Aboard the Kennedy

Remembering Blue Angel Kevin Davis

2007-04-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, during an air show in South Carolina, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis (pictured at right) died when his Blue Angels F-18 hit some trees and crashed into a Beaufort neighborhood.

It's tragic news to the Blue Angels, no doubt, but First Coast residents should also take a minute to reflect, because tens of thousands of us heard his voice during the 2006 NAS Jacksonville air show.

If you went to that show, and if you stayed to see the Blue Angels' performance, then you heard Davis' voice describing their awesome maneuvers over the PA system. As the then-pilot of Blue Angels 7 and the newest member of the team, he narrated rather than flew the air shows.

His other job, as the pilot of the squadron's two-seat F-18 Hornet, was to give media and VIP rides in the days leading up to the team's air shows.

That's how I met Davis. On a sunny day in October, I strapped into the rear seat of No. 7 for the most unforgettable experience of my life: an hour-long ride in a Blue Angels fighter. Davis flew the jet to about 60 miles off the coast of St. Augustine and proceeded to put the aircraft through a series of rolls, loops and turns that had my head spinning. If you saw the video on Jacksonville.com, he also had my head rolling at one point as I passed out during a high-speed turn. (To see the video, click HERE).

What I remember about Davis, mostly, was his voice coming over the helmet speakers. Telling me to flex before high-G maneuvers and answering question after question I had about the aircraft, about flying combat missions, about getting into the Blue Angels. He responded with humor and grace to all of them — even as he flung us about the sky.

On Saturday he was flying plane No. 6. He had graduated from narrator to pilot of one of the six F-18s that perform in each show. Sadly, it was his last flight.

I know Davis' family, the Blue Angels and the Navy are mourning today. The rest of us should take a few minutes and do the same. I know I will.

Jeff

VAW-125

2007-04-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

Waaaay back in March when TU photographer Jon Fletcher and I rode the USS John F. Kennedy from Boston to Jacksonville, we spent a lot of time in Ready Room 4. On the door the ready room was the squadron symbol (posted above) for VAW-125.

The entire week we were aboard I kept meaning to research the squadron whose former ready room was serving as a media center for that final Kennedy voyage. (Fixed-wing aircraft haven't operated from the Kennedy since late 2005 or early 2006).

So just today when I had a minute I Googled the squadron. Here's what GlobalSecurity.Org had to say about them:

VAW-125, known as the "Torchbearers" or "Tigertails," was commissioned on October 1, 1968, at Naval Air Station, Norfolk. The squadron’s first sea duty was in the Caribbean with Carrier Air Wing Three aboard the USS Saratoga (CV 60). Following the Caribbean work-up cycle, the squadron left on its first major deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, in July 1969. Upon their return form cruise, VAW-125 became the first East Coast squadron to take delivery of the new E2-B "Hawkeye".

VAW-125 made several Mediterranean Sea deployments as part of Carrier Air Wing One aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) in the early 1970’s. In 1975, VAW-125 deployed with the newest version of the Hawkeye, the E-2C.

In December of 1976, Vice Admiral Greed, COMNAVAIRLANT, presented VAW-125 with the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle "E" for readiness, the CINCLANTFLT "Golden Anchor" Award for career retention, and the CNO Safety "S" Award. VAW-125 is believed to be the first Navy unit to win all three awards in the same year.

In August of 1990, the Tigertails were ready for deployment and responded to the invasion of Kuwait by deploying for eight months to the Red Sea with Carrier Air Wing Seventeen aboard USS Saratoga. After transiting in record time, they took up station and started flying around the clock in the support of Operation DESERT SHIELD. During Operation DESERT STORM, VAW-125 flew over 890 combat hours controlling strikes on Iraqi targets while providing AEW coverage for the Red Sea Battle Group. The Tigertails controlled VFA-81 F/A-18’s in the 17 January 1991 shoot down of two Iraqi MiG-21’s – the only Navy air-to-air MiG kills of the Southwest Asia campaign.

for the complete story, visit this link: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/vaw-125.htm

also i've posted a US Navy file photo of the E2 Hawkeye the article talks about.

Jeff

hoping to see the Kennedy

2007-04-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

I've been making calls this morning to Navy public affairs offices from Norfolk to Jacksonville in hopes of getting onto Mayport Naval Station and the John F. Kennedy. I am curious to see what the ship looks like now and to see the work going on to prepare her for long term storage up in PA. I'd love to hear from any Kennedy sailors or contractors who've been doing this work. Or if you've ever helped decomm another ship, drop me a line and tell me about it. Post a comment here or e-mail me at jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com.

Detainees to NAS Jax?

2007-03-30T07:56:00.000-05:00

Today's Times-Union carries a story about consideration being given to closing Guantanamo Bay and moving the prisoners currently held there to various military bases in the United States (see page A-7). One of the bases on the list is Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Pensacola Naval Air Station is also on the list.

But the way I read the story is the idea is very much theory right now, not an actual proposal or bill being considered in Congress.

I'd be very curious to see how the community reacts to having accused terrorists, including possibly one of the masterminds of the 9-11 attacks, moved to Jacksonville.

Jeff

Jacksonville Marine in Iraq

2007-03-29T16:11:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up this weekend's Times-Union will feature an interview with a Jacksonville native and Marine staff sergeant currently serving in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Doug Bisson (that's him pictured above in the sunglasses; photo provided by the USMC) is in al Anbar Province training Iraqi military and police how to properly use their weapons. I interviewed him today via satellite phone from his base in the western part of that country.

The gist of it is that Bisson firmly believes that the training he and other advisers are providing the Iraq military is working and will eventually result in American forces being able to come home for good.

Battleships to Mayport?

2007-03-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

In yesterday's post I asked readers to post comments or e-mail me (jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com) their wish list of ships that would come to Mayport to replace the John F. Kennedy. One reader wrote in that he'd like to see battleships.

I would too -- the only problem is the Navy doesn't have any active battle wagons anymore, so that will definitely be a wish unfulfilled.

But please, we'll be taking that informal survey in the next couple of months and publish the results here and in Jacksonville.com.

Jeff

Informal Mayport survey

2007-03-26T08:41:00.000-05:00

OK this is a just-for-fun survey.

If YOU had the power to bring any one ship or mix of ships to Mayport to replace the John F. Kennedy, what would it/they be?

Me, I'd love to see a couple carriers, one or two amphibs (how about LHD-8 Makin Island, which is currently under construction??) oh and maybe one of those brand-new LPD's like the New Orleans?? (that's the New Orleans pictured above, photo courtesy of the US Navy).

Wishful thinking? OK, but what are YOUR wishes?

Post your wish list here on the blog or via e-mail to jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com. Feel free to include an explanation for your choices.

Jeff

Post-commissioning thoughts

2007-03-25T08:25:00.000-05:00

I'm a little "hung over" in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy's Friday (March 23) decommissioning and the busy days and weeks leading up to it. And that's as a journalist. I can't really imagine what the ship's public affairs and media personnel feel this morning. Their lives were totally crazy getting the whole thing planned and executed.

I just had a few thoughts and blog comments to share this morning. One is the photo you see there above. That's Command Master Chief Charles Dassance. He's the Kennedy's highest-ranking enlisted sailor. The photo shows him holding the US flag shortly before he marched over to the ship's (now former) CO, Capt. Todd Zecchin. Both men told me afterward it was one of the most emotional moments of the morning for both of them.

Also, these two blog comments were posted this morning, both from YNCS Don Harribine, USN(Ret):

There is no such thing as the official Navy abbreviation for
PCU Post-commissioning Unit.
PCU stands for one thing and
thats Pre-Commissioning UNit.
They should not be confused as one in the same.
March 25, 2007 8:11 AM

The official Navy abbreviation of
PCU Pre-commissioning Unit should not be confused with the unofficial
abbreviation of PCU Post-commissioning Unit. The two are entirely different entities.
They are using PCU Post-commissioning unit for the crew of USS JFK as she goes through the
decommissioning process.

Don's comment was in response to my using "PCU" in one of the blog post headlines below. Don: I am grateful for the explanation.

And then there was this post from Rochelle DeAnda who missed Friday's ceremony at Mayport Naval Station:

"My husband was aboard the ship from '93-'97. We are heartbroken that we hadn't heard the ceremony was today. We would've been there. Now I'm desperately trying to find a video copy of the event! Too bad there wasn't a more organized announcement to former sailors, perhaps by mail ahead of time."

That's a bummer. Rachel, you can find lots of excellent photos and videos right here on Jacksonville.com. Just type in keyword "kennedy" and you'll see it all right there.

Jeff

Where was everyone?

2007-03-23T16:12:00.000-05:00

The Navy was expecting 5,000 people, but only 1,500-2,000 showed up for the decommissioning of the USS John F. Kennedy on Friday.

JFK crew members who organized the two-hour event said they were overwhelmed with requests from Kennedy alumni and others who wanted to attend. But on game day most of them were AWOL.

After receiving a dozen or so e-mails from former sailors desperate to attend the event, I'd love to know why so many didn't show up.

Jeff

Post-Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy

2007-03-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

The John F. Kennedy is no longer a United States Ship. Since being officially decommissoined shortly after 11 a.m. today, what once was the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy is now the Post Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy.

The ceremony felt more like a funeral than anything else, since it basically amounted to putting the 39-year-old "Big John" to rest. It will spend the summer in Jacksonville being readied for indefinite mothballing in Philadelphia.

See this blog for more posts later today and Saturday's Florida Times-Union for complete photo and story coverage of the ceremony.

Jeff

Pre-decomm scene

2007-03-23T07:44:00.000-05:00

We're here at Mayport Naval Station to cover today's USS John F. Kennedy decommissioning ceremony. Right now there are just a few hundred guests sprinkled among what looks like a sea of thousands of empty folding chairs. Sailors are going row by row wiping them down with sponges.

When I asked for the list of VIPs who will attend today, I was told by Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle that the list in the program "is nowhere near accurate" because the planning has been very fluid and hectic.

He also told me that Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter isn't coming and that it looks like U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw isn't going to make it, either. However, Rear Adm. Denby Starling, commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic and Adm. John Nathman, commander of Fleet Forces Command, will be here.

The ship looks great. She's covered in red, white and blue bunting and there's a huge American flag flying over one of the ship's elevator spaces.

Jeff

Ex-JFK Sailor needs help -- FAST

2007-03-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

Can anyone help this gentleman? FYI I have forwarded him the decomm rsvp e-mail address already. but if you have advice for him please e-mail him and let him know what to do to get into Friday's decommissioning.

here's the e-mail i got from him this morning:

Jeff, I know this is short notice but I need to attend the Ceremony. I was a MM onboard JFK from 1983-1989. She was my first ship. I arrived as a MM3 and left as MM1. I seen my first overseas port visit and 3 Med cruises. She is the best ship in the fleet. I sent email to PAO requesting confirmation for 2, My wife and I. I live in Jacksonville and hae base stickers to get on, but what else would I need?

Thanks
Norbert T Lonczak
MMC(SW/AW) USN Retired
nlonczak@msn.com

JFK Alumni Day

2007-03-22T08:02:00.000-05:00

A Navy spokesman out at Mayport Naval Station told me Wednesday that the base is expecting hundreds of ex-JFK sailors at today's Alumni Day event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Readers of this blog who couldn't make it would love to hear from those who did about how it was, what you saw and where on the ship you got to go. so please post comments here or e-mail me at jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com to share the experience and any photos you might have taken.

FYI, TU columnist extraordinaire Marks Woods is covering the event for the paper this morning, so be sure to read his column in Friday's Times-Union.

Jeff

I'd like to hear from you if. . .

2007-03-21T16:12:00.000-05:00

. . . you're a former Kennedy sailor, have contacted the right folks about attending Friday's decommissioning and yet still haven't been able to RSVP.

Also, let me know if you've had any trouble getting through via e-mail (see past two blog postings for the addresses).

Finally, if you HAVE successfully gotten through and RSVP'd, post a comment here to let others know how it went and what advice you might have for them.

Thanks.

Jeff

For JFK Vets: decomrsvp@kennedy.navy.mil

2007-03-20T19:44:00.000-05:00

Here's an e-mail Atlanta resident and former Kennedy sailor TJ Scott (see previous blog for more of his story) got from a Navy public affairs officer today. Please note that it also mentions an "alumni day" on Thursday at Mayport, where Kennedy vets can tour the ship. Also note that the e-mail (which is quite long) includes all the pertinent instructions for RSVPing for these various events:

From: Rebari, Rebecca L. LTJG (KENNEDY MEDIA)
[mailto:rebarirl@kennedy.navy.mil]
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 05:24 PM Pacific Standard Time
To: Scott TJ
Subject: RE: JFK decommissioning

Mr. Scott,
No need to bring your DD214! I am attaching an electronic invitation to
the decommissioning. However, I need you to RSVP ASAP to
decomrsvp@kennedy.navy.mil to ensure that you are on the attendees list.

The ceremony takes place Friday, 23 March at 1000-1200.
Please RSVP at decomrsvp@kennedy.navy.mil.

In addition there is a JFK Alumni Day on Thursday, 22 March from
0900-1300, which is the last time BIG JOHN will have tours, so if you
would like to bring friends and family, or take a walk down memory lane,
I recommend attending this day! Please RSVP at pao@kennedy.navy.mil.
We request that you keep your group to no more than 6 people between the
ages of 7-70. For those over 70, CO's approval is required.

The following information is requested:
Due to security, we need the names of every person in the group and the
last 4 digits of their social security numbers. If they need assistance
with base access, please provide your Vehicle information, including
drivers name, Color, Make, Model & Tag (Include the State). If renting
a vehicle they need to relay the vehicle information prior to entering
Naval Station Mayport.

In regards to the Alumni Day we will be an Industrial environment on the
22nd, therefore we'll only be able to show are guests the hangar bay and
flight deck. We have also included our CO's tour policy below.

Please have all guests read and understand:

I fully understand and assume all risks of myself and my guests involved
in touring USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). I realize that a naval vessel
is an industrial site requiring proper/appropriate attire. As a guest I
agree to adhere to the following attire guidelines:

-No open-backed sandals, low or high heels or other footwear that can
easily slip off my feet

-Gym shoes, boots, sandals with ankle strap and casual footwear are
permitted

-No inappropriate clothing that is too revealing such as:

1. Bathing suits, Tank tops/wife beaters, Short-shorts or ultra-mini
skirts

2. Any clothing that is so loose it can easily get snagged or easily
fall off

3. No clothing with offensive slogans or images to include but not
limited to

4. Anything 'adult' orientated, Anything promoting the use of illegal
drugs or drug paraphernalia

I understand the following will not be permitted on board:

-Illegal drugs/drug paraphernalia, Alcohol

-Weapons of any kind including but not limited to: Knifes, Guns, Pepper
sprays, Tasers I understand all guests must be able to maneuver on their
own power without any walking aides such as crutches, a walker, cane or
wheelchair. Also, guests who are legally blind will not be permitted on
board.

I understand that all guests must be in good health in order to visit
the ship. No one will be allowed to board the ship if they have any
heart conditions (past & present), recent surgery or any medical
condition that required any visit or overnight stay in a hospital.

I also understand all guests must be at least 8 years of age and any
child who looks questionable and their parent(s)/guardian will be asked
not to participate in the tour. (Any guests over 70 years of age require
CO approval)

All guests must have some form of official picture identification. Any
non-U.S. citizens must be prepared to show appropriate paperwork or Visa
approving their visit into the U.S. I understand photographs are not
only allowed, they are highly encouraged. However, the following are
off limits at all times:

1. Any armed military member

2. Any security checkpoint

3. Other ships in the basin and the basin itself

Finally, the U.S. Navy is not liable for any injury incurred during a
tour should any of these guidelines be comprised.

Have a Fine Navy Day!
v/r,
LT Rebecca Rebarich
APAO, JFK Decom

Attn. JFK vets: There's still time

2007-03-20T17:27:00.000-05:00

TJ Scott of Atlanta is going to be glad to hear this: Yes, veterans and relatives of the USS John F. Kennedy can still get on the invite list to Friday's (March 23) historic decommissioning ceremony.

That's the word from Lt. Walter Matthews. As the ship's public affairs officer, it is he who does the inviting.

To get invited, e-mail Matthews at pao@kennedy.navy.mil. If your e-mail bounces back, he said, keep trying: their e-mail system is overloaded sometimes. Approximately 5,000 are expected to attend the event, which begins at 10 a.m. and is expected to last up to two hours.

I say that Scott will be glad because he e-mailed me today saying he was worried about getting into the ceremony. Scott served on the ship from January 1974 to July 1976 as an electronics technician. He told me by phone that his plan is to just arrive at Mayport Naval Station Friday and hope for the best.

"I figured I'd show up at the gate, show them my DD-214 and say 'I want to go to this thing.'" [The DD214, he said, is a discharge paper that shows dates of military service and the last ship you served on.]

Well, hopefully it won't come to that. Good luck to TJ and all the other Kennedy vets trying to get into the big show.

Jeff

Sharing Kennedy experiences

2007-03-18T12:51:00.000-05:00

The Times-Union has quite a spread on the USS John F. Kennedy, including a page one piece on what the loss of the carrier means to Jacksonville businesses, homeowners and others. Also there are interviews with Kennedy veterans about their memories of the aircraft carrier, which will be decommissioned on March 23. (See it all in today's paper and here at Jacksonville.com).

Reading all those stories reminded me of a gentleman I spoke with before I sailed on the Kennedy from Boston to Jacksonville. His name is Dick Koehler, of Jacksonville. That's Lt. Cmdr. Koehler in the photo above. He served on the Kennedy 1974-1976, as the maintenance officer for an A-7 attack jet squadrons.

The routine for Koehler consisted of long days, working 12 hours or more a day, seven days a week. Koehler spent 30 years in the Navy, and he said his time on the Kennedy was among the best. He said he loved the food, the camaraderie and keeping those jets flying.

"It was like being part of a floating city," he said.

We'd love to hear from other Kennedy sailors in the coming weeks. Feel free to e-mail me at jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com or post comments here on the blog for others to read.

Jeff

A Navy wife's story

2007-03-17T14:34:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I posted a blog about TU photographer Jon Fletcher and I having come away from our five-day voyage on the USS John F. Kennedy with a deeper understanding of what service men and women go through during deployments. In the blog, I asked people to write in to share their experiences. Here's part of an e-mail I received from a local woman who's husband is in the Navy and currently serving at NAS Jacksonville:

Although I have only been a Navy wife for a little over 3 1/2 years now, I somewhat know what it’s like to have to go through deployments. I was 4 months pregnant with my daughter when my husband went on our first deployment together (I was left at home, he was on the USS JFK). It was horrible. I was going through the stage in my pregnancy when my hormones were all messed up and I cried for no reason at all. Just when I thought it couldn’t be worse, 3 Doors Down had that depressing song about military families and how they missed their naval wives/husbands. “I’m here without you baby.” That song sent me into tears every time I heard it. I feared for his life all the time. And he was only gone for three weeks!! It was what you call a trial run so they could make a go of the six-month deployment without any kinks. Thank God that by the time that six month deployment came around we had switched from sea duty to shore duty.

We'd love to hear more, so if you want to share your experience, please post it in a comment here on the blog or via e-mail at jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com.

Jeff

ps -- click HERE HERE HERE to see photos and video from the JFK's recent underway from Boston to Jacksonville.

pps -- here are the lyrics to the 3 Doors Down song she was referring to, called "Here Without You":

A hundred days had made me older
since the last time that I've saw your pretty face

A thousand lights had made me colder and I don’t think I can look at this the same

But all the miles had separate
They disappear now when I’m dreaming of your face

I’m here without you baby
but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight it’s only you and me

The miles just keep rollin
as the people either way to say hello
I've heard this life is overrated
but I hope that it gets better as we go

I’m here without you baby
but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it’s only you and me

Everything I know,
and anywhere I go
it gets hard but it won’t take away my love
And when the last one falls,
when it’s all said and done
it get hard but it won’t take away my love

I’m here without you baby
but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it’s only you and me

JFK in Sunday's Times-Union

2007-03-16T13:46:00.000-05:00

The Times-Union and Jacksonville.com are continuing their coverage of the USS John F. Kennedy. Check out this Sunday's newspaper for a story by staff writer Charlie Patton that looks at how the impending loss of the aircraft carrier is creating some anxiety in the communities near Mayport Naval Station.

Jeff

March 23 decommissioning

2007-03-16T07:09:00.000-05:00

We're just a week away from the decommissioning of the USS John F. Kennedy, and I am wondering who KNOWS they are going to be attending the ceremony. If you have a ticket or written confirmation that you will be attending, please contact me here via posts or at jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com. Please be sure to include a brief explanation of your relationship to the JFK. Thanks.

Jeff

JFK barges

2007-03-15T08:25:00.000-05:00

at some point in the next few weeks, the remaining crew of the USS John F. Kennedy will be moving off the ship and onto barges pulled up along side the ship. They and contractors will basically be mothballing the aircraft carrier. What I've heard is that all kinds of ships services, including the dental clinic, will still be provided either on the barges or pier side.

We'd love to hear from JFK sailors and their families about what these barges are like. Feel free to post comments here on the blog or e-mail me at jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com.

Jeff

more JFK pics/video coming

2007-03-13T12:34:00.000-05:00

A reader posed a question/comment on the previous blog, wondering if we'll be publishing more photos from the USS John F. Kennedy's recent voyage from Boston to Jacksonville. Times-Union picture editor Kelly Jordan tells me that yes, readers will see new pics and video in the coming days, and to stay tuned here on Jacksonville.com for those updates.

In the meantime, click HERE to see existing photo galleries and videos that you might have missed.

Also, pass the word that this JFK blog will continue in the coming weeks and months as the decommissioning progresses. The Navy hopes the work is done in time to tow the aircraft carrier to Philadelphia in early August.

Jeff

No Kennedy tours

2007-03-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

Since I've gotten back from the USS John F. Kennedy's Boston-to-Jacksonville voyage, several people have e-mailed me asking if the ship will be open to the public before its March 23 decommissioning. The answer is no. Due to the ship's late departure from Kennedy, plans for public tours had to be scrapped, a ship spokesman said.

Also, if you read this blog let your friends know we are going to keep it going at least up through the ship's decommissioning and possibly beyond. If you have questions about the Kennedy or what's next at Mayport, post them here.

Jeff

Deeper appreciation

2007-03-10T21:34:00.000-05:00

After a week spent aboard the USS John F. Kennedy, I can tell you that Jon Fletcher and I have a whole new appreciation of what military people and their families go through on deployments.

As Jon and I left the paper today with our luggage in tow, we spoke briefly about how exhausted we were and how it seemed we'd NEVER get home. And that, as most of you reading this know, is after only a tiny little WEEK of being away. It gave us an insight into how exhausting and lonely six- and eight-month cruises must be -- and how intense that feeling must be for those families whose loved ones are on those 12-month and longer deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

I'd like to hear from anyone who can tell us how it is you get through those months, how you keep yourselves and your kids going week to week, month to month. Maybe your comments would help other, younger families find ways to successfully endure those experiences. Feel free to post comments here or send me an e-mail at jeff.brumley@jacksonville.com (tho blog comments are preferred because others can see them that way).

Jeff

@ the TU

2007-03-10T15:01:00.000-05:00

Photographer Jon Fletcher and I are back at the Florida Times-Union now. He is preparing the video and photos he shot today of the John F. Kennedy's return to Mayport Naval Station. I am starting to write stories that will be in Sunday's newspaper.

We captured some great stuff at Mayport. And a team of other TU reporters and photographers were on the scene, capturing this historic moment. Check it all out later today on Jacksonville.com and in tomorrow's TU.

Jeff

JFK is home

2007-03-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

The USS John F. Kennedy is home.

She passed the outer markers of Mayport Station right around 9:30 and pulled up pier side around 10. Lines were being shot to the pier around 10:10. Now at 10:45 a.m. flight deck crew are moving the three display aircraft to the elevators in preparation for eventually craning them off the aircraft carrier.

Steaming into port was dramatic. More than 1,100 sailors stood at attention around the perimeter of the 4-acre flight deck, adorned in their dress blues. As we approached the pier, the dozen or so other warships in the base started sounding their horns.

We are told it might be an hour or two before they lower the gangway so visitors, media and sailors can start disembarking.

Look for more blog entries later today and full coverage in Sunday’s Florida Times-Union.

Jeff

Last-minute hustle & bustle aboard the JFK

2007-03-10T08:39:00.000-05:00

There are several hundred sailors down in the hangar bay of the USS John F. Kennedy right now, and many of them are getting a little emotional.

Decked out in dress blues, those famous Navy “cracker jack” uniforms, they are arranged in neatly-formed groups of a hundred or so preparing to climb ladders to the flight deck. Once there they will line the perimeter of the deck as we enter Mayport Naval Station this morning.

Master Chief Al Cardenas was one of the dozens of chiefs making sure the sailors stayed in formation until the call comes to head up on deck. (Many sailors were taking pictures of friends with camera phones and had to be shooed back into line). Cardenas has been in the Navy 27 years and the JFK will be his last ship (he’s headed for shore duty in Norfolk after this).

“This is my last time underway ever. It’s very bittersweet,” he said a few moments ago. “This morning I stood out and just watched the sea.”

Here’s the situation: We are expected to arrive in Jacksonville right around 9:30 a.m. A Navy helicopter is expected to land around 8:45. It will drop off harbormasters who will help guide the ship to the pier. In a few minutes, 1,100 of the 2,300-member crew will ascend the flight deck to line the rails.

I’m not sure if I will have the opportunity to post more blogs before we actually arrive at the pier, but please keep checking in just in case I can.

Jeff

Approaching Jacksonville

2007-03-10T06:56:00.000-05:00

Good morning from the USS John F. Kennedy. I guess that would be a LAST “good morning” from this ship, which is in the final hours of its final voyage.

The crew was excited last night. There was more levity in the passageways and dining and working spaces than I had noticed the whole trip. What a contrast to the frustration many experienced earlier in the week when we were delayed two days getting out of Boston.

But that is behind us and Jacksonville lies just ahead. I’ve received no official word about our exact location or the precise time we will arrive at Mayport Naval Station, but there’s been no word of any delays. So right now I am guessing somewhere around 9:30 or 10:30 a.m.

While I sit here blogging in a former squadron ready room (VAW-125, fyi), TU photographer Jon Fletcher is wandering the spaces getting still and video images of last things happening aboard the warship. Look for those images later here on Jacksonville.com and in Sunday’s Florida Times-Union.

At breakfast this morning we saw a lot of sailors, officers and enlisted, wearing their dress blues. That means they will be among the 1,100 or so who will man the rails as the ship enters the base (there are 2,300 sailors aboard, but many of them are needed to stand watches). It should be a sight to see. This will be the last-ever manning of the rails on this ship, which is being decommissioned March 23 after 39 years of service.

Stay tuned.

Jeff

Two VERY different military careers

2007-03-09T20:37:00.000-05:00

I’ve met some fascinating people during my five days aboard the USS John F. Kennedy. Among them are Cmdr. Dave Hart and Lt. Ray Rivers. They stand out because each have had what amounts to two military careers -- one focused on killing, the other on healing.

Hart is the ship's psychologist. He entered the Navy as a submarine officer in the 1970s, serving on ballistic missile subs capable of destroying entire nations. But he was drawn to psychology, so he went into the reserves while working on his PhD. He went back on active duty in 1991 as a Navy therapist. His job now is to help sailors through the emotional challenges of military service.

Before becoming a Navy chaplain, Rivers was a Marine Corps officer. He said he was one of those gung-ho types who loved being a Leatherneck and intended to make a career of the Corps. But God had other plans, he said, so he got out, went to seminary and pastored a Southern Baptist church for 10 years. Then he got another calling: To ministery to the men and women in the armed forces. So here he is as the JFK's Protestant chaplain. Rivers said his next assignment likely will be with the 2nd Marine Division.

Jeff

JFK CO: headed to Kitty Hawk

2007-03-09T16:59:00.000-05:00

Capt. Todd Zecchin, commander of the soon-to-be decommissioned USS John F. Kennedy, is headed to Japan to command the USS Kitty Hawk, he told me a few minutes ago.

“In fact the orders came in when we were in Boston,” Zecchin said. The ship was there for a port call March 1-7.

Zecchin said he will remain with the JFK through its March 23 decommissioning ceremony at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville.

Like the Kennedy, Kitty Hawk is a conventionally-powered aircraft carrier that is slated for decommissioning, though Zecchin said he doesn’t know when that will happen.

GlobalSecurity.org, which covers defense-related topics, says the carrier is due for replacement as early as 2008.

Unlike his current command, he said Kitty Hawk still conducts flight operations.
Zecchin joked about having back-to-back commands of ships headed for mothballs.

“They’ll call me ‘the closer’ – go get the kid out of the bullpen,” Zecchin said during a tour of his quarters aboard Kennedy, which is currently steaming from Boston to Jacksonville on its final voyage.

Zecchin took command of Kennedy in May 2006. His executive officer, Capt. Ronald Robinson, will be the officer in charge of the ship after its decommissioning, Zecchin said.

On the bridge of the JFK

2007-03-09T14:08:00.000-05:00

We just returned from the navigation bridge on the USS John F. Kennedy. It’s a cool, quiet, dark and vital space. It’s from there that the ship is navigated, from where the captain makes some of his most important decisions. It’s packed with radios and radar screens, as well as an old-fashioned wooden helm like those from the sailing ship era. There were 10 sailors manning watches, including:

Lt. Cmdr. Brett Thompson, officer of the deck. The OOD is responsible for the safety of the ship during the captain’s absence from the bridge. Nothing is discussed, decided or done without the OK from the OOD. Thompson is a P-3 Orion navigator headed for flying duty in Hawaii after leaving Kennedy.

Petty Officer Second Class Aaron Janssen. Janssen, boatswain mate of the watch. He ensures all enlisted bridge watch standers are on duty and he’s the one who blows that high-pitched whistle Navy ships are famous for. He also “passes the word,” i.e. makes announcements over the ship’s intercom.

Lt. Patrick Price, junior officer of the watch. He was manning a surface radar screen that tracks all ships and sometimes low-flying aircraft. At the moment he was monitoring two cargo ships that were transiting several miles away. We could see them just on the horizon.

There were many others. A couple of quartermasters were charting the ship’s course on charts. The helmsman, a 23-year-old sailor John Baxter, a petty officer third class, was steering the aircraft carrier on its last-ever voyage home to Mayport Naval Station.

Check back in later to see my interviews with the JFK’s chaplains, psychologist, Sailor of the Year and others.

Jeff

Say cheese . . .

2007-03-09T12:33:00.000-05:00

Media specialists on the USS John F. Kennedy spent the morning taking group photographs on the carrier’s flight deck. Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle said 10 of the ship’s 17 departments (such as medical, dental, maintenance, etc) posed for the photos.

Group shots aren’t SOP on every cruise, but the fact that this is the JFK’s last-ever underway period as a warship, people are trying to mark the occasion any way they can, Doolittle said.

If you have photos from your service aboard the John F. Kennedy, or those of family and friends who served on the ship, e-mail them to marilyn.young@jacksonville.com.

In a few moments, TU photographer Jon Fletcher and I will be escorted up to the ship’s navigation bridge. That’s THE bridge from where the ship is steered, and where the commanding officer spends much of his time. I’ll be posting a blog about the experience and Jon will send along some photos. Make sure to check out Jon’s other photos and video from this trip here on Jacksonville.com.

Oh, and I’m also told that The Times-Union is going to publish a big spread about the ship’s return to Jacksonville in Sunday’s paper. So check it out.

Jeff

Maybe the toughest job on the ship

2007-03-09T10:55:00.000-05:00

I just returned from the office of the man who probably has the biggest job on the USS John F. Kennedy between now and August, when the aircraft carrier is to be towed to Philadelphia for long-term storage.

That’s Cmdr. Miguel Ortiz, commander of an aviation maintenance department on the ship but more recently appointed to oversee the upcoming decommissioning process.

It’s a massive undertaking, preparing a huge ship like this for mothballing. Of the approximately, 2,500 spaces on the ship, so far only about 200 are already sealed (the rest had to stay open because there are still 2,300 sailors aboard).

Not only that, but Ortiz’ job also is to get remaining crew members to stop thinking of themselves as departments with separate turfs to seeing themselves as a single decommissioning team. Anyone who’s worked for a company with different departments can appreciate how hard a task that can be.

Between now and August, sailors and contractors will have to close all spaces and remove and dispose of any hazardous materials left onboard. All of that has to be accomplished with a crew that will be diminishing every day and week as sailors get orders for other ships and bases.

While this is being done, the crew will be living in barges pulled up along side the Kennedy at Mayport Naval Station. Ortiz’ and his fellow JFK shipmates definitely have their work cut out for them over the next few months.

Jeff

JFK flight ops

2007-03-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

This morning TU photographer Jon Fletcher and I witnessed the second-to-last flight operation aboard the USS John F. Kennedy.

Lt. Freddie Koonge emphasized the fact while briefing his deck crew. And that meant this would be one of the last walk downs, where sailors search the deck for loose objects that could pose a threat to people and aircraft. “So make it beautiful,” he said.

Deck crew escorted us and some Navy Times photographers up on the flight deck to watch two MH-60 Sea Hawks take off for Cherry Point, NC, which was about 50 miles to the west of us at the time.

A few seconds later, a Navy CH-53 Sea Stallion landed. This giant helo – used by the Navy for cargo and minesweeping and by the Marines to haul infantry – created a powerful windstorm when it landed on the deck. The 53 kept its rotors turning for close to 30 minutes as Kennedy sailors and helicopter aircrew loaded pallets of equipment and supplies and some military personnel. Then the chopper took off and disappeared over the horizon just like that.

In case you didn't know, fixed-wing aircraft haven't flown from the ship since before February 2006. Since then only helicopters have operated fromits deck.

We’re coming to the end of our voyage, the last-ever for the Big John under its own power. That fact is starting to pop up in conversations all around the aircraft carrier.

The last we heard is we are doing good on time and should still be arriving at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville sometime Saturday morning. Stay tuned.

Jeff

a word to e-mailers

2007-03-08T18:35:00.000-05:00

To everyone who has e-mailed me in the past few days, I want to say thank you and sorry for not getting back to you. The connection is slow sometimes and at others it doesn't exist, so I have to focus on getting the blogs posted. But I appreciate all the comments in e-mails and on the blog. And hang with us through those spots when we're not online. I'll be blogging and Jon Fletcher will be shooting pictures all the way through Saturday.

Jeff

JFK's coldest sailor

2007-03-08T18:08:00.000-05:00

This morning I met what must have been one of the coldest sailors on the USS John F. Kennedy.

I don’t mean cold as in distant or unfriendly. I mean freezing cold. It was Seaman Daniel Butler, a 21-year-old member of the deck crew who was pulling a four-hour watch on an outdoor bridge high up on the ship’s superstructure. I never learned the exact temperature during my 8:30 a.m. visit, but it must have been down around zero with the wind chill factor.

Butler, who is headed to Navy corpsman school in Chicago after Kennedy’s decommissioning, said his job on the windswept bridge is to keep an eye out for floating debris, other ships, planes or anything else that could pose a threat to the aircraft carrier. “I’m up here in case the radars go down,” he told me as TU photographer Jon Fletcher took pictures.

What impressed me is that after almost three hours in bone-numbing cold, Butler was in good spirits and even a little reflective about the ship’s March 23 decommissioning.

He said he’s proud to be a member of the Kennedy’s final crew because his uncle was a member of its first crew some 39 years ago.

BTW, corpsmen are the Navy and Marine Corps’ version of medics. Butler speculated he would most likely be sent to Iraq when he finishes his training.

Jeff

Back online -- for now

2007-03-08T17:20:00.000-05:00

Hey, I apologize for being MIA for so long but the USS John F. Kennedy's Internet service went down shortly after 9 a.m. today and just now popped up again. The latest news is we are steaming a long at more than 20 knots and making good time. We are told we can expect a Saturday morning arrival in Jacksonville. My goal is to post a couple more blogs this evening before calling it a night; but that depends on Internet availability. Thanks for your patience and for continuing to read the blog.

Jeff

What warships and houses have in common

2007-03-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

It turns out that aircraft carriers and other warships have something in common with our homes: Their pipes can freeze -- and burst -- due to extremely cold temperatures. That’s why it was a busy night for damage control personnel (known as DC) aboard the USS John F. Kennedy.

Beginning not too long after we left Boston Wednesday afternoon, announcements started coming over the ship’s public address system, called 1 MC, about flooding in different compartments on deck levels closest to the flight deck and other spaces closest to the near-zero temps outdoors.

“Flooding” in this case isn't what you see in war movies, with sailors in water up to their chests desperately reparing gushing pipes or valves. Rather, the leaks resulted in 1 or 2 inches of standing water in various compartments. In some of the smaller spaces water reached 5 and 6 inches deep. The leaks were stopped usually within minutes of the reports by roving DC teams.

JFK’s executive officer, Capt. Ronald Robinson, stopped by the media ready room last night to explain that the leaks are normal when a warm-water ship like the Kennedy visits icy-cold ports like Boston – especially extreme cold temps are encountered. As the ship’s boilers were lit and machinery kicked into gear, the extra heat began thawing cracked pipes, he said.

“We’re a frozen, floating, metal mass that’s moving south,” Robinson said. “The power plant is in perfect shape and there here are no high-pressure steam leaks whatsoever.”

Retired Navy Capt. John O’Neil Jr., a Jacksonville resident and one of the Navy Leaguers making the Boston-to-Mayport trip, said the leaks have nothing to do with the fact that the Kennedy is an older ship (it entered service 39 years ago). O’Neil said the ships he commanded during his service experienced the same problems when sailing in frigid temperatures.

Jeff

No JFK tours for jax

2007-03-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

I've gotten a dozen e-mails this week that read like this one from a Times-Union reader in Nassau County:

"Hi Jeff,

"I live in Amelia Island and have three children, ages 11, 12 and 15. I would love to take them on a tour of the USS Kennedy when it docks in Mayport and is decommissioned. If this is possible, please give me a call or email me at the number below."

Unfortunately, there won't be any public tours of the ship after it returns to Mayport. Lt. Walter Matthews, the USS John F. Kennedy's public affairs officer, said Navy brass had hoped to let the public aboard this coming weekend, but the two-day delay in getting out of Boston foiled those plans. And with the ship's March 23 decommissioning rapidly approaching, Matthews said, there's no time to work in the hoped-for "Jacksonville Appreciation Day."

Another set of e-mails has come from former Kennedy sailors, asking if they are invited to the March 23 ceremony. The answer to that question is yes, Matthews said.

If you're a Kennedy alumn, e-mail Matthews at pao@kennedy.navy.mil. Make sure to include your name, your rate and the dates you served on the Big John.

Jeff

Dining at Chez Kennedy

2007-03-07T16:47:00.000-05:00

We are underway now and chow time is approaching. Which reminds me:

JFK sailors eat like kings. Better yet, presidents.

Tuesday night the 2,300-member crew of the USS John F. Kennedy dined on fresh Maine lobster (4,250 pounds of it, to be exact). At lunch today it was steak and baked potatoes.

Surprised? Don't be, says Chief Warrant Officer Charles Jakes, the ship's food service officer. "We feed 'em steak, lobster and everything else."

It's a morale issue, Jakes said. Sailors work long hours for months at a time; the last thing they need is crappy food to start their days with.

Menus since Monday when I came aboard in Boston have included the aforementioned steak and lobster, plus catfish, New England clam chowder and fried and baked chicken, to name a few. Breakfast lovers would, well, love this place. Eggs made-to-order, pancakes and all kinds of sides like bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, stuff like that.

There's also plenty of fruit, veggies and salads for people with body image issues or simply trying to watch calories, carbs, waste lines or whatever.

And you can go back for seconds and thirds -- as long as you eat everything you take, Jakes said. Drinks are self-serve with unlimited refills. (Sodas are Pepsi products, fyi.)

Jakes said there are 69 cooks onboard plus another 140 food service attendants. They staff six dining areas, called messes, including one exclusive to the commanding officer. I tried talking to a couple as they worked but they were just too busy and sweaty to say much. They start their days at 4 a.m. and knock off around midnight, working in two shifts to produce 15,000 meals a day.

Jeff

officially at sea

2007-03-07T14:15:00.000-05:00

The USS John F. Kennedy has cleared the last harbor bouy, we're making almost 15 knots and our compass is turning ever more to the south. The current projection is for us to arrive around 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

"As they say, we're cookin' the gas," Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle just said.

Right now the JFK's second MH-60 helicopter is about to take off to return the harbor pilot back to Boston. It's sitting on the flight deck, rotors turning, waiting for clearance from the air boss to go.

TU photographer Jon Fletcher, who spent a good chunk of the afternoon out on the flight deck getting pics, is scanning in photos that should be up on Jacksonville.com pretty soon.

Stay tuned. We'll be posting blogs and photos the whole way back (as long as the ship's satellite Internet service holds out).

Jeff

Moving right along

2007-03-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

It's almost 1:30 and we are moving right along, probably at 8 knots. Hundreds of spectators were on the dock watching the JFK depart, waving and holding signs. Right now tug and secuity boats are on both sides of the ship, keeping pace. We can also see some news helicopters off in the distance.

This may be my last blog post in a while as our cell phone signals already are weakening. From now on I'll have to be downstairs using ship's computers to post.

1 p.m. and ...

2007-03-07T13:01:00.000-05:00

We have one prolongued blast from the ship's horn. "Security security security, US Navy Warship USS Kennedy now underway."

It's official and I can feel us moving now.

"13:04," Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle said just now, noting the official time.

The ship's helicopter is flying circles a couple miles ahead of us and the patrol boats have moved further away.

Lots of giddy chatter here on the flag bridge, except from , who joined the Navy in 1979. "For me this is going to be my last at-sea period, so I am kinda bummed out."

Anyway, the next big question will be, when do we arrive in Mayport? The latest word on that is around 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Stay tuned here on Jacksonville.com and The Florida Times-Union for more on that.

Jeff

Lines are in, helo is up

2007-03-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

12:54 and the massive lines are in from the pier and one of the two MH-60s just took off from the deck and is up flying security for the ship. I am really starting to believe we may actually get underway today. Others obviously think so, too, because there's lots of laughter and joking around on the flag bridge right now. With five minutes to go, though, I wonder if we really get underway at 1 p.m.

Helos taking off

2007-03-07T12:40:00.000-05:00

Ten minutes to the scheduled time to pull away and the ship's two MH-60 helicopters from squadron HSC-26 are cranked up and ready to take off. The flight deck crew, in helmets and yellow and green vests, are standing by. There is a small flotilla of Coast Guard and police patrol boats floating in a perimeter around the ship.

None of this ever happened during the build up to yesterday's departure, which was canceled due to high winds.

underway countdown . . .

2007-03-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

It's 12:30 p.m. and the USS John F. Kennedy is getting ready to leave Boston. Finally.

"I don't see that there would be a problem today," said Ensign Tony Anderson, who's on the flag bridge standing force protection watch for the JFK. "Winds are slow, channel is calm. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood."

The gangway has been brought in, the plane elevators are being raised to be flush with the deck. A few minutes ago security personnel set up machine guns on the bow and stern. Tug boats are alongside and Coast Guard and Boston police boats are criss-crossing nearby.

"A good sign is when the helo guys are getting ready to fly," Anderson said, pointing to an MH-60 helicopter crew makes preparation for taking off from the flight deck below us.

Stay tuned.

Jeff

Is Jesus on the JFK?

2007-03-07T11:02:00.000-05:00

I still haven't seen any ghosts on the USS John F. Kennedy, but I did find Jesus this morning. At least, that's what they call the 10-by-10-foot mural painted on a wall in the Auxillary Machine Room deep down in the aircraft carrier.

The painting depicts Jesus and his disciples in a fishing boat during a storm. Jesus is about to stop the storm in order to calm his worried disciples.

My search for the painting began this morning after a Jacksonville.com reader asked me if it was true the mural existed. I got different answers at first. Some said the painting was urban legend, others that it existed but they weren't sure where.

Then Petty Officer First Class Thomas Orf came through. One of the sailors assigned to assist TU photographer Jon Fletcher and I, he made some calls and learned that the mural was on a wall down in the ship's engineering spaces.

Not long afterward Jon and I and some of the visiting Navy Leaguers were being guided by Senior Chief Chris Tufts through hot, noisy spaces resembling forests of steamy pipes, valves and wheels. We turned a corner and there it was on a huge wall. "We call it Jesus," Tufts said. "We don't know what it's really called."

Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle said the mural was painted in the early to mid-1970s. They don't know painted it, he said, but expect the artist may appear at the ship's decommissioning ceremony on March 23.

One word on departure: It looks like everything is go for our 1 p.m. escape from Boston. The winds are much calmer, the ship's eight boilers are lit and it seems we've got a green light. Stay tuned.

Jeff

Latest forecast: Lots of ribbing

2007-03-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

JFK weather officer Lt. Cmdr. Richard Muprhy and his staff of meteorology ratings provide information that can mean the difference between sailing and not sailing. During a visit to his office on Monday, TU photographer Jon Fletcher and I heard him predict dangerously high winds could scrap Tuesday's planned departure, and he ended up being right.

But that also means Murphy is constantly being kidded by crewmates aboard the USS John F. Kennedy. "We just mess with him," Chief Warrant Officer Cornelius Mitchem told me during breakfast this morning.

At dinner Tuesday I heard an officer ask Murphy if he wanted someone to watch the Weather Channel for him. At breakfast another officer said, "just get us underway, ok?" Murphy just smiled and kept eating is breakfast.

"We give him a hard time," Mitchem said, "but he does a great job."

Meanwhile, once again, the 2,300-sailor crew is preparing the JFK for departure from Boston at 1 p.m. today. Winds are expected to be well within limits, JFK's media officer Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle told me just a couple minutes ago.

Mitchem, who runs the ship's e-mail system, said with a big smile that he's confident the aircraft carrier will leave for Mayport today because "the chaplain gave a good prayer last night . . . about getting underway, safe shipmates and stuff like that."

Jeff

Ghosts on the JFK?

2007-03-06T20:39:00.000-05:00

Earlier today a reader posted a blog comment asking if there are any ghost stories aboard the USS John F. Kennedy. This afternoon and evening I asked around the ship and couldn't turn up any tales of the macabre on the Big John.

Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle, JFK's media officer and a crew member for 10 years, said he's never heard ghost stories on the ship. On the USS Forrestal, yes, Doolittle said, probably stemming from the deadly fire that ravaged the carrier during the Vietnam War. "But on the Kennedy, I can't recall any major disasters here."

The scariest thing I've experienced so far is the weather here in Boston. Temps have been down around zero all day and the high winds that prevented us from leaving port today make it feel like 20 below. What could be more frightening than that?

Still, if I hear or see anything unusual tonight, I'll report it first thing in the morning.

Jeff

In Boston for another day

2007-03-06T17:14:00.000-05:00

Yes we’re stuck in Boston for another day (1 p.m. Wednesday is the projected underway time). But even in port, the 2,300-sailor crew of the USS John F. Kennedy is hard at work.

These men and women put in some hefty hours. Twelve, 16 hours at a pop. No overtime, no comp time. And that’s without an embarked air wing requiring around-the-clock launching and recovery of combat aircraft.

Petty Officer Shequita Boswell, 23, operates a machine that controls one of the ship’s four arresting hook wires that stop landing planes. During air ops, which ceased in February 2006, Boswell often worked 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., with only short breaks between groups of landing planes.

Those monster shifts are as gone as the planes from JFK’s decks. But she and others must baby sit the machine 24/7 with a crew made smaller by the ship’s upcoming decommissioning.

It’s true for officers, too. I watched Lt. Santiago Martinez (see photo above) this morning as he monitored ship security from the flag bridge with a radio and binoculars. JFK was preparing to leave and Martinez’ job was to ensure no unauthorized people, vehicles or boats approached the carrier.

But when the radio announced that high winds would keep Kennedy pier-side another 24 hours, Martinez picked up a phone. He explained that he was on his third 4-hour shift and asked for a replacement. “We’re gonna stay here one more night,” he said. “I need to be relieved.”

Jeff

Woosh -- we're staying again

2007-03-06T14:12:00.000-05:00

The pre-departure excitement aboard the USS John F. Kennedy Tuesday morning wooshed out of the aircraft carrier when sailors learned their 12:30 p.m. exit from Boston was once again delayed, this time because of high winds.

Knowing his 2,300 sailors were itching to get home from this ever-lengthening port call, JFK Commanding Officer Capt. Todd Zecchin asked the crew for continued patience.

“I need you guys to hang tough for me,” Zecchin said over the public address system. “We’re going to get out of here as soon as the weather clears up.”

JFK’s arrival date at Mayport Naval Station also has been repeatedly adjusted. First it was Thursday, then Monday, then Friday. Zecchin told the crew to expect arriving sometime Saturday morning.

Sustained winds of about 45 mph had channel waters teaming with white caps at noon and at one point were pushing the Mayport-based warship against the pier where it has been docked for nearly a week.

“That’s another [child’s] birthday I am going to miss,” said a chief petty officer who declined to give his name.

Manuevering the 1,052-foot-long ship in a narrow channel against high winds would have been risky for the carrier and the tug boats hired to guide it to sea, officers explained.

“Winds were exceeding 40 knots, which is very dangerous for us,” Kennedy spokesman Lt. Walter Matthews (pictured above on flag bridge) said moments after the decision was made to remain in port another 24 hours.

The ship left Mayport Feb. 20 and stopped briefly in Norfolk on its way to Boston for March 1-5 pre-decommissioning events honoring the JFK and its namesake, President John F. Kennedy. It’s Monday departure was delayed in order to take on an additional fuel reserve of 1 million gallons, Matthews said.

After 39 years of service, the Kennedy is slated for retirement. After a March 23 decommissioning ceremony in Mayport, the ship will be prepared for deactivation then towed to Philadelphia for storage.

Machinist mate Brittany Townsend said she didn’t have big plans for Friday but was disappointed all the same by the delay. “I think everybody is,” she said.

Zecchin said safety was his main concern.

“We do not want to be a permanent fixture in Boston due to running aground,” he said.

It's minus 14-degrees ...

2007-03-06T11:05:00.000-05:00

“It’s minus-14 degrees with the windchill, we’re ready to get the h--- out of here,” a sailor shouted when I asked him if he was glad to be getting underway in just over an hour. I took his answer as a yes.

Jacksonville resident John O’Neil, a retired Navy captain and a director of the Mayport Navy League Council, handed me a sheet of paper a minute ago titled “USS John F. Kennedy Green Sheet.” It gives the ship’s itinerary for the day. And right there, half-way down the page in beautiful all-capital letters it says: “1230 UNDERWAY.”

It’s the surest sign yet that the Mayport-based warship is really leaving Boston today, which is good news to visitors and Kennedy sailors alike. All kinds of departure-related announcements are being made over the public address system and you can feel the difference on board right now.

I grabbed Navy airman Justin Brant, a Pennsylvanian, as he walked past my bunk room. Brant, 24, said he’s eager to get going because he’s supposed to ship out Friday for the USS George Washington, a Norfolk-based aircraft carrier. For a year, Brant has been a plane-handler on a retiring flattop that hasn’t had airplanes since February 2006. “It’s going to be nice to be on a ship with actual aircraft,” he said.

Jerry Stageman, a Jacksonville nursery owner (pictured above), is a member of the Navy League but was never in the Navy. He said he can’t wait to see what it’s like being underway – if the ship feels or sounds different. And it’ll be a bonus if the JFK arrives on Friday, as tentatively planned. “I turn 50 on Friday, when we’re hopefully pulling into port,” he said.

Losing friends

2007-03-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

In the past couple of hours, four or five of the other civilians aboard USS John F. Kennedy left our company, headed back to the First Coast. The reason: all the prior uncertainty about when the ship would leave Boston and, more importantly, when it would arrive at Mayport Naval Station.

The original plan was to depart Monday and arrive Thursday. Our departure was delayed to take on 1 million gallons of fuel, plus a stop in Norfolk was added, pushing our arrival in Jacksonville to Monday. While our arrival date seems to be Friday, the uncertainty led several of the mostly-retired Navy League members to quit the voyage to attend to personal and business obligations back home.

Two of those were Terry McMullen of Ponte Vedra Beach and Glenn Schneider of Jacksonville, both of whom left for the airport an hour ago. “If I knew for sure we were getting back by Friday, it would be no problem,” Schneider told me. But his daughter is headed back to FSU on Sunday and he didn’t want to risk missing time with her.

The majority of the Navy Leaguers and former Kennedy crewmen are staying no matter when the ship leaves or arrives. Jacksonville resident Tony Placzkowski, a former Kennedy chief petty officer known as “Chief Ski,” said he’s staying, despite having a business to run in Orange Park. And so is retired Chief Ted Turowski of Palm Bay (pictured). “I called my wife and got permission to stay,” he said with a grin.

And yes, it looks like 12:30 p.m. is still our underway time.

Jeff

Kennedy vs. Hilton

2007-03-06T08:08:00.000-05:00

No, Sen. Edward Kennedy isn't fighting Paris Hilton (though I would LOVE to see that).

What I'm talking about is how much better I slept on the USS John F. Kennedy last night compared to Sunday night at the Hilton in downtown Boston.

Monday was our first evening aboard the Jacksonville-based aircraft carrier and I had the best night of sleep ever. Photographer Jon Fletcher says he slumbered very well, too. There’s lots of ambient noise on the carrier, even dockside here in Boston. General ship noises and this blowie thing in our bunk room that replenishes the air conspired to knock me out cold.

The night before, Sunday, Jon and I stayed at the Hilton in Boston’s posh financial district. Huge comfy bathrobes, king-size beds and 24-hour room service. I got decent rest, but nothing like last night in bunk room 03-110-2-L. Check it out:

It’s about 400 square feet containing eight bunk beds, metal lockers, some metal chairs and two sinks. There is a TV and fridge but we have no time to use them. Going to the head (i.e., the bathroom, see pic above) involves going down a passageway and taking a left. The three showers and toilet stalls remind me of Boy Scout camp, but they get the job done.

The crew is great too. People on the Kennedy are super friendly, always saying hello as you pass them in the passageways.

I have a really good feeling about this voyage and the latest scuttlebutt still has us leaving around 12:30 today for a Friday arrival in Mayport. Keep your fingers crossed.

Jeff

Now hear this . . .

2007-03-05T19:26:00.000-05:00

The announcement everyone was waiting for came over the USS John F. Kennedy’s public address system less than an hour ago: The aircraft carrier will leave Boston for Jacksonville at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. “At least that’s the latest tentative time,” Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle told me after the announcement was made.

More good news for the 2,300 crewmembers and their families is that the goal is to steam into Mayport Naval Station on Friday, ship spokesman Lt. Walter Matthews said.

News about departure and arrival times has fluctuated wildly today, with officers and crew alike scratching their heads and taking calls from curious loved ones, visiting Navy retirees and media. Several of the 20 or so Navy League visitors have bailed on the whole trip and I’m definitely taking the news with a grain of salt.

Oh, and Matthews said our departure, originally planned for Monday morning, was delayed to take on an extra 1 million gallons of fuel. “We had enough to get home,” Matthews said, but without a safe reserve in case there were delays at sea.

Jeff

"on a three-hour tour"

2007-03-05T16:31:00.000-05:00

Photographer Jon Fletcher (pictured above) and I just finished a three-hour tour of the USS John F. Kennedy. Up and down stairways, along mazes of passageways we went, knees aching, visiting departments ranging from air traffic control to jet engine maintenance to zoology.

OK, I’m kidding. There’s no zoology department on the aircraft carrier. But they’ve got just about everything else.

Anyway, we picked up some fresh scuttlebutt when we were up in the weather office. Lt. Cmdr. Richard Murphy told us that projected sustained winds around Boston will remain above 25 knots for the next couple of days, and that he would therefore recommend to the ship’s CO, Capt. Todd Zecchin, that the Kennedy stay put another 48 hours. The reason: high winds it extremely difficult to get a huge ship around and out of the harbor.

Jon and I looked at each other and smiled when Murphy said that. Already today we have been told, in chronological order:

1) that we would be arriving in Jacksonville a week from today instead of on Thursday, because the ship must stop in Norfolk on the way to Mayport Naval Station.
2) that we weren’t putting to sea today as planned.
3) that we were then skipping Norfolk after all and could be home by Friday.
4) and now, that we may not be leaving until Wednesday, which puts us back in Florida who-knows-when.

Please stay tuned here at Jacksonville.com and in The Florida Times-Union as the When-Will-the-JFK-Really-Leave-Port saga unfolds.

Jeff

Uncertainty aboard Kennedy

2007-03-05T10:59:00.000-05:00

Times-Union photographer Jon Fletcher and I hadn’t been aboard the USS John F. Kennedy more than a couple minutes early this morning when the ship’s media officer, Lt. Cmdr. Dan Doolittle, pictured right, asked us this question: “You heard about the change in schedule?”

Uh, no.

Yep. Instead of arriving at Mayport Naval Station on Thursday, the retiring warship will “most likely” be getting back to Jacksonville on Monday, Doolittle said.

Then around 11 a.m. we were told the ship is not leaving port at all today, putting in doubt whether we can even make it back by Monday. The captain is supposed to be making an announcement soon.

The more than dozen other riders, mostly Navy Leaguers and a couple journalists from the Navy Times, took the news in stride. One retiree said he might have to disembark today and skip the trip. Fletcher and I looked at each other, knowing we'll be making more phone calls back to the paper and to family and friends about the delays.

The overall reasons are understandable. The three aircraft on board – two F-18 Hornets and an S-3B Viking borrowed for public tours on Saturday and Sunday – have to be offloaded at the sprawling Navy base in Norfolk. Sounds easy enough, but tides and other ship deployments and returns mean that no one can really say exactly when we will put into Norfolk or leave Norfolk. But we still don't know why we won't be leaving Boston today.

I was OK with all this until I had this thought: Duuuuude, I’m supposed to run the Gate River Run on Saturday! This would have been my third consecutive running of the race. I was even going to train for it while aboard ship. Oh well, as excuses go I guess you really can’t beat this one.

Jeff

touring the JFK

2007-03-05T05:22:00.000-05:00

After touring the USS John F. Kennedy on Sunday in Boston, I see why its nickname is "Big John."

The first stop on the tour was Hangar Bay 1, a giant space located just beneath the flight deck. On operational tours it would have been crammed with various combat aircraft undergoing maintenance and arming. But on Sunday, it looked more like the Jacksonville farmer's market with hundreds of civilians visiting various displays or taking pictures of the single F-18 in the hangar bay. (See camera phone image above. That plane and the F-18 and S-3 up on the flight deck were hoisted aboard with a crane in Norfolk last week.)

Then it was a ride on one of the massive elevators used for moving aircraft up to the flight deck. A sailor told me the elevators could lift 125,000 pounds. That could be two fighter jets and cartloads of air-to-air missiles and bombs, all on a single ride. On Sunday it was busy lifting groups of 150-200 at a time up to the flight deck.

The flight deck is HUGE (more than 4 square acres and 1,000 feet in length). The ship's island superstructure is about the size of a small apartment building in San Marco or Riverside.

But size is a matter of perspective. "It looks big when you're standing on it," said Lt. Matt Bernhard, an F-18 fighter jet pilot. "But from the air it looks tiny, like a postage stamp in the water, and you have to land on it."

In a couple hours, Times-Union photographer Jon Fletcher and I will be boarding the Kennedy for its final ride home to Jacksonville. From then till Thursday when we arrive in Mayport, we'll get a better idea of just how big the Kennedy is. We'll be touring its spaces and sending reports back via this blog. So stay tuned.

Click here to see Jon Fletcher's JFK photo gallery.

Jeff

30,000 visit USS Kennedy Sunday

2007-03-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

Navy spokesman Lt. Paul Brawley said approximately 30,000 people toured the USS John F. Kennedy in Boston today. Times-Union photographer Jon Fletcher and I have no problem believing that, as the line to get onto the ship this afternoon was three and four people wide and AT LEAST a half-mile long.

"You ain't gonna get on there," our cab driver, Kenneth Gaines, said in a thick Boston accent when we told him where we were headed. "What I heard yesterday was they were turning people way at 9:30 in the morning." Today's Boston Sunday Globe reported thousands being told to go home @ 9:15 a.m. Saturday when the line reached more than a mile in length. And that, Brawley said, was on a day when a mere 21,000 visited the ship. [We did get on board, btw, thanks to our media credentials. More on that experience coming in Monday's blogs.]

Fletcher and I walked up and down the line of spectators today as a brisk wind knifed off the harbor and a Boston bank sign declared "39F." People of all ages were stomping their feet and blowing warm air into their hands, but I didn't hear anyone complaining (except me, 'cause IT'S COLD dude!). Dave Parker and his kids Nathan, 12, and Katlyn, 9, drove almost an hour from New Hampshire to see the carrier, which entered service 39 years ago. Why? "Just because of the history and to see the JFK before they decommission it," dad said. [That's the Parkers pictured above, photo by Mr. Fletcher].

Which makes me wonder: Would even HALF as many First Coast residents line up to see the aging warship now that she's slated for official decommissioning on March 23? What will the crowds be like over at Huguenot Memorial Park this coming Thursday when the ship and her 2,300-sailor crew pull into Mayport Naval Station, likely for the last time ever? If Jacksonville is the Navy town everyone says it is, shouldn't a pretty major turn out be expected?

Click here for Jon Fletcher's JFK photo gallery.

Jeff

an eventful a.m.

2007-03-04T09:38:00.000-05:00

It's only 9:30 a.m. and already it's been a jam-packed morning. I arrived at the airport an hour before my 7:17 flight (don't tell my mom, who taught her boys to arrive two hours prior to domestic flights) to find hundreds of people in line for the US Air counter. Computer issues, we were told. I settled into my seat at 7:20, but we didn't take off until 7:45. The landing at Reagan National was in 20-mph gusts. Staring at the US Capitol and Washington Monument during the tumultuous descent kept me from getting too nervous.

The first person I see in the gate area is political pundit/strategist and TV personality James Carville. Yes, the "Ragin' Cajun." I couldn't resist briefly introducing myself and shaking his hand (fashionistas: he was wearing a red t-shirt, jeans and white tennies). He was gracious but in too much of a hurry for me to snap a quick photo for the blog. :-(

But I did manage to snap one of a t-shirt sporting an image of President Clinton and the words "Bill Clinton for First Lady" (see above). I love this town. Even the airport stores are awash in politics.

Next it's off to Boston. My flight leaves at 1045. After checking in at the hotel, photographer Jon Fletcher and I will head for the USS John F. Kennedy docked nearby. I am excited. I've only seen the carrier -- or any carrier, for that matter -- from afar. We'll be going aboard for a public tour this afternoon. Jon and I will be posting at least one more blog later today and (fortunately with better pics, thanks to Jon).

Jeff

Headed to sea

2007-03-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

Hi it's me. Some of you may remember me from the Desert Dash, when Jacksonville.com's Ryan Garfat and I roadtripped out to Glendale Arizona to see the Gators pummel Ohio State for the national foodtball title. Well I am on the road again -- sort of.

Actually I am headed to sea with the USS John F. Kennedy. The plan is for TU photographer Jon Fletcher and I to ride the aging warship from Boston to Jacksonville. The trip starts Monday March 5 and we pull into Mayport around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8. We'll be posting blogs, photos, video and audio the whole way.

It's the trip of a lifetime, for sure. To do it right I'd love to hear from Kennedy vets and their families and friends about any memories they have of the "Big John." Ideas on questions to asks, compartments and departments of the ship to visit, are welcome.

See you @ sea.

Jeff