CARRIER

·      Introductory

On May 7, 2005 the U.S.S Nimitz aircraft carrier left Coronado California heading towards the Persian Gulf ready for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The next seven months 0ver 5,000 will be living on board the ship ready to serve their duty and mainly to serve their country during the time of war. During war an Aircraft carrier is like a floating military base ready at a moments notice to drop bombs and carry out any mission. The carrier has up to 70 fighter jets ready to be launched 24/7 ready to carry out there mission. The PBS documentary Carrier film over 1,600 hours during their 7 months on bored the ship. In 2008 they released Carrier as an 10 part series to describe in depth what the experience is like to be on bored the U.S.S Nimitz.  With in the series you get a first hand experience to see life on bored an aircraft carrier during deployment at sea. During there 7 months at sea they stop many different ports around the world both getting to experience other nations but mainly to spend time off the ship. 

·      Geography

The mission of the United States Navy is to protect and defend the right of the United States and our allies to move freely on the oceans and to protect our country against her enemies. The world is mostly ocean, making most of the world there playground to play and sail in. During there 7 months at sea they make nine different stop around the world. May 7, 2005 departs form Coronado California

1.     May 7, 2005 departs from Coronado California

2.     May 18, 2005 arrives in Peal Harbor

3.     June 3, 2005 arrives in Hong Kong

4.     June 18, 2005 arrives in Guam

5.     June 30, 2005 arrives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

6.     August 9, 2005 arrives in Bahrain and the Persian Gulf

7.     October 7, 2005 arrives in Perth Australia

8.     October 30, 2005 arrives in Peal Harbor

9.     November 8, 2005 returns to Coronado California

When dock at a port the members of the crew are allowed to explore each city they are docked in. When they head in to any port they have a tradition when they make the crew where there uniforms and stand around the edge of the ship. When they make there first stop in Peal Harbor many members of the ship head on over to the peal harbor memorial. When they arrive in Hong Kong or any port they are warned that they are in a different country and you have to act accordingly to their laws and mainly your part of the U.S Navy and you have to act like a sailor and don’t drink like one. As many of them due take the warring serious in the other hand many go strait to the bar and drink and drink. Don’t forget most of the crewmembers are between the age of 19 and 24 (young kids) thinking that they are unstoppable. Two days later they are ready to head towards Guam. Within their time in Hong Kong few members of the crew got arrested mostly for being drunk and in one case one member raped another crewmember. When it comes to the navy they don’t let shit fly by, each person will have to suffer consequences. This includes months with out pay, not allowed to leave the ship wile at port and wile the remainder of there time on the ship they would have to do extra chores. With in the 7 months every time they leave port many crew members got in trouble with the law or got too drunk and each of them will be charged and suffer severe consequences for there action. This shows not everything is going to be perfect and how crime does happen on bored an aircraft carrier.

·      Demography

             Lets play a little numbers game. The U.S.S Nimitz have over 5,000 crew member, The Food Services Department provides 18,000-20,000 meals a day, witch they can stock at least 70 days of refrigerated and dry storage goods.  Don’t forget all your garbage has to go somewhere they recycle and through out thousands of pounds a waist each day for 7 months. Next, just say you get sick The Nimitz also features a 53-bed hospital ward that includes a three bed ICU, and acts as the hospital ship for the entire Nimitz battle group. Six doctors work around the clock including a general surgeon, provide everything from surgery to hydro-therapy. Don’t forget the crew need clean teeth so they also have five dentists. Think of the Nimitz like a small city , each city has a barber but the one barber shop on bored trims over 1,500 heads each week. The Post Office processes more than one million pounds of mail each year. There are three chaplains conduct daily religious services for the members of the crew.

            During the 7 months at sea the Nimitz never stops and what makes this from happening in the crew that is the heart and soul of the ship. Every one of the 5,000 plus members each has a vital role in making the ship work days on end. From the Capitan to the seamen. 

·      Economics

Lets start off each carrier cost up to 4 billion dollars. Each ships carries up to 70 fighter jets, witch cost up to 200 million. Fighter jets are just heavy metal paperweights would out fuel. Even though the carrier is run on nuclear power the fighter jets require jet fuel and a lot of it. Don’t forget about the crew members they need to eat 3 meals a day. The amount of food they go though during a 7 months of deployment is unbelievable. If you’re in the navy just wish you’re not part of the food service. Try making 3 meals a day for thousands of people.

·      Politics

When on the Nimitz it feels like its own little country with poor and rich people. What makes you rich or poor all depends on your rank. Rank is everything when it comes to the navy and the higher rank you have the more power you have. Some examples, if you’re seamen and you are waiting to see the dentist for a tooth pain but along comes a petty officer he would get treatment due to his higher rank. Another example is within the ship they have two different mess halls one for the Officers and one for the rest of the crew. Lets take a guess witch one has leather chairs and better food, the Officers.

Wile on the Nimitz you a must obey the rules of the ship. When it comes to the Navy rules, it is everything and it gives structure to the crew. Within the 5,000-crew members many of them get in to trouble by not following the rules. An example is when the Master chief is walking around and sees you slack off or are not during what you should be doing you will get in trouble. A more serious example is one crewmember during the night shift took off their jacket and through it in to the sea making it look like she went over bored. For this crewmember they were charge and was given months with out pay. When on the Nimitz if you do a crime you would be charged with crime. 

·      Culture

More them 80% of the crewmembers are between the age of 18 to 24. When living with 5,000 young adults your going to run in to trouble and lots of drama. Lets give you some back ground on their living situation. Each member only gets the space the size of closet to live in for months at a time. Also like NYC the ship never sleeps so this means there is fighter jets getting launched around the clock 24/7. So lack of sleep and personal space for over 5,000 young adults now we can talk about what goes on. If there is one world that describes the Nimitz is one big High School. Every element of a high school happens with in the aircraft carrier. First lets talk about one of there golden rule, NO DATING. When there is thousands of crew members, dating is going to happen but if caught you will get in trouble. When word gets out that your are dating someone it will travel fast and within day the whole ship will know your dating.

Another element of high school within the Nimitz is how clicks form and how it is very segregated among different races. If you work on the deck launching aircrafts or if you are a pilot or if your seamen 100% of your time you will be around the people you work with. If you don’t work with them your not friends with them. This is how the ship works. Also if you’re a minority most likely you will find your kind and become friends. In one example a white seamen worked along with a black seamen and you could just image what happened. The white seamen was charge of being a races and was on thin ice of getting kicked out of the navy due to other charges of races acts.

            Life on bored the ships is rough for many of the crewmembers but it is 10 times hard for women on bored the ship. As many would say to be in the Navy is only meant for men. Well we are in the 21^st century and on bored the U.S.S Nimitz there are a number of hard workingwomen. Even though they are good workers they are living among many men witch could be harsh for them at some points. To help them they have counseling and group meeting to help them deal with the problem they have. In one situation an office raped wile docked in Hong Kong one member. I could just image what she was feeling having everyone on the ship known what happened to her. Another example is on bored the ship there is only a few women pilots. When it some to men pilots there is a lot of testosterone floating around witch could be hard for women pilots. In the end if you’re a man or women having thousands of roomettes you’re going to run in to a few problems.

·      Conclusion

When I was done watching this 10-part, 10-hour documentary I learned a lot. I did not just learn about how an aircraft carrier works or how they launch a plane from the deck of the ship. What I really learned is what it is like to be part of the United States Navy and what is it like to spent 7 months on bored a aircraft carrier. When they enlisted in to the Navy they do so to defend their country. But when your one of 5,000 crew members your going to run in to many problem. Besides the drama it is just the physical work they do day to day for months. For sum this might be too much but what I learned is everyone of the 5,000 people on the ship all when at work is the heart of the ship. The ship has many planes and bombs but without the people who launch the planes or prepare the bombs the ships is just a ship. In the end is I respect people who Join the Navy now and I respect what they do to our country but I just want them to see this documentary to under stand what they are getting them self in to before they check the box where it says to work on a aircraft carrier.

·      Bibliography

    http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/