Paper Route

The end game in the newspaper business is distribution. We print large quantities of the Nimitz News and then deliver to the commanding officer, executive officer, command master chief, mess decks and the ward rooms. This all happens late at night on Thursday for a Friday release. It's cool, I always dreamed of having a paper route. 

Just need a bicycle...

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Crazy collateral

 
MC2 Cotter takes photos and writes stories for a living.  While Nimitz is docked, he moonlights as a bus driver on Naval Station Everett.  The base snatched him up a few weeks ago and sent him to driver school.  Now he ferries Sailors to and from work several hours a day.

I bet he didn't see this collateral duty coming.
 

Into the pool

Coordinating the many moving parts of the Photo Journalism division.

Well I've worked at the newspaper for a couple of days, so I guess it's time for me to be in charge. It's kind of crazy, after working in relative solitude in video, to suddenly have 8 people working under me.

Hope I can swim.

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Surface Warfare

Chief worked at Navy boot camp before this.  I'm glad he didn't notice me here.

Laid out in front of every Navy Sailor is an almost endless path of qualifications, certifications, ribbons, and certificates that need to be picked up.  Most are victories to smile about.  Earning the Surface Warfare pin is one that requires heavy celebration.

Or at least a real hardcore face.

Come on, who wants a bunch of photos with the same boring smile?

The journey starts the day you arrive to your command, and involves many signatures, walkthroughs, written tests.  The grand finale places you in front of stern-faced representatives from each department on the ship.  They then shoot questions at you for about two hours.  If you survive, you're officially Surface Warfare qualified.

I hear it used to be a lot worse back in the day.