Scenes from the Flight Deck

On the last episode the following scenes occurred:
"Where is the coffee?" He growled looking worse for wear then the other two in the space.
"So chief went out with the rest of the mess and tied one on. I wonder how bad he is hung over or was yesterday a special occasion because we are away from home and chief operates on a separate set of rules versus home?"

Before anyone else had a chance to say something the phone rang, startling everyone in the little space not much bigger then the walk-in closet that her home had. As that though cross his mind, a smirk crossed his lips as his hand grabbed the receiver.
"Cobra Avionics, AT2 Southern, how may I help you sir/ma'am?"
"South, Maintenance meeting has been moved back to 0715." A female voice called to him over the phone.
"0715 meeting, rog."
He hung up the receiver.
"That was AZ2, as you heard maintenance meeting has been pushed back to 0715. Josh why don't you go and grab some breakfast up forward. I think they were still serving as I came up. Or at least you can grab some cereal. Chief, this isn't like back at the beach. We haven't drawn our coffee issue yet. Technically the pot" ,and as he said that his arm pointed out to the percolators pot that was sitting on top of the large gray safe in the space, "is illegal since there are a number of hoops you need to jump through while on board, USS Neverdocd to run a coffee mess."
"Oh right I forgot. Looks like I will have to stumble back down the mess and get coffee from one of their pots. See you guys in a few."
"S, I will take you up on your offer. Go ahead and take the meeting. I am going to try and grab some food."
"Hey, where is maintenance? I know it moved."
"03-60-1. Just down the way from the HS bubbas."
"Ahh, I know where you are talking about now. Thanks.
Both of them walked out and he was left to his thoughts for a few moments. He looked around and realized he was an old hand at this now. After doing a six and half month cruise in this space it hadn't changed much from two years previously. The only thing missing was the scrawny little 13in TV that was on the workbench. at the one end of the space.
"Hmm, that is interesting. I guess no more Roger Ball show for a while. Got to remember to ask about that at maintenance. Which reminds me where is the pass down log"
He looked around for a couple of minutes and found the pea green book which was the size of the standard spiral notebooks he use to have in school. Picking it up and flipping till he found an blank page and started to put down the standard lines for notes and info. He then went and wrote down the fact that a TV was missing from the space. Looking at the few meager toolboxes they brought out. Nearly all of which still had the tape from when they were packed up back at home. The ring of the bells across the announcing system and a quick check of his watch told him that it was 0700 and time to find the maintenance desk and a good place to sit.
Down the passageway and around the corner to find the maintenance desk. This was a bigger maintenance control then they had during cruise, but it was in a worst space. Just up the way was the starboard side entrance to the 03 wardroom. Nearly all the air wing and to an extent the ship's airdale officers would stomp their way past the desk on the way to get some food from there. Opening the bottom of the dutch door he walked into maintenance.
"Morning Domitila. Do we have a workloads?"
"Yea, about that. Robyn just unpacked the server and we are awaiting the IT's to come by and set the sucker up."
"Right, welcome to the boat. Oh joy." he said a little sarcastically
"Yea, welcome to the boat." she answered and a smile crossed her face.
"You seen the controllers or the brain?" he asked wondering why the none of the maintenance chiefs were in nor was the Maintenance Master chief was in. It was a real surprise to not see the MMCPO in since back at the rock he was an early riser and usually in before everyone screening his own copy of the full squadron workload.
"Last time I saw any of them was last night when I came staggering on board from grabbing dinner and some drinks. They were pretty wild, crazy, and very drunk."
"I know my new chief just came in and looked like some form of death warmed over."
Just as he said that the door opened again and a tall, blond hair man with some small glasses on his mousy looking face walked in. He looked pretty rested and wide awake, standing there in front of both him and AZ2 in his khakis.
"A few of your guys stay out too late at Green's last night Southern?"
"No, Senior. I was just asking about a few of the other people that we know about."
"Okay. AZ2 where is my FBI and why aren't the workloads in the baskets ready to be passed out."
Southern looked back at the AZ2 while this was being said and watched her mouth something, roll her eyes, and then say the same thing to the Senior Chief that Southern heard just seconds before.
The rest of the maintenance supervisors checked in and a slight rise in things as people started to trade stories on what they did in town.
"Okay people, lets get this thing started." Senior started to say and with that things quieted down.
"All of them but 502 are up and on the beach. 502 has a slow to indicate gripe. 120, we have the contact info for the beach det. Lets get ahold of them before the brow goes up and find out what they need. "
"Right Senior"
"Other then that a few gripes from the cross country that the beach det was able to settle. We are expecting to start CQing tomorrow. Get the shops squared away today and get what SE you all need now. CAG has also stated that the man overboard should be going down around 1300. The rule for us is muster the shop and call Maintenance. Also get a list together of things wrong or missing in the shops and spaces owned by us. Final thing is shift lists folks! We don't all have inputs as to who is playing on first. So get an updated list to maintenance admin."
Everyone started to file out. AT2 staggered out with the rest of them and walked back to his shop.
As he punched the combo into the lock to enter, the 1MC spoke again with bells announcing it was 0800.
"That didn't seem like a 30min meeting, but we probably didn't have much so I just zoned the rest of it out. Oh well."
He walked in thinking that. Looking around he noticed just AT1 in the shop.
"Where is Chief?"
"Went down to the mess to see if he couldn't wrangle breakfast and coffee."
"Okay. Big things from maintenance is get ready for underway. CQ starts tomorrow, knock out the SE draw today. Possible MOB at 1300, typical for the squadron is face to face in the shop and then a phone call or runner to maintenance to announce full muster. 502 is down with a gear issue. No workloads yet, nowcommunist is being a pain to set up through the ships network. Oh yea! As per the norm, maintenance admin has lost the shift lists that we submitted before coming out on this pleasure cruise. So before shift change today, we need to give them a new one. Email it or drop it off in person, doesn't matter."
"Right, so what else do we need to get?"
"Skids, Hoists, SHOLS, Pulleys; that is about it"
"Gotcha"
"So what first?"
"We can get the Hoists down in GSE and the SHOLS and Pulleys from AIMD. Both of those shops are right next to each other."
"Okay show me where these are and lets get ready to catch jets."
For the next two hours it was up and down ladders as he lead his new boss around the ship showing him the important spots on the ship.
Showing back up in the shop, his stomach started to growl. Taking a peek at his watch he realized that it was 30 minutes past noon. The ship had shift colors and gotten underway, or at least as underway as a modern super carrier could have about an hour earlier.
"Hey Josh, Do you want to go and grab some lunch." he stated to the AT1.
"Why what time is it."
"Noon-thirty or 1230 for you non-military types."
"Damn is it that late?"
"Yep and if we don't hurry we will be forced to grab a bite in the taco line. Considering that it is a Monday and the Neverdocd always has tacos and fake-Mexican food for eats on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. I would say lets head down to the forward galley for a water-burger."
"Sounds like a plan."
So they both walked out of the shop and on the way past maintenance, he stuck his head in real quick.
"Hey Senior, AT shop is unmanned. We are grabbing a bite to eat."
"Did you...."
"Yea we got skids, pulleys, shols, and all the rest of the stuff. Everything is tied down for heavy seas. 210 is ready to head back to the boat and back out to sea. Any other dumb questions?"
The senior chief got a quick smile across his face
"AT2 in my days long ago.."
"What when you were the first mate on the Ark?"
"Don't question my age son! Didn't your folks teach you proper respect for your elders? As I was saying in my days long ago as a blue shirt, I would wait until the chief, senior chief, or master chief had finished his statement before answering questions."
"That may have been what it was like in the old Navy senior, but I am part of the new Navy. You have to be ready to jump quickly and quick to draw. That being said, we are caught up for right now and since we just cross the Chesapeake Bridge-tunnel complex, Burger doodle is too far away now. The AT shop is heading to lunch and grabbing a bite to eat before the mess decks close."
"Okay, just remember that the man-over board is at 1300."
"Right-O"

Scenes from the Flight Deck

He saw her face. That beautiful brunette with that cute smile, little twinkle in her eyes as she laughed, and those beautiful lips that were great to kiss. Her lips where moving and he could hear her voice say, "I love you and write you as you are gone. Give me one last kiss before you go."
He was confused and tried to say that he was right here and wasn't going any place. Yet just as he opened his mouth to say something instead a constant buzzing started to go off behind him. As he turned around to find the buzz it just go louder and louder. He tried to turn back to tell her to hold on, but she had disappeared from in front of him. Instead the world got very black and started to grope for light switch when a sharp pain came to his legs and a voice called out to him....

"Owww, god damn it."
His eyes popped open to the voice and to the feeling of a foot on his lower leg.
"Huh, Whaaa, where the hell am I?"
Sit up the little voice at the back of his mind called out.
"Okay" Another part of his mind said in return.
He sat up right when a sharp pain came to his forehead which caused him to slam his head back to the pillow. He then realized where the hell he was. Once more back on the boat and because the plane he was on was late he was on the bottom rack on one side of a six man cube. More thoughts started to come to his head and his mind started to spin up to speed. It was then that he realized the pain came from guy on the rack above him who was big footed and couldn't just swing out and fall out of the middle rack. His hand found the rack light and turned it on, that was when bright light startled him part of his mind said to turn it back off. The buzzing came back to his ears and he looked around. That was when he noticed his alarm clock up near the pillow on a little shelf that some one decided this rack was lucky enough to have. As more people stirred around him he felt for the little flip-flops that he wore to the shower and threw those out. He then pulled the little curtains that gave him some measure of privacy.
After pulling back the curtains he looked out and realized that no one else was stirring in his cube, so he picked up his clock and pushed the little button to shine light on the time.
"0500, What time did chief say we had to be in?"
"0630" came from some other part of his brain.
"Good if I can move fast enough there might be time to get breakfast in."
He rolled out of his rack and put his feet into the flip-flops. Stood up and stretch the stiffness out of his arms and legs. "Gosh those racks are never long enough to stretch out completely."
He then bent back down and took a chain off his neck. This chain held his dog tags and the key to his locker. Popping the lock off his rack and pop-up the cover which he was just sleeping on just minutes ago. Digging around he found the leather kit bag, his father had given him after checking into his first sea command. After closing the locker and lock, then pulling on the lock to make sure it actually locked he stumbled out of the compartment past others coming back from showering or just getting dressed.
The area was bathed in a red glow from the red lights in the passageway. The didn't hurt his eyes as much the white light that was his rack light. Into the head and finding the first empty sink. Put the kit bag down opening it up and pulling out the toothbrush and tooth paste.
About 10 minutes later after brushing his teeth and get a shave in he was back in front of his open rack this time feeling for a white t-shirt, pair of skivies, black socks, and the coveralls that were standard wear for in port. Stripping out of the t-shirt and Bahama shorts he wore to bed last night, then down to nothing as he pulled off the skivies he had worn since yesterday morning getting on the big C-40A that took him from the west coast to the east coast. 10 minutes later he was finishing up adjusting his boot laces when he picked up his clock and saw that the total morning ritual took about 40minutes. "15 minutes longer then normal. Can't let that happen too often." On out of the berthing compartment and down to the mess decks. Walking about 40 or 50 feet till he arrived at the outboard passageway he remembered from cruise two years ago and went out and down the ladder well that took him from the 03 level down to the second deck and the mess decks. All the way to the bottom he noticed there wasn't a line at all.
"What luck, I might actually be able to get some eggs and bacon in me before work instead of cereal."
Grabbing a tray and plate he walked down the line and scooped some scrambled eggs and bacon and healthy scoop of grits on to the plate. Walking past the grill with a cook that had a bored expression on his face, then past all the donuts and other breakfast pastries that the bake shop had made the night before. He arrived in another space which had various juice and soda machines set up. Grabbing a couple of plastic cups from the dispenser at the start of this line he walked past the fresh fruit.
"Oh joy they have oranges and they look pretty fresh and ripe. I think I will have two right now and save one for later in the day."
Grabbing 3 oranges off the pile that sat in the refrigerated tray, he went further down to one of the juice machines. Pushing the button for the fruit punch into both cups he went past everything else and went into the seating area. Finding a seat he sat down and started to shovel the breakfast down and was left to his own thoughts for a few moments. Those thoughts keep returning to her.
It was a few moments later and the ring of a bell and the ship's announcing system that told him the time.
"Reveille, Reveille, All hands heave up and trice too."
"0600, oh joy." He said to no one.
Going around to another part of the seating area he got in line to turn in his dishes. Dumping the scraps into the trash and handing off the pieces of his dishes to the various windows in the scullery. He got out of the line and started to walk further to find the ladderwell that would take him right up near his shop. But first he had to put the extra orange into his pocket, because technically taking food off the mess decks is bad juju.
"I might need it for later if I miss lunch, cause I don't know when the main ships store will open and it is healthier then the candy bars in the vending machines down here."
Getting up to the shop he realized that the door was shut and he didn't know the code to the cypher lock. Knocking on the door lead it to be opened by the new first class that had checked in a couple of months ago.
"Whats going on? How was the flight? Did you guys get any liberty time?" where the first few questions out of the PO1's mouth as both of them walked back into the shop and got settled.
"Not much, the usual, no we got in about midnight way past liberty expiration for all hands. I see the shop is set up. Beach det and early det do that?"
"Yea, Maintenance meeting is at 0645."PO1 said and guessing what the next question was. "What is that in your pocket?"
"Oh it is an orange I took off the mess decks for later. Do you want it?"
"Yeah, I didn't make it down to breakfast."
"You taking it or me? Or do you want to rock paper scissors for it and lose like you always do?" He asked. Basically wondering who was going to the maintenance meeting
The door swung open again startling both of them. The new shop chief that had checked in only 24hours prior to coming out on this adventure walked in.
"Where is the coffee?" He growled looking worse for wear then the other two in the space.
"So chief went out with the rest of the mess and tied one on. I wonder how bad he is hung over or was yesterday a special occasion because we are away from home and chief operates on a separate set of rules versus home?"
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Well that is it for right now. More will be written over the next few days. Just trying something different if you don't like this please feel free to comment in the comments box or via the email. Thanks for sticking around here folks.

Returned from underway

So yet another underway period on the ship has ended for me this past Friday. Yet, it is only the start of the process of many 30-45 day underway period prior to starting a 6-month cruise. Some new stories to talk about and share. Just some observations to share real quickly that I will elaborate on this week.

New aircraft in our air wing and new problems. We use to have an F-14 Tomcat squadron and a USMC F-18A+ Hornet squadron. Both of those squadrons were replaced with two F-18F Super Hornet squadrons. The F-18F is the dual seat version of the F-18E Super Hornet. The other big problem is that the engines in the F-18F's are more powerful then what I have experience before beyond the J52 engines in my plane. We had a couple of guys injured pretty badly up on the flight deck due to inexperience of both the ground crew and the aviators while taxiing around.

Boat chucks will always be boat chucks.

Being out of the limelight for the maintenance desk is a good thing.

The food is still iffy, the racks are still too small, and there is still no space for anything but work.

Stay tuned I am going to try and share some of these observations via a new method.