I served on USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) at two ends of my navy career.

First from 1985 to 1987 while homeported in Alameda, CA I served as the Fire Control Officer and then as the Electrical Division Officer.  I completed one full deployment and qualified as Officer of the Deck (underway) and Surface Warfare Officer. 

Later, I was again assigned to CARL VINSON from 1999 to 2000 while homeported in Bremerton, WA, serving as the Damage Control Assistant.

Eric Rice
Deputy Director,
Maritime Training and Survivability Technologies
CSC/Advanced Marine Center

I was on the Nimitz from 1982 to 1986. It was my first ship. I was in supply, and when at sea I worked on the flight deck loading and unloading aircraft. I even pogo-sticked a few H-53s – now that was exciting! Lots of good memories there.

I remember my first day getting there from Naples, Italy. Flew out to the ship on the old c-1 (COD), my back against the pilots. Flying to the ship the pilots were talking lowly and said they couldn’t find the ship. Couldn’t find the ship! I was thinking, It’s really big and gray, you can’t miss it. Finally they did locate it with the use of binoculars, and we made a landing on the flight deck via the wire trap. Now there is a first day!

Charles Maiden
CSC Senior Principal Engineer
Navy ERP Quality Assurance/Tester Scenario Lead

I served on four different aircraft carriers, the USS Forrestal (CV-59); USS America (CV-66); USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, (CVN-69) and USS Theodore Roosevelt, (CVN-71) both flying off the flight deck and as a member of the ship’s Air Department. I had over 350 carrier landings in the S-3 Viking and flew missions in support of US national interests in Jordan, Freedom of the Seas actions north of Libya’s “Line of Death,” and counter-drug operations off Florida’s southern coast. In my first ship’s company assignment as Catapult and Arresting Gear Division officer, responsible for the safe launch and recovery of Airwing aircraft and I led more than 200 men in launching strikes into Libya, and in conducting operations north of the artic circle.

In my final ship’s company assignment as Air Officer, or “Air Boss,” I was responsible for 650 men and women conducting operations on 4.5 acres of flight and hangar deck; storage, filtering and distribution of 3.3 million gallons of jet fuel; and all the launch and recovery equipment. During my deployment as Air Boss, USS Theodore Roosevelt launched over 10,000 sorties, including combat sorties into Bosnia without a single mishap or significant injury to any flight deck crewman. Assigned as the Aviation officer to the Program Executive Officer for Aircraft Carriers, I worked as the liaison between PEO Carriers, Commander Naval Air Systems Command, and Commander Naval Sea Systems Command for all carrier aviation issues. I supported 12 in-service carriers and the design of the next generation aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford Class. I conducted engineering reviews of the new Electromagnetic Launch Systems that will replace steam catapults and headed ship integration efforts for the Joint Strike Fighter.

My engineering and program experience, as well as my experience as a leader, have carried over into my roles in CSC in supporting engineering activities in the Missile Defense Agency System and as a senior staff member in AMND’s National Defense Programs.

Patrick Jacobs
CSC CONOPS Lead
Missile Defense Agency Weapons Capability Engineering Team
Arlington, Va.

I am a retired Navy Master Chief. During my 30 plus years of service I served in: USS Wasp (CVS18), USS John F. Kennedy (CV67) and USS America (CV66).

The big thing that our American public should appreciate is just how dedicated and hard working the crews of our carriers and other Navy ships are. 12-18 hours days, 7 days a week at sea are the norm for most sailors. Yet, no matter how tired they get, the jobs have to be done to perfection; planes repaired, moved about, launched and recovered; the ship’s propulsion plant operated and maintained; and all the thousands of other supporting jobs that range from medical care to weapons handling are accomplished at all hours of the day and night. And this is done by what seem to be kids, mostly 18-22 years olds. The sort of kid that if you pulled into valet parking might think twice before you turn over your keys to the family Honda. Yet these sailors do their job, day after tiring day maintaining and operating gear that runs into the millions and has lives depending on them doing it right, every time.

These sailors give of themselves. Many if not most of their jobs at sea are dangerous even life threatening. There is little to no privacy. The conditions the average enlisted sailor lives in would be considered unfit for a criminal in jail. Yet they do it, and even re-enlist to come back and do it again.

America can be proud of our sons and daughters that serve in our Navy.

Kennerly (Ken) Brown
CSC Training Center of Excellence
Hampton, Virginia

I served 21 years with the Navy and have many years of underway time onboard carriers. I retired from active service in 2004 as a Senior Chief Aviation Electronics Technician and worked below decks and on the flight deck launching aircraft onboard two Nimitz class ships, the USS George Washington CVN-73 and USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71. I also served onboard the conventional ship USS America CV-66.

Onboard the America and Theodore Roosevelt, I was in VAW-123 as an AEW Weapons Systems Analyst for the E-2C Hawkeye Early Warning aircraft and worked the flight deck daily on 12-hour shifts. We were the first airwing that embarked on the TR during her sea trials following commissioning. We went through the shock tests, speed trials and initial flight deck certifications in the Caribbean, and then 10 days later we were above the Arctic Circle conducting flight ops in the North Atlantic – quite a change.

On the George Washington, I was the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department AIMD IM-3, Avionics Armament division leading chief. Our mission was to support the combined airwing of more than 80 aircraft. For two weeks I was assigned as a media escort for the “Wings” television crew while they filmed onboard for one of their episodes featuring Navy and Marine Corps pilots in training making their first carrier landings. During a dry dock period I was a coordinator for the first “Women at Sea” berthing modifications and we were one of the first carriers to have women crewmembers permanently stationed onboard. Shortly after leaving dry dock we made a combat deployment to Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. The USS Cole was with our battle group when it was attacked in Yemen. Like all retired sailors, I have a ton of sea stories.

I now work on Norfolk Naval Station supporting the Naval Education Training Personnel Development Training Command (NETPDTC) contract.

Wally Williams
CSC Task Leader, CAPM
Hampton Roads, Va.