We had an issue with our transmit box during testing the week prior, so this last week was up in the air as to when we would do what. Had some diagnostics on Monday or Tuesday... finished at midnight... then there was the matter of getting everything repaired. But the tech reps were quick about their job and showed us a thing or two as they went. It ended up that on Friday the 15th we had to plug all the cables back in, but it went a lot faster this time since we did it all together, with the tech reps assessing our job and helping out too. Then we were finally able to do the regular test on the system capabilities that night, and everything was back up and running smoothly. Even though I had to stay very late (got off at 2100) I learned so much about how our system works... so glad I was there to learn!
Sunday was duty, so it was laid back again in holiday routine. Had the last Combat Systems watch, so this time I even got to sit down and relax while I monitored all the alarms. Spent a good deal of the day organizing my stuff on board. Very happy to fit my little quick fix sewing machine in my personal drawer... that will come in handy big time for the upcoming advancement season. Friday morning alone I had two rush jobs... one for 2nd class crows and one for a parka liner tab.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
A Tale of Two Duty Days
Once it was the busiest of times, and once it was the quietest of times...
The first day I was unable to vote... and the second I was unable to get a free dinner from the Olive Garden.
Election Day, November 5, was very, very busy. When I arrived that morning, there was a line of contractors all the way across the brow, waiting to get checked in by the overwhelmed Quarterdeck. I was busy with Sonar in the morning, then I had to bow out for the afternoon watch. ... in which I continued checking in over 30 more contractors, keeping track of badges (people coming and going for lunch), ringing the Captain off, back on, and back off near the end of the watch. And I started off with ringing eight bells at noon (signal that all is well on-board). I used to be afraid of the bells... of ringing it too hard or to soft into the 1MC speaker... but no more! After having to ring it twenty times on one watch, I simply had to get over it really fast... and I did. Even with all the contractors and all the bells, the craziest time was when I had three different things to pass over the announcing system with two phone calls coming in at the same time... all while I was trying to call someone myself, for someone who was waiting on the Quarterdeck. After watch (whew!), there was sweepers and anti-terrorism training, and a damage control drill... pipe patching drill. The whole day went by in a flash; it was a little wild.
Veteran's Day, November 11, was very, very slow. There was no training, and generally nothing going on overall. I took it pretty easy... watched two movies on my laptop, took a short nap, then did sweepers with the duty section. I returned below after mustering on the Quarterdeck because no one brought a dustpan or foxtail with them and one was needed very badly. So I picked up all the piles of dirt that everyone made and also did lots of detail work along the knife edge (lip of the hull) of the Quarterdeck area since those coarse brooms don't reach those tiny places very well. Immediately after that I had early chow for watch reliefs, because I had the evening watch as Petty Officer. My OOD was a duty swap from another duty section, so that was nice to get to know someone else a little better. Once watch was over, I called my husband and went straight to bed after we talked for a few minutes. Ended up getting 6 or 7 hours of sleep! That was very nice!
The first day I was unable to vote... and the second I was unable to get a free dinner from the Olive Garden.
Election Day, November 5, was very, very busy. When I arrived that morning, there was a line of contractors all the way across the brow, waiting to get checked in by the overwhelmed Quarterdeck. I was busy with Sonar in the morning, then I had to bow out for the afternoon watch. ... in which I continued checking in over 30 more contractors, keeping track of badges (people coming and going for lunch), ringing the Captain off, back on, and back off near the end of the watch. And I started off with ringing eight bells at noon (signal that all is well on-board). I used to be afraid of the bells... of ringing it too hard or to soft into the 1MC speaker... but no more! After having to ring it twenty times on one watch, I simply had to get over it really fast... and I did. Even with all the contractors and all the bells, the craziest time was when I had three different things to pass over the announcing system with two phone calls coming in at the same time... all while I was trying to call someone myself, for someone who was waiting on the Quarterdeck. After watch (whew!), there was sweepers and anti-terrorism training, and a damage control drill... pipe patching drill. The whole day went by in a flash; it was a little wild.
Veteran's Day, November 11, was very, very slow. There was no training, and generally nothing going on overall. I took it pretty easy... watched two movies on my laptop, took a short nap, then did sweepers with the duty section. I returned below after mustering on the Quarterdeck because no one brought a dustpan or foxtail with them and one was needed very badly. So I picked up all the piles of dirt that everyone made and also did lots of detail work along the knife edge (lip of the hull) of the Quarterdeck area since those coarse brooms don't reach those tiny places very well. Immediately after that I had early chow for watch reliefs, because I had the evening watch as Petty Officer. My OOD was a duty swap from another duty section, so that was nice to get to know someone else a little better. Once watch was over, I called my husband and went straight to bed after we talked for a few minutes. Ended up getting 6 or 7 hours of sleep! That was very nice!
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Lots of Testing (for two weeks)
The last week of October (28-1st), Sonar was involved in more scenarios... this time in conjunction with other ships on the waterfront. I had another meltdown on the announcing system... I read certain facts, but each time my Sup made me re-do it, I'd get something else wrong or forget one of the four or five things I had to say in the report. Made me feel completely useless... but again, this was the first time in a long time I had had to make a report. With practice, I will do just fine, but at that moment I wished I could have resigned. We were back at the schoolhouse on Monday, but I was back on the ship after the first lecture.
This week (Nov 4-8), we thought we were finally going to have a down week, but not so. There were more inspectors on board to do system tests... again. I also had meetings for the cruise book committee (a year book for deployments) and the beginnings of the SCPOA (second class petty officer's association). We'll see how they both go.
This week (Nov 4-8), we thought we were finally going to have a down week, but not so. There were more inspectors on board to do system tests... again. I also had meetings for the cruise book committee (a year book for deployments) and the beginnings of the SCPOA (second class petty officer's association). We'll see how they both go.
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