THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 1, 1995 TAG: 9503010505
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KRYS STEFANSKY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Bracing for goodbyes that are just around the corner, the families of men stationed aboard the Theodore Roosevelt gathered in the carrier's hangar bay last week for some advice on handling the separation.
In less than four weeks, on March 22, the ship and its battle group will begin a six-month cruise to the Mediterranean Sea. The idea of being without husbands and fathers brought some spouses to tears even this early in the game.
Seasoned crew members are dreading the separation, too. It's never easy on families, they said.
This is the sixth cruise for Gene, a petty officer second class married a year and a half to Tracy. Both are 25. For safety reasons, with the sailor at sea, the Navy asked that last names not be used.
On his free hand, Gene ticked off preparations he's made. While he talked, the other arm cuddled 9-month-old son Matthew.
``I've set up a power of attorney. We got our bills taken care of and we bought a new house,'' said Gene, an aircraft director on the flight deck. Beside him, in a gray metal folding chair, sat his wife, staring ahead at an enormous U.S. flag draped behind the speaker's platform.
This will be her first six months alone at home. The couple has three sons - Matthew, a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old.
``I'm scared,'' she said, nervously jiggling her leg. ``I don't know what I'm going to do without him. We're used to being a couple, and when he's out at sea, you're alone. It's scary.''
She has no family in the area. ``Nobody,'' she said softly, blinking hard to stop her tears.
When he rose to speak, the ship's commander, Capt. Ronald Christenson, tried to focus the thoughts of the crew members and their families on the Roosevelt's role in the world military and political theater. About 850 members of the 3,000-member ship's crew were in attendance.
``This is not six months of separation,'' Christenson told them. ``It's six months of making history.''
The commander and a representative from Navy Family Services offered survival tips for spouses left ashore.
``The best gift you can leave us is to have everything in order,'' said Sherry Determan, a deployment specialist.
The ship's commander advised wives about what not to do: don't write letters to husbands in anger, don't believe rumors and don't make any nonrefundable reservations to travel anywhere based on the ship's schedule.
Christenson suggested that spouses join ship-sponsored support groups and that they be understanding in the coming weeks when their mates slip up and reveal their excitement about going to sea again.
William and Stephanie said they were overwhelmed at the idea of this long cruise. The young couple, 20 and 19, have a 6-month-old daughter. William joined the Navy in June. He works on the flight deck, refueling aircraft. It's one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, he said flatly. This is his first six-month cruise.
``There's no way possible to get ready for this. You just can't,'' the grim-faced sailor said, arms tight around the baby. ``Keeping in contact is going to be the main thing. I know the mail's not going to come every day.''
His wife noted what he'll miss in his daughter's life this summer - her first steps, her first birthday. To help pass the time, she plans on having family members visit from California.
In the next weeks, she'll tie up the couple's loose ends, following guidelines spelled out in material distributed by ship's ombudsmen, the Roosevelt's security divisions and a deployment guide distributed by the Navy Family Services Center.
Said William, ``I'll make phone calls when I can.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
GARY C. KNAPP
Two-month-old Alison waits patiently while her parents, Robert and
Sarah, participate in a pre-deployment briefing aboard the carrier
Theodore Roosevelt. The carrier is scheduled to leave for the
Mediterranean Sea on March 22.
Graphic
ADVICE FOR FAMILIES
Before a sailor goes to sea . . .
Renew dependents' ID cards
Get cars in working order
Do income taxes
Set up paycheck allotments
Develop a budget, including credit card limits
Help children prepare for separation
Source: Sherry Determan, deployment specialist
by CNB