Ready, Set...and Wait

somewhere in the Carolina low country---MPG would rise to 47.8 around VA/MD but ultimately succumb to the Northeast weather/traffic. Boo.

So after 1180 miles of travel and $50 plus dollars of cash and exact change later I reached Newport, Rhode Island Saturday afternoon. My final fuel economy was 46.2 mpg for the trip---metro NJ/NY killed me! Most of Saturday I re-acclimated myself with the base, a few new roads, a new bridge, new buildings, ran a few errands, got a few groceries. Lay low. Sunday night I went to bed early and was ready for a new course. I even shaved my beard. I got up early today, showered, shaved, put on a clean, crisp set of NWUs (cammies), boots, parka (it is Rhode Island, folks), tidied my room for the cleaning lady, and headed out...

I found my room with ease. After all, I've been to SWOS (Surface Warfare Officer School) for various courses at least 6 times. SWOS is like home base for a SWO. You're going to end up in Newport numerous times in your career: Division Officer Course, Engineering schools, Dept Head School, CHENG School (what I'm doing now...again), and PXO/PCO school for command---By the way, if you're just tuning in, that's what I am.. there's Aviator (pilot), SEAL, submariner, etc....SWO. I'm a SWO. It stands for Surface Warfare Officer. In layman's terms, I drive ships...warships. Anyway, I'm slightly familiar with the SWOS layout. I've been to some variation/iteration of this particular engineering course 4 times. So I confidently strode into the Cruiser classroom and the Chief looked at me and said, "Who are you?" "LT Hancock---I'm going to HUE CITY." "You're not on the roster:"....Hmmm.

So, SWOS has no record of me in the Navy-wide program that tracks courses, enrollments. My orders say to be here...classic Navy. Now, in fairness, I was originally scheduled to be at this course in October. I was ORDMOD'd (order modification) to change my PRD to January detach from last ship due to EOC (engineering certification). After I was extended on FARRAGUT, I did make every effort to extricate myself from the requirement to go to this course...I just wanted to get to HUE CITY. Last I heard, though, even the HUE CITY CO's pleas to big Navy were denied...LT HANCOCK MUST GO, says the man. So, the cruiser CHENGs are joining the Prospective Engineer Officer Course mid-way...the new DH CHENGs and division officers were finishing the "Common Core" portion of the course today. By 0845 I had filled in my travel paperwork, received my badge to enter the building, and headed off to my room.

Not a bad first day---plenty of time to kill it on the cardio and rage against the odds: CHENGs and PT. Rarely do the two mix. But that's another post...

A Morning in Washington

I'm here. Here is the illustrious Newport Chalet at the Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island. This hotel (laugh) is my home for the next 33 days. It'll work. Anyway, I'm safe and sound but worn out from travel. I just briefly wanted to share my Friday morning with you.

With no pressure to reach stop 2 (Matt Kavanagh's in Roseland, NJ by 6 pm), I had hours to spend away from I 95. When I woke up Friday morning I knew there was only one thing I wanted to do that morning: visit my friend. My friend resides in a special place. His address: 1 Memorial Drive, Arlington, Va.

Friday I spent an hour or so with Joe, just thinking about him, remembering him, talking to him, praying, reflecting. Enjoying a quiet moment. It had downpoured that morning, but I enjoyed a crisp, rain-free visit. Joe was a special friend. We instantly hit it off as friends because our upbringings were remarkably similar in discipline, faith, school, etc. We just sorta knew each other well from the beginning.

Joe died serving his country. He was a special pilot, a better friend, and a devoted father. He was a champion for his family until his dying breath.

I miss Joe every day.

Finally I said bye to Joe and hopped in my car. Still had time. I decided to play it safe and head North to Matt's.  A few miles down the road I saw a familiar exit, Highway 50 East. I instinctively took it and headed for my second detour of the day: Annapolis.

Annapolis is a special place for me. It's just a special place period. Unshaven beard and all, I drove onto The Yard, found a parking place, and quietly, inconspicuously made my way to Memorial Hall, weaving between Midshipmen strolling to their 1300 classes.There, too, in venerable Memorial Hall, Joe is now honored. His name is etched along the finest collection graduates to die in service to this nation.

4 2002 classmates have died serving

I hear Don Calkin's voice even now. He was my Plebe Summer detailer. He dragged our squad into Memorial Day one afternoon in between training events...There he lectured our squad on Memorial Hall, the seriousness of what we were there to do, to become. It was an impressionable speech that has stuck with all of us from the squad. And here, so many years later, I find another name. My friend's name. Joe's name etched forever, memorialized.

 This picture probably doesn't do Memorial Hall justice. It's awe-inspiring. You walk in to a breath-taking room where fellow alumni who have made the ultimate sacrifice our honored. You're just silent. Without being told you're humbled to silence.

Another view

Finally, when I was leaving, I observed this easel displayed at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to Memorial Hall. I must have missed it entering.

It's hard to read, but it says that a 2006 graduate, a young Marine Captain, was killed 19 January in  Afghanistan. So his name will be go up by Joe's.

It was a wonderful visit with Joe. It's important for all of us to reflect and honor the fallen. I miss Joe all the time. Remember the Mark Garners, the Joe Houstons. They were great men who served with honor and a smile. We all need a reminder, especially those of us serving, grinding, toiling...it means something to wear the uniform: wear it with honor. Cherish it all. it's a nasty business, and it can be gone instantly. I hope I can serve with the joy, integrity, and smile that Joe did.

Continue to rest in peace, my brother. Many of us continue the watch, and we always remember, honor our fallen. We honor you, Joe.

Things I like about my job

So here I am...sitting in a hotel in Fredericksburg, VA. This morning, a little after 7 AM, I pulled out of my driveway and left everything I hold dearest in my life behind me. I'll be gone all of February. Home for one weekend in March then gone all of March. Start a new job. CHENG again. That means long hours by the way. I.e, when I'm home, I work later than everybody else. Home in April but in a maintenance availability. Gone in May. Gone in June. Home in July. Deploy. It's going to be a long 12 plus months for the Hancocks. This is my life.

I hate leaving my family.  Tonight Aiden and Emma played on iPhone Facetime for me. they blew kisses. they hammed it up. I loved every minute of it. But it breaks my heart I have to spend pretty much the next year apart. Aiden is so brave. Emma misses me a lot, but doesn't comprehend the time. Aiden knows EXACTLY how long I'll be gone. He's a brave little boy who misses his Daddy. I miss him, too. I miss them all a lot. So, I sat in the Hilton Garden Inn bar and had a fine pale ale...then another...then an India Pale Ale. But I miss my family. We spend a lot of time apart.

Service.

It sucks but it is part of my job. I'll go to Newport. Again. I'll study. I'll learn bout the cruiser engine plant. I'll mentally prepare. I'll work out and physically prepare for another 18 months. But I hate being apart from my family. I'm gone. Occasionally I'll be home, but I'm basically I'm gone for the next  year plus.

So let me tell you what I do love about my job. In 2010, in the middle of the Suez Canal, I got to spend several hours with one of my good friends and colleagues from the Defense Language Institute. Sean is an Army FAO-Foreign Area Officer. What a treat to be thousands and thousands of miles from home, weeks into a brand new job, and get to hang out with a good friend.

It was a special time. This was one of those special military moments---two officers, one Navy, one Army, connected by the unique bond Arabic (I'll get to that later)---meeting up halfway around the world. Unreal. It was an awesome day. Thanks, Sean.

Sean and Dan on bridgewing of USS FARRAGUT during our Suez Canal transit

So today sucks. But I'll remember one awesome Navy day. You develop life-long friends in the military. When you meet up by chance like this, it's just special. You never know when or if you'll ever see you friends again. 2009 I lost 5 friends and classmates, all KIA or in the line of duty. You never know when you'll see your military buddies again. Especially when you're in different services. This was divine. It was a special time to show Sean what I do and just fellowship with him. And there will be many more. God willing.

A New Direction

Emma and Daddy inside a Gas Turbine Module

One typical day last year  I was driving home and called my mom because I needed someone to talk to. At the time, I was working 7 days a week from 5AM 'til 9PM getting ready for a big inspection called "INSURV"----Board of Inspection and Survey (This is one of those inspections where COs and XOs and CHENGs get fired when things don't go well. The INSURV Team makes a report to Congress and basically states that USS XXXXXXX either is or isn't fit for sea duty still. It's a big deal. For 4-5 months after I returned from deployment last August, one day after another felt like a miserable groundhog's day. My job was sucking the life out of me. As I dialed Mom I looked down the empty black highway, I was certain nobody in America appreciated what the Sailors of FARRAGUT did---were doing, FOR THEM. Nobody. Somewhere in the mix of that phone call my mom mentioned that my younger brother, Edward, asked, "What does Daniel do again.?" I should note that I had been commissioned 9 years at that point, and counting my Army ROTC and Naval Academy days, had been in the military 15 years. So maybe the Navy does a bad job of selling itself. This is my attempt to sell America on what we do, what I do. This blog is so my brother, Edward, never has to ask, "Mom, what does Daniel do again?" You can laugh at me. I do a lot of stupid things. You can cry with us. This job wears on me and the family at times. And you can curse the vile name of INSURV with me. Maybe you'll learn something new.

This blog is going to be about the life and times of a Chief Engineer, his beautiful wife, and their three children in Jacksonville, Florida. Inspired by my Army buddy, Kyle, I want to engage the American public about what the Navy does, specifically the Surface Navy, and what I do as a Chief Engineer...I hope you enjoy learning about my narrow slice of the Navy with plenty of personal vignettes mixed in, too.  I haven't removed a lot of old content that was family-centric, but from here on out it will be more my personal day to day life, not that I won't write plenty about my family---we're all in this together. Not much here right now---just wanted to re-focus the blog. There will be much more to follow in the coming days as I leave home tomorrow...I will be gone for most of the next 18 months. This is Navy life. This is the life of a SWO. This is a CHENG's life.  This is my life. Enjoy.