Norman Bernstein
05-26-2006, 07:58 AM
Hi, all, I'm just back from a motorcycle road trip down to NY/NJ, something I like to do once a year (visit a good friend in the town where I grew up, etc).
This year, I was invited by the Fire Control Officer aboard the DDG Mason, an Arleigh Burke class guided missile cruiser. Unlike the public tours, this one started much earlier, and since I was being personally excorted by an officer, I got to see far more of the ship than civilians ordinarily do.
What a fantastic ship; it's only a few years old, and carries the 'latest and greatest' of all the equipment, weapons, and systems; 92 missile launch tubes, two Chinook helicopters, and a whole passel of other stuff. The interior was clean, bright, and highly organized. Lt. Dennis Coyne (best freind of my future son-in-law) introduced me to the Captain, some of the Chiefs, and a number of others, as we toured the ship.
Most impressive: the CIC (Combat information Center) which is about as 'Star Wars' as you're likely to find on a Navy ship. Just like in the movies, there are several large screen displays at the front, and perhaps a dozen and a half consoles where the entire array of weapons systems and radars can be monitored and launched.
Life aboard the ship looks pretty damned decent, too. Lt. Coyne shares a stateroom with another officer, and it's generously sized. There are internet connections everywhere, along with wi-fi throughout the ship. The wardroom is large and comfortable, and the food (which we saw on a walk-through of the galley) looked pretty good (although Lt. Coyne says it gets a little tiring after a while). The officers and crew have DirecTV (when they're close to the continental U.S.; it doesn't work in Europe). There's even an ATM aboard ship!
I've been aboard Navy ships before, but this is the first time I've gotten such a detailed tour... thanks to Lt. Coyne and the officers and men of the Mason.
This year, I was invited by the Fire Control Officer aboard the DDG Mason, an Arleigh Burke class guided missile cruiser. Unlike the public tours, this one started much earlier, and since I was being personally excorted by an officer, I got to see far more of the ship than civilians ordinarily do.
What a fantastic ship; it's only a few years old, and carries the 'latest and greatest' of all the equipment, weapons, and systems; 92 missile launch tubes, two Chinook helicopters, and a whole passel of other stuff. The interior was clean, bright, and highly organized. Lt. Dennis Coyne (best freind of my future son-in-law) introduced me to the Captain, some of the Chiefs, and a number of others, as we toured the ship.
Most impressive: the CIC (Combat information Center) which is about as 'Star Wars' as you're likely to find on a Navy ship. Just like in the movies, there are several large screen displays at the front, and perhaps a dozen and a half consoles where the entire array of weapons systems and radars can be monitored and launched.
Life aboard the ship looks pretty damned decent, too. Lt. Coyne shares a stateroom with another officer, and it's generously sized. There are internet connections everywhere, along with wi-fi throughout the ship. The wardroom is large and comfortable, and the food (which we saw on a walk-through of the galley) looked pretty good (although Lt. Coyne says it gets a little tiring after a while). The officers and crew have DirecTV (when they're close to the continental U.S.; it doesn't work in Europe). There's even an ATM aboard ship!
I've been aboard Navy ships before, but this is the first time I've gotten such a detailed tour... thanks to Lt. Coyne and the officers and men of the Mason.