Well, as it turns out, early 2000s internet explorer web brower does not support blogger loading...I'm sure the next IAVA push from CSO will fix that bug...yeah, right.
So I have checked into my next command. I checked in March 9th, got U/W March 12th and was gone for two weeks. On March 16th I relieved one of my best friends, Steve Henz, as the Engineer Officer, aka, the Chief Engineer, "CHENG", in USS HUE CITY. It's been a whirlwind few weeks full of casualties, a missile shoot, and now a brand new Commanding Officer.
HUE CITY has been a blast so far. I feel confident in who I am as an officer and have been able to implement processes that took me 18 months to develop in FARRAGUT. Day 1 I knew what I wanted and how to get there. HUE CITY is older. In short, a lube oil leak, a starter air cooler, a charlie fire, a ground in the electrical distribution system...these have been routine. However, the plant has a simplicity to it that is much appreciated. Even if the solution to a problem isn't an easy one, the cause is easier than FARRAGUT, where much of the gear was a little too integrated, with multiple ratings having a hand in a piece of equipment, or proprietary gear made for DDG99 that no one but the manufacturer could touch. That doesn't exist in HUE CITY.
Steve has left me a plant operating well. There are plenty of areas to hone and make better, but to see where the plant is from 18 months prior, I have to take my hat off to him. He inherited a plant in disarray and made it work. I will do my best to guide the men and make it great. Thanks, Steve.
Life is good right now. I'm enjoying a nice promotion. I'm enjoying sweet time with my family. But duty calls. I will soon be heading off and won't be coming back for a LOOOOOONNNNG time. Like, I'll see you sometime next year long time. That's what I do. I don't know how sometimes. I don't always know why. But I know this is what I'm meant to do. I know there are 70 men and women who are counting on me to lead them into harm's way. I miss my family. I've been gone since January....I'm here 2 weeks then gone for a month plus...then home BRIEFLY...then gone gone. When all is said and done, I'll spend most of about a 15 month period apart from Joy and the kids.
It's hard. This will be the first full deployment with kids of a cognizant age in tow. And boy are they aware, especially Aiden. Lots of drama already when I came back from a 2 month school in Newport and took off for an U/W 3 days later. They KNOW I'm gone...I miss them, too.
I stand resolved, though. I'll get through this. They'll get through this. This is my job. My country asks me to serve and I want to faithfully follow my new Captain downrange. I will. There are repairs to be made, preservation to be done, PMS to complete, training to conduct, battle drills to execute, and lots of i's to dot and t's to cross before we sail over the horizon.
Mission First, people Always.
Lastly, during this past U/W we shot a standard missile. It was the most awesome event I've witnessed in my career. We drilled and practiced and rehearsed our firing script and conducted comms checks with the other units in our strike group...the drone flew in simulating and enemy missile and Mach speeds..when in range, the Captain turned the fire inhibit switch, the MSS operator pressed fire, and I watched from the bridge as the sky turned orange...the ship rocked...I ran to the bridge wing to watch a missile fly from our VLS at such speed, such ferocity, it seemed fake. it seemed fake...3 perfect contrails from 3 warship shot to 10000 feet then dove for a terminal intercept of the "bad guy." I'm not doing it justice. So, in short, I'd watch out adversaries of the Republic. we are ready...and willing to provide an awesome spectacle.
Thanks for your support. I'll figure out how to update this. Maybe i'll send inputs to Joy at home to update.
In the meantime, I'm here, I'm training, I'm leading, and soon I'll be over the horizon and halfway around the world. Until then...enjoy this picture of HUE CITY at sunset.
The sea is a wonderful place...I love this time of day at sea.
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