Reflections

Back in Texas now, my 6 month tour has come to an end. It’s strange thinking about all that has occurred during that period. At home, a new President, recession, friends with new kids, bad reality shows (oh wait, those have been around a while). In the meantime I’ve crossed the Atlantic (3x by air and once by ship), been to two continents (Europe and Africa) and 11 countries.

So, for you Late Late Show Fans, what did we learn on the show tonight Craig?

Let’s review shall we:
o Sailors don’t always make the best diplomats
o Africa is hot
o Europe rocks
o ‘Hands-on’ charity work is good for the soul, and a ‘Peace Corps with guns’ is an effective delivery mechanism
o Don’t take salad, milk, water, showers that last longer than 1 minute, or the ability to do laundry for granted, especially on a ship...
o The US needs to get serious and develop alternatives to an oil-based economy, in a big damn hurry. I felt this to a point before, but am convinced now. Especially after seeing what this ‘dead dinosaur residue’ has done to some African countries…and what it’s doing to ours.
o Some countries in Africa are functioning republic/democracies, but many are not.
o Africa has a lot of corruption issues, but most Africans I met are good folk.
o Some of the best Naval officers I’ve had the pleasure to work with are African, and European, and especially from Her Majesties Royal Navy (I still owe you that ‘Victory at Yorktown’ book CDR…lol)
o Always trust the French Commander to find the best restaurant
o The USMC has its act together, and some are insane. I’m glad you guys are on our side
o US Army folks don’t like being on USN ships (but you guys did good!)
o It’s cool to be a Conning Officer on a US Navy warship in wartime, or whatever we’re in now.
o Italy has great food, vino, and lots of really old buildings…
o “My friend, my friend”…(inside joke from Senegal)
o State Department folks in Nigeria don’t get paid enough
o Cameroon has some serious scenery
o Funchal!!!
o I still love the ocean, especially on a clear night.
o I dig being a reserve officer

I went looking for answers on this trip. Found a few, and came away with more questions. But that’s OK, the journey really is more important than the destination. Sometimes it’s better to not have a master plan.

I’ve met a lot of great folks on this trip. Some I’ll remember forever, and some I’ll try really hard to forget. But for the former, especially all the squids (staff and crew), jarheads, ditch-diggers, wing-wipers, coasties, state department weenies, Vikings, Euros, Africans and our crazy Brazilian, thanks for the ride.

That’s about it. Thanks also to you guys for coming along on this trip with me, in a virtual sense. Who knows, there could be another, just probably not as long.

Fair Winds…
~K

The Italian Job - redux

Back in Napoli, Italy now; the tour is winding down. I’ll wait until I’m back in Texas in a couple of weeks to give the big ‘reflective’ perspective of this journey. So in the meantime, I’m just enjoying the scenery.

Italy is great, but if you’ve been here you know that. And if you haven’t been here you should come. Great food and wine (I’ve had a lot of the latter lately), good weather and a lot to see. Been out in Naples proper a bit and been to Rome once thus far. Wow. They have a lot of old stuff here. Like 2000 yr old stuff…Saw the Coliseum and the Pope’s crib the other day. That’s a sweet place. The plan is to go back in a few days, with the family this time.

I’ve been told that just about every day here is some sort of holiday. Since this place has been inhabited for thousands of years, I believe it. And the nightly fireworks reinforce that assessment.

See the family tomorrow for the first time in months. It will be strange being together again…should be fun though.

Caio!

Back in Spain

I love Spain. It reminds me and several of my shipmates of

South Texas, near Corpus Cristi. Wind, sand, trees, signs in

Spanish...

We broke up the band yesterday. Staff dispersed and flew back to Naples or to their respective homes and NASHVILLE headed out to sea. Last time I saw her, probably forever, was as I walked off into the night at the base in Rota. But the people I met will be what I remember the most. Some more than other to be sure. It was pretty emotional...somebody get me a tissue...

But if you ever get to Rota, stop by O'Grady's Irish pub near the lighthouse. I know, what does an Irish pub have to do with Spain...no idea. But it's outstanding. And look for the dollar with the Texas Tech logo on it behind the bar. The pic enclosed is right around the corner, that arch leads right to the church in one direction, or the beach in the other.

Last stop, Italy (then home).

Fun in Funchal

About 500km southwest of Europe, out in the open Atlantic, lie the Madeira Islands. They were colonized by Portugal in the 1400s. The largest city is Funchal (pronounced ‘foon-chal’), and it seems like heaven on Earth compared to where we’ve been.

They are very European islands. Fashionable people, great food and they have an outstanding local Madeira wine. Very sweet, like a Port vino. Lots of UK, German and Portuguese tourists here as well. The place is overrun with SmartCars, seeing as space is at a premium (the island is 35 x 14 miles...or km, I forget). But I did see a PT Cruiser also. Funny what you notice sometimes.

They are volcanic islands, like Hawaii. A hot spot formed them over time and then slowly drifted away with the tectonic plate. So no fireworks now, but the change in elevation from the past volcanic activity is pretty dramatic. We rode a gondola car to the top of the island to take it in…wow, very cool. Up in the clouds (about 1000 meters), you go from sunny to cloudy and rainy.

A lot of famous folks have been here as well (we took the tour). Columbus practiced navigation here about 20 years before his epic voyage. Napoleon stopped by here on his way to exile after Waterloo (not exactly by choice), Charles Darwin and the HMS Beagle resupplied here before heading towards history, and Churchill spent time here painting the local scenery after WW2. Like I said, the place has been on the map for a while…

Our next stop is or last one; Rota, Spain. The staff (myself included) gets off and travels back to Naples, Italy or their respective homes. NASHVILLE heads west for the last time to Virginia. She is to be decommissioned in September. Many folks have already left. But that’s life in the Navy.

Thanks Funchal, we needed that!

Out of Africa

Left our last Africa port a few days ago. My last view of the continent was similar to the first view…the harbor in Dakar, Senegal. We stopped back there for a short engagement before we put Africa in the rear view mirror, so to speak.

We knew what to expect this time around, so the visit was more enjoyable. Besides a lot of work (which still isn’t done) we hit the good restaurants, fruit stands and the like. We even plunged in head first into the street bizarres that we avoided the first time around. Imagine a flea marked on crack, and that’s where we were. “My friend, my friend, come see my store!!” More African stuff I don’t need, (how many wooden elephants does anybody really need?) but bought some anyway. It was almost fun the second time around. Check that, it was hysterical. A friend of mine purchased a very nice wooden bowl for just north of two tubes of Chapstick and a ballpoint pen. Nice. Bring on the used car dealers in the States…

On to Funchal!

000 N, 000 W

Find a map, or a globe of the Earth. Locate the equator and then trace your finger along its length. You’ll find a point where zero degrees longitude meets zero degrees latitude, just south of Ghana, Africa. It’s the meeting of the equator and the prime meridian. The intersection of those two lines is where we were recently. An abstract point on the surface of the ocean perhaps, but some consider this location the center of the planet. Wrap your mind around that for a moment…
Actually, there is a buoy that marks the location. Takes temperature and salinity readings for NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). But it has more meaning than that to the sailor. For this is the realm of King Neptune, Davey Jones and the royal court. It’s here that land-lubbing pollywogs are transformed into Trusty Shellbacks; actually Emerald Shellbacks due to the location. Oh yeah, time for the ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony.

I can’t really go into specific details, and pictures are right out due to political sensitivities. But we have a very ‘spirited’ ceremony to make sure our new Shellback brothers and sisters are worthy of the title. It’s changed from days gone by, probably for the better, and it is in good fun. Lots of exercise, singing, seawater, ‘acting’ and the like. And it’s definitely better to give than to receive. Those of us who have gone through it before make sure the event is memorable for the newer folks. I had no idea that the ‘SpongeBob Square Pants’ song had so many new verses…and it’s really hard to call for Flipper the Dolphin, and green dye doesn’t look good on anyone…but I digress.

So goodnight from 000N, 000W. Or is it 000S, 000E?

Duty

One of my favorite quotes comes from a book titled ‘Startide Rising’ by David Brin. The book is Sci-Fi (stay with me), and is set in a shipboard environment with military/ civilian interaction, sort of like this mission.

Ok, it’s also set in space with evolved dolphin military officers, killer spiders, etc. but I digress…

One of the junior officers (a human) is feeling overwhelmed by his work, and his senior mentor (a dolphin…yes I am a dork but stay with me on this) reminds him of his role, his job. The quote, “Duty, duty, brave shark-biter, what reward could taste sweeter?”

Keep in mind, in the wild dolphins have been known to attack sharks when the pod is threatened, their instinctive ‘duty’ in a way. Sometimes they win; sometimes they end up as food…

The point of this blather is that duty can be difficult (especially in a military environment), but duty is its own reward. Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted, support your people, your shipmates, when you know the repercussions will be unfavorable. But support you must, because it’s your duty, and duty is its own reward. And when that person, whom you supported when most other folks have given up on, turns it around and comes out swinging, shows the other folks up…damn. That’s the stuff.

Military life is not easy, even on this little jaunt we’re on. It’s a lot worse in other, sandier places. But this career has its own unique rewards. And duty, performed well, is one of the best.

Thus endeth the lesson…now somebody do your duty and go have a beer for me.