a couple good things Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1987 Date: 05/15/06 I had a similar experience, John the Baptist. During our Caribbean cruise, I went out on vultures row one night, it was very dark. I could see the milky way, and it was very moving. It was just like me and the stars and nothing else. And the day I checked out from the Navy, I was driving across the bridge tunnel back to my apartment in York County. It was a beautiful Fall September day, and as I crossed the bridge,I could see the ships over at NOB. Don Henley's "End of the Innocence" was on the radio. I'll never forget that, and every time that song comes on, it gets me. I was closing a chapter in my life after 5 years, and it felt so surreal.

Leaving Ike Department: Rx Author: Mike Era: 1991 Date: 05/16/06 When I left Ike, the pig was in the middle of the Persian Gulf. We had left for the gulf towards the end of September and my EAOS was in December so they made me go. There were 3 of us who stood Chief Reactor Watch who lost our TLDs on the same day. Anyhow, the day I left I was to get catapulted off the pig on the COD. They told us to wear civilian clothes since we were going to Bahrain. I remember hanging out in the lounge waiting to leave and watching some lame show on Ike TV. I guess it hadn't really hit me yet that this was it. I said goodbye to everyone and headed up to the flight deck. We had to wait in the passageway for about 45 minutes and a couple of nucs came up to say goodbye. We finally went out to the flight deck and it was very surreal. The water in the Persian Gulf was flat and calm -- almost like a lake.

Leaving the Ike, and almost getting sucked back in. Department: Engr Author: MM2 "Sol The Bull" Dupler Era: 2001 Date: 05/17/06 I went to personel to get my check out card to leave the Ike, and was told that they did not have my terminal leave papers. I said my dept. had them with the rest of their leave papers. I was then told that is not how it was to happen and I would not be allowed to go on terminal leave. I explained that it was my dept's mistake, but they did not care. There were 3 other people down there with my same problem. So I go to the dept. office and they call the Cheif in personel that I talked to. The cheif said that I busted into personel and started yelling at people and was disrespectful and all kinds of lies. He hung up and told me what she had said. I said look if I was trying to check out why would I act like that? I asked him to call her back and ask about the 3 others that were having my same problem. While he did that I ran down to the division office. I had a chief down there that I had some dirt on (I found out he faked having an esws when he came to the IKE)and knew he would (CONT.)

Leaving the Ike, and almost getting sucked back in. CONT> Department: Engr Author: MM2 "Sol The Bull" Dupler Era: 2001 Date: 05/17/06 So, I had some dirt on the chief and knew that if I asked him the "right way" he might help me out. He did, called personel the CMC and others and got it all worked out. I still got to check out, that chief in personel was a bitch to me the whole time. I think it sucks that people have to lie and be apathetic just to make it harder on you. I kept a tight grip on that check out card so it did not get ripped, torn, or destroyed. One of the people in personel told me that if it was ripped, torn, or destroyed they would not accept it and I would have to do it all over again. I never realy did understand why I had to have the chaplins or the CMC sign the checkout card, try finding that damn CMC somedays. I pretty much left everything behind. The only things I brought home with me was my Audi I just bought on ebay for under $1000 and my pet fish (a betta).

Strawberries Department: AIMD Author: Chris Era: 2005 Date: 05/18/06 For a while last year, the Ike mess decks would have the serving lines decked out with carved fruit. I read an earlier story here about someone who would take the food and dump it, and it reminded me of something I did on one of our 2 week DETs. They would have all these fruits sitting out above the serving line, 99% of the time, they would have strawberries just lying there looking pretty, so i took it upon myself, that every time i saw one i would take a large bite out of it, and just leave the top 1/4 of the strawberry sitting up there. This went on the almost the whole DET and i havent seen any strawberries up there since then.

Sinking of a CV Department: Rx Author: Peter Era: 1984 Date: 05/18/06 Just read that they sank the USS Oriskany yesterday off the coast of Pensacola. Took 37 minutes to sink! Pretty fast... Of course, they didn't have condition Zebra set. But still, makes one wonder how fast IKE would have sank? One thing I noticed about IKE is that they had drills for just about everything, but no "abandon ship" drill. On cruiseboats, the very first day of the cruise, you learn where your lifeboat station is but on IKE??? I did a YAHOO search and came up with this link: http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/bugle.htm which has the "Abandon Ship" call (as played by a bugle)

abandon ship Department: Engr Author: MM2 Sol The Bull Dupler Era: 1997 Date: 05/19/06 We did an abandon ship drill in the begining of 1997. Us new guys did not have GQ stations yet, so we hid in the shop, but when they did the abandon ship thing we thought that we might want to know what to do. We found our Dept. at the hangar bay opening for 4 aircraft elevator. They told us what life boat we were to take (like if the ship was sinking, it would make a difference)and that we were to jump off of the elevator (from the hangar bay) if it was a real event. Only problem was after that we got GQ stations. The abandon ship drill was a GQ drill that had us take a lot of damage that could not be repaired. When we would have INSURV, or one of the other training/inspection things they would pop open one of the lifeboat keg's to spot check them. I forget what all they kept in there (any BM's on here know) but I do remember they had one pack of cigerettes (Camels I think). I always thought that would just start a fight, all those smokers fighting over one pack.

Leaving the IKE, re: Sol Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1987 Date: 05/19/06 That's why Ike had all those morale problems - everybody enlisted got treated like dirt, or more accurately, an inmate. As far as that female chief, I'm sure it came back around - I'm a strong believer in karma. Other than my story about the AW1 getting his check out card torn to shreds by his own Chief, in my day, you pretty much got treated like royalty when checking out. Immediate head of line where ever you went - it was like you had paid your penance, and done your sentence. And I remember signing off a couple of the departments myself to save time / hassles. Some depts. had stamps, so I knew it was a risk, but no problem in the end.

Newport News Department: Ops Author: Arch Era: 1986 Date: 05/20/06 Part VI - It's Five o'Clock Somewhere ... In the apartment below us there lived a few black folks that dealt weed. We never talked more than a simple hello upon passing, but there was a mutual respect / wink acknowledgement. One Saturday morning, a couple of beautiful white chicks had just bought some smoke from them and were leaving, when coincidentally, Ted and I came down the stairs. It seems these chicks were from out of town (probably visiting VB), and a local friend had steered them there to score some smoke. The black woman immediately said something like, "These nice boys live above me, maybe you want to go hang with them ?". The girls were kinda agreeable, until they asked us where we were going. Ted said, "To a party". One of the girls said, "But it's 10:30 in the morning ... ". Ted said, "Hell ... we're LATE ... ". The girls went their own way. :-( A party didn't last one day by our definition.

GI issue pens Department: Ops Author: Arch Era: 1986 Date: 05/20/06 Remember the black ball point pens that said, "Property of US Govt" that everybody made into dope pipes ? They actually worked very well for their adapted purpose ... the short / point end became the mouthpiece. Toss the long end. The metal mid-section became the bowl, anchored with a penny to absorb the heat. Leave a small crevice for air flow, and masking tape it all together. Worked great for small bits of bud. I heard that during the 1985 to 1987 yards, they found dozens and dozens of those homemade pipes when they tore up berthing areas.