Today’s postcard from Southern is a look at another side of life at sea and one that’s not always pleasant – the enforcement of good order and discipline. The further up the leadership chain one finds onself, the greater the expectations are for standards of conduct and professionalism – and the greater the penalties for…
Three variables that interact with one another, sometimes subtly, others – not so. Three media for the photographers palette; tarry a moment and understand why we who go, or at one time went, to the sea were drawn nigh… "The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure…
Twenty-four/seven. No phrase better describes life aboard a deployed carrier than 24/7. No matter the time of day, somewhere on the floating, restless city something is going on. Come April, PBS will air what looks to be an excellent 10-hr series of life aboard the Nimitz, filmed during the entirety of her last deployment. We…
Southern drops another note from the sandbox this way – more time in Abu Dubai and, well, let’s just let him tell the story: Well it has now been about four days since we pulled out yet again from Dubai. This time unlike last time we were allowed into town. I have included some shots…
So – life as a Sailor in this modern Navy — you’ve caught glimpses here and at other spots like Lex’s, Pinch, and Yankee Sailor. But that’s the view from Officer Country. Southern logs in this week with some thoughts across a wide-range of topics from the enlisted POV. We’ve said it before and will…
Deployed correspondent Southern Air Pirate drops in with another post from the Truman CSG with notes from the post-Christmas period, dust-up in the Straits and observations of trying to work orders deployed. We well remember the latter, especially back in the day when one’s tools consisted primarily of waiting until pulling into Naples to go…
One of our long-standing family traditions we have had to forego since moving to Occupied Territory from Hampton Roads some few years back was the drive down to the carrier and destroyer-sub piers at the Norfolk Naval Base after evening service on Christmas Eve. There we’d see all manner of creative talent put to display,…
Quick note from Southern Air Pirate this week. Remember to drop a note or other item via the snail mail to VAQ-130 or VMM-263 this week and tell ’em how much we appreciate what they’re doing for us… – SJS Two U.S. Navy F/A-18 aircraft from the Red Rippers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11…
When last heard from, Southern Air Pirate was sampliing the joys of liberty in Naples. His latest missive recounts the experience of transiting the Suez Canal beginning in Port Said as the Truman CSG presses on to relieve the Enterprise CSG. To help set the stage, see the map below (click to enlarge): Well we…
As some of you are aware, Southern Air Pirate has departed on his 6-month deployment and so postings on his site may be few/far between due to bandwidth and PC access. We’ve offered our services as an intermediary – and so this first missive (actually a combination of two) from SAP. Haze grey and underway…
