USS George Washington Fire Update

Because of the posts I wrote during my son's tour of duty on the USS George Washington and the fire that occurred on May 22, I get many Google hits looking for information. The results of the investigation have been released. The incident was significant and actions have been taken. Complete story from the most reliable source I know of is http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=38840.

Fire Aboard the USS George Washington - Scott is OK

The news today is reporting the fire aboard the USS George Washington that occurred yesterday morning. The ship was off the coast of South America at the time. Here are a few links to reliable coverage of the fire:

WAVY TV, NBC affiliate in Norfolk
navy.mil
wvec.com

I received a call at 6:00 this morning from one of Scott's peers in Norfolk. He told me the details, pretty much as has been reported. The Navy Ombudsman also sent out emails and made phone calls to the families. The fire knocked out the email capability and much of the phone system, so my regular weekly phone call and other emails from Scott won't be possible for a few days. They are still on schedule to reach San Diego next week, so Scott's plans to drive coast to coast are still on track.

It was nice to get the call, but very scary at first. I wasn't quite awake, but expected to hear Scott's voice when I saw the caller I.D. It is very interesting how many things can run through your mind between the words "I've been asked to call you because there was a fire in the USS George Washington..." and "Scott is fine, he just wanted me to let you know ....." Actually, I was beginning to wonder why his weekly call seemed a bit late.... it's a "Mom thing."

Thank God that the injuries were not serious and the ship will be pulling into port soon.

Go Navy! Go USA! God bless America!

USS George Washington Visits Valparaiso, Chile

The USS George Washington aircraft carrier.

The Fantail of the GW

Having passed through the Straits of Magellan, the USS George Washington pulled into port at Valparaiso, Chile. Scott reported that this city is a major Naval port, reminding him of San Francisco and Norfolk. Judging by the pictures he has sent, I would definitely see the resemblance to San Francisco. The reference to Norfolk would be the shared characteristics of Naval bases.

Built on a mountainside, the city appears to rise from the sea itself. Fog is a common weather condition, giving the city and the port a sort of surrealism. Some of the pictures Scott sent were taken through the tour bus window, giving the view a bit of reflection, but beautiful, nonetheless.

Valparaiso from the GW

The Chilean National Congress Building

The hillside community of Vina del Mar

More of the hillside city

A "Castle" with a great view of the GW

Armada de Chile

Chilean Navy frigates

Chilean coastline

Chilean coastline

In a couple of weeks the GW will be pulling into San Diego. That's where my son will bid her farewell and head back to Norfolk. This was a tour he looked forward to. Though he will not be on board when the GW reaches Hawaii and meets up with the USS Kitty Hawk, I'm sure he will be remembering the time he spent in Japan with the Hawk. During that tour he sailed to Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Guam. He was on the Hawk on 9/11 and he was on the Hawk for her 40th anniversary. Commissioned on 29 April 1961, she has served the United States and the world for 47 years. She can carry over 5,000 crew members, including the air wing, so imagine how many sailors can say they served the Hawk. If you meet one, thank them for their service.

The USS Kitty Hawk will soon be decommissioned and the USS George Washington will take her place in Yokosuka, Japan. God speed, GW!

The USS Kitty Hawk

The Hawk in Sydney, Australia

USS George Washington Underway to Japan

In an earlier post I introduced the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. This powerful ship is on her way to Yokosuka, Japan to replace the USS Kitty Hawk which is being decommissioned after 45 years of hard work for the United States.

My son Scott is currently on the GW and has been sending some amazing pictures of their trip around South America. They left Norfolk, VA on a rainy April 7. Two weeks later they pulled into port at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil --- again the weather was cold and rainy. He reported that the first thing one sees when approaching Rio, regardless of the weather, is the statue of Christ the Redeemer, O Cristo Redento in Portuguese, towering over the city. With the clouds circling the mountains Christ appeared to be rising through them. He got to see Copacabana Beach and Ipanema, made famous by the song "The Girl From Ipanema". Being on the beach on a rainy night he didn't see many girls.

After a few days in Rio the GW set sail for the Straits of Magellan. My grade school geography was a little rusty, so I did some research. I remembered that it is at the southern tip of South America, I just didn't realize how narrow it is. This time of year it is very cold since they are going into their winter. The seas were getting a bit rough and, though the carrier is engineered to keep as level as possible, Scott did say that keeping his chair in one spot was a bit of a challenge. Apparently he was born to be a sailor because he doesn't get seasick; in fact, the rocking of the ship puts him to sleep! He sent pictures of the waves lapping up over the flight deck of the carrier --- keep in mind the flight deck is about 10 stories above the water!

Scott said that going through the Straits was quite surreal: the sun was in the north during the day; the water is a turquoise color; coming out of the Straits onto the Pacific Ocean they were under New York daylight saving time!

Shortly they will be pulling into Valparaiso, Chile for a port visit. I look forward to more of his pictures and stories. Scott's Navy career has taken him to some amazing places: China, Japan, most of Asia, Australia, and now South America. This trip in particular is a pleasure for him since his last deployment was a year in Baghdad, Iraq.

God bless our troops all around the globe, on land and sea!

USS George Washington Is Back in Port

It has been well over five years since my son, a Navy officer, has been at sea. But his latest deployment has given him the opportunity to get his sea legs back under him. The aircraft carrier USS George Washington has undergone a complete overhaul and just completed her shakedown cruise. For the past few weeks Scott has, as he put it, "got his butt kicked" with very long days and high seas. Through the miracle of text messaging I now know the ship is back in port, or at least within cell phone range, because I received a message of 2 important words --- "I'm home!" That was over 3 hours ago and no further contact. I'm guessing he is already home, in bed and sound asleep. That sailor is out of reach for at least the next 24 hours!

It is interesting that the homepage for the website of the "GW" has phone numbers to directly contact the quarter deck of the ship. When Scott did have a minute to call, a Norfolk, VA area code showed in caller ID and the connection was better than some I've had calling locally!

Of course I always enjoy the emails he sends --- with pictures! I'm just in awe of the aircraft carriers, especially when shown with the whole battle group. Add an Atlantic thunderstorm and you've got pictorial power! Check these out:

Welcome home, Scott!