Conning, Helmsmen, Port/Starboard Watch standing > what a awesome First Class Cruise

[mules83]

Actually, I’m joking. I got back from my cruise last week and it just proved how much I don’t want SWO; aviation is for me. (For you officer first, aviator/swo second guru’s, I plan on being a excellent SWO if it comes to it, but darn, I hope I get a aviation slot) My unit’s XO made all the first class go to surface cruises to see the non-aviation side of the navy. I spent 4 weeks on the Cape St. George (CG-71) out of Norfolk. The cruise wasn’t too bad, just the SWO life wasn’t for me. Spent a week shelling NC with 5 inch shells, two weeks in Norfolk and a week over in Belfast..........Maine, not Ireland (bummed about that). It was defiantly interesting seeing a ship pack itself into the only two bars in all of Belfast.

One thing I did get out of the cruise was experiencing helo operations. I still want jets (doesn’t everybody?) but the helo life on a cruiser/destroyer was nice. HSL-44 Det 4 was with us down in NC and just being with 6 officers instead of a whole squadron seemed better to me. I wouldn’t know otherwise since I NEVER got an aviation cruise to see how the jet community was.

I could add about 10 more pages of drunken stories that occurred in Norfolk, Belfast, and on July 4 weekend up in D.C. but those can wait.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

did they really make you stand port/stbd conning and helmsman?

 

[mules83]

did they really make you stand port/stbd conning and helmsman?

they tried, but we learned if we slept most of the day or hide in supply berthing while watching every episode of family guy and chappelle, they wouldnt find us and/or bother us.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

What did you get out of NSFS?

 

[A4sForever]

.......I got back from my cruise last week and it just proved how much I don’t want SWO; aviation is for me. (For you officer first, aviator/swo second guru’s, I plan on being a excellent SWO if it comes to it, but darn, I hope I get a aviation slot.......

EXACTLY ...... .... no one here could say it any better.

 

[helobex]

don't lie...you loved it :icon_tong


jk

 

[defiant85]

Hey, I was on the Cape as well. It was an interesting cruise, sleeping 14+ hours a day, and all that Chapelle's show. Maine sucked, the town we went to had only 2,000 people, the population increased by 15% when we got there. We found out later that the Senator who requested our visit was on the sea power subcomitee, which explains why we were there in the first place. We did get into a verbal altercation with a senior citizen bar owner because this YN2 we were with said she looked like a cow which was pretty damn funny. Anyways, Mules, there's a rat snake in my rack.

 

[zippy]

I wouldn’t know otherwise since I NEVER got an aviation cruise to see how the jet community was.

You got to ERAU right? Do you really need a summer cruise to see what aviation is like???
Not everyone who gets an aviation cruise gets assigned to a jet squadron and a lot of the mids who do get assigned to the jet squadrons don't get any flight time.

 

[bch]

You got to ERAU right? Do you really need a summer cruise to see what aviation is like???
Not everyone who gets an aviation cruise gets assigned to a jet squadron and a lot of the mids who do get assigned to the jet squadrons don't get any flight time.

I totaly agree with this quote... EXCEPT...
Going to ERAU in NO WAY shows what Naval Aviation is about. Civi flying and the civi pilot community is in no way a good example of what it is like in a fleet sqd.

 

[Fly Navy]

I totaly agree with this quote... EXCEPT...
Going to ERAU in NO WAY shows what Naval Aviation is about. Civi flying and the civi pilot community is in no way a good example of what it is like in a fleet sqd.

Definitely true. But a lot of people that go on aviation cruises have absolutely zero flight experience and are looking to see what it is like. So it's kind of a 50/50 thing. Still worth going on the cruise to see what a Navy squadron is like though, that's for sure.

 

[Steve Wilkins]

I totaly agree with this quote... EXCEPT...
Going to ERAU in NO WAY shows what Naval Aviation is about. Civi flying and the civi pilot community is in no way a good example of what it is like in a fleet sqd.

surely you jest

 

[wink]

they tried, but we learned if we slept most of the day or hide in supply berthing while watching every episode of family guy and chappelle, they wouldnt find us and/or bother us.

Not only aviation material but probably has VP in his genes.

 

[mules83]

You got to ERAU right? Do you really need a summer cruise to see what aviation is like???
Not everyone who gets an aviation cruise gets assigned to a jet squadron and a lot of the mids who do get assigned to the jet squadrons don't get any flight time.

I went to Oceana when I was in Norfolk and I met 2 midshipmen who were on their 4th hornet flight eaach. I know that I might of got p-3’s up in Maine but I would have liked to see how the p-3 community worked or how a s-3 community was. Luckily, I got to see how a HSL squadron ran and it totally changed my perspective on the helo community. I wanted to go on a aviation cruise mostly just to see how the aviation community ran.

Anyways, Mules, there's a rat snake in my rack.

Those rat snakes can be deadly in a 7 X 3 foot rack. HAHA

 

[USN99]

Two comments

I spent 4 weeks on the Cape St. George (CG-71) out of Norfolk. The cruise wasn’t too bad, just the SWO life wasn’t for me.

Four weeks. That's a rip-off. :icon_rage You deserve a longer cruise. Does anyone know why NROTC summer cruises have been shortened to an unconscionable 4 weeks? I can already guess that "budget" is the real reason. But what is the official cover story for this abomination.


SWO life wasn't for me either, even in the Gulf (the first one, Tonkin). Aviation was so much more stimulating on a daily basis. :icon_smil

 

[mules83]

Four weeks. That's a rip-off. :icon_rage You deserve a longer cruise. Does anyone know why NROTC summer cruises have been shortened to an unconscionable 4 weeks? I can already guess that "budget" is the real reason. But what is the official cover story for this abomination.

We were asking to leave after we got back from NC. That was week 2. When you are underway, a week was more than enough time to see and get a clue on how SWO's lived and work. Being in Norfolk for two weeks doing nothing was a drag. Beach is ok (get that in FL) and bars can be found back where i live. I could of been back home working and earning money or be with my friends since this is my last summer as a free man; navy is going to own me next summer.