"Carrier" life aboard a aircraft carrier

[Sidgaf]

After reading some threads on the board I thought some of y'all may want to take a look.

Making the film CARRIER required 17 filmmakers to take a six-month journey aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during its deployment to the Gulf in support of the Iraq War. They disembarked from Coronado, California on May 7, 2005 and returned there November 8, 2005 with stops at Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong, Guam, Kuala Lumpur, Bahrain and Perth, Australia.
CARRIER | PBS

Watch all 10 episodes
Hulu - Carrier: All Hands - Watch the full episode now.

 

[roguenuke]

I just finished watching the first episode. Brings back so many memories of my own deployments on the USS Lincoln.

And watching them man the rails as they came into Pearl Harbor, past the Arizona Memorial, made me remember how solemn and incredible an experience that actually is. Pearl Harbor was the only port I ever manned the rails for, and I'm glad I got to experience it.

 

[Redress]

I just finished watching the first episode. Brings back so many memories of my own deployments on the USS Lincoln.

And watching them man the rails as they came into Pearl Harbor, past the Arizona Memorial, made me remember how solemn and incredible an experience that actually is. Pearl Harbor was the only port I ever manned the rails for, and I'm glad I got to experience it.

You where on the Lincoln? I was on the Eisenhower, parked right next door to the Lincoln when it was christened, manning a firehose in case of environmental activists trying to make a scene.

 

[Redress]

Watched the first episode, starting to watch second. Great stuff. It's odd how the changes(like phones on ship) really stand out, and how much is the same. It's also strange how my last couple years in, all I could think about is getting out, and now I have a strong positive reaction to this show.

 

[usda select]

I just finished watching the first episode. Brings back so many memories of my own deployments on the USS Lincoln.

And watching them man the rails as they came into Pearl Harbor, past the Arizona Memorial, made me remember how solemn and incredible an experience that actually is. Pearl Harbor was the only port I ever manned the rails for, and I'm glad I got to experience it.

You have an option to "man the rails"? Or is it something you're selected for?

 

[Redress]

You have an option to "man the rails"? Or is it something you're selected for?

When I did my cruises, it was an optional thing. Never did it pulling out, but would do it pulling in since there just was nothing at all to do while pulling in except wait and wish you where docked and tied down. Last 3 hours or so of a cruise are far and away the longest of the cruise.

 

[Catz Part Deux]

This is seriously one of the coolest things i've ever watched. J used to coordinate sub groups to defend carriers for westpac. He'd go TDY and stay on a carrier for exercises. I had no idea how cool his job is.

p.s. Glad he's spending the night tonight, it totally made me want to shag him for some reason.

 

[Redress]

I finally made it through all 10 episodes, and am glad I did. Exceptionally well done thing, with some awesome stories. Some of the people just really made it entirely worthwhile. The marine who was abandoned by his carny parents at age 3, whose first child was born while on this cruise, and was so worried that he would not be a good parent(and showing why he probably will be a good one). The young woman whose father was a pimp and mother a prostitute, who grew up around that and all the drugs and crime associated with it, and her making third class during the cruise. The navy and all the services are filled with those type stories, and it is good to get some of them out there for people to see.

I knew going in that the last episode would be hard for me to watch. The end of a cruise always has some heartbreak stories. You pull in, it's the happiest day you have had in a year or more, and the loved one who is supposed to be there isn't, and it turns out that they have been lying to you, and the day becomes something so incredibly bad due to the cowardice of another. It was still worth watching, and since it was pretty clear going in who this would happen to, not as bad as I feared.

 

[roguenuke]

You have an option to "man the rails"? Or is it something you're selected for?

They usually asked each division to provide 2, maybe 3 for manning the rails. We usually sent the most junior personnel depending on watch schedule, but we could volunteer if we wanted to and then you wouldn't have to do it for the rest of the cruise.