Crews and Ships

A word of explanation about my unit and some background information about the Navy.

Almost two years ago, the Navy decided to test a new concept. They figured that ships could spend more time in their area of operations if the Navy kept the ships where they were and rotated the crews. A crew could train on a ship at home in the US then fly to a different ship already located in one of the Navy's "hot spots".

Obviously, this goes against some pretty old Navy traditions. No longer would a group of Sailors identify with themselves as the USS SHIP, but as a Crew that could be sent to any ship, anywhere. No more time lost in getting to the Middle East and back. A quick plane flight and we're there.

This program wasn't implemented on every ship in the Navy, just a handful. However, it made the most sense for small ships like Mine Hunters, MineSweepers, and PCs because it takes us so long to transit across the ocean. In the Mine Warfare community, this means we train in Ingleside, Texas, then deploy for 6 months to one of the Mine Warfare ships in the Persian Gulf.

And so, I became part of the experiment. I'm officially attached to MHC CREW BOLD. I was on USS SHRIKE for 18 months until this summer when we deployed to the USS RAVEN, where I am now. In early 2006, we will swap again, back home to another ship in Texas. Since our crew will have been on three different ships in a six-month period, we have come to identify ourselves mostly as CREW BOLD.

There are some downsides to this arrangement, such as the loss of esprit-de-corps and ownership. Some involved warn of a "rental car mentality". Since you're never on a ship for very long you don't feel like you own it. We're fighting these problems head on and working hard to establish our pride in CREW BOLD.

If you want to read more about the Navy in general, check out these websites:
Wikipedia Entry - Navy
The US Navy's homepage

Strangers and Aliens

A comment from Jeff and Troy made me think of a song by Christian rock band Petra. After decades of ministry, they're retiring this year. Their song "Not of this World" is based on a verse from 2 Peter 2:11 and speaks to our sense of alienation in the world today:

Not of this World - Words and music by Bob Hartman
Based on 2 Peter 2:11, John 15:18-19, John 16:33, Matthew 16:18, John 14:3
We are pilgrims in a strange land
We are so far from our homeland
With each passing day it seems so clear
This world will never want us here
We're not welcome in this world of wrong
We are foreigners who don't belong
(Chorus)
We are strangers, we are aliens
We are not of this world
We are envoys, we must tarry
With this message we must carry
There's so much to do before we leave
With so many more who may believe
Our mission here can never fail
And the gates of hell will not prevail
Jesus told us men would hate us
But we must be of good cheer
He has overcome this world of darkness
And soon we will depart from here

Wanderlust

A strong longing for wandering... Nomads have nothing on the Military lifestyle. You get used to moving every two years; you even come to anticipate it. Once you've been somewhere more than a year you start itching for the next place. The upside is the adventure and the excitement of a new place. The downside: everytime you get settled somewhere you have to leave it and all the roots you've made. I've moved more times than I can count. In just my first year in the Navy I hung my hat in over 13 places. And that was quite a few years (and a few cardboard boxes) ago. I left Virginia behind to move to Texas. Just as I was comfortable there, now I'm here in the Persian Gulf. I think the wanderlust applies to the crew on a ship as well. You sit too long in port and you can't wait to go to sea. Wandering can make you weary, but "oh the places we'll see".

Anyway, here's a picture of me on the bridgewing during a Refueling at Sea.

Haze Grey and Underway

Ships were meant to be at sea...
Can't say much more than that!

Check out the Twin 50cal Guns.