today was a fun day. It all started though as another one of those exciting days where I knew right away that the wardroom was going to put us into harms way. The Capt. wanted to run the forward and aft vertrep stations while we ran both forward and aft fuel stations. Well that has a lot of complications, the biggest would be that the powers that be wanted us to run the phone and distance lines in the same break that we have to run our station to station phone lines. Each one of these lines are 150' long and have to be tended by line handlers. That means too much line and too many people in a little space. I don't think the Captain either understood this or didn't want to but I saw a potential for a lot of problems. As it turns out the USS Bridge didn't care for it either so we had to move our operation to the flight deck. We had two sets of drops today, and as I was assisting in the second set of loads the Captain came over the 1MC announcing the name of those that were advanced. My name was third on his list, and Walsh was third to last. So at first I was thinking," Yes", then I was thinking, "wait a minute if Walsh didn't make BM1 then who shall I pawn off all my work to".
The Vertrep went like all the rest of our vertreps just that this time was spent on the flight deck instead of the focsle. To Summize, I try to get the helo to put the load where I want it, helo does it's own thing, eventually I'll just stand there with arms spread in hover signal while helo try's to find room for the rest of cargo. One of the cargo load that they tried to fit a nook or cranny was our eggs. We also got about 300 lbs of mail brought over in three triwalls.
We had a couple more Flight Quaters through out the day. Desert Duck Stopped by to drop off more mail and get some gas. Then Saber Chicken came in for shut down. Desert Duck wasn't suppose to get back to us until an hour and a half later, but I guess things went a lot faster than expected because not even 30 minutes went by and she was back again for more gas for her trip home.
All day long I was enjoying the glow of being called BM1. I couldn't get any work done because everything I needed for working was in the office, which happened to be blocked by all the mail that was stacked up to the ceiling.
Well it's late so I should be getting on though there is still much to tell but I'll write later

Well this has been an interesting week. It's getting really hot outside, at the moment it's 0100 in the morning and it's still 80 degrees out. We had a vertrep earlier this week and after the end of it my cranial liner was soaked. Later on the night the ship went dark and dirty, that means we lost complete power. It only lasted about 30 minutes but it was interesting. Everything went off line, light, computers, the 1MC, you name it we lost it. I was in the deck office when it happened, playing on my laptop. It was the only item to not lose power.
The next day we had a couple of MK-5 patrol boats give a our scat team something to aim at. Of course since they belonged to us we made sure that the weapons were unloaded. After the SCAT drills the patrol boats gave pony rides to the crew, This lasted from 1400 to sunset. When they got thirsty we rigged up the hose reel on the helo deck to give them a sip, boats that is not people. At last check people didn't perform as well as boat when filled with JP5. I didn't go for a ride till the last couple of rides partially out of indignance, I'm a driver not a rider. But also because I get Whiney when it's hot out. It is a trend that I've noticed building for awhile, I try to shut my mouth but eventually it will come out. I think it's pent up frustration that seeps out when I'm preoccupied with being uncomfortable.
We had a gun shoot this week, Shotguns from the fantail. I've been due to requal for as long as I've been on this vessel but never got around to it. mostly it was because of laziness, I mean I would have to go all the way to the fantail - WHINE WHINE -. This time I didn't feel like doing anything else so went to blast some ocean. Before we got to shoot we had to go through our brief. We were expected to combat load and regular load. Combat load is drop the shell through ejection port and rack it home, regular is just load up the mag and pump. The guy before me looked scared stiff of the darn thing, I thought it was just jitters one gets when they first experience the kick of the recoil but gunner said that he was just plain scared of guns. I could remember the days when I first fired a shotgun. All I could remember was the shock of the recoil into my shoulder. I was only vaguely aware of pumping the gun, if one isn't ready for the kick it could be a little scary.
Today I got my second NAM, yeeeeeaaaa. It was for the work I put in as Workcenter supervisor. I remembered to shave, and I shined my shoes. However I neglected to iron my coveralls, and prior to the award ceremony I had flight quarters. Normally one doesn't worry about ironing coveralls, in fact to some it would seem a little anal. But Coverall's are the unform for underway, and when they come back from laundry they look like they've been rack press. When I say radk pressed I don't mean folded neatly and place into my rack locker. I mean wadded into a ball and shoved under my mattress. When I was at flight quarters I discovered one of the filler nets were still down from yesterdays MK-5 refueling details. So I climbed into the nets on either side clip it back on. What I didn't stop to realize was that the sand storm that we constant drive through, almost like rain squall back home but not as refreshing, coats everthing. As I climbed onto the net I got dirt marks on my knees, and butt. BMC asked me if I got my coveralls from a particularly hygenically challenged individual. Then when the Capt. goes to present his award to me I forget to salute him. I just looked at him with a dumb expression on my face. Then think that maybe he needs me to lift my pocket a bit to receive my medal. It wasn't until after he went to the next guy that I realized my mistake. The first thing the guy next to me did was pop tall and salute.

Another unrep over. It's getting hot out there, after 1 1/2 hr on deck I finished off a 70oz bladder of water and the liner of my cranial is soaked, and not with water. I don't know how many pallets we got on my station I kind of lost count after the first ten. Only one mishap as far as I know. The working party was breaking down a pallet of parts and pony ( mail ) when the helo was called inbound. The parts were still wrapped in plastic, but the net was undone. When the helo came over deck and the rotor wash hit the pallet all the light cargo blew off the pallet. After the light cargo went the plastic didn't do much good so the rest of the items started to blow off. I don't know how many of them blew over the side, I just hope that any of the parts were for me didn't.

I hit the tread mill yesterday and now my back is killing me. I forgot that running works more than ones legs. I have the duty today so I'll use this as a recovery day, and start slow Manana.

, It's another fine fine day. Especially now that we are in Bahrain on Liberty. All of you salt dogs that have yet to set foot in Bahrian since '96, like me, it is a much different place. I can't take pictures, that much hasn't changed, but the Dome has changed immensely. Also now they have an Oasis. It has a tailor shop, restaurant, hoagey ( Subs to others) shop, and the likes. If I knew whether I were coming back here I would have had some shoes made since I know we're not going to Thailand.
I did laundry today, It was kind of chilley. They had 3 AC units that one alone was too big for a space that small. At least in the U.S., in a place as comfortable as the Gulf it was just right. I would sit in the laundrymat thinking that the Gulf wasn't that bad and step out and remeber why I stayed in the laundrymay in the first place. I wish HI had a laundrymat as comfortable. I wish I hit the beach yesterday, despite the fact that it was in the black all day long; that means it so hot that no one ventures topside. Also activity is restricted to breathing and other necessary items. We can't hit alot of places here because either the Saudis, the biggest hypocrites in the area, Al Quaeda. The Saudis Think this place is one big Las Vegas, and They are the local Mafia. And Al Queada has this place scoped out as a possible strike point. As far as I'm concerned Al Quaeda and the Saudis are in the same boat. The Saudis if we looked hard enough are the main propagators, kind of like the ruling scots in braveheart. I have duty on the only day we get to leave the support facility, also I have no wish to leave any confines till any port outside this area of schizophrenia. One can change ones actions but ones heart. Until one does that person can fake wisdom but not understand it. This is the difference of grace and law. Law unto itself only points to our sinfulness, grace helps us understand how it affects ourselves and thereby us. We are not our own, we have been bought by the blood < Thereby his love> of another. So must give ourselves to keep his laws so that we may give greater glory to him. If we do not how can we truly accept his gift. If we try not does that not make us liars. That is why I must admit to myself and him, more to me than him, my weaknesses.
After I did my laundry I hit the ship to put away my cleaned clothes hit the beach. Me and Walsh stopped by the Command staging point, they want to make sure we're fed first, and headed to the desert dome. At which point he just wanted to read, so I went out to meet the crowd. I hung with OP's dept. all night long. About the time I got warmed up, I could tell because that is when I start dancing, it was time to come home.
I met someone that came from the Pasadena Office. She was sold through Knutzen, but he gave her up to Jerry Fontanares, and I was the bus driver. Hey Jerry, if she sounds familiar than let me know. When she returned from Boot, I took her with a couple of DEPpers to an Trojan's game and a soccer game. I didn't bring a camera so I can't send a picture.

I had a wonderful time in Bahrain, at least better than last time we were here. I didn't get any pictures so you be able to appreciate the changes they made here. It use to be a transient port, but I think this will be the central hub of operation. They now have more Marine and C.B.'s than you could shake a stick at. I did laundry on the first day and it was they only time I've done laundry that I wasn't sweating my ball off because of the heat from the dryers. I think it's because the AC untis they were using were too big for the room it was installed in, and 3 of them on top of that. coupled with the heat normally generated from a laundry room, and the outside heat radiating off the windows I would think that the temp kind of broke even. I only hit the beach once this time through, the first night my regular babysitter, Walsh, had duty. The third night I had duty, and the last night Walsh had duty again and the alternate left without me. Duty was a little rough. I had the 0300-0800 M-14 rover, I slept from 2030-2400 because I wanted to try my hand at the sewing machine. I only have one utility shirt with a 1st class crew, the one from the pinning ceremony. Since the pinners only put a pin through the patch and sew anything I needed to put the rest through. Short story would be that the sewing machine kicked my ass. I ended up sewing a little with machine and got so fed up that ended the rest by hand. I didn't feel the lack of sleep until about two hours into the watch. My title was Forward Rover but me and the other rover were checking in at the Quater deck on the fan tail and the Pilot house. Beats me who thought those titles up but it was probably from the wardroom since reality tends to run a bit loose up there. I paced myself by going to one spot and hanging there for a couple of minutes then heading to another spot closer to where I had to check in next. After the fourth check in I would stop at one spot and my eyes would take a little longer to blink than normal. If weren't so hot here I would have had a cup of coffee in stand by but since was also sweating like a race horse I utilized my camelback instead.