Last Month's Activities

Right before we left our op-area, we got to witness a small-boat exchange. One of our sister ships, The Effective, needed a part that we had, so we lowered one of our lifeboats over & sent some folks over to hand over the item. The funny part was what else went over...We had 4 guys onboard as part of a security detachment, supposedly to provide 'protection' if ever we were threatened by the Chinese. They only had a couple of machine guns, so I'm not thinking they could have done much more to stay someone who wanted to board than we could with our firehoses, but no matter. Anyway, these guys had been out here just as long as us and were looking forward to pulling into port, where they'd be getting off to fly back home. Once the big-whigs found out we'd be transferring a part over (coupled with the fact Effective was minus a secdet), the secdet was told they'd be going over as well to ride out the next month or so that Effective would be on-station! Talk about getting screwed!! These guys were so pissed. So now what's even funnier is it's typhoon season, and instead of pulling into port where the guys can get off, the Eff is running from the storms. It would be more sad than funny if the guys hadn't been such jerks.




We FINALLY got to pull into port back on the 25th of June in White Beach, Okinawa. Wow, what a welcomed break that was. We all had a great time just relaxing and getting to put our sea-spent legs on some terra firma. I have been there once before when I was on the R/V Cory Chouest about 2 years ago. I had forgotten how beautiful the area is on base and all around. This time, I dragged some of the guys with me out into town. We didn't see much, other than the Starbucks and a small mall b/c after trying to walk around for about 10 minutes, we gave up and headed back to base. It was just way too hot to be away from the water for any length of time. We did all go eat at Chili's on Kadena Air Force Base, which only sharpened my acute sense of how horrible the food is out on the boat. For the most part, we laid out by the pool, walked along the beach, and explored around the base which was relatively small. I saw the biggest bats I've ever seen with probably close to a 2 foot wingspan, no exaggeration. I was told this was a species of fruit bat (scroll down to the Ryukyu Flying Fox), although I think they were more prone to blood-sucking than fruit eating.




Here's some of the guys I deployed with (I'm the only junior female on this trip - only other military female is the Master Chief). I don't know what the guy on the left is doing; trying to be a thug, I think. And there's a guy hiding in the back, but he's in the next picture pulling a dual-scooter feat.



There were also tons of hermit crabs, which suprisingly freaked me out. I screamed like a little girl when one tried to hitch a ride in my pack after I laid it down on the beach. I grew up always going to the beach and being around the water, but I never did have an affinity for the creatures the ocean harbors. Sorta like I never liked to touch bottom. I tried to be brave on occasion, if I was trying to impress my Dad or something, but still today I don't want to go swimming where I can't see the bottom. Something might get me! Anyway, there were so many of these little guys that we picked up a few of them and lined them up for a race. Needless to say, they didn't comply with the race rules.


We also found a canon, or what appeared to be one, on the beach near the main pier. There's also a wrecked or beached hull of a boat that's quite intriguing. The boat appears to be something from WWII era, which would fit considering this was a strategic area during the war. I'd love to know the story behind both.

Speaking of Okinawa, nearly a third of the island's population was lost in the war.

The highest point of the base provided a lookout over a cliff, with a large 'Ro-Ro' floating in the distance. These are 'Roll-On, Roll-Off's,' named for their function in delivering armored vehicles for the Marines. They have such a big draft that they can't dock pierside b/c the water is too shallow.

I'm currently posting pics to shutterfly. I'll put the link up when it's all finished.