There is so much to share from our trip to Navy Station Mayport in Jacksonville, FL. Here are the highlights:
1) We met the captain of one of the Destroyers who talked about how his success hangs on his ability to know the crew, know about the crew, their lives, their families - to truly connect with them so they can succeed.
2) We toured the Farragut (Destroyer), Gettysburg (cruiser) and the Halyburton (Frigate). I learned that the ships are built for my size. The quarters are small, the passageways are small and I felt right at home. Even on the frigate, while sleeping in the officer's quarters and having to climb onto the top rack (bed), I had plenty of room to move. I can not say the same about my counterparts. (And if you have ever seen Firefly, our sink was just like that. It folds open and when you are done, close it up and the water spills down the back.)
3) While getting a tour of the Hayburton, the Petty Officer 2nd class (PO2) opened up to our chaplain guide. He proverbially spilled his guts to her, almost forgetting that the group of us were there. If that can happen with on PO2 with a room full of strangers, how much more so would a PO2 open up to a chaplain he knows.
4) We had the chance to use the helicopter simulator. I was doing great but in the end, I killed all my passengers. Guess I will stick with chaplaincy and leave aviation to the pilots.
5) We got to spend a few hours with the CG (Coast Guard) and instead of a power point presentation about what they do, they took us out on a 45 foot cutter down the St. Johns River. Some of us even got to drive. I have more respect for the CG than I ever did before. The Navy trains for situations but the CG don't train - they do. Their job is hard and there are not many of them.
6) Chaplains get slap happy after 5 hours of continuous driving.
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