pictures from the pacific...

Ariel and Lightning McQueen sitting on the torpedo launcher,
with beautiful Apra Harbor, Guam in the background.  Unfortunately,
immediately after this shot, Ariel decided that she had enough of life
on the land, and decided to return to her carefree life under the sea,
courtesy of a strong gust of wind.  Michelle assures me that a
suitable replacement princess is being mailed so that Lightning
McQueen will not get lonely.

 This is Third Class Cryptologic Technician Technical (CTT3)
Jared Eckert, loading chaff.  Chaff is the term we use for decoy
rockets that can be fired off to create false targets/radar returns
that are designed to deocy incoming missiles away from the ship.

CTT3 Eckert loading more chaff.  Behind him are Senior Chief
CTT (CTTCS) Jasen Williams and Ensign (ENS) Andrew Hetzner, who are
taking inventory and serving as safety observers for Petty Officer
Eckert and the other technicians loading chaff.

This picture is of Weapons Department sailors transporting Mk
46 Anti-Submarine Torpedoes from the torpedo magazine to the starboard
torpedo tubes.  To do this we use our crane, which unfolds out of the
deck from our aft Vertical Launching System (VLS).

Another shot of the torpedo in mid-hoist.

A shot of the torpedo being set down into its loading tray

Third Class Sonar Technicians (Gas Turbine) (STG3) Ginger
Parr and Heather Lehman- our tag line operators for the torpedo
handling evolution.

The torpedo magazine where we store our torpedoes when they
are not in the tubes.

Gunner's Mate Second Class (GM2) Raul Afanador is holding the
torpedo dolly handles, and STG3 Leonard Hagedorn is steadying the
torpedo on the dolly to compensate for the roll of the ship.

At the top of the ladder in the white hard hat is Gunner's
Mate Chief (GMC) Lou Johnson, the Leading Chief Petty Officer for
Combat Gunnery Division, one of the three divisions that make up
weapons department.  At the bottom of the ladder in the brown hard hat
is GM1 Rodel Valadez, a torpedoman by trade until the Navy merged the
rating specialties of Torpedomen and Gunner's Mates in just Gunner's
Mates.

Gunner's Mate Second Class (GM2) Aaron Tisdale, the crane
operator for our VLS Crane. He initially resisted my taking this
picture, saying that the people at "America's Most Wanted" would now
be able to track him down in the middle of the Pacific.  Finally, he
relented.

The Gunnery Officer, ENS Chelsey Downey, throwing the
"shaka."  With her is GM3 Griffin Vancil, letting Chief Johnson take
up the slack of torpedo loading in the background...

Now loading the portside torpedo tubes.  The torpedoes have
to swing over the aft launcher just aft of the Harpoon missile
launchers, carefully attended by Petty Officers Lehman and Parr.

Around goes the torpedo.  The tall guy in the white hard had
is Gunner's Mate Chief Paul Morford, the Leading Chief Petty Officer
of Weapons Department and my "right hand man" when it somes to leading
and managing the 45 sailors of weapons department.  I lean on him
whenever I need help, advice, or need something tough accomplished,
which is often.

Nora and James, look who came along with Daddy on deployment?

Lightning McQueen and Ariel are keeping Daddy company, and watching
while the ship loads weapons!  They both say hi from the other side of
the world!

Fire Controlman Third Class (FC3) Schuyler "Killer" Stephens.
Very nice guy, not sure where he got his nickname.  He told me that
it was because he shot a killer tomato (inflatable floating target)
dead on with the 5" gun, but one of his shipmates told me it was
because he looks like a serial killer...

The Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) Fire Controlmen (FC's) of
Weapons Department loading up the forward mount.  From right to left:
FCC Rito Baca, FC3 Justin Hilgenberg, FC2 Ray Tiernan and FC1 Rob
Churilla.

some pics from david...

i will upload more of mine this week.  i have a few more posts from david to include this week!

we made it home...  the first flight was great.  it was only an hour.  then we had a three hour layover.  it was long.  and fun at times.  i got the kids a cupcake and gelato (for the gluten and non gluten...), and jamey had frosting EVERYWHERE!!!  (pics to follow...)

then, we got on our 10+ hour flight.  only to:

a. overhear my neighbors say something about us and prison...  (meaning the four of us=hell!)
b. have the drunk girl behind me ask to hold christopher...  awkward...
c. realize that i paid $5 for "the muppets" and it was being shown on the plane.  no less than four times!
d. realize that I NEVER CHARGED THE IPAD!!!  never charged it.  thought i did.  plugged it in.

sweet...  however, the kids did great for about 2/3 of the flight.  the middle third was rough.  chris was sad.  maybe gassy.  and tired.  james was tired and bored.  and started yelling: "it's TOO LONG.  i want to get off the plane".  several times!  it was kinda funny!

we were in the bulkhead and had a bassinet for the beeb.  it was so nice... once he finally let me put him down in the bassinet!!  nora was amazing!  until the plane landed.  then, she had enough!  thankfully, courtney was there to pick us up.  we ran to jamba juice to get "dinner", did a glow stick bath, and put three kids in bed!  i showered... and am here. about to go to bed!  but, we are back!!!