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Midshipmen Serve Aboard Ronald Reagan
(June 23, 2011) |
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| USS RONALD REAGAN, Arabian Sea (NNS - 6/21/2011) -- Five
midshipmen from colleges across the United States arrived
aboard aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) as part
of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) summer
cruise program, June 21.
The midshipmen will be
aboard for more than a month and will rotate through several
departments during their traditional "summer cruise",
learning about shipboard operations and life as U.S. naval
officers at sea.
"Having them on the ship is like a
practical classroom experience," said Lt. Justin Wilson,
Reagan's midshipmen program coordinator. "They learn about
the Navy from books, but they don't really know what it's
like until they show up to a 'real' ship and start doing the
'real' thing."
Since arriving, they received
training in a variety of job specialties throughout the ship
including the bridge, Combat Direction Center (CDC), Damage
Control Central, Air department, and Security department.
They have also stood bridge watches including junior
officer of the watch, helmsman and lookout, as well as
assisted the air defense weapons coordinator in the CDC.
"The transition from the classroom to the ship has been
a very interesting road," said Midshipman 1st Class Marissa
Jimenez, a senior at Prairie View A&M University. "I am
somewhat accustomed to ship life due to my previous
midshipmen cruises, but neither of them can compare to
coming aboard the Reagan. Being on this carrier has been an
exhilarating experience."
"This is my first time on
an aircraft carrier," said Midshipman 2nd Class Forbes Dever,
a junior at Miami University of Ohio. "There is always
something going on. The next door or hatch always leads to
something different."
To help ease the transition,
midshipmen are assigned "running mates", either junior
officers or petty officers, to help them get accustomed to
the ship and become an active part of the Ronald Reagan
crew.
This arrangement helps second class midshipmen
learn about the enlisted side of the Navy, which is
knowledge they will need to properly manage a division when
they become officers. First class midshipmen are mentored by
junior officers on how to be effective officers.
"Being a running mate is an awesome experience," said Sonar
Technician (Surface) 1st Class Jason Friel, a Reagan running
mate. "We serve as mentors and we try to show them how to
get involved with the division for when they become division
officers."
"It's interesting to see the things we
learn in school," Dever said. "It has been exciting seeing
all the navigation charts and systems being used firsthand
after studying it in a navigation class last semester."
The midshipmen are assigned a personnel qualification
standard (PQS) to complete while aboard to ensure they work
in a variety of departments and stand watches throughout the
ship. The PQS gives a brief, but comprehensive framework for
exposure to aircraft carrier life.
When their time
aboard Ronald Reagan is done, midshipmen will take the
lessons learned and return to college with a better
understanding of life at sea aboard a deployed warship. This
will also better prepare them for their future commission.
"The Ronald Reagan gives them the perfect opportunity to
learn," Wilson said. "What better place is there to learn
firsthand than a ship at sea? You can't get any better than
that."
Ronald Reagan CSG is comprised of Ronald Reagan,
guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and
Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, which includes guided-missile
destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88). Embarked Carrier Air Wing
(CVW) 14 includes the "Black Knights" of Strike Fighter
Squadron (VFA) 154, the "Argonauts" of VFA-147, the "Blue
Diamonds" of VFA-146, the "Death Rattlers" of Marine Fighter
Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323, the "Black Eagles" of Airborne
Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113, the "Cougars" of Tactical
Electronic Warfare Squadron (VAQ) 139, the "Providers" of
Carrier Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 and the "Black
Knights" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 4. | |
By
Navy MCS 2nd Class Josh Cassatt
USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs
Copyright 2011
Reprinted from
Navy News Service
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