Commissioning the CARTER, Part Two
I've put up a flickr set of today's photos, or at least, the ones that weren't awful. I was borrowing my Dad's EOS 10D, instead of using my regular S410 and I spent the first two or three hours re-learning how to take photographs.
After the Commissioning Ceremony, we were bussed to Morton Hall on the Sub Base for the reception. We noshed on sandwiches and finger food, and then it was time for the tour. When I had made the plans to come to New London for the Commissioning, I never expected to get a tour of the CARTER. She carries an extra 100 foot section that is designed for multiple mission platforms that can be easily changed and rotated in and out by her crew, and that makes that section Ultra Super Sekrit, and thusly I figured they wouldn't let us near it in the slightest.
I was wrong.
My brother, MM3 A-Div Erik Bridge led me on a guided tour of the CARTER. We went down through the main munitions loading hatch, and I was introduced to the Officer of the Deck, and we went forward into Control. I got to see my brother's station at the Helm, the Chief of the Watch station, and some of the waterfall displays in the sonar section. The main radio room and sonar room were closed to us, but we could see the main plots, which were amazing.
Walking to the fore, we saw the torpedo room, which was 20 or so feet high, and contained eight torpedo tubes and room for plenty in storage. The eight tubes stand in two vertically aligned bays, four to a side. Each one is canted slightly outward from the center-line, and they had Tube 1 open so you could look inside. The hatch for the torpedo tube is about 21" in diameter and feels heavy in the hand. Looking aft from the vantage point we had, the torpedo room is about 20-25' in height and the decksole that runs between the torpedo bays is movable, so that it can be at just about any height. The torpedo room, I'm told, is only surpassed, and then, only slightly, by the Seawolf and the Connecticut.
From there, we went back up and aft toward the crew's mess, meeting the cook on duty (he was making Spaghetti) and the galley area. From there, we headed to AMRs 1, 2 and 3. Saw the Diesel engine (8 cylinder 16 valve mechanically supercharged diesel engine! Damn.) and had its functions explained by Huck, the 2nd class PO who was walking through that Erik stopped and I got to ask questions. As I'm not sure any of the statistics we discussed were de-classified, I will not repeat them here. I will however say that those pansy-ass Dodge owners may say they've got a Hemi in their truck, the CARTER's got you beat.
He showed me Spike, the Backup Oxygen Generation Plant, an Umbrella plant in a tiny pot, sitting back by the coffee mugs, as well as Mary, Kate and Ashley, the primary CO2 scrubbers. Yes. They have placards labelling them clearly as Mary, Kate and Ashley. The US Navy has Scrubbers named after the Olsen Twins.
We saw Erik's tiny rack, probably about 6 feet, 6 inches long, about 30" wide and about 30" tall. This might be an exaggeration, but it's about what I remember. It did not look terribly comfy. He showed me the crew's head, as well as their escape suits, designed to rocket anyone wearing them to the surface in a right quick hurry without killing them with The Bends, plus it gives you an exposure suit, a personal raft and many other things.
We finished the tour by stopping at the plaques that list the Plank Owners (for those that do not know the Plank Owners are the crewmembers at time of Commissioning, and entitled to one plank of her hull) and there was my brother's name amongst his shipmates', and I got all goose-bumpy.
My brother and I haven't always been close. We fought like cats and dogs when I we were younger. For a long time, I didn't think he was capable of this sort of stuff. I'm proud to say I'm wrong. I felt like such a heel. But seeing him today with his shipmates, I'm proud to say that he could talk circles above my head when were below decks today. I'm proud to say that my brother is a fine submariner and a plank owner aboard CARTER. Seeing his name there, in brass, with his crew, with his officers and friends, makes me prouder of my brother than ever I had been before. The CARTER is an asset to the Navy, and I have no question that my brother is an asset to the CARTER.
Comments:
Tom, congratulations, and may God look out for your brother on the Carter. I look forward to hearing the details the next time I see you.
Posted by Anthony on February 20, 2005 — 2:46 AM
I laughed when I read about the guys on the CARTER using the Olsen twins to name things on their boat. Guess it reminds those guys what their fighting for eh? Hot Chicks! :)
Do you happen to have any photos of those Olsen placards? I'd like to put it on my Olsen twins web site. Their fans would get a kick out of it.
Mike
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Michael Shipley
Site Director
http://www.olsen-twins-news.com
Posted by Michael Shipley on February 20, 2005 — 10:34 PM
Sorry Michael, no cameras allowed on board the CARTER during the tours.
Posted by Tom Bridge on February 21, 2005 — 7:43 AM
Ok thanks anyway Tom. :)
Mike
Posted by Michael Shipley on February 22, 2005 — 1:11 AM