early the next day and bring it back to life... so it worked out okay.

In Yorktown, the first day, I worked with some civilian contractors on both missile decks, lowering gas-containment chambers down into the launchers. It took a while because they were very heavy (a crane lowered them in) and they had to seat just right in the bottom (they sit below the missiles in the tubes). I got to help with a couple missiles later on. Man! That was pretty neat to watch in operation!

The next day I kept busy below decks... working on some preventive maintenance checks that were required that week. They were all "clean and inspect" checks, meaning all I really had to do was look inside some equipment, brush off the dust and make sure there were no signs of damage. Quick, right? No. In order to look inside (or in one case, pop a filter off the outside of the Sonar equipment rack) I had to tag out the system... hang DANGER tags on all the applicable circuit breakers; and that process makes it take hours. Had to check out detergent from HazMat for the equipment rack too... just in case I needed to dunk the filter in soapy water (never do). Oh, and that specific check is done every month.

Tag outs are what makes it take forever. One check needed eleven tags hung! It's the running back and forth that eats up time. Write the tag in the computer system, go up to CSMC (combat systems maintenance central) with a second person, get the tag after explaining it to the CSOOW (officer of the watch), go hang it, sign it, then come back and wait for the second to check and sign it. After doing the maintenance, go back to CSMC, tell them it's done, get permission to take the tag off and turn the breaker back on, come back with the tag in hand. This I did several times, even after we started the underway.

Also had my second Spot Check, this time with the Operations Officer (3rd in command). These are random, pre-assigned checks on the checks. I sat down with her in Sonar 1 after the Ops brief one night (she was busy all day) and I showed her how I did the check with 11 tag-outs. Our Work Center Supervisor (also my Sonar Supervisor for my watch section this time) threw me into a different spot check with Senior Chief earlier that day, so after receiving a little training from him, I was well ready for my check with Ops.

I was in Section 2 (of 3) this time, and I was the senior junior person (or operator) for the first time (if that makes any sense). Our new girl was also with us, so besides doing some training with her, I was the person that had to do everything. Not that I mind either... I remember a couple underways ago where I had to depend on everyone else because I wasn't qualified yet. It's a continuous circle. And I felt useful in more ways than one... got to do my first corrective maintenance on a repeater we have on the bridge. I had to hang a DANGER tag, as before, but this time all I did was change a light bulb inside the equipment.

That day was the most fun, actually. That morning I was on the muster for shooting the .50 cal machine gun mounted on the side of the ship. Since it was during my watch, I was the first in line to suit up with a helmet and jacket and get to bang away a whole case of ammo into the sea. Had to help carry a couple boxes up to the deck we shot them from... and that weighed 77 pounds... up three ladders! I was out of breath by the time I put it down. But shooting bullets the size of my hand made up for it in a big way!

We had trouble with female berthing once. Somehow the pipes backed up and we had water all over our deck, about a quarter-inch deep. Made it interesting for trying to get into my rack without getting my socks or shoes wet. I think I climbed up in my bare feet and put my socks on after I was up there. Thankfully, it got fixed that night (thanks to those guys who do that nasty job!) and was ready for use in the morning.

We had another Abandon Ship drill as we trained with other ships. When I mustered with my lifeboat on the forecastle for a little training, I felt some tiny snow flakes falling on my face. It was bitterly cold out there, but thankfully not too windy. Not long after that they had to secure the weather decks due to high winds. Whew!

For accomplishments, I got RPPO and CSMC watch qualifications turned in... and made good progress on the 106 lesson of my ESWS book. Also, I enjoyed reading my second-to-last Lord Peter book... "Have His Carcase"... which was very fun, especially since there is a lot of Harriet Vane in it. :)

I had duty the day we pulled in (what nice bookends...) and so I wasn't troubled when it took them a good couple hours to call liberty (to make sure the ship was clean and set up on shore power). We had a fire drill up forward, and because so, I was one of the first to suit up in coveralls, flash hood, mask, air tank, helmet and gloves. I carried the nozzle of the hose to the scene of training (flag with a picture of smoke) and for the first time, actually got training on what's supposed to happen on these drills. Before I've always been left out somehow, because someone else got there first. Got a couple hours of sleep, and then stood the last Petty Officer of the Watch (POOW) watch for the day with the other Lay Leader once again. Once I got the daily checks done and went to turnover, it was freedom!