GLORY: Be a front page photographer

It's not Time magazine, but ask any Nimitz MC who's had a photo featured on the cover of Nimitz News sunday edition.  It feels pretty good.  During deployment, we made it more interesting by turning the selection process into a contest.  The newspaper staff submitted all cover-worthy photos taken that week, and the entire department had a say in the winner.  In the above photo, everyone's voting by marking pink post-its.

Voter turnout every Friday for this event was great, and only scattered reports of voter fraud surfaced.

Along with the photograph being showcased for 5,000 people, the front page is archived on the newspaper's wall of fame.  (We should've moved the clock.)

This is MC3 Chris Bartlett.  Not too long ago he was an undesignated seaman fighting to become one of us.  Now he's winning every other cover photo contest.  In the above photo, Bartlett works on one of his many sports stories for the paper.  The beautiful thing about working there was, if you found something you loved and ran with it, more power to you.

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Location:  Pensacola, FL    Miles traveled:  3,584

Staying sane

We're pretty limited in recreation choices on the ship.  Luckily, working six days a week, 12 hours a day, means we don't have to worry about down time much.  They're playing some crazy card game in the background, while MC2 Cotter sings the entire plot to Jurassic Park.

 Total addiction to Super Mario Kart, the OLD version on Super Nintendo. It's all about games people can play in groups.  As deployment wears on, the crew will retreat to alone time more and more, but two months in, the Mario tourneys were going strong.

This is a CBR (Chemical Biological Radiological) drill.  It's never fun to spend any period of time in an uncomfortable gas mask, in a crowded, hot room. This is why we sing the plot to Jurassic Park.

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ROAD TRIP:  After visiting friends in Lost Angeles and San Diego, I headed to Williams, this creepy-Route-66-fake-western-town that sits about 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon.  The population is roughly 86% tourist.  One of them was retired Army Sergeant First Class Lou, and he was really good at that game we're playing, whatever it's called.

THE GRAND CANYON! (I'll probably have that shirt on in a lot of upcoming shots.)

I'd recommend getting there early, by late morning the crowds were thick. I had the feeling that without several hundred people squawking in a hundred languages, the Grand Canyon would be a really peaceful place to look out on.

Location: Grand Canyon, AZ   Miles traveled: 1,836

Change: A new chapter begins

FLASHBACK!

September 2010:  The first day in Coronado, waiting for Nimitz to arrive... 

(I put my bags down after a minute.)












 

 Not happy at all about my new bed...

Look at that haircut!

Wow that seems like so long ago. But change is what the military's all about, and it's time to move on. To all my friends still on deployment, hang in there and know that you are appreciated. Stay safe over there.

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Okay, so I'm back on dry land and headed cross country to my next duty station, Syracuse University.  Starting at the end of July, I'll spend two semesters (10 months) enrolled in their Motion Media program, learning all sorts of cool video stuff.  They only accept four MCs a year, so it's a huge honor to get in. There will also be four MCs studying under the photography program.

I have a bunch of photos from the last two months, so as I stop at hotels and to visit friends I'll try and get a post up showing you what life is like on a deployed carrier.  Also, some quick and dirty Android video shoots captured some of my favorite Nimitz Sailors.  Check out the first video below!

Oh yeah, and I can't pass up the opportunity to do one of those cool dotted line 

travel map thingies...

So I'll start where I left off, running the newspaper.  After much whining on my part, I actually did pretty well.

GODFATHER: My newspaper minions loved me and lamented the inevitable turnover to new management that had to happen once I got orders to Syracuse.

DRY ERASER MAZE: I won't miss managing the onslaught of stories pouring in every hour.  For not producing a thing personally, being a workcenter supervisor kept me running all day.  It's all about time and people management.

RELIEF: MC2 Jason Behnke, a 10-year veteran, begins taking over my job.  I am happy.

MAN LOVE: With several weeks left, my new role is succumbing to the ever-increasing displays of affection from a certain large Asian man.  "DAMN IMMA MISS YOU SLAUGHTER!"

Location: Stockton, CA    Miles traveled: 827

Personnel Specialist Seaman Abdul Feteke
Caution, raw video-not edited for language!

Leave the kitchen sink

PREPARING TO DEPLOY: Are you a heavy packer? Do you go on weekend outings with three suitcases? Well not on this trip. Space is very limited on USS Nimitz. I have two lockers besides this one under my rack. Half of one locker is already filled with microwave popcorn.

Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G Touch

Ship's Greetings

MC3 Berumen and her boyfriend, AC3 Dalton, are exchanging gifts in the TV control room.  Like me, Dalton has to work today and is stuck on the ship.  I briefly entertained the thought of taking leave and traveling to the east coast to visit family and friends, but with plane tickets starting at $800, it's just too expensive.  

My dad called last night to see how I was doing on Christmas Eve.  I'm actually doing fine.  As an only child raised to be independent, I maintain a strong relationship with my family, but can also handle being on my own during holidays.

I wish I could say the same for everyone else here. There's definitely some sad faces today.  But we've got a job to do and no doubt the Nimitz Sailors will handle business like the professionals they are.

Happy Holidays America.

Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G