{"id":3024,"date":"2020-12-22T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=3024"},"modified":"2021-10-13T13:20:24","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T17:20:24","slug":"62-flight-deck-shenanigans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/","title":{"rendered":"#62 &#8211; Flight Deck Shenanigans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\"><li>Who said, <em>\u201cBy the time a man realizes that his father was right, he has a son who thinks he&#8217;s wrong.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li><li>In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, <em>\u201cWhatever you do&#8230; don&#8217;t fall asleep.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li><li>In what song (and who sang it) did we hear:<br><em>I&#8217;ve been waiting so long<\/em><br><em>To be where I&#8217;m going<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"sdm_download_item \"><div class=\"sdm_download_item_top\"><div class=\"sdm_download_thumbnail\"><\/div><div class=\"sdm_download_title\">Blog #62 (Audio)<\/div><\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div><div class=\"sdm_download_description\"><p>Listen to the audio of this blog, read by Andy Adkins. Click the \u201c<em><strong>Audio<\/strong><\/em>\u201d button below.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"sdm_download_date\"><span class=\"sdm_download_date_label\">Published: <\/span><span class=\"sdm_download_date_value\">October 13, 2021<\/span><\/div><div class=\"sdm_download_link\"><span class=\"sdm_download_button\"><form action=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?sdm_process_download=1&#038;download_id=5282\" method=\"post\" class=\"sdm-g-recaptcha-form sdm-download-form\"><div class=\"sdm-recaptcha-button\"><div class=\"g-recaptcha sdm-g-recaptcha\"><\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"sdm_download darkblue sdm_download_with_condition\">Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"download_id\" value=\"5282\" \/><\/form><\/span><span class=\"sdm_download_item_count\"><span class=\"sdm_item_count_number\">1<\/span><span class=\"sdm_item_count_string\"> Download<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sdm_clear_float\"><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to those who commented on my previous blog, <strong><em>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/61-theres-a-reason-for-the-flight-deck-foul-line\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#61\u2014There\u2019s a Reason for the Flight Deck \u2018Foul Line.&#8217;<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u201d Several comments were spot on and reminded me of things I\u2019d forgotten. Here are a few more shared &#8220;memories:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>\u201cHey&#8211;you in the port catwalk\u2026 #&amp;*@!\u201d<\/em><\/li><li><em>\u201cWe used to race each other to tackle the khakis that came up from below decks to watch flight ops in the port catwalk. We had a free shot\u2026 for safety, of course.\u201d<\/em><\/li><li><em>\u201cI always had respect for the Hummer [E-2] pilots, but the Whales [A-3]? We always backed away from the foul line when they were landing.\u201d<\/em><\/li><li><em>\u201cCross the foul line and meet the Air Boss in person.\u201d<\/em><\/li><li><em>\u201cYep, been there, done that. It only took one time to meet the Air Boss to set me straight.\u201d<\/em><\/li><li><em>\u201cThose lines are the difference between life and death.\u201d<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Dangerous?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s been said that the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the most dangerous place to work. I\u2019ve been there and done that and\u2026 from my own personal experiences, I tend to agree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But on the other hand, I\u2019ve never served in a forward infantry combat unit, never been shot at (purposefully), and never been under an artillery barrage. So, my Army &amp; Marine veteran friends <em>may<\/em> disagree with that proclamation and I <em>totally <\/em>respect that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I spent 2\u00bd years aboard <strong><em>USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong>, CV-63 (\u201975-77) and made the <strong><em>Westpac \u201975<\/em><\/strong> cruise. I worked on the flight deck in <strong><em>V-1 Division<\/em><\/strong>, both in <strong><em>Crash &amp; Salvage<\/em><\/strong> and as a <strong><em>Yellow Shirt director<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?resize=800%2C534&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Flight Deck Santa Shooter\" class=\"wp-image-869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption>Lt. Larry Young, dressed as Santa, signals an F\/A-18 E Super Hornet (VFA) 113 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier <strong><em>USS Theodore Roosevelt<\/em><\/strong> (CVN 71). <br>Photo credit by MC3 Victoria Foley.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I can tell you without a doubt, the flight deck <em>is<\/em> dangerous. I\u2019ve written several times before about the challenges <em>and <\/em>the excitement. One wrong move&#8230; wrong place, wrong time&#8230; you could be <a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/36-gone-in-an-instant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gone in an instant<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You have to keep your head on a constant swivel and <em>never<\/em> let your guard down, especially during flight operations. It&#8217;s even more dangerous at the end of an 18-hour day, recovering the last group of aircraft on a dark and stormy night. Everyone is dog-tired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there were also times when we were <em>not<\/em> at flight ops. Now and then, one of us might start something that led to\u2026 face it, <em>a lot of fun<\/em>, even if we got chewed out for it by the Flight Deck Officer, the Air Bos\u2019n, the Air Boss, or even the ship&#8217;s Commanding Officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let me tell you about some of these flight deck \u201cshenanigans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>After Days\/Weeks of Flight Ops, a &#8220;Slippery&#8221; Flight Deck<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can imagine that after days or weeks of continuous flying with multiple types of aircraft from various squadrons, the flight deck may get\u2026 a little\u2026 \u201cgreasy\u201d from all the jet exhaust, leaking tractors, and various other fuel and hydraulic spills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were times when you could almost \u201cskate\u201d on the deck in your steel-toed boots, especially if you found yourself behind a taxiing jet\u2019s exhaust. And yes, I\u2019ve been known to do that once or twice\u2026 on purpose!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, I wrote a song about it to the tune of a famous Christmas song: \u201c<em>Up on the flight deck slick as glass, let\u2019s watch Adkins bust his ass<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yeah, I know&#8230; don\u2019t give up my day job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, the point is that the flight deck needed to be cleaned. The day before we pulled into port (either San Diego or PI), most of the aircraft had flown off the carrier back to their squadron home bases. Those that couldn\u2019t fly for whatever reason were stored below on the hangar deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior to coming into port, we had to scrub the flight deck. This was a job for the V-1 Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Scrubbing the Flight Deck<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckWashDown-1.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckWashDown-1.jpg?resize=288%2C191&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Flight Deck Scrubbing Hose Wash Down\" class=\"wp-image-3030\" width=\"288\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckWashDown-1.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckWashDown-1.jpg?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckWashDown-1.jpg?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Sailors aboard <em>USS George Washington<\/em> (CVN 73) wash down the flight deck.<br>Photo credit: MC3 Stephanie Smith.<br><em>(Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back in my day, we used several MD-3 aircraft tow tractors for the task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019d first string out a couple of 2\u00bd\u201d fire hoses from the port and starboard catwalk fire stations, manned by five- to six-man crews. The crews would first wet down the flight deck with salt water\u2014<em>really<\/em> making it slippery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One MD-3 tractor would begin the task and lead the way with one guy driving and two guys on the back throwing out cupfuls of yellow-orange colored powdered soap called ZEP that came in fifty-gallon drums. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two more MD-3s would follow. Each had a 12\u2019 rope tied to the back pulling a metal pallet with several rows of large wooden scrub brushes attached underneath, similar to the old-style push brooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrub-Pallets-1.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrub-Pallets-1.jpg?resize=285%2C214&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Flight Deck Scrubbing with MD-3 Tractor &amp; Pallet Brushes (Mike Hiscano)\" class=\"wp-image-3035\" width=\"285\" height=\"214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrub-Pallets-1.jpg?w=960&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrub-Pallets-1.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrub-Pallets-1.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), Westpac \u201984.<br>Photo credit: Mike Hiscano.<br><em>(Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These tractors followed the guys throwing out the ZEP powder. Two guys sat on each pallet to help weigh it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All went well until one of the tractor drivers got a heavy foot, then the other would speed up, and soon it was a race around the flight deck. Even though there were no planes on deck, when these tractors sped and turned a corner, the guys on the pallet would fly around hanging on for dear life, all the while with great big grins, hootin&#8217; and hollerin&#8217;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It reminded me of when I used to water ski at Kingsley Lake, Florida and the boat driver took a wide, slow turn, so I could build up momentum and speed. Except, <em>that<\/em> was in calm fresh water and <em>not<\/em> a non-skid flight deck\u2026 and it was clean, not oily&#8230; and it didn\u2019t hurt (much) when you took a spill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, you get the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many times the Air Boss or the Flight Deck LPO (Leading Petty Officer) would chew us out for such flight deck shenanigans. But it was worth it\u2014and if memory serves, they were laughing, too. Nobody got hurt, at least not during our watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Water Fights<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrubbing.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrubbing.jpg?resize=229%2C337&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Flight Deck Crew Scrubbing with Brooms\" class=\"wp-image-3031\" width=\"229\" height=\"337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrubbing.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FlightDeckScrubbing.jpg?resize=204%2C300&amp;ssl=1 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Sailors aboard <em>USS George Washington<\/em> (CVN 73) scrub the flight deck.<br><em>(Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once we thoroughly scrubbed the flight deck, the hose crews would commence the wash down, starting at the bow and working their way toward the stern. That took a while since there was usually a lot of soap &amp; scum on the flight deck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the summer (Westpac \u201975) when we returned to the Philippines port, our overseas home port, it was hot as hell and the hose teams sometimes \u201cslipped\u201d with the hose, starting a water fight. With 5 to 6 men on each hose&#8211;and periodically we&#8217;d have 3-4 teams&#8211;we&#8217;d get soaked to the bone. You had the wind advantage if your hose team was forward, toward the bow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think the Captain and the rest of the crew on the bridge thought it was quite funny, because they didn\u2019t put a stop to it. It was all in good fun and welcomed after so many grueling hours of flight ops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> Later, we\u2019d call this type of shenanigan a \u201cmorale booster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that\u2019s how we cleaned and scrubbed the flight deck back in my day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, I believe the Navy uses &#8220;manual&#8221; labor&#8211;the flight deck crew pushing stick brooms&#8211;to scrub the flight deck. What&#8217;s the fun in that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Falling Asleep on the Crash Tractor<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m not sure this would count as a flight deck &#8220;shenanigan,\u201d but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crash always had a firefighting tractor parked &amp; idling next to the foul line during recovery operations, ready to roll at a moment&#8217;s notice. The wind always blew down the deck, so we didn&#8217;t have to breathe in diesel exhaust fumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During our time at sea, <em>especially<\/em> on cold nights, a bunch of us would huddle around the crash tractor. Since the engine was always idling, it provided a continuous source of warmth. Between the warmth and the gentle vibration of the idling engine, it was pretty relaxing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than once late at night in between aircraft recoveries, I drifted off to sleep while leaning over the hood of the tractor. I wasn\u2019t the only one, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sending the FNG on an &#8220;Errand&#8221;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, one thing that almost every Navy veteran took part in was to send a new recruit on a wild goose chase. There were so many <em>unique <\/em>items and everyone on the ship knew \u201cthe joke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/CrescentWrench.jpeg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/CrescentWrench.jpeg?resize=187%2C187&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Metric Crescent Wrench\" class=\"wp-image-3038\" width=\"187\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/CrescentWrench.jpeg?w=466&amp;ssl=1 466w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/CrescentWrench.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/CrescentWrench.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 187px) 100vw, 187px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>The infamous &#8220;metric&#8221; crescent wrench.<br><em>(Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than once while <em>Kitty Hawk<\/em> was in her San Diego home port, a FNG joined us in V-1. Someone, usually an experienced &amp; seasoned Blue shirt, would ask him (we didn\u2019t have women sailors on board back in my day) to go down to V-3 Division office and see if they had a \u201cleft-handed screwdriver\u201d or a \u201cmetric crescent wrench.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, there was no such thing. But because the FNG wanted to make a good first impression\u2014and I think some of them really didn\u2019t know the difference\u2014they\u2019d run the errand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once they got to V-3 and asked for the specific item, the guy in V-3 would immediately pick up on the joke and without letting on, would say something like, \u201cWe don\u2019t have one, but I think V-4 Division does; ask them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was cruel, but all in good fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One day in the not-too-distant future, I\u2019ll write about the various \u201cerrands\u201d we\u2019d ask the new recruits to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Merry Christmas from Florida<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m posting this blog on Tuesday, December 22. Friday is Christmas 2020. I have a lot of veteran friends who celebrate Christmas, but I also have plenty of friends with different religious backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Becky &amp; I normally send out a \u201cNewsletter\u201d to family &amp; friends at this time of the year, letting everyone know what\u2019s been happening at Casa Adkins and where we traveled during the year, complete with photos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We didn\u2019t write one this year because, frankly, we haven\u2019t gone anywhere since March, other than to the grocery store and to Lowe\u2019s\/Home Depot. Our newsletter pictures would probably consist of 2&#215;12&#8243; #2 untreated pine lumber for our raised-bed vegetable garden or an outdoor grill or perhaps the multiple varieties of peanut butter on Publix aisle #10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s certainly been a challenging year for all of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I also know that the holiday season is harder for some than it is for others. Several friends lost a parent or a spouse or a child this past year. On top of that loss, we are all also dealing with this pandemic and may not be able to visit family or friends, for one reason or another, anytime soon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one way, life has become bigger and more precious than ever. In another, our &#8220;bubble&#8221; has become much smaller. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you know of someone who is alone this season, write them a letter, send them an email, or better yet&#8230; call\u2014let them know they\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/SantaLaunch-1.jpeg?resize=800%2C562&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/SantaLaunch-1.jpeg?w=823&amp;ssl=1 823w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/SantaLaunch-1.jpeg?resize=300%2C211&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/SantaLaunch-1.jpeg?resize=768%2C539&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Merry Christmas from Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Until we meet again,<\/em><br>Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/never-forget\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/NeverForgetCover-AZA-NEWLabel.jpg?resize=74%2C111&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"NEVER FORGET Book Cover with &quot;New&quot; Label\" class=\"wp-image-3452\" width=\"74\" height=\"111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/NeverForgetCover-AZA-NEWLabel-scaled.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/NeverForgetCover-AZA-NEWLabel-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/NeverForgetCover-AZA-NEWLabel-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/NeverForgetCover-AZA-NEWLabel-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/NeverForgetCover-AZA-NEWLabel-scaled.jpg?w=1707&amp;ssl=1 1707w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/NeverForgetCover-AZA-NEWLabel-scaled.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 74px) 100vw, 74px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#000030\">Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (\u201973-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran\u2019s Journey for Redemption &amp; Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your <strong>FREE<\/strong> copy <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/never-forget\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Previous posts mentioned in this blog:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/61-theres-a-reason-for-the-flight-deck-foul-line\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#61\u2014There\u2019s a Reason for the Flight Deck \u201dFoul Line\u201d<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#3\u2014Between a Rock and a Hard Place<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/ready-a-veterans-journey-you-light-em-we-fight-em\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#10\u2014You Light \u2018em, We Fight \u2018em<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/36-gone-in-an-instant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#36\u2014Gone in an Instant<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Answers<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\"><li>Charles Wadsworth.<\/li><li><strong><em>Nightmare on Elm Street<\/em><\/strong> (1984), Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp).<\/li><li><strong><em>Sunshine of Your Love<\/em><\/strong> (1968), Cream; written by Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Constantine Brown, Peter Ronald Brown.<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trivia Questions (Answers @ end) Who said, \u201cBy the time a man realizes that his father was right, he has a son who thinks he&#8217;s wrong.\u201d? In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, \u201cWhatever you do&#8230; don&#8217;t&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/\" class=\"readmore\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">#62 &#8211; Flight Deck Shenanigans<\/span><span class=\"fa fa-angle-double-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[59],"tags":[206,11,83,19,17,246,7,146,16],"class_list":["post-3024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-navy","tag-a-veterans-journey","tag-aircraft-carrier","tag-crash-salvage","tag-firefighter","tag-flight-deck","tag-flight-deck-scrub","tag-uss-kitty-hawk","tag-v-1-division","tag-yellow-shirt","content-layout-excerpt-thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>#62 - Flight Deck Shenanigans &#8212; A Veteran&#039;s Journey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Long hours and grueling work... all part of working on an aircraft carrier. But we managed to find time for flight deck shenanigans.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"#62 - Flight Deck Shenanigans &#8212; A Veteran&#039;s Journey\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Long hours and grueling work... all part of working on an aircraft carrier. But we managed to find time for flight deck shenanigans.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Veteran&#039;s Journey\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/andyadkinsiii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/andyadkinsiii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-12-22T11:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-10-13T17:20:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andy Adkins\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@azadkinsiii\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@azadkinsiii\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andy Adkins\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Andy Adkins\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3cbf38c3ae372859df51574b46563a4a\"},\"headline\":\"#62 &#8211; Flight Deck Shenanigans\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-22T11:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-13T17:20:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2020,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3cbf38c3ae372859df51574b46563a4a\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/flightdeck_santa-1024x683.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"A Veterans Journey\",\"Aircraft Carrier\",\"Crash &amp; Salvage\",\"Firefighter\",\"Flight deck\",\"Flight Deck Scrub\",\"USS Kitty Hawk\",\"V-1 Division\",\"Yellow Shirt\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Navy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/\",\"name\":\"#62 - Flight Deck Shenanigans &#8212; A Veteran&#039;s Journey\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/flightdeck_santa-1024x683.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-12-22T11:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-13T17:20:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Long hours and grueling work... all part of working on an aircraft carrier. But we managed to find time for flight deck shenanigans.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=1\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1067,\"caption\":\"171221-N-AD499-3036 ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 21, 2017) Lt. Larry Young, dressed as Santa, signals an F\\\/A-18 E Super Hornet, assigned to the Stingers of Strike Fighter Attack Squadron (VFA) 113 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and its carrier strike group are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Victoria Foley\\\/Released)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"#62 &#8211; Flight Deck Shenanigans\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Veteran's Journey\",\"description\":\"Life is a journey, one step followed by another...\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3cbf38c3ae372859df51574b46563a4a\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/azadkinsiii.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3cbf38c3ae372859df51574b46563a4a\",\"name\":\"Andy Adkins\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ec94c5a523b5357330f3e8d62f64b3f154b50811457531244ce436a7b9ed6c5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ec94c5a523b5357330f3e8d62f64b3f154b50811457531244ce436a7b9ed6c5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ec94c5a523b5357330f3e8d62f64b3f154b50811457531244ce436a7b9ed6c5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Andy Adkins\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5ec94c5a523b5357330f3e8d62f64b3f154b50811457531244ce436a7b9ed6c5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.azadkinsiii.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/andyadkinsiii\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/azadkinsiii\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/azadkinsiii\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/andy_adkins\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/azadkinsiii\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"#62 - Flight Deck Shenanigans &#8212; A Veteran&#039;s Journey","description":"Long hours and grueling work... all part of working on an aircraft carrier. But we managed to find time for flight deck shenanigans.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"#62 - Flight Deck Shenanigans &#8212; A Veteran&#039;s Journey","og_description":"Long hours and grueling work... all part of working on an aircraft carrier. But we managed to find time for flight deck shenanigans.","og_url":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/","og_site_name":"A Veteran&#039;s Journey","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/andyadkinsiii\/","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/andyadkinsiii\/","article_published_time":"2020-12-22T11:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-10-13T17:20:24+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa-1024x683.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Andy Adkins","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@azadkinsiii","twitter_site":"@azadkinsiii","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Andy Adkins","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/"},"author":{"name":"Andy Adkins","@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3cbf38c3ae372859df51574b46563a4a"},"headline":"#62 &#8211; Flight Deck Shenanigans","datePublished":"2020-12-22T11:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-13T17:20:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/"},"wordCount":2020,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3cbf38c3ae372859df51574b46563a4a"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa-1024x683.jpg","keywords":["A Veterans Journey","Aircraft Carrier","Crash &amp; Salvage","Firefighter","Flight deck","Flight Deck Scrub","USS Kitty Hawk","V-1 Division","Yellow Shirt"],"articleSection":["Navy"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/","url":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/","name":"#62 - Flight Deck Shenanigans &#8212; A Veteran&#039;s Journey","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa-1024x683.jpg","datePublished":"2020-12-22T11:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-13T17:20:24+00:00","description":"Long hours and grueling work... all part of working on an aircraft carrier. But we managed to find time for flight deck shenanigans.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/flightdeck_santa.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&ssl=1","width":1600,"height":1067,"caption":"171221-N-AD499-3036 ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 21, 2017) Lt. Larry Young, dressed as Santa, signals an F\/A-18 E Super Hornet, assigned to the Stingers of Strike Fighter Attack Squadron (VFA) 113 on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt and its carrier strike group are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Victoria Foley\/Released)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/62-flight-deck-shenanigans\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"#62 &#8211; Flight Deck Shenanigans"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/","name":"A Veteran's Journey","description":"Life is a journey, one step followed by another...","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3cbf38c3ae372859df51574b46563a4a"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3cbf38c3ae372859df51574b46563a4a","name":"Andy Adkins","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ec94c5a523b5357330f3e8d62f64b3f154b50811457531244ce436a7b9ed6c5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ec94c5a523b5357330f3e8d62f64b3f154b50811457531244ce436a7b9ed6c5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ec94c5a523b5357330f3e8d62f64b3f154b50811457531244ce436a7b9ed6c5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Andy Adkins"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5ec94c5a523b5357330f3e8d62f64b3f154b50811457531244ce436a7b9ed6c5?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.azadkinsiii.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/andyadkinsiii\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/azadkinsiii\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/azadkinsiii\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/andy_adkins\/","https:\/\/x.com\/azadkinsiii"]}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3024"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5285,"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3024\/revisions\/5285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}