Seemingly being in the spotlight isn’t good enough. Â If you’re a pop star, your fans need to smell you as well. Â Get ready for an olfactory overload and take a whiff of these bottled essences. Starting with the dudes…
What’s your scent?
Consolidating and linking all my recent USS Nimitz posts for convenience sakes.
I hope you enjoyed these posts just as much as I enjoyed the entire experience.
My embarking to and from the USS Chester W. Nimitz CVN 68 aircraft carrier during RIMPAC 2012 was made possible via my nomination by Dennis Hall, founder of Avere Group LLC (www.averegroup.wordpress.com), through collaborative referral to him by Guy Kawasaki (www.GuyKawasaki.com) and L.P. “Neenz†Faleafine (www.Faleafine.com). Dennis Hall initially submitted my nomination to the Public Affairs Officer of the US Navy’s Third Fleet. The Public Affairs Officer then referred my nomination to the Office of Public Affairs, Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The US Pacific Fleet selected me for the Distinguished Visitors Program, inviting me to embark for about 24 hours during RIMPAC 2012.
In a future ep of Hawaii Five-0, watch the stylings of the female cast. You might see this Gem Parfait handmade, custom piece on the necks of Grace Park or Michelle Borth. So be sure to slow motion their scenes and study them carefully.
I’m not sure how I feel about this stainless steel Starbucks cup. It looks cool, but its appearance appeal might just be a passing fancy. After much use, its sheen will probably look tarnished with water spots or scuffs.
Randomly picked LEGO mini figures series 7. Amazingly, ones we don’t already have.
I haven’t seen this limited edition Crunch bar before. It’s a Girl Scouts Thin Mints Crunch bar that has dark chocolate, cookie wafers, mint chocolate creme, and airy crispies.
Support the Girl Scouts! The ImpulsiveBuy has a review with pictures. Thank goodness for the pictures, otherwise I would have second thoughts.
It’s been a long time since I made a book cover from a brown paper bag. I looked up instructions just in case.
I forgot the tricks I used to do to bling up the covers. What kind of tape did I use, and where did I tape?
Looking on Pinterest for ideas, I spotted a cover using a Starbucks bag. Of course! Next book…
Through good graces, you’ve been nominated and selected to participate in the Navy’s Distinguished Visitors (DV) Embark Program. You can let out a “woo hoo,” don’t be ashamed. As your departure date nears, you’ll have to pack for this short but dense trip. What do you bring? Embarking on a military aircraft carrier is not exactly like going on a plush cruise. Typically, the Public Affairs staff will give you great info on what to expect and what to bring. But here are six things that you definitely need to pack.
Aka “slippers” in Hawaii. A community shower onboard an aircraft carrier is a community shower nonetheless. ‘Nuff said.
Having extra cash during your stay is a must. For one, you can’t use your normal credit card for purchases, and two, there will be many opportunities to buy memorabilia, not just from the carrier but from the units assigned to the carrier group. You’ll definitely need to buy a patch marking your first “trap” COD landing on the carrier, and while you’re at it, you need to buy a COD patch as well. If the shirt design is cool, add that to your luggage. While on board, you just never know when you’re going to meet up with the Death Rattlers. Death Rattlers?! By name alone, you’re drawn to buying sweatshirts, stickers, shirts, hats, and whatever else that can rattle death. I wonder if the Death Rattlers sell logo-ed shower slippers? I would have paid for slippers with a rattlesnake pattern for sure.
And then you’ll need that cash for the carrier’s ship store… oh wait, our group had a change in schedule and didn’t make it to the store. This leads me to this tangent…
Even with your embark schedule laid out, you might want to talk to your escorts and see if you can visit the ship’s store earlier rather than later. For our tour, our plans changed, and our visit to the tour was canceled. Definitely not a showstopper by any means, but I think most of the group was ready to open up their wallets and load up with Nimitz gear.
Don’t be ashamed to look like Steve McGarrett from Hawaii Five-0 by wearing cargo pants. More pockets the better. See if Old Navy has some long cargo pants on clearance. In your pockets, you can hold a camera, your iPhone, a video camera, your “foamies” hearing protection, a snack or two, maybe a bottle of water, and a purchased Death Rattler shirt. You gotta haul all this around especially if you don’t have your bags.
This is a two-for-one. Although only an overnight stay, you are allowed two bags with the intent of carrying one bag with you. But for your safety on the COD flight, they don’t want you to carry anything that’s not in your pockets (see the rationale for going McGarrett with the cargo pants?). So you’ll be travelling light after the flight crew stows your second carry-around bag. Odds are that if this happens, you won’t see any of your bags until you reach your stateroom which could be at the end of the day. I didn’t have access to my DSLR camera until day one was about done.
Also, bring a travel light. If you got a compact flashlight, it may come in handy. While your staterooms have sufficient lights, you might not want to disturb your roommate by turning them on. Walking the passageways at night would be easier with more illumination in unfamiliar territory.
While you might not have access to your bags, you have your cargo pants pockets so all is not lost. Then you’ll need compact, versatile gear to fit in your pockets. I eventually did truck around my Canon DSLR around my neck but had other gear pocketed. A smartphone is great to have to snap pics and record closeup videos. Right before departure, I had bought a Sony HDR PJ260V camcorder, and it worked great! It easily fit in my pockets, even with an extended battery. Great picture quality, awesome sound pickup with wind noise reduction, and 30x optical zoom. Another option might be a mirrorless camera like the new Canon EOS M. A compact body but with DSLR-like image quality, and it can record movies.
Speaking of compact gear, due to the close proximity you’ll be in, don’t bring a monster lens if you got a DSLR. A wide angle lens would be more useful. My Canon EF-S 15-85mm was versatile enough.
The packing list from the Public Affairs Office already tells you to bring comfortable shoes, and I’m going to reiterate that. You’ll be on your feet for hours, walking, climbing, high stepping all on non-forgiving metal surfaces. Personally, if I had the means, I’d get some new Nike Air Max. The Nike Air Trainer 1.3 Max Breathe makes a statement, and a LeBron 9 Low looks like it provides a cushioned ride.
One last tip that’s not something to pack (unless you can pack a buddy on your tour). Make friends quickly and take pictures for them, and they’ll reciprocate. Taking pictures of fighter jets and other cool stuff onboard is fun, but taking a picture with you and this cool stuff is even cooler. Unless your self-portrait skills are good, have your tour buddy capture some memorable shots for you.
There you have it. When you get the call, you’ll now be more prepared to enjoy this excellent adventure.
My embarking to and from the USS Chester W. Nimitz CVN 68 aircraft carrier during RIMPAC 2012 was made possible via my nomination by Dennis Hall, founder of Avere Group LLC (www.averegroup.wordpress.com), through collaborative referral to him by Guy Kawasaki (www.GuyKawasaki.com) and L.P. “Neenz†Faleafine (www.Faleafine.com). Dennis Hall initially submitted my nomination to the Public Affairs Officer of the US Navy’s Third Fleet. The Public Affairs Officer then referred my nomination to the Office of Public Affairs, Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The US Pacific Fleet selected me for the Distinguished Visitors Program, inviting me to embark for about 24 hours during RIMPAC 2012.
During the short, overnight embark on the USS Nimitz, there were a few surprises (to me anyways). Here’s a list in no particular order.
There’s a lot of attention placed on the catapult launch off the carrier. Truly, it is an exhilarating experience. But there’s not much mentioned about the arrested landing. Maybe I wasn’t mentally prepared for the landing, but personally, I felt the effects of the landing more. For the scant seconds as the COD decelerates via the arresting cables, taking a breath felt impossible. It felt like my lungs weren’t working and all the air was pushed out of me. It lasted for just a few seconds, but it was surreal.
I loved the way the Marines adapted and overcame. Need to ceiling mount a projector? Twine is all you need.
In the close proximity of the hangar bay, you have to watch your head and not walk into things. One way to prevent a bruised noggin is by using swimming pool noodles as bumpers. Now that’s using your noggin.
Like I mentioned before, our group was fortunate to meet and talk with Rear Admiral Peter Gumataotao, Commander, Carrier Strike Group 11, and Commander, USS Nimitz Strike Group. During his visit, Rear Adm. Gumataotao connected with the group as he spoke from the heart. I was impressed and surprised by his down-to-earth, earnest demeanor.
Okay, since our DV group dined with the Nimitz’s Executive Officer (XO), we were treated to a special menu. Our meal was not what the other thousands of sailors ate on board, but the same initial components were used. The best culinary specialists on the Nimitz teamed together to use the ingredients for the day and infuse their own creative twists into a memorable meal. It was like a Top Chef challenge to create cuisine using stock components. I loved every dish!
Each member of our DV tour received this awesome USS Nimitz ball cap. Even awesomer is that each cap is personally embroidered in the back.
Most of the sailors we encountered showed a sense of humor I hadn’t expected. The atmosphere wasn’t as serious and deadpan as sailors joked with us and each other. I have to give kudos to the public affairs crew who were our tour guides. Not only were they knowledgable, but they kept our group on schedule, didn’t lose anybody (okay, just once), and kept us entertained. Thanks to LT Hontz, LT O’Connor, MC3 Cotter, and MC3 Bartlett who were our primary escorts.
My favorite line from LT Hontz when someone asked a question he didn’t have an answer for – “They do stuff there, and after that, they do more stuff.” So you probably had to have been there to appreciate this humor, but his straight-faced delivery of this line was classic!
My embarking to and from the USS Chester W. Nimitz CVN 68 aircraft carrier during RIMPAC 2012 was made possible via my nomination by Dennis Hall, founder of Avere Group LLC (www.averegroup.wordpress.com), through collaborative referral to him by Guy Kawasaki (www.GuyKawasaki.com) and L.P. “Neenz†Faleafine (www.Faleafine.com). Dennis Hall initially submitted my nomination to the Public Affairs Officer of the US Navy’s Third Fleet. The Public Affairs Officer then referred my nomination to the Office of Public Affairs, Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The US Pacific Fleet selected me for the Distinguished Visitors Program, inviting me to embark for about 24 hours during RIMPAC 2012.
There are Marine Corps aviators flying jets from the Navy’s supercarrier, the USS Nimitz? Call sign SAS from the VMFA-323 “Death Rattlers” squadron explains this long-standing arrangement.
USS Nimitz Death Rattlers from Gee Why on Vimeo.
Sorry, I missed the part about the squadron’s history explaining the Death Rattler name, but you can read about the VMFA-323 here.
My embarking to and from the USS Chester W. Nimitz CVN 68 aircraft carrier during RIMPAC 2012 was made possible via my nomination by Dennis Hall, founder of Avere Group LLC (www.averegroup.wordpress.com), through collaborative referral to him by Guy Kawasaki (www.GuyKawasaki.com) and L.P. “Neenz†Faleafine (www.Faleafine.com). Dennis Hall initially submitted my nomination to the Public Affairs Officer of the US Navy’s Third Fleet. The Public Affairs Officer then referred my nomination to the Office of Public Affairs, Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The US Pacific Fleet selected me for the Distinguished Visitors Program, inviting me to embark for about 24 hours during RIMPAC 2012.
I’ve given you pictures and videos from my DV embark on the USS Nimitz. Â How about some of the sounds from the ship?
This first one is boring. It’s the continual drone you hear during the COD flight. This is without ear protection. It’s loud. And it’s non-stop. Can you imagine listening to this for hours each day?
Once on-board, Commanding Officer Jeff Ruth greeted our tour. Here’s what he had to say.
On the flight deck, there’s so much activity carried out by various personnel. The colors of their shirts designate their roles. The Mini Boss on the Nimitz explains the roles.
Every morning, the crew is awoken by reveille.
Petty Officer Gonzalez explains how the arresting cables work to land aircraft going full throttle. This is only a short snippet. If you want more, watch the YouTube video.
My embarking to and from the USS Chester W. Nimitz CVN 68 aircraft carrier during RIMPAC 2012 was made possible via my nomination by Dennis Hall, founder of Avere Group LLC (www.averegroup.wordpress.com), through collaborative referral to him by Guy Kawasaki (www.GuyKawasaki.com) and L.P. “Neenz†Faleafine (www.Faleafine.com). Dennis Hall initially submitted my nomination to the Public Affairs Officer of the US Navy’s Third Fleet. The Public Affairs Officer then referred my nomination to the Office of Public Affairs, Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The US Pacific Fleet selected me for the Distinguished Visitors Program, inviting me to embark for about 24 hours during RIMPAC 2012.
I wrote about my observations onboard the USS Nimitz, but when talking about an aircraft carrier, there’s the obvious question, “Where are the jets?” Here they are. Cue up the Top Gun music (it’s a must).
Unfortunately, there were no flight operations at night so I didn’t get to witness the skills of the pilots landing a plane in near darkness. Watch Colin Sato’s video of flight ops at night to see what I mean.
I love the orchestration as a fighter gets ready to launch. You see all the flaps start waving around then you see the guys on the flight deck do a visual then give the thumbs up. It’s almost theatric. The steam after the catapult launch is a cool visual as well.
These are my favorite shots.
My embarking to and from the USS Chester W. Nimitz CVN 68 aircraft carrier during RIMPAC 2012 was made possible via my nomination by Dennis Hall, founder of Avere Group LLC (www.averegroup.wordpress.com), through collaborative referral to him by Guy Kawasaki (www.GuyKawasaki.com) and L.P. “Neenz†Faleafine (www.Faleafine.com). Dennis Hall initially submitted my nomination to the Public Affairs Officer of the US Navy’s Third Fleet. The Public Affairs Officer then referred my nomination to the Office of Public Affairs, Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The US Pacific Fleet selected me for the Distinguished Visitors Program, inviting me to embark for about 24 hours during RIMPAC 2012.
