PeteRepublic on Fox6

Crossposted from PeteRepublic.org

I thoroughly enjoyed “Carrier“, the 10 Hour Documentary from Icon Productions that aired on PBS last week.

For disclosure, as if many of you didn’t already know, I served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) from 1985-1989. I am a Plankowner of that ship, which means I was one of the original crewmembers of that ship.

The first thing I took away from “Carrier” is that it did a great job of showing that first and foremost, members of the Navy are human beings. To be sure, they are held to a higher standard as members of the military, but you saw that they are still subject to the same emotions that civilians experience. Even with these issues, these sailors find the courage and professionalism to continue on and do their jobs, protecting our country.

There are exceptions to that, of course, and examples of that are displayed in the documentary. Once such example is of the racist crewmember who really doesn’t care if he is discharged, and the Navy winds up accommodating him. But before that occurs, a rather engaging display of guidance during the man’s final liberty call by a African-American shipmate almost leads you to believe he might turn around, although it was not to be. “Carrier” also does a great job showing the viewer that it IS possible to get out of a bad situation at home and turn your life around, get some training in a job or skill, see the world, and get some discipline in your life.

You also get a great idea that not only are there a lot of young kids (18 years or so) on board, they are in some of the most critical positions, handling weapons, moving/directing aircraft, catapult maintenance. These “kids” get their training right out of boot camp and then gain immediate on-the-job experience in what they do right away, becoming experts almost immediately.

Visually, the ENTIRE documentary series was stunning, but maybe I’m biased. Every time I saw a wide shot of the ship, I found myself longing for “home” and the sea. There is plenty of opportunity here to witness flight operations, and in one hour, we get to witness gripping drama as the Nimitz attempts to land its aircraft in rough seas in pitched deck conditions. Aircraft after aircraft miss the wire until night falls, and then finally luck starts on their side and they start trapping. It was great drama.

We got to witness “teambuilding” exercises like becoming a Shellback, a Navy tradition and title acquired when one crosses the equator for the first time.

Military families are a special breed, and military spouses (to a larger extent, wives), are superheroes. While “Carrier” didn’t go very deep into what these heroes go through, you do get a sense of the pain and suffering and sacrifice that families go through during a 6-month deployment. It happens, trust me. All the emotions are there….guilt, anxiety, paranoia, loneliness, depression; but there still is a job to do, and that is what saves you. That and your friends and family in your shipmates. Spouses have resources in “Ombudsmen” and support groups, and that was NOT covered at all by the series, which I think probably should have been, at least on the surface. “Carrier” followed several situations that were very heart tugging and I felt (and sympathized) for all of them.

The one thing I couldn’t identify with was coexisting with women on an aircraft carrier. If memory serves women didn’t started coming on board major surface combatants until 1994, almost 5 years after I had departed the Theodore Roosevelt.

Overall, “Carrier” was a good look into what Navy life is. There is a phrase that used to get thrown around a lot when I was active duty, “The Navy is what you make of it.” That statement holds true with this documentary as well. For me, it was a great nostalgic look at a time in my life I miss greatly. For others, they might take away new appreciation for what our Navy does for us on a daily basis.