Naval Carrier Group Deploys

[ls317]

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/07/navy_enterprise_deploys_070706w/


NORFOLK, Va. — The ships of the Enterprise carrier strike group are scheduled to set sail from their East Coast homeports July 7 through July 9 for a six-month deployment to the Middle East.

Some 7,500 sailors will be part of the regularly scheduled cruise. The Enterprise departs Naval Station Norfolk on July 7 and will be joined by aircraft and sailors from Carrier Air Wing 1. Two days later, the destroyers Arleigh Burke, Stout, Forrest Sherman and James E. Williams deploy from Norfolk, and the cruiser Gettysburg will leave Naval Station Mayport, Fla., to join the group.

[acmavm]

1. Gotta wonder what all this is about. I imagine by now that

Chimpy and V.P. Go-f**k-Yourself are getting pretty desperate to carry out the final act of their plan. They're running out of time to committ genocide on another nation.

[wakeme2008]

2. this is a normal 6 month rotation so no big deal now

:shrug:

[Thothmes]

7. Normal Deployment

Not really, Enterprise returned from her last deployment eight months ago.

[China_cat]

3. I didn't think I'd be glad to see my niece pregnant

just yet...she's got a lot more living to do before tying herself down.

But she's in the Navy. On one of those carriers. A navy nuke. Or was, until she got pregnant and is now on shore duty. Maybe she'll get to do some of that living after all.

[cherokeeprogressive]

4. Memories...

I deployed with the USS America (CV-66, she now sleeps with the fishes) twice from Pier 12 on Med/IO cruises. It's the worst feeling in the world, watching the pier recede as the tugs tow your boat away. What made it even harder was that my squadron was stationed in Jacksonville, FL. That meant there was no one in VA to wave to me when we set sail.

Conversely, "Channel Fever" was probably the BEST feeling I've ever known. After 6+ months - 48 hours out, launching all the planes back to the beach and KNOWING it was over and that we'd soon be kissing the ground in the good old US of A. "Manning the Rail" in our "Cracker Jacks" when we sailed into Hampton Roads... it was windy and about 40 degrees and didn't seem like a chore at all.

Our AME workcenter was right next to the brow and the last time we returned about 10 of us hid in there until liberty was called for O-3's and above. We ran out of the workspace and were the first sailors off the boat. One of my all-time favorite memories...

[Ezlivin]

5. Ah, the joys of returning home after a long cruise!

I returned home after several months and it was just so damned exciting I felt like I was vibrating.

Nearly every sailor knows that feeling.

And that's why the whole "Mission Accomplished" thing still pisses me off. Those sailors were within sight of home when the fucking administration had them turn the ship around and wait for Bush to do his stupid pet trick. You know that those sailors wanted to step off that ship and go home to their friends and family, but they had to wait until fucking Bush did his stunt.

I would have loved to hear the scuttlebutt on the next watch....

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. The most useless photo-op in the history of cameras

It certainly would be interesting to hear first-hand from the sailors who were on the boat that day.

I can relate to the feeling of vibrating... After the last bird was catapulted, the high-fives on the flight deck went on seemingly forever. I know that for me, Channel Fever was the same as being on speed for two solid days. Couldn't sleep, couldn't eat...