Thursday, August 31, 2006

This is the first and last time you will ever hear me say this, so listen up. I will not repeat myself-rarely do I badmouth the insititution to which I have pledged my loyalty.

However.....

The ship I am currently on, USS Carl Vinson, is pissing me off. Chuckie V is the sole reason my stress levels are so ridiculously high. Allow me to explain - the Navy is a unique branch of the military, in that our primary job as Sailors is simply to support and operate equipment. Whereas Soldiers and Marines train for direct engagement with enemy forces, we perform maintenance and drill with systems designed to be delivered to the enemy from the sea. So, we clean, maintain and operate the ships, which deliver the delivery systems (jets, helos, cannon, torpedo tubes, missile launchers, etc.), which then deliver the destructive components. So when we are not out to sea, we troubleshoot and drill.

But my particular ship is in the yards. Almost all systems, form basic power and plumbing, to the reactor, rudders, screws, radar, steam catapaults, etc. are gutted or removed entirely. So we have a mass of empty spaces with nothing to fix. And so, we clean. It's the only thing left. All we have now are appearances, since performance is nearly irrelevant at this time. And people clean. But the civilians on board are constantly working, cutting, grinding, rigging, welding, wiring, staging, priming, blasting, painting, torching, etc. So.... what is the Goddamn point of trying to create Nevr-Dull miracle spaces out of compartments that will only be shit upon the very next day? What about a minimum standard? Revamped inspection criteria, to make room for error? Some Goddamn fucking common fucking sense and...and....I dunno. Something.


Grown men getting the blood pressure up over some dust and candy wrappers.


UGH.

Monday, August 28, 2006

It is 0528. Been at work for forty minutes now.


WHY DOES THIS COMMAND INSIST ON STARTING THE WORKDAY AT THE FUCKING ASSCRACK OF DAWN? THE SHIPYARD WORKERS AREN'T WORKING - WHY ARE WE?