THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 1996 TAG: 9610290436
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: AT SEA
SOURCE: BY KEVIN WILSON
LENGTH: 70 lines
Another Sunday on the guided missile destroyer Mitscher draws to a close as we conduct operations in the Mediterranean Sea. We haven't received mail in a week, but there is a rumor spreading around the ship that we might today. All day long sailors have been talking about when the mail might get here and how much of it there might be.
As the sun sets, a message goes out over the ship's announcing system.
``Flight quarters, flight quarters,'' the boatswain's mate of the watch crackles. ``All hands man your flight quarters stations. All hands not involved stand clear of weather decks aft of frame 300.''
Then: ``The ships expects to receive a CH-46 (helicopter) for passenger transfer and pony. Now flight quarters.''
That word, ``pony,'' is magic. It means only one thing: mail!
I hustle out of my berthing and head for the flight deck. Sailors are standing close to the public address system speaker in the passageway, double-checking that they understood the boatswain's mate as he repeats the announcement. I hear several of them talking about whether they'll get mail, wondering how much. The crew is excited.
My fellow flight deck crew members and I put on our flight deck jackets and prepare the deck for the helicopter's arrival. We talk about the mail, too; we're anxiously waiting for the helo to land. Finally, we hear ``green deck,'' meaning the helo is ready for its approach. We pull our goggles down, and watch the landing signal petty officer as he guides the helo onto our deck.
Once aboard, the helo control officer announces, ``amber deck,'' and the pilots turn off their engines. When the blades stop spinning he calls, ``red deck.'' It is now safe to unload the helo.
By the time the boatswain's mate says, ``Secure from flight quarters,'' several sailors have clustered on the flight deck to assess how much mail the chopper is carrying. I even poke my head into the helicopter to make sure the mail is actually on board. Sure enough, the fuselage is packed with familiar orange U.S. mailbags.
As the pilots lower the helicopter cargo ramp, the flight deck crew and other sailors form an assembly line to help unload the mail and get it to the post office. I have never seen a 20-man working party form so quickly. Even hospital corpsman chief Anthony Chandler of Rogersville, Ala., and radioman chief Brian Walsh of Virginia Beach helped pass the bags down the line.
When the last bag comes off the helicopter, the working party stands in awe: We have just moved an enormous amount of mail.
We know it will take a while to sort at the ship's post office, and now all of the Mitscher listens for mail call. After a long wait, the magic announcement comes, and sailors bolt for the post office.
I'm the first person in line. It's a good thing, too, because the line that materializes behind me is longer than our chow line! Everyone is smiling as we wait to pick up our letters and packages from loved ones.
I quickly sign my name on the mail receipt list, accepting the mail for my division. The postal clerk hands me a bag of mail and I head down to the general workshop, where the division waits.
I've never been so popular.
As I sort the mail, I see several letters from my wife, Allison. I'm excited just looking at the envelopes, wondering what she has to say. Once everyone has their mail, I grab my pile and sit down on the deck. I tear into the letters I've been waiting so long to receive. Reading them makes me smile. I feel good knowing Allison is OK and doing well.
Later in the evening, after ``taps'' plays over the P.A. system, ``flight quarters'' is called to send the helicopter back to its home ship. Even though the chopper's departure keeps the flight deck crew from getting some much-needed sleep, we don't mind.
Our mail makes it all worthwhile. MEMO: Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Wilson is a damage controlman aboard
the guided missile destroyer Mitscher. by CNB