Going to my new job.

After leaving ITT Industries in Iraq on 5July05 until leaving for my new job with Dyn Marines Services on 4Dec05, I spend my time working around my house and visiting with relatives. From the "TO DO" list for the house that I started while in Iraq, I pretty much accomplished everything. The major item was to get the driveway culvets replaced and a new concret driveway put in. It turned out nice. I had hoped of finding employment there in Jacksonville so that I could live in my own house for a change. Since purchasing it in 1993, I've had it rented out for the past 6 years. Maybe later after I have had enough shipboard life with Dyn Marine I will move full time into the house. As it is now, I will only occupy it in between my time on the ship.

Well, on 4Dec05 I flew from Jacksonville, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia. At Norfolk I attended a one week operator course on the "Best" system. This is a satellite system that allows the ship to have phone service underway and classified and unclassified internet. The ship's primary source of sending and receiving messages is provided by another satellite system. One that I am already familiar from my time in the Navy.

On 10Dec05, I flew from Norfolk to Houston to Hawaii to Guam and finally arriving on Saipan at 8:30PM 11Dec05. Yea... it was a long one. I arrived a bit tired. My luggage did not. Arrive that is. Bob, my boss (Det Manager) and Dan, co-worker, met me at the airport. The ship is always at anchor here at Saipan. Transportation to and from the ship is by water taxi (basicly a crew boat) on a set schedule. We had two hours to kill until the next taxi so we went to a bar they frequent. By the time we had two beers and Bob quit flirting with the Philippino bar girls it was time to go. It is only a 20 minute taxi ride to the ship. I found getting on and off the ship is a challenge. Particularly if there are rough seas. The water taxi backs in and holds it's self against the stern of the ship while the pasengers climb, hand over hand, up a ladder that is welded to the stern of the ship. Timing is everything as to when to start your climb. You wait until the sea swell has lifted the taxi up to it's highest point before reaching for the run of the ladder. Being crushed between the ship and the taxi is quite possible if you grab for the ladder too low or if you happen to slip and fall. No one told me but, that is not a good thing. In fact, that can really really spoil the rest of your day. Bags, packages and other items are lifted up by rope.

Haven sucessfully made it aboard the ship, I was shown to my room. Everyone has their own room with private bathroom. We said goodnight and went to bed. The next day we returned to the airport and found both my bags had arrived. Happy days!