It's a Navy Life!

Life on a Navy ship!

Let's talk about how it is to live on a Navy ship.  There are plenty of things to learn and many adjustments to be made, for sure!  First, you have to wrap your head around the fact that most of the time, you have to go up before you can go down, or visa versa.  Because the ship consists of compartments that can be closed off if we begin to take on water, you can't simply walk from one end of the ship to the other.  The main level does go from one end to the other, so for instance, to get from my sleep area to the computer room I climb 4 flights of stairs to get to main.  Then, I walk to the other end of the ship and go down 2 flights.  The levels on the ship are not numbered in order either.  Main is main.  The floor below main is level 1, below that level 2, etc.  The floor above main is 01, above that is 02, etc.  So, we eat on 02, but it is really 6 flights of stairs since I sleep on level 4.  The stairwells are color coded, so once you learn that the laundry is blue staircase, level 01 you can find it... if you know where the blue stairwell is!  Then, there are sections numbered from front to back (bow to aft).  These are important to know as some are restricted during flight quarters.  You are only allowed on the weather deck aft of section 74.

Vocabulary:

Reveille :  "Reveille, Reveille!  All hands heave out!"  That's our wake up call each morning.

"Tattoo, tattoo: Lights out in 5 minutes.  Stand by for evening prayer."  Don't ask me why they say this!  But it's obvious what it means!

Taps = lights out

Muster = report for duty in your work area.

Mess =  the dining hall

Galley = where they do the dishes.

Area Secured =  nobody is allowed in a secured area.... except those who are allowed...

Flight Quarters = when the helo is flying.  Nobody allowed on the flight deck or between certain sections of the weather deck, no flash photography, no hats, no smoking. (The long announcement also says, "No blowing of stacks or tubes."  Whatever that means.... we have all vowed not to blow our stacks!

Berthing = sleeping quarters

Rack = bed (sort of... you sleep in it anyway...)

Head = bathroom

Liberty = free time off the ship

Cover = hat

Sweepers = clean up time  ("Sweepers, Sweepers, man your brooms!")

Weather Deck = Outside on levels 01 and 02

Flight Deck = The helo pad.  Also the place we hold picnics and guest receptions.

Steel Beach Picnic = Party on the Flight Deck

Shellback = a person who has crossed the Equator on a Navy vessel, and who has gone through the "rites" of becoming one.

Pollywog = those who have not yet gone through the rites of passage to become a Shellback yet.

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Our day begins at 0600 with Reveille, whether we have patients or not.  Breakfast is served from 0600 to 0730.  Then at 0730, we muster in our departments for roll call.  Muster reports have to be turned in to account for everyone on the ship.  It is a HUGE problem if anyone is unaccounted for.  

Salad bar

After muster, we are free to go if there are no patients.  In Discharge Planning,  we plan our day according to which day we are on at our mission site, how many patients we have leaving and the boat schedule.  We call each ward to find out how many discharges they have for the next boat and we make sure they know the "showtime."  (When they need to have the patient to us to make the next boat.)  We generally have them arrive about one hour prior to the boat.  This gives us time to review their medications and other health instructions for going home, answer any questions and give them instructions for the boat ride.  It sounds simple, but there are so many situations that muck it up!  

One time, we had a child who had dental work who was bleeding quite a lot.  I took him back down to Dental to have him looked at.  He was OK, so we radioed the boat to wait for us and I rushed him down the ramp only to find that they misunderstood and left without him!  The poor little boy cried all the way back up the ramp.  I guess he thought he would not be able to go home!  Once we got back upstairs, an interpreter helped us explain to him and his dad that there was another boat in an hour.  We let him watch cartoons and all was well!

Luisa and I enjoying the sun.

Another time, a mom didn't understand that her child's medication was only for her.  She was walking around taking everyone else's meds and comparing them to what she got!  The language barrier made it difficult to get her to give them back and be content with what she had!

Midday, we get a nice lunch break.  In Discharge, we work long days.  We even have to go back to work after dinner, so we generally try to get everyone a 2 hour break somewhere in the day too.

Phones in the library.

During off time, we have a library with books and phones to call home.  There is a lounge with a TV, a game room, and 3 gyms.  Then, there is the NGO Lounge where our internet access is.  Other than that, there is nothing to do!  My biggest frustration is trying to find people to do something with.  There may be a group playing games somewhere, but unless you happen across someone, you don't know where to find them.  It's just a matter of being at the right place at the right time.... not a forte of mine!

LDS Charities (Indonesia Group)

I love to go out on the weather deck and get fresh air and watch the sea.  It's nice to take my iPod and listen to good music and relax.

At 1900, there is a Confirmation Brief on the mess deck.  The Commodore and others give a report on the day's activities and the upcoming schedule of events.  I like to go because it gives me an idea of what else is going on in our mission other than in my small part of this Mercy world!

Confirmation Brief on the mess deck.

Each evening at 2000 (8 pm) our LDSC group has a devotional.  It's uplifting to our day and it gives us a chance to gather in the same place and make plans for the rest of the evening.  We might get together and play games, or watch a movie or go out on the deck to look at stars.

Volunteering in the scullery!

Every Wednesday, our group eats early then we volunteer in the scullery to give the Navy guys and gals a much needed evening off.  It's so much fun!

Taps is at 2200 (10 pm) and we go to bed and start all over!