Post by F-14 Tomcat on Jan 14, 2015 20:35:29 GMT -5
Nathan expressed interest in hearing some of my Sea stories. So I have opened this thread. Be free, Nathan to move this thread if you think of a better location for it.
We're sinking
This misadventure took place on the USS Forrestal in 1991. I was attached to VA-128, an A-6 Intruder RAG-Replacement Air Group. Our job was to train new pilots to fly the A-6 intruder. We deployed onto the Forrestal for the carrier ops phase of their training. I am 5 other females in the unit were assigned berthing at the O-3 level. Our compartment location was very unfortunate. It was right under the number three arresting wire. All night every four minutes we heard and aircraft slamming into the deck and the cable dragging back. BANG! draaaaggggggg! Swis- shish-shish! I had my rack on the third level near the overhead. With each bang. paint chips came down onto my bed. The air conditioning on this old ship used sea water to help cool the air. With the constant hard landings from the new pilots the air conditioning water line ruptured gushing water into my compartment. There's something you should know about most female sailors. They tend to pack along things like make up, robes, and sundry personal beauty articles. They left these items out along with their shoes, skivvies and socks sitting out. As the water flooded the compartment up the knee knockers, all those items were floating in the water. One of the women squealed. "We're sinking!" I watched the whole scene as the damage control team rushed in with an eductor and a hose. An eductor is a large nozzle that works by siphoning off the water. It sucked out the water and the shoes, the underwear, the bras, the makeup, the hair brushes, the curlers and the socks. It jettisoned them out to sea. That was my most memorable night on the USS Forrestal.
We're sinking
This misadventure took place on the USS Forrestal in 1991. I was attached to VA-128, an A-6 Intruder RAG-Replacement Air Group. Our job was to train new pilots to fly the A-6 intruder. We deployed onto the Forrestal for the carrier ops phase of their training. I am 5 other females in the unit were assigned berthing at the O-3 level. Our compartment location was very unfortunate. It was right under the number three arresting wire. All night every four minutes we heard and aircraft slamming into the deck and the cable dragging back. BANG! draaaaggggggg! Swis- shish-shish! I had my rack on the third level near the overhead. With each bang. paint chips came down onto my bed. The air conditioning on this old ship used sea water to help cool the air. With the constant hard landings from the new pilots the air conditioning water line ruptured gushing water into my compartment. There's something you should know about most female sailors. They tend to pack along things like make up, robes, and sundry personal beauty articles. They left these items out along with their shoes, skivvies and socks sitting out. As the water flooded the compartment up the knee knockers, all those items were floating in the water. One of the women squealed. "We're sinking!" I watched the whole scene as the damage control team rushed in with an eductor and a hose. An eductor is a large nozzle that works by siphoning off the water. It sucked out the water and the shoes, the underwear, the bras, the makeup, the hair brushes, the curlers and the socks. It jettisoned them out to sea. That was my most memorable night on the USS Forrestal.
Thanks Tomcat for the story. Look forward to more. I can bet serving on a carrier is a round living. 
