Yesterday we celebrated the Navy's birthday. I suppose that got me to thinking and remembering my time in the Navy. Then, this morning there was a video on my timeline about the time the Houthis attacked our carrier group in the red sea. It was a missile and drone attack. We destroyed that before it even got close and then retaliated by completely destroying their base. Stirring stuff! We don't say hooray or anything like that in the Navy, we would say something like, damn straight. So this morning I'm feeling a little proud of what my Navy did back in April of this year.
During my time I was never involved in anything quite so exciting. I only went to general quarters, for real, a couple times. My ship was never under fire, no direct attack, no real danger just the possibility that it could have been. That's a great thing given I was on an ammo ship and we really had little armament. We had nothing capable of stopping a missile or a drone. 3inch fifties aren't very effective for that sort of thing. My battle station was in the main engine room, well we only had one engine room, and that was deep in the bowels of the ship. Down there we only heard about what was going on topside and followed orders from the bridge. My job was just to keep us moving and afloat.
While we were underway the engine room was fully manned twenty four seven, obviously. On my last ship that required one officer and five enlisted men. The officer was the Engineer of the watch. I was what was called the top watch, I was responsible for the operation of the plant. While anchored, or in port when the engine room was still up and running but the propeller not turning we didn't require an officer to be present. When we were moored, tied to the pier and the boilers shut down the engine room went into what we called cold iron. Only one person was required to be in the engine room during that time, a simple security watch. All was quiet, with only the hum of a few pumps running. The ship had shifted to shore power.
On the fortunate years we would be home, at cold iron during the holidays. Over my career that only happened a couple times. The Navy patrols the oceans year round, no stopping for the holidays. I remember celebrating Christmas underway, and all the other holidays as well. In the Navy any day that you are not "working" is called holiday routine. It really means you don't have to get up until 7am for muster and you don't have to "work" during the day, just stand your watches. Normally you stand two four hours watches a day. If you have the 4-8 that's from four am to 8am and then you would have the 4pm until 8pm watch as well. Yes, you go to work in between those times unless you are enjoying holiday routine. You could say ever Sunday was a holiday! We also had working parties, that's when you were doing a job other than the one you trained for, it was a party.
Standing the cold iron watch, on a holiday is one of the loneliest feelings you can have. It is doubly so when it is an actual holiday, like Christmas day or New Years. You might think that there are always people around when you are on a ship and that's true most of the time. But that doesn't hold true in the engine room or boiler room. If you have the cold iron watch, no one is coming down there to just hang out.
No one is that popular, or at least I wasn't. You are confined to that space for four hours. You aren't really supposed to leave unless to wake up your relief. And even that isn't strictly by the rule book, but everyone does it. I often took a book with me to pass the time. Strictly speaking you are supposed to be patrolling the space, on the alert for anything out of the ordinary. Just walking around, up and down the ladders to the various levels in the engine room looking for what? A leak, a fire, an intruder! Yes, only authorized personnel are supposed to be in there. Visitors were far and few between I can tell you that but always welcomed. Hey, what can I do for you would be the challenge, not halt who goes there. That's in the movies.
I expect things are quite a bit different today. There are women on the ship and they are in the engineering department. On my last ship I experienced that. I had two young ladies in the engine room and they did a fine job. It did change the dynamics just a bit, sometimes creating a bit of friction. Beyond that I hear about "social" changes in the Navy. I served during don't ask, don't tell. And you really didn't want to tell! I never heard anyone ask, just accuse. And I hear about the change in traditions. What I called just fooling around, having a bit of fun, is now called hazing and frowned upon. It's a kinder, gentler Navy from what I'm told. I'm thinking that being at cold iron, on that watch, is still a "safe space" to be. It was about the only time that happened when I was serving. You had to be on "watch" at any other time for those that would prank you, just for fun. It even happened once while at cold iron. Yeah, he got me that time, funny stuff.
Join the Navy and see the world! I did and it is about 70% water. It all looks about the same when you get in deep waters, more green looking than blue, only coast guard guys would know about blue water. It's not just a job, it's an adventure was another recruiting slogan. Well, they didn't lie, it was an adventure alright, it's just that you learn real quick not all adventures are that great. Today the slogan is "forged by the sea" which I read was extensively researched before being chosen. Guess they didn't research the fact that it takes fire to forge things, water isn't a very good choice at all.
But, then again, I guess it fits the narrative today of everyone being a hero and a survivor. Another slogan briefly used was, "be someone special" I can only imagine what was being said about that, the "special" kids went to their own classroom back in my day. And the "special" kids in boot camp where sent to the mickey mouse club. It wasn't empowering. LOL Ah, good times, good memories and at a time when men where men, ships were steel and we didn't ask too many questions. Once retired we were wished "fair winds and a following sea" It's a lot better being a retired Navy man than it ever was being active duty. Now, every day is holiday routine, well except when the Captain of the ship says otherwise but I'm not talking about that.
Taken about ten years ago. I still have the uniform ready to go.
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