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: