She floats!

Tugboats push USS Nimitz from the dry dock to the pier.  U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Derek Volland.

I just watched a massive cavern fill with water, and now a massive aircraft carrier is floating away on that water.

That may not be the exact technical terminology, but it's all I could think when the dry dock flooded and Nimitz was maneuvered, pushed, and pulled over to the pier where we first arrived.  Yep, it's been almost a year already.

This was an all-day event for the MCs.  We deployed photo and video teams on docks, piers, barges, tugboats, stairways, and rooftops.  I arrived at my shooting location, smack dab in front of USS Nimitz at about 1000. 

Then I sat there for two hours when the flooding was delayed.

At roughly 1600 the ship was floating and free, being moved up the street to Pier Delta.  I had thrown a wireless microphone on one of the Nimitz line handlers and followed the action as he and others helped to steer the carrier out of the dry dock.

Keep an eye out for the footage in an upcoming Dry Dock episode!

USS Nimitz concludes shifting piers from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility’s Dry Dock 6 to Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton.   U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Nichelle N. Whitfield.

I'm going to try and get some stuff up showing MCs at work.  I know many of you enjoy learning about what our jobs entail.  It'll be a bit easier, now that I can have my camera phone at work.

Dry Dock episode 6: The Climb (RELEASED)

Photos by MCCM Jon McMillan


This episode was a real roller coaster, but it's finally out!

Watch Nimitz Sailors take on Mount Saint Helens.

Thank you to my boss, MCCM McMillan, for taking these photos showing the MCs in action.

You've given me good feedback on the MC snapshot post, so I'll put another one up soon.  I think my job is really interesting, but I'm a little paranoid that it's just me.  Hearing that folks want more is all the motivation I need.

 

Dry Dock episode 6: The Climb (advertisement)

After hiking for over two hours, we weren't halfway there.  Photo by MCCM Jon McMillan.

I saw the MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) advertisement for the Mount Saint Helens climb back in February.  My immediate thought was "we have to get a camera crew up there." And so began a 4-month journey filled with more twists, turns, and unexpected surprises than I could have ever imagined.

Episode Six of the Dry Dock series will tell the story of a group of 12 Nimitz Sailors who attempt to summit the 8,365 foot active volcano, and what they learned on the way up.

Let's just say that things don't always turn out as planned.


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There are returning characters in episode six, so if you haven't been keeping up, here's the links to the previous five shows.

Episode 1: Arriving
Episode 2: Dry Dock
Episode 3: Overhaul
Episode 4: Many Hats
Episode 5: Adaptation

MCSA Ventura, MC3 Wray and I the morning of the climb. Photo by MCCM Jon McMillan.

Dry Dock episode 5: Adaptation

The barge is on the other side of Nimitz, think of a big, white floating box.  Photo by MC3 Ashley Berumen.

With all the work being done inside of the carrier, many offices have been moved to the barge.  Take a look at how life has changed for many Nimitz Sailors.  There's also some cool off-duty stuff going on...

Episode 5: Adaptation

Dry Dock episode 4: Many Hats

Logistics Specialist 1st Class Frances Estrada, from Brawley, Calif., clears debris from a foundation site for a house during a community relations project with Habitat for Humanity.  Photo by MCSA Alexander Ventura.

Episode 4 takes an intimate look at the lives of several Nimitz Sailors, on and off the ship.  Not trying to brag or nothin, but I shot and edited this beast on my own.  We need more people in the video department. /grin

Episode 4: Many Hats

Dry Dock episode 3: Overhaul

It's here!  For the first time ever, viewers can travel into a Controlled Industrial Area and witness the work taking place during a carrier's dry dock period. 

Watch episode 3

Front page

A Mr. Damon Moritz recently visited the media department on the Nimitz.  He came from the Pentagon and was very interested in our Drydock series.  After a 3-day visit, he returned and wrote an article about Wolfe, Wray, and I.  Check it out below!

Navy Imagery Insider: March-April issue

Dry Dock episode 2: Dry Dock

It's out!

Watch Dry Dock episode 2

Dry Dock episode 1: Arriving

You have voted, and we have heard!  The first episode of Dry Dock is here!  Watch it on Facebook and be sure to click "like".    :)

Okay, I know that Slaughter's Magical Playground won by a vote.  We can't call it Slaughter's Magical Playground.  You guys are crazy by the way.  I love you, but you're crazy.

Drydock:  A Year in the Yards with USS Nimitz  (narrated by yours truly)

Watch Dry Dock episode 1