CARRIER CRUISE (Part Four)

The military can be the career of a lifetime. It can train you, deliver you to exotic locations, provide formal education and train you in a vocation that may last a lifetime. Notwithstanding all this, it gives back what it gets. The harder you work to earn your way, the more it will provide monetary bonuses, prestige and special privileges. It may require sacrifice, you may be separated for long periods of time from friends and family, but this is generally compensated for if the service rendered to your country is honorable.

Still, it requires self discipline. Anarchy will not abide. There must be order and obedience. You must not cross the line into insubordination or dereliction of duty. Not all superiors are fair and just and the same goes with subordinates. One serious infraction, regardless of the talent of the offender, can ruin a military career and chance of promotion. Such is life, such is the U.S. Navy. The Carrier Group was given liberty at several ports of call prior to arriving in San Diego and then on to Bremerton, Washington. These included Singapore, Hong Kong and Guam.

As the USS Stennis approached the dock, we saw lines of seamen in their whites, standing on the flight deck, looking down on us as we awaited family and friends. We supposed that this was some sort of way they got to view the homecoming as a privilege. We were wrong. These were, by in large, those who had transgressed Navy regulations and were being made to observe the liberty of others while they stayed on board. Some were guilty of various infractions, such as drunk and disorderly, fighting, failure to obey orders and so forth.

Society must have a way to punish the law breaker and it also holds with the Navy. One such individual had been in the Navy for several years and served in the Admiral's Galley as a steward. He worked in an area that gave him pride in his Navy service. He had been promoted and looked forward to an honorable vocation. This was all dashed in a drunken binge while on ship's liberty. He indicated that what was saddest of all, was that not only was his military career over, but he couldn't even remember his actions that got him into serious trouble.

We took a tour of the ship's Brig or Jail and a feeling of foreboding arose the moment we entered. The upper level consisted of an administrative section where the Navy jailers were on duty. The walls were devoid of pictures or decoration, white washed and windowless. The stairs leading to the lower level ended with an electric gate and iron bars that were opened by a switch upstairs. There was a mechanical override, should power failure occur. Following the gate was a storage area that contained, pillows, blankets, handcuffs and other restraints and supplies.

This area was followed by three cells on the left, for serious rule breakers and those subject to bread and water rations for varying periods, depending on the severity of the crimes committed. These cells had a military bunk in the room and little else. At the end of the hall was another locked cell of about four times the size, with about four bunks. Outside the cells was a latrine and shower area. Once again the walls were bare. No books, TV, music players, videos and so forth were allowed, except a Bible for those requesting it. Time was to be served here in the contemplation of mistakes made and plans for improvement. Wake up times and lights out times were strictly enforced. Any breaking of rules downstairs meant extra punishment. It was a harsh, negative, cold place and we could hardly wait to go back upstairs.

Life can get pretty rough in the military sometimes, but if you become a visitor to the brig, you're looking from the bottom and staring up.