Saying Goodbye

I couldn't ask for a better final week with my friends and family before I ship out.

It all started with this past Saturday when I had my going away party, then I met my friend Kelly for dinner and coffee.

Monday and Tuesday I spent with my parents running errands, did things around the house, and cooked out. 

Wednesday, I met my friend Katie for lunch and coffee.

I spoke to my recruiter on Monday to check in and then on Tuesday we were supposed to meet at the office for my 7 day re-certification and PT, but that got pushed back to Thursday. I had my urinalysis... I have a couple more of those next week (on Tuesday before going to the hotel, on Wednesday morning at MEPS, then again at RTC--boot camp)... I had a few minor things to straighten out about shipping out, and we had PT where we exercised to a TaeBo video for an hour.

Thursday evening I went out with my parents, brothers, grandma, and brother's girlfriend and son and we spent some time together.... this was after I went to the recruiter for my meeting. When I got home, I spoke to my great grandma on the phone for a while. 

Yesterday, I am met my best friend, Ana, to see the movie "Something Borrowed." It was a great!

And, last night I went out with my friend Katie and her friends to celebrate her graduation from junior college. It was so much fun! I hadn't had a night out with the girls in a long time.

Also, my niece arrived for her weekend visitation with my brother Benj. She will be here until Monday afternoon when they leave to take her back to Indiana to meet her mother.

Today I met my friend Amanda and her mom and we all went bowling....and I didn't suck too much... got better with each game we played (started off at a 40 and ended on a 60, I think).

On Sunday I have plans with my grandparents, immediate family, and my aunt for a cook out. 

This is all getting so surreal, and time is flying by so fast whereas before it dragged. I intend to have a relaxing weekend and then get things in order on Monday... Tuesday my mom drops me off at my recruiter's office and I go to the hotel, and Wednesday I ship out for RTC at Great Lakes for boot camp for 9 weeks.

I am saying goodbye to my childhood home, my friends and family, my pets, and civilian life. The next time I write in my blog I will be a United States Sailor and training for my job in aviation.

Time is running away, where has it gone?

The following two songs definitely describe how my last week has been... I am excited about all of the opportunities my future holds, but running out of days to do things before I leave.


Incubus- "Drive"

"Drive" lyrics

"Sometimes, I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear
And I can't help but ask myself how much I let the fear
Take the wheel and steer
It's driven me before
And it seems to have a vague, haunting mass appeal
But lately I'm beginning to find that I
Should be the one behind the wheel

Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
With open arms and open eyes yeah

Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
I'll be there"


3 Doors Down- "Running Out of Days"

"Running Out of Days" lyrics


"All these little things in life they all create this haze 
There’s too many things to get done, and I’m running out of days"

Motivational Navy artwork and posters

I found some old Navy recruiting posters and a couple of other images that I found that were inspiring to me.

Mary Englebreit artwork from a 2009 calendar I had.

Vintage Navy WAVES recruiting posters... World War II

Cute images of tattoo designs with Sailor Jerry's style inspiration

Found: really cool old pictures of family members in uniform...

These are some more Peek family military pictures... a couple of them are really cool and I think that they would be really fun to reproduce for my artwork. Most of these are of my Mom's dad, John, but the last one is John and Joseph (my great grandfather).

Dad... pictures from his military career

10 days... Wow!

I had an excellent weekend. I saw many of my friends yesterday and today.

Last night I had a going-away party with six of my closest friends, one of my brothers' girlfriends, and a couple of my brothers' friends who are also like brothers to me. It was a lot of fun! We started the evening about 8 pm and all either headed home or went to bed between 5 and 5:30 am. It was so nice catching up with everyone... good food, good conversation, good fun, good friends. A fun time was had by all... a perfect send-off party.

Tonight I met a close friend who I know from college, and we went for dinner then out for coffee. We spent a few hours visiting and catching up... it was really nice! Next week a couple of my close friends, one of which wasn't able to make the party, want to get together with me. Also, I will be seeing my niece and a few family members for the last time in quite a while.  I am going to try my hardest to fit everything in with my schedule.

It is finally sinking in that I am leaving. A month ago I was so anxious and ready to leave that it was all I could think about and nothing else mattered. Now I have one full week and a couple of days left to go before I ship out. I am relaxed and at peace with the fact that I am leaving. Only a few minor things have me on edge. I have one final Navy meeting next week for our weekly PT and then am going to get in my regular PT. There will be final house-keeping things to do before I leave, such as laundry and packing up the last of my room and talking to my family about important need-to-know items before I ship out.

It is so hard to believe that I will be moving out of my childhood home in 10 days. So many memories that it will be hard to say goodbye. I'm trying to take it all in for the last time... to relax and enjoy every moment of it. It will be awhile until I see it all again. Now I will be onto a new chapter in my life and oh, the experiences I will have and the places I will see. I can't imagine what all awaits me in this new venture. I am sure that I will have lots of stories to share along my journey. Once I leave for boot camp, I will not have access to a computer for 9 weeks, and will see when I get liberties back... probably in A school. As I have the time to recap my travels and new experiences, I will try to update everyone. I have all my addresses written in my address book and my stationary all ready to go. All I have to do is finish packing my few items to take with me to boot camp, then the rest of my "unnecessary" items will be shipped home. I will be provided with the essentials by the Navy, and begin my career.

Sometimes, I can't find the words to express what I'm feeling and a song is the only thing that will do... I want to thank everyone who has always been there for me in my support system of friends, family, teachers, and acquaintances. I face a crossroads in my life where I had a decision to make, and it helped to decide the path for the rest of my life. I am headed into the unknown, starting a new life, and I couldn't have gotten to where I am today without all of you. (I'm sure that there are more songs to describe it all, but this is what I thought of right now.)

Fall Out Boy- "Thnks fr th Mmrs" (thanks for the memories)

Green Day- "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Chantal Kreviazuk- "Leaving on a Jet Plane"

The Proclaimers- "I'm on My Way"

Eve 6- "Here's to the Night"

Anchors Aweigh

One day I was watching $#*! My Dad Says and they were talking about the William Shatner's character's Navy days. Recently I was searching for a good audio version of Anchors Aweigh and revisited this TV episode.

Here are a couple of clips: 

Ed Sings Anchors Aweigh

Tim's Choir Performs Anchors Aweigh

I heard that we will have to be able to sing the Navy anthem "Anchors Aweigh." I am not surprised by this...it makes sense. 

I already have the sheet music, so I can sight-read the notes that I need to know. Kudos to all those years of choir training!   

Navy Choir sings Anchors Aweigh

There are different verses to the song. Wikipedia gives the original 1906 lyrics, then they were changed in 1950 and added a bridge. Today's lyrics are even longer than previous ones because it adds an additional verse and an additional bridge.

"The song is also is used in the US Navy boot camp in Great Lakes IL, recruits when passing through an underground tunnel heading away from the barracks sing the first verse and sing the second verse on the way back."

Wikipedia- Anchors Aweigh

These are the lyrics taught to those at boot camp:

Verse 1

Stand, Navy, out to sea, Fight our battle cry;

We'll never change our course, So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y.

Roll out the TNT, Anchors Aweigh. Sail on to victory

And sink their bones to Davy Jones, hooray!

Verse 2 (most widely sung)

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.

Farewell to foreign shores, We sail at break of day, of day.

Through our last night on shore, Drink to the foam,

Until we meet once more. Here's wishing you a happy voyage home!

Current events

I'm sure everyone has seen the current events in the news and know about the role played by the Navy SEALS.

Here is an interview I found today about it.  It focuses on a proud Navy and supports its sailors. Go Navy!

Interview with Admiral Gary Roughead

Documentaries about the US Navy

I have found a couple of documentaries about the Navy that are quite interesting. One is called Carrier and it is followed the USS Nimitz during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)... right after 9/11. This was a 10-part mini series on PBS. It is really cool because the show gives an insight into a few different careers in the Navy, lifestyle on board an aircraft carrier, and what it's like at sea for sailors. It also shows the homecoming.

Carrier (PBS)

Another documentary that I came across today is also about the USS Nimitz. It's called USS Nimitz Dry Dock. I have watched 2 episodes so far, and it is neat. I am not sure how new this documentary is, but on the US Navy's youtube page I only see the 2 episodes... so it must be relatively new. The carrier is dry docking at Puget Sound for a year. When they dry dock they guide the ship into the dock, center it above a series of wooden blocks, seal the channel, and drain it of water. It is a very long and intensive process to prepare the ship.

USS Nimitz Dry Dock- Episode 1

USS Nimitz Dry Dock- Episode 2

USS Nimitz Dry Dock- Episode 3

The USS Nimitz is posting videos on their Facebook page: USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

15 days to go! About 2 weeks

Yesterday I had a meeting with the Senior Chief Petty Officer for our district. My recruiter took me up there so I could meet with him and the May shippers. He wanted to make sure everything was still on track for us and answer any remaining questions we have. And, they fed us dinner... pizza! :)

Today I had my last DEP meeting and we also had our pre-PRT test... we were tested on our 1.5 mile run, sit-ups, and push-ups. It was to give an idea of what we have to work on. I have some work to do.  We also got some important information about current Navy issues and talked about recent events in the news, its possible consequences, and a high threat level. So the overall message to us DEP members was to be careful and still be prepared for our commitment (and all it entails to serve our country).

A long couple of days with 2 round-trips from my house to Janesville. I only have one more PT meeting left with my DEP group, and that is next week. Then begins more processing stuff to ready for Basic Training.

Now begins the countdown...get ready, get set, go!

I have 21 days left... a little less than 3 weeks. I can't believe how much time has flown by since I signed my contract back in February!

I am getting overly anxious for this new chapter in my life to begin. Daily life is boring and annoying me... and every little thing (and sometimes a certain person, depending on the day) is getting on my nerves. Things have become monotonous and I feel like I have been cooped up.... I am sick of anything that might even hint at drama or rudeness. I can't wait to see my friends... it's been forever! It will be the ultimate send-off to spend time with my friends since I have already seen family. There is not enough time to see everyone before I leave, but I will have seen most of the important ones. Time to relax a bit.

I just have to stick it out a little longer and get a few minor things in order before I leave.  Before I know it, I will be leaving for boot camp and then off to A School for my technical training. Once I leave I will be out of contact with everyone at least until boot camp is over... only accessible via regular mail in the form of handwritten letters. And, I will be away from friends and family for the first significant period of time longer than a couple of weeks for the first time in my life. This is definitely a huge step, and I am glad that I am not only beginning things soon, but that I have taken the time to think long and hard about it before I made my life-altering decision.

U.S. Navy in the movies

In the past 2 days I have watched 2 movies featuring stories inspired by/featuring the U.S. Navy. 


Last night I watched A Few Good Men. I can't believe how long it had been since I had seen this movie... still a good one. My favorite dialogue in this movie is when Lt. Kaffee, Lt. Commander Galloway, and Lt. Weinberg arrive in Cuba to investigate the case: 


Kaffee: Whoa. Hold it. We gotta take a boat? 
Barnes: Yes, sir. To get to the other side of the bay. 
Kaffee: Nobody said anything about a boat. 
Barnes: Is there a problem, sir? 
Kaffee: No, no problem. I'm just not that crazy about boats, that's all. 
Galloway: Jesus Christ, Kaffee, you're in the Navy for crying out loud.


Tonight, I watched my favorite movie Top Gun. I have watched this movie so many times that I can practically recite the whole thing. And, it is so ironic that I am going into the Navy now especially since I am going into the aviation field. I love the comaraderie that is presented in the movie. I know that it is not factual, but it's still a great movie. And, whenever we watch Top Gun my brothers, my dad, and I always turn up the TV volume for the opening scene for "Danger Zone" and the sounds of the aircraft being readied until the aircraft takes off and leaves the aircraft carrier... as we did when we were growing up. I don't know why we do this, I guess it's just a bit of tradition. My brothers were giving me a hard time that I was mouthing the words as the actors said them.  "You never leave your wingman."


One day I hope to see all of these.... here's a list of movies featuring the U.S. Navy:


Navy Seals, Chasers, Going Under, The Caine Mutiny, Mister Roberts, Midway, In Harm's Way, Flight of the Intruder, Away All Boats, Destination Tokyo, The Enemy Below, Fighting Seabees, Hellcats of the Navy, Operation Petticoat, Victory at Sea; Run Silent, Run Deep; In the Navy, McHale's Navy, Francis in the Navy, Don Winslow of the Navy, The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell, Down Periscope, The Wackiest Ship Army, Ensign Pulver, Anchors Aweigh, Tears of the Sun, Officer and a Gentleman, Antoine Fisher, Annapolis, The Hunt for Red October, Pearl Harbor


There are also countless TV shows and documentaries.


I am so excited to be leaving for boot camp for the U.S. Navy in 24 days... time has really flown since I signed my contract back at the end of February.

Yard work = good aerobic exercise

This evening when my dad got home from work, he was so excited to mow the lawn because it was nice outside. He asked me to pick up sticks... ahhh, memories of the 21 years growing up in this house... my brothers and I used to do that all the time. I never realized how much of an aerobic work out, and abdominal work out you get from constantly bending down to pick up sticks around the yard, granted my yard is about 3 acres! I got the big sticks, tree branches, and bits of wood loaded into the wagon and either dumped into our "bonfire" burn pile or heaved into the area by the tree line at the back of our yard near the fire pit and the thicket. When I had finished after about a couple of hours, I could feel the tightness in my abs and I was sweating a little... it was time to down some water. Not bad considering I was sick all day yesterday and have been slacking a little bit on my PT lately... oops! Time to play catch up.

This just in... the Navy doesn't PT when it rains?! Huh?

This morning I texted my recruiter to see if she wanted me to come in early this afternoon for PT since I scheduled a meeting with her for my 30-day follow up.

Here's how the conversation went:

Recruiter: Don't think the weather is going to hold out for PT today.
Me: What? I just checked the weather forecast on www.weather.com and it said that Janesville only has a 15% chance of rain all day and it's supposed to be overcast, windy, and 60 degrees.
Recruiter: It's been raining on and off all day.
Me: No PT in the rain?!
Recruiter: No, no PT in the rain.
Me: Hmm... should I bring my stuff with me to our meeting just in case we do PT?
Recruiter: Nope, I just sent out the text to all the DEP people saying that PT is cancelled today.
Me: Really? We don't PT in the rain? Why not? Do we PT in the rain at boot camp?
Recruiter: Nope, we don't PT in the rain. And at boot camp all PT is inside. Unless you get a really gung-ho RDC (Recruit Division Commander aka drill sergeant of sorts for the Navy) who wants you to PT no matter what, you still won't PT if it's too hot or too cold outside.
Me: Do we work in the rain?
Recruiter: Yes, we work in the rain.
Me: So, we work in the rain, but don't PT in the rain... this so reminds me of the movie Rain Man, "This is a good one. We don't go out when it rains, this is a real good one...mystifying."

So, this really baffled me, oh well... ha ha ha.

My 30-day follow-up meeting went well today. I had my pee-in-a-cup drug/alcohol test. Then, I was quizzed on my PQS (Pre-qualification Standards) to see how well I am doing with my memorization of everything that is in the START Guide. I think that recording all of the things that I have to memorize and putting them on my mp3 player has helped because I did well, and she signed off on everything. I was also taught and "quizzed" on my military facings and etiquette. I still have to practice those and work a little bit more on my memorization, but things are moving along well.

I am still working on my PT and am now able to do at least 50 sit-ups and 25 push-ups. My run time, which is about 18 minutes, and swimming need a little bit of work. As of today, 29 days left to go! Then I am off to boot camp... so many things to get done, and I'm running out of days!

Popular Questions That People Are Asking Me

Everyone asks me so many questions when I tell them that I am going to boot camp soon for the Navy. Here is a list of a few questions that I am asked on a regular basis.

Where is boot camp?
How long will you be there?
Will you have access to e-mail?
Do you know what you do after that?
Where is your technical training?
How long is that?
How's your exercise/PT going?
How's your swimming coming along?
Will you be on a boat?
How strict are they on liberties?

So here's the scoop...

Boot camp is at Great Lakes Navy base near Chicago for 9 weeks. I will not have access to the phone or e-mail the entire time that I am at boot camp. I will have a few very quick calls home to tell my immediate family important information, but that's it. After boot camp, I will go to Florida for my technical training aka A school... and the amount of time that I spend there depends on the jobs that I qualify for after the first 4 weeks.  My PT is gradually getting easier, and I have not had much time to work on my swimming, but hope to really soon. Whether or not I am stationed on a boat, an aircraft carrier, depends on the job that I get after A school.

And... it's the military. It's a regimented lifestyle and there are going to be a lot of rules about everything. They are going to be strict on curfew, fraternization, etc. etc.

All or Nothing...

I was looking up videos today to watch part of one of my favorite movies online and heard this song. The words are so poignant--as in profoundly moving and touching-- the words really hit home and are so inspiring. 


All or Nothing by Athena Cage:


It's the chance of life, get ready, set, fly high.
Above the fear of your mind, go for it.
It's hit or miss, too late for you to quit.
You gotta show 'em how bad you really want this, so...

Live your dreams, it's not as hard as it may seem.
You gotta work to get the green, on your hopes you must lean
From your fears, you have to wean yourself.
It's all or nothing, give your everything...

Are what you believe, you got to bring the dreams.
Set the pace, competitions take the lead.
This is it, all eyes on you.
So stay on point and prove,
that you deserve whats long overdue.

Live your dreams, it's not as hard as it may seem.
You gotta work to get the green, on your hopes you must lean
From your fears, you have to wean yourself.
It's all or nothing, give your everything...

My heart is still recovering,
From the heartbreak of another kind,
I'm still drying my tears.
Getting over my own fears in my life.
So I wanna make sure this time that I'm strong enough,
To give it my all...

Live your dreams, it's not as hard as it may seem.
You gotta work to get the green, on your hopes you must lean
From your fears, you have to wean yourself.
It's all or nothing, give your everything...

Live your dreams, it's not as hard as it may seem.
You gotta work to get the green, on your hopes you must lean
From your fears, you have to wean yourself.
It's all or nothing, give your everything...

Live your dreams, it's not as hard as it may seem.
You gotta work to get the green, on your hopes you must lean
From your fears, you have to wean yourself.
It's all or nothing, give your everything...

So you gotta live your dreams,
So don't you be afraid.
Just set the pace, and take the lead,
It's your time to shine.
Please believe 


Here is the link to the video I was watching with the song:


All or Nothing- Athena Cage (Save the Last Dance)

Insanity and DEP PT

Oh man, both times I have been to my DEP workouts with my recruiters and my Future Sailors we have done Insanity workouts. I think they are created by the guy that does Tae Bo. I have read that the same person who directs the workout DVDs for Insanity also does P90X and Beach Bodies.  The last time I did one of these cardio workouts, I really was feeling it the next day. Either I am more out of shape than I think or the workout is really intense... probably a little of both. PT is getting easier. I can't believe it's only a little more than 30 days before I leave... 34 days and counting. Soon I will have my 30 day check-up with my recruiter to check my progress.

Making my walk interesting with Jake

Today I took my family's dog, Jake, out for our afternoon walk. I would love to go jogging with him, but it always seems to turn into a walk with intermittent sprinting.  He tends to get excited and then weaves in front of me, almost tripping me, and the whole time holding part of his leash in his mouth. This is why I usually keep the routine that I do. Today I decided to add some skipping. So I would walk for 30 seconds to a minute, then skip for 10-30 seconds, walk again, then sprint for 30 seconds and repeat for our 30 minute walk. Skipping brought my mindset back to grade school days, and helped to switch up my routine.

After my run I also did 20 push-ups, some jumping jacks, and jumped rope a bit... guess I got my cardio fix today.

I keep hearing different fitness tips that are supposed to help. Yesterday my recruiters said to run with higher knees, and how to do Navy sit-ups. It sounded interesting the way that they told us to do sit-ups: they said to touch your elbows to your knees, then touch your shoulder blades to the floor, but don't go all the way down because it wastes more energy... hmmm. My dad said to run on the balls of your feet and that running backwards both help to cut running times. A friend of mine told me to do sprints. I guess I shall see what works and what doesn't.

Kickball! Brings back memories of grade school

I had my April DEP meeting today with the other future sailors and the recruiters. Since it was a day we normally have PT we also did that. All of the DEP people were there, so we played a game of kickball against the Army recruits.... and tied the game (despite the Army recruiter making up his own rules and calls). We were all relieved because we were told before the game that if we lost, we would have to run 3 miles. It would've been no big deal, but after some fun, it would've been a little bit of a let-down. We still had to do push-ups and sit-ups when we got done with the game, but that's okay.

Our meeting that followed the PT mostly focused on learning how to perform an about face, reciting the Sailor's Creed, and choosing the Recruit Chain of Command. They wanted to see how well we can follow directions and work as a team. For example, when we did our warm-up stretches we had to follow the recruiter's lead and he counted out of order to see if we were following his lead. (This was the second in command guy who works under my recruiter.)

When we chose the chain of command, it was based not only on responsibility and ability but also on our ship dates for basic training. I was chosen for an important position. I am now the Chief Recruit Petty Officer for the purposes of our DEP and PT meetings with our Future Sailors group. Basically, I am the first in command following the recruiters themselves. If the recruits have a simple problem that can be solved without involving the recruiters, they come to me. I will ensure that the meetings run smoothly and keep people on task. The reason I was chosen was because they said that they "trust" me more than the other recruits (they said this in front of everyone)... and I have heard them compliment me frequently on my attention to detail and organizational skills. Also whenever I talk to my recruiters, they are impressed with how thorough and precise I am with my questions and research-gathering skills... that I make informed decisions. One other thing is that I am one of the couple, and possibly only recruit in this group with a college degree. I am confident with their decision and I am sure I will do well. Here we go...

Starting to pack my life away

I started packing this week. I am starting off slowly, and we shall see how long it takes...and how many boxes, tote bags, suitcases, and bins. My Precious Moments cabinet is all packed away and so are the dishes that I got about 2 years ago. I found my suitcases and am going to try to fit all of my clothes in there if I can.  Onto more packing tonight, I think.

Exercising with the Dogs

Well this week has been very productive, and only took one day off from PT so far.  Tuesday I went out with Jake and Casey. Casey and I walked for a half mile, then I came back home to get Jake. He and I went jogging and walking for a mile and a half. He was carrying his leash in his mouth most of the way... even though I still had a firm hold on it.  When we got back, as a reward, I threw Jake's ball for him for 10 minutes. Afterwards both dogs were exhausted. The total time spent in my warm up, stretches, cool down, and exercising with the dogs was about an hour.

This morning I had PT with my Future Sailors group at my recruiter's office. When I was getting ready to leave Jake was all excited because I had on the same Adidas jogging windbreaker pants and jacket on with my tennis shoes. I think he hears the swishing sound the pants and jacket make as I move. He was jumping up at me and whining. He thought we were going for a jog. Then as I left, I saw his pitiful face. He barked at me as I got in the car.

At my recruiter's office we did our cardio to some video that I think was by the same guy who does the TaeBo videos. It was intense, and definitely a good hour workout. Got done and I could feel it. I drove an hour home and recouped with the dogs. After lunch, we went outside and I threw Jake's deflated, folded basketball for him for a while. Now they are both resting underneath the table. Although we did not go for our daily exercise together I think the dogs are happy. Tomorrow is another day, and I think I may take the dogs out then.

Productive PT day

It has been gorgeous outside the past couple of days minus the tornado threats last night. This morning I popped right out of bed at 9:30, and was energized to start my day. I love mornings like that.  After my morning stretches and breakfast, I decided it was a fine morning for a run.  Well, it turned out to be noon before I headed out. Better late than never for my motivation to kick in. I continued my warm up with more stretching, light weight training, jump roping, plank exercise, and sit-ups. It was warm when I headed outside, and the thermometer by the house read 40 degrees... not bad weather for running. I walked down the driveway and began running with a good momentum and pace. Running seemed easier than previous times that I have gone out, and that made me feel good. As the distance increased from my house and I entered the treeless open road, I felt the cold air hitting my face. I noticed that with the wind chill it felt more like 30 degrees or less than the 40 degrees that I had originally thought. I got about a quarter mile away from my house and started to become very cold since my layers and hatband were not enough to keep me warm. Although I strongly desired to venture on, the wind was biting and the skies signaled rain, so I decided to cut my run short. My total distance this afternoon was a half mile and I completed it in 4 or 5 minutes... I wasn't really keeping close watch to the time. So, that means my mile and a half would be 15 minutes at that pace. That being said, I need to decrease my time. I think my requirement for basic is like 11 or 12 minutes.  When I returned, I did cool down stretches and some push-ups. Overall, I think that my total time for exercise today was about 30-45 minutes. Hey, it's better than not exercising at all.

Oh, and I received a text from my recruiter about the weekly Future Sailor PT schedule. One of the days is permanently switched. Still three days a week planned, but now they are the middle three days instead of the beginning few. So, I will be starting PT in Janesville with my DEP group within the next few days.

Finding Insight on Navy Life through Television and Movies

I have always loved the movie Top Gun, and admired those who are pilots and work in aviation... kind of ironic because I am going into aviation aircrew in the Navy.

Hollywood directors give their interpretation of Navy life but few get it quite right. It is nice to dream that this is what it will be like.

Other movies that I have seen that depict a look into the Navy are A Few Good Men, Men of Honor, and GI Jane. There are also a couple of other movies that my family owns either on DVD or VHS: The Rock and Tears of the Sun, but I have seen neither of these two.

They are all fascinating depictions but are the writer's and director's vision of what it is like. I know they have researched and gotten backing from the Navy. They have come close but not close enough. I was on the hunt to learn more.

I learned about boot camp from videos I have seen online called Return to Boot camp, and other movies on Navy.mil.

Also there is this miniseries on PBS that nailed it. It is about life on an aircraft carrier at sea and all of the various jobs and roles therein. It is called Carrier. It was a very informative documentary/melodrama about the USS Nimitz and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  (Full episodes can be found by searching on pbs.org)

I am done with my research for now, and relaxing and so I can enjoy my last month at home. Now just to start checking off stuff on my to-do list and exercising, and I can visit with friends and family. Time is going to fly!

Some helpful websites from my Navy research gathering

When I first began looking into the Navy I googled to find information. The best sources are of course Navy.com (the recruiting website) and Navy.mil (the official website of the US Navy). Other websites helped me to gain insight on things that were not explained on the two main websites, and also helped me to get what I want out the of the Navy... a career, an interesting job, and a physical fitness plan... among other benefits. I hope that these websites are also helpful to anyone who may be viewing my blog, especially anyone contemplating joining the Navy. If they are not directly helpful to them, they may be able to pass it along to friends or family. There have also been some helpful forums, chat rooms, and Facebook groups and pages as well. But, the best source for information is a recruiter... and the best place to gain insight is if you talk to someone who either is or was in the Navy.

www.military.com
www.runnersworld.com
www.navyfitness.org
www.navy.mil
www.navy.com
http://usmilitary.about.com
www.navy-prt.com
www.twohundredsitups.com
www.navy-fitness.com
www.cnrc.navy.mil
www.npc.navy.mil
www.bootcamp.navy.mil
www.navytimes.com
www.ocs.navy.mil
http://navybmr.com

Sailor Songs, Sea Shanties, Anchors Aweigh, Sailor-inspired songs, and Irish Drinking Songs

I kind of got on a kick today where I started searching for Sailor songs, and thought I'd share a few. I am going to be a Sailor, I may as well know some fun sailor songs.

What do you do with a drunken sailor, early in the morning?  Way hay and up she rises...

Irish Rovers- Drunken Sailor

BBC a spoof with two guys singing a made up song about sailors.

The Mighty Boosh-Future Sailors

This cracked me up! There are a lot of Titanic movie inferences, funny puppets, light shows, funky dancing sailors...  If we all come together, we know what to do...

Toy-Box -The Sailor-Song

The official Navy song... an oldie, but a goodie. Definitely makes me proud to be both an American and a Sailor in the U.S. Navy.

US Navy -Anchors Aweigh

Josh Turner sings a song that is sort of like an old sea song... about a sailor waiting to see his/her dear love again. And, I just love to listen to his voice... so throwing it in here.

Josh Turner - The Longer the Waiting the Sweeter the Kiss

The last shanty... a classic Irish song... reminds me of a drinking song, ha ha. This is great!

Ron and Gerard Walsh - A Sailor Ain't a Sailor Anymore

Another version of this song... more punk rock, and a little more fun... less obnoxious, well an updated version anyway.

Paddy and the Rats - Drunken Sailor


Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly always have good Irish drinking songs... they have a few sailor-inspired songs.  Sometimes you have to listen carefully to understand what they're singing, or look up the lyrics, but it's all good fun.

The Dropkick Murphys song that comes to mind was in the movie The Departed with Leonardo Di Caprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson, among others in the great cast.

Dropkick Murphys -For Boston

Flogging Molly has a song about a salty dog... a sailor.

Flogging Molly- Salty Dog


Okay, I found a song about a female sailor... and it's another Irish drinking song...

Paddy and the Rats - Sailor Sally

Even pirate songs are still about sailors. They're rogue sailors who steal, shoot up things, and run amuck and are generally scallywags. But, still worth mentioning.

Alestorm - Over the Seas

Ahhh, gotta love the Village People and the 1970s... always a riot, especially the outfits... ridiculous, and such tight pants! Ha ha ha ha. Actually I was watching an episode of Carrier, a PBS mini series, and they had a talent show among the sailors where some of them performed this song.

The Village People - In the Navy

Apparently there is a classic story of a lady who joins the British Navy disguised as a man.  Also known as "The Handsome Sailor" and "The Fair Maid."

Rambling Sailors -When I was a Fair Maid

There is an Australian Navy recruiting song from the 1980s that I had never heard of.

The Pride of the Fleet is You (Australian Navy)

I guess there was a song on an episode of The Simpsons about joining the Navy. The words are kind of funny too...

Party Posse- Join the Navy

Okay, a sailor in the Navy remade Toby Keith's "American Soldier" and calls it American Sailor.

American Sailor

There is also the classic 1970s/1980s song by Christopher Cross and it was later remade by the 90s pop group 'NSync. I'm sure other people probably remade the song too... good song.

Christopher Cross -Sailing

NSync -Sailing

And, of course, my favorite band, The Beach Boys, did a song about sailing. Their songs always transport me mentally to another place... somewhere warm, and carefree.
The Beach Boys - Sail On Sailor

Jimmy Buffet has the classic song that is always fun...

Jimmy Buffet- Son of a Son of a Sailor


Danny Boy... I forgot about this song. It's a classic Irish tune about a sailor. Written by Frederic Edward Weatherly in 1913 with music adapted from the Irish song "Londonderry Air."


The Irish Tenors- Danny Boy


This is an interesting song... I just found it. It's another song about sailing by an Irish rock band.


Irish Stew of Sindidun- The Sailor's Song

As I search, I just keep finding more sailing songs.

Ireland, I Must Sail

The Pogues- Thousands are Sailing

Rod Stewart- I am Sailing

Crestlers- Irish Sailor Man

The Rambling Sailors- A Sailor's Prayer

Dropkick Murphys- The Irish Rover

Popeye the Sailor song

I Love that Disney has a take on How to Be a Sailor

Goofy explains to all how to be a sailor in this 7 minute video. It's cute, funny, and classic Disney! I love Goofy :)  There is a little on the history of sailing too.

Goofy: How to be a Sailor

My DEP group brought me some good news

Had a DEP meeting on Monday. My recruiter called an emergency meeting... we usually have them the second Tuesday of each month, but there were some things she wanted to make sure we are doing because she has been getting complaints from her superiors. Apparently not as many people are coming to the meetings as they should and are not retaining information. I can totally understand that. We went over what we should be memorizing and what we should be doing for PT.

And... we found out that we start PT sessions next week! So exciting!!! They made up a schedule for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and we are required to be there for as many as we can, but at least once a week.  I am going to try and make it twice a week if I can swing it.

Time to get my run times down, increase the number of push-ups and sit-ups I can do, start weight training, and work on my swimming strokes and distance.

I am so happy that I can actually do some PT with my DEP group before I ship out. Last I had heard it wasn't going to happen until after I was scheduled to leave... so glad it changed.

I need to stop waiting for motivation to kick in, and just do it. And I think the DEP meetings will help kick my butt into gear.

I May Look Healthy, But I Am So Out of Shape... Thus Grows My To-Do List

I have always eaten right... healthy. I don't eat a lot of junk food or anything greasy, and I don't drink a lot of alcohol. Also I have never done drugs, so I have all of that going for me.

I have hardly ever enjoyed exercise. Therein lies my problem.  I go for long runs and am totally exhausted after a short distance. I also noticed this weekend when I went to help a friend move into her house that my upper body strength is not what it should be.

Sometimes I wish I lived in a city or town with close access to a facility or gym where I could go daily to work out... the closest one is a half hour away. And it makes things difficult when I don't have reliable transportation at the moment. I have about 2 months (59 days) until I ship out for Basic and I have all of this PT work to do.

My form for my push-ups needs some major work, as does my endurance in my running and the rest of my PT. I need to figure out something for my strength training and need to start swimming again.

I have to do something and fast... no more procrastination.

So grows my to-do list for things to do before I leave for Basic:

- Call NIU Alum center for membership
- Get a work-out buddy... probably Manda :)
- Go a few times per week to the rec center for strength training and swimming
- Finish memorizing my creeds and all of the information in the START guide I received from the Navy
- Do my taxes
- Go through my bedroom, unclutter, and pack up boxes
- Consolidate my clothes, donate the ones I don't wear, and pack only what will fit in my luggage set
- Set up payments for my few bills I have while I am in the Navy (loans, car payment, pay off rest of credit card)
- Go through my books and donate or give away the ones I don't want to keep, and pack the rest
- Make sure I have all of my addresses
- Spend time with my friends and family
- Attend all of my necessary DEP meetings, mentor meetings, 1 month check-up, 1 week check-up, etc.
- Cancel my private health insurance policy
- Check on loan deferments and forbearances
- Make digital copies of all of my important documents

I'm sure there's more that I am missing on this list... it's a lot of stuff to remember and do before I leave. The days are monotonous and all seem to run together.

Things I Will Miss While I am at Basic Training

Family
Friends
Pets
Reading novels
Writing
Drawing
Photography aka my camera
Listening to music
Singing
Sleeping in... not that I do that much!
My computer
The Internet... possibly social networking too.
Painting my toenails
Flowers
Cooking and baking
Mom's cooking and good food
Civilian clothes
My own bed
My long hair
Enjoying a nice glass of wine or a pint of beer
Watching movies
Driving
Freedom to do what I want

I can certainly live without most of the material things, but that doesn't mean that I want to. I know that I can probably expand on this list if I think harder about it. A lot of things will be so different in Basic.
And, friends and family will be hard to be away from, but writing and receiving handwritten letters from them will definitely help!

My Adorable Niece and Her New Sailor Dress

Shortly after I joined the Navy my parents and I went to the base at Great Lakes in the Chicago area and got some Navy stuff. We found the cutest sailor dress and they bought it for my niece, Olivia. We saw her this month and she is finally able to fit into it. She is almost 7 months old... she's so cute! And just think with this outfit on she is also supporting her Aunt Lis, I know I did that on purpose :)

 The sailor hat was a little too big for her, so it kept slipping  and moving, but we had it on her for a couple of pictures.

 What a cutie!

 Olivia and me

 Ahhh, getting your picture taken is hard work...

 Trying to crawl on the couch, but just ended up laying on her belly.

 Olivia with her lambie...it's one of her pacifier clips, and she loves to chew on it.

 Another picture of Olivia and me... these pictures were taken the day we celebrated my brother Michael's birthday, so she was playing with the tissue paper from his gifts.

 Oops, her shoes came off, time to fix them.

 Olivia with her Ya-ya (aka her grandma, my mom) and her Daddy (my youngest brother Benj)

Olivia kept looking at her shoes and playing with her feet... she does that a lot. She is fascinated by her feet.

All I Ever Wanted to Know About Aircrew and How It Works

I did some research in the past few weeks and spoke to someone in the Aircrew rating today. The Commander for the Chicago District is in "dry" aircrew, just like I am, and gave me some nice insight. Also there was another person who is an officer my recruiter put me in touch with who is also on aircrew.


I knew a little bit about my rating when I enlisted, but lately I have been a bit unsure and confused about exactly what I am going to be doing.  


What I knew in the first place was that my rank is an AN which stands for an E3 Airman, I am in the non-rescue swimmer aircrew (AIRC), Aircrew and the aviation field in general are considered an advanced field, I will receive flight pay in addition to my regular pay, I will be eligible for an advanced paygrade after I complete A School,  that I will be training for multiple ratings (jobs) while at Aircrew Candidate School and be given a wish list of rates to choose from, then I go to A School (my technical training) for my specific rating, and where I am stationed depends on the rate I get. Also, I was told that if I am deployed it will be on an aircraft carrier. The rates I will be training for are AWV, AWF, AWO, AWR, and AWS, although I had no clue what each does.


Things That I Learned:


Well, I found out that the difference between my rate and my rank is I start off as an AN, which is an E3 in the aviation field, and I become an AW (stands for Aircrew) once I graduate from Basic Training. In Basic, I have to earn my rank as does everyone else and will be treated as an equal with the E1's until I earn my rank.


Aircrew is not the same thing as an undesignated airman.


Only 3% of recruits going into the Navy qualify for Aircrew.


Aircrew is all about comaraderie and the slogan is "work hard, play hard." It is an intense, challenging, and fast-paced field.


Everyone in aviation knows what aircrew does and what it takes to do it, and there is a high respect for it.


Aircrewman work on board an in-flight aircraft. We are there to tend to technical and mechanical operations on the aircraft to assist the pilot of the aircraft, and so they don't have to worry about anything but flying.


The different rates stand for:


AWV--Aircrewman Avionics, "members of a fixed wing integrated tactical aircrew aboard maritime patrol and reconnaissance, and command and control aircraft; knowledgeable of all avionics systems, safety equipment, emergency procedures, and aircraft equipment; perform primary in-flight and ground duties as aircraft in-flight technicians, Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) specialists, and airborne communicators who maintain and operate aircraft systems; pilot and maintain Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV); operate aerial photographic equipment; and perform aircrew administration, flight and ground training, ordnance handling duties, joint special warfare operations, and Communications Material Security (CMS) handling." (www.bupers.navy.mil)


AWF-- Aircrewman Mechanical, "members of a fixed wing integrated tactical crew aboard C-2, C-9, C-12, C-20, C-37, C-40, C-130, E-6, and P-3 aircraft; perform primary in-flight and ground duties as aircraft Flight Engineer/Crew Chief, Loadmaster, Reel Operator, and Aircrew Readiness Manager; perform aircraft maintenance, weight and balance (W&B) calculations, and aircraft systems rigging, Aircrew administration, Flight/Ground training, cargo movement, Medical Evacuations (MEDEVAC), passenger transport, small arms, and Joint Special Warfare operations; contribute directly to operations for the purposes of attaining and maintaining the squadron’s aircrew qualifications and certifications; and knowledgeable of all aircraft systems, passenger and cargo handling, safety procedures and equipment, federal and military regulations for passenger transport, emergency procedures, and aircraft equipment." (www.bupers.navy.mil)


AWO-- Aircrewman Operator,  members who "produce intelligence products for aircrews in support of operations and tactical missions worldwide; detect, analyze, classify, and track surface and subsurface contacts; operate an advanced sonar system utilizing sonobouys, radar, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD), Identification Friend or Foe/Selective Identification Feature (IFF/SIF), and Infrared Detector (IR); perform aircrew duties that support mission planning, classified material handling, and training; and handle ordnance, inspect acoustic station equipment, and operate mission equipment such as: advanced imaging multi-spectral sensors, radar for safety of flight, and hand-held cameras." (www.bupers.navy.mil)


AWR--Aircrewman Romeo/Tactical Helicopter, members who "detect, analyze, classify, and track sub-surface contacts; perform sonar and sonobuoy operations, help coordinate tactical communications relay; conduct weapons delivery in support of tactical missions; contribute directly to aircrew operations and Naval Special Warfare (NSW) missions, to include: Search and Rescue (SAR), Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Night Vision Device (NVD) operations, navigation, passenger and cargo transport, Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP), Medical Evacuations (MEDEVAC), crew-served weapons employment; perform observer duties for safety of flight; and contribute directly to aircrew operations, training, and administration." (www.bupers.navy.mil)


AWS--Aircrewman Sierra/Helicopter, "members of multi-mission helicopter integrated tactical crews; perform Search And Rescue (SAR) operations, Airborne Mine Countermeasure (AMCM) operations utilizing sonar, magnetic, mechanical, and acoustic mine sweeping systems and logistics support; perform aircrew operations administration, flight and ground training, internal and external cargo movement, Medical Evacuations (MEDEVAC), passenger transport, aerial gunnery, small arms handling, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) insertion and extraction operations, Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP), and Night Vision Device (NVD) operations; and conduct observer duties for safety of flight." (www.bupers.navy.mil)


In Aircrew Candidate School they will teach me about different types of aircraft, systems operations, basic information that I need to know, how aircraft lands, mechanic work, the basics on checking oil and fuel levels, supervising refueling, making sure things are "locked and secured," and survival techniques.


How well I do in A School determines what rate I get and what is available to me.  I was told that I want to make sure to have a nice even spread because the top person or 2 in my class at A School gets top pick of the rate they receive and are trained for as well as where I am stationed. The Navy will try to work with me and get me what is on my wish list, if at all possible.


Upon completion of A School, I go to Replenishment Air Group, which is now called Flight Replacement Squadron. This is learning how to make weapons operate. Once I complete this school, I receive my aircrewman wings for my uniform. 


Only "wet" aircrew ends up on helicopters, and that consists of the rescue swimmer group because they have to jump off the aircraft to save people since they are the only ones trained in that sort of thing.


If I end up with a rate that works on and with smaller aircraft such as EA6B, Viking, and E2 Hawkeye, I will be most likely stationed on an aircraft carrier because these types of aircraft take off from a ship. I would be working in the back of the aircraft making sure everything operates smoothly. The deployments could be as long as 6 months at a time including stopping at various ports.


On the other hand, I could work on a long-range jet, i.e., P3 or a newer version that I think is called a P10, which is like a larger version of a commercial jet that carries weaponry or other cargo. This kind of aircraft usually takes off from a land-based air field. I would be stationed at an air field either in the U.S. or overseas. My missions would be anywhere from 18-24 hours at a time, and then I would go back to my "home" base and be able to sleep in my own rack (bed).

After I learned all of this new information, I was no longer confused and became more confident with my new-found knowledge.  Aircrew is going to open all kinds of doors for me as far as the opportunities it will present, not only in training but also with the possibility for advancement and promotion to officer once I have submitted my packet for the Seaman to Admiral program. 

Memories of Touring CV-41 USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum

It was March 2008 and it was my first time ever going to see the West coast. My first time seeing a mountain and my first time seeing the ocean... I was so excited. I had gotten the plane ticket out there for Spring Break as a Christmas gift from my then boyfriend. The first thing I saw as I arrived in San Diego was the sun beating on the tall Palm trees... it was like a dream come true. While I was there I saw many sights, including beaches, a botanical garden, historical landmarks, tide pools, the Air and Space Museum, and the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum. That was by far my favorite, and reiterated the awe I feel when I think of aviation and the fact that I will be working with that for my job in the U.S. Navy.

Description of the launch process for an aircraft from the USS Midway
(YouTube video)

My photos of the USS Midway: