#naval operations

Sailing with the stars....

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Dec. 14, 2017) -- The United States Navy’s brand-new, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), sails beneath crisp, clear winter night skies just off the east coast of the United States....

....her island tower looking much like an alien spaceship....visiting Earth for the Holidays...

....as the first Ford-class supercarrier continues conducting test, evaluation and training operations (they’re fine-tuning an exceptionally complex, brand-new ship) in preparation for front-line Fleet participation (ready for overseas deployment) beginning next year....and for decades to come.....

The warship and her thousands of crew members will be back in their homeport of Norfolk, Virginia for the upcoming Holiday Season.

Then....more months of hard work to ready themselves and their ship -- arguably, the most complex war machine ever built by man -- to become the tip of the spear for America’s Naval forces.

                                       USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)

                                           _____________________

>>CLICK the top photo for a high-resolution, larger image....

>>Top photo: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joshua D. Sheppard, USN

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Land, ho!

The United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) arrives in Split, Croatia for a scheduled New Year’s port visit.

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The very early mornings before a port call, during my Navy ship-driving years, were always a time of special excitement and anticipation.

The warship took on an aura of a cruise ship for a few hours. Hearty breakfasts cooking in the galleys. All hands up and out early, (with enthusiasm!). Snappy dress uniforms today instead of working uniforms. The ship spotless from stem to stern.

Dry (stable) land, diplomacy, social events, shore excursions, shopping and a change of pace....just hours ahead.

Throughout the ship, special navigation details prepared to safely maneuver the ship to its pierside berth.

                                           USS Cole (DDG 67)

The sun isn’t even up yet, and the whole ship is abuzz with activity.

In the photo at the top of this post, you can feel the early-morning winter chill in the air as the ship zips along it’s final track towards the coast....a chilly breeze blowing off the land onto otherwise smooth seas.

Sunrise, land, and time off-duty....

A great time, dead ahead!

Land, ho!

                                           ______________________

Home! (Finally!)

I’ve written here periodically about the stresses and hardships of long overseas United States Navy deployments....many in which I participated during my long, amazing Navy career. 

This is a happy ending story to start off the New Year 2017!

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NORFOLK, VA (Dec. 30, 2016) Sailors man the rails/flight deck aboard the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) as it returns to her home port....just in time for re-uniting with family and friends for the New Year.

Dwight D. Eisenhower and its carrier strike group conducted a 7-month deployment to the U.S. 5th (Middle East) and 6th Fleet (Mediterranean) areas of operation in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (anti-ISIS/Islamic terrorist extremist operations in Iraq and Syria), maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts.

                                       Welcome home Ike and crew!

                                     ___________________________

>>Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cole Keller, USN

>>Note: The carrier and her crew were not able to get home in time for Christmas, as critical duties prevailed in the Middle East....and the United States Navy is short one aircraft carrier at the moment....extending deployments and demands on the remaining 10 carriers and their crews. 

This situation should be remedied in the next couple of years. 

Although ten carriers sounds like a lot, it isn’t quite enough. Three carriers are always in shipyard maintenance/nuclear overhaul; three are training/preparing for overseas deployment; three are just completing deployment and returning home. That leaves one carrier on-station. We need two to keep a carrier constantly deployed and on-station in the Middle East and the Far East....with direct turnovers to a relief carrier. Can’t be done at the moment.

The Covert Passage Through a Critical Chokepoint Commercial ships are covertly navigating the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint, in response to ongoing US-Iran attacks. This clandestine activity underscores the severe geopolitical tensions and the direct threat posed to international shipping in one of the world’s most vital waterways. The need for secrecy reflects the volatile…

Janes Fighting Ships of World War II :: Fred T. Thomas Jane

Janes Fighting Ships of World War II :: Fred T. [Thomas] Jane soon to be presented for sale on the fabulous BookLovers of Bath web site!

London: Bracken Books, 1989, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Contains: Black & white photographs; Diagrams; Tables; Silhouettes; Plans;

From the cover: More than 6,000 warships are in this comprehensive encyclopedia of the worlds navies during the Second World War.

Co…