2011 Saga

I last blogged in December & I had thought at the time that I would be back on 2o2p in force.  That was until the Navy told me in January that I would be going on yet another deployment to the Middle East starting on February 2nd.  I spent my last month at home visiting friends & family & preparing myself for another prolonged period of time away from my personal life, continuing my life at work.  And nowhere is there more of a clear line between personal & professional then the military.

I left home in February headed to the Western Pacific.  it wasn't long after we arrived that multiple earthquakes, a tsunami & a nuclear meltdown devastated the island of Japan.  The first United States military ship on scene was the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the same ship I've spent the last three years aboard.  During our stay off the shore of Japan, we provided search & rescue, food & water, medical supplies & countless donated clothes & toys for the displaced Japanese living in abandoned schools & hospitals.  There wasn't any electricity or heat or running water & it was still snowing outside.  As the nearby nuclear power plant fell apart on itself, we were the victims, along with the stranded Japanese, of radiation exposure.  The Navy deemed our efforts "Operation Tomodachi" or FRIEND in Japanese. 

After a little more than a month, we were in the Arabian Gulf providing direct support for troops on the ground in Afghanistan, otherwise known as Operation Enduring Freedom.  As Soldiers, Sailors & Marines came under insurgent fire, we would send in our attack aircraft to land precision guided weapons on target.  This mission is commonly referred to as "dropping warheads on foreheads" but unfortunately, our strikes aren't always against the so-called evil-doers.  There were times when innocents would be killed & despite our legitimate kills, there wasn't ever any celebrating. 

That was until a day about halfway into deployment when Navy Seals surged into Pakistan onto the Bin Laden compound & killed the man who self-proclaimed to orchestrate the attacks on the USS Cole & the September 11th attack in 2001 that killed more in total than 5,000 civilians.  It was joyous for all of us but for numerous different reasons.  Some were just happy to have finally accomplished what we had been attempting to do for 10 long years.  Others were just anxious to end the war & finally go back home to our loved ones. 

We quickly turned our efforts to finalized an outdraw of our troops in Iraq & helping the country to develop a democratic nation.  This is being called Operation New Dawn & we spent another month providing what help we could over there. 

Pirate activity is at an all time high & even though I'm not able to go into specifics, we've provided a means to an end there as well. 

Finally, the military had it's sights set on killing off the remaining top 20 list of Al-Queda linked terrorists & we conducted an important part in accomplishing that.

We are currently on our way back home & we couldn't be happier.  We've been on this deployment for 190 days & 178 of those have been at sea.  It's been a long, grueling deployment & I'm ready to get back to San Diego, back to my family, back to living my life.

I miss everyone here at 2old2play & especially the great guys & girls in 2old2playWEST.  

Three more weeks & I'll be home.  

Cheers,
Jay