So, the past week, i got underway on USS PONCE (LPD-15). it was good to get back onto a ship again, and interesting to see how things there have changed since i was
there last year. all the other unqualified ensigns i was there with now have swo pins. thats to be expected after a deployment... some of them are JGs, which isnt a surprise, since i put that on shortly myself. we were only out a week, so i didnt get much bridge time since we basically went to morehead city, loaded up marines, transferred some ammunition, and then unloaded the marines and went back to norfolk... lots of anchored time.
the first day, we got underway, took on an LCU in thimbleshoals channel and then headed south to morehead city. then we spent the night at the pier in morehead city. carter hall was tied up in front of us to do their onload as well. its quicker to onload vehicles and men at th
e pier instead of from landing c
raft. especially if you dont really use LCACs. PONCE was built before LCACs existed so, shes not quite designed for them, still can use them if necessary. morehead city looks like a nice place to go... lots of beaches, and boats, and the town had a few nice looking steeples... wouldnt know though, never left the ship.
so, after we left morehead city with our marines, we had to move ammunition between two other ships... so, we took 65 pallets of rockets, missiles, bombs, and bomb fins to give
to another ship... so, i watched some of that. and then went down to watch the crew take on an LCU. that was hooot. it was really hot in the well deck, it was hot outside in general.
we spent alot of time at anchor, and then, found out, we were going back to norfolk. so, we offloaded the marines and all their gear. after PONCE offloaded all the marines, they headed back up to norfolk. ponce wasnt heading directly to norfolk, she had to go to yorktown first, so we hitched a ride on the LCU when it headed to little creek naval amphibious base. that was fun. i had never ridden on an LCU befor
e. we got to talking to some of the sailors on a LARC-V. that stands for lighter, amphibious resupply cargo. the V stands for 5
tons which is the cargo capacity. leaving the well deck was less dramatic than i thought it would be. we rocked and rolled for a few seconds as we backed out of the well deck. and then headed to the beach. the trip was about 2 and a half hours, which was fun... then, to get from the LCU to the beach we rode out on the LA
RC.
the accommodations aboard showed how spoiled we are aboard our ship. heads/showers in our own stateroom, the ability to control the temperature in your own state room and all that. it is good to get underway, but nothing beats your own ship and all the familiar faces. although, a lot of people recognized/remembered me from my last trip aboard.
there last year. all the other unqualified ensigns i was there with now have swo pins. thats to be expected after a deployment... some of them are JGs, which isnt a surprise, since i put that on shortly myself. we were only out a week, so i didnt get much bridge time since we basically went to morehead city, loaded up marines, transferred some ammunition, and then unloaded the marines and went back to norfolk... lots of anchored time.
the first day, we got underway, took on an LCU in thimbleshoals channel and then headed south to morehead city. then we spent the night at the pier in morehead city. carter hall was tied up in front of us to do their onload as well. its quicker to onload vehicles and men at th
e pier instead of from landing c
raft. especially if you dont really use LCACs. PONCE was built before LCACs existed so, shes not quite designed for them, still can use them if necessary. morehead city looks like a nice place to go... lots of beaches, and boats, and the town had a few nice looking steeples... wouldnt know though, never left the ship.
so, after we left morehead city with our marines, we had to move ammunition between two other ships... so, we took 65 pallets of rockets, missiles, bombs, and bomb fins to give 
to another ship... so, i watched some of that. and then went down to watch the crew take on an LCU. that was hooot. it was really hot in the well deck, it was hot outside in general. 
we spent alot of time at anchor, and then, found out, we were going back to norfolk. so, we offloaded the marines and all their gear. after PONCE offloaded all the marines, they headed back up to norfolk. ponce wasnt heading directly to norfolk, she had to go to yorktown first, so we hitched a ride on the LCU when it headed to little creek naval amphibious base. that was fun. i had never ridden on an LCU befor
e. we got to talking to some of the sailors on a LARC-V. that stands for lighter, amphibious resupply cargo. the V stands for 5
tons which is the cargo capacity. leaving the well deck was less dramatic than i thought it would be. we rocked and rolled for a few seconds as we backed out of the well deck. and then headed to the beach. the trip was about 2 and a half hours, which was fun... then, to get from the LCU to the beach we rode out on the LA
RC.
the accommodations aboard showed how spoiled we are aboard our ship. heads/showers in our own stateroom, the ability to control the temperature in your own state room and all that. it is good to get underway, but nothing beats your own ship and all the familiar faces. although, a lot of people recognized/remembered me from my last trip aboard.
