"Carrier" Followup on PBS

[Coach]

There's what looks to be an interesting followup tonight to the "Carrier" shows on PBS. "Another Day in Paradise" is described as 'A companion film to the PBS "Carrier" miniseries, about life aboard the USS Nimitz, focuses on just a few of the aircraft carrer's 5,000-strong crew, including a fighter pilot, an ordnance seaman and a salsa-dancing Marine.' 90 minutes.

Coach

 

[Nords]

"Another Day in Paradise"

... "All This And a Paycheck Too!!"

Is that the title of one of the old episodes, or additional footage that didn't make the original director's cut?

Our kid was riveted by the series and had a hard time breaking away from it to do chores, answer questions, participate in conversations, eat, sleep, etc. She finally finished watching the three-DVD set, turned off the TV, and announced "OK, that's it, I'm not joining the military." This from someone who started bleeding blue&gold after spending just two days at USNA.

I found myself in the unusual position of defending the military and saying "Well, if you really want to get the straight story then you should experience it for yourself..." No wonder she's confused.

 

[clifp]

The problem for young people is that nobody would bother to make a miniseries about life aboard US Megacorp so they don't have a basis for comparison. The silly rules, crazy coworkers, and the mind numbing meetings.

The best you can hope for is have the kids read Dilbert for a year. Of course you have to tell them that it a not cartoon, but rather a work of non fiction!

 

[REWahoo]

The problem for young people is that nobody would bother to make a miniseries about life aboard US Megacorp so they don't have a basis for comparison. The silly rules, crazy coworkers, and the mind numbing meetings.

You're forgetting about "The Office"...

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

... "All This And a Paycheck Too!!"

Is that the title of one of the old episodes, or additional footage that didn't make the original director's cut?

Our kid was riveted by the series and had a hard time breaking away from it to do chores, answer questions, participate in conversations, eat, sleep, etc. She finally finished watching the three-DVD set, turned off the TV, and announced "OK, that's it, I'm not joining the military." This from someone who started bleeding blue&gold after spending just two days at USNA.

I found myself in the unusual position of defending the military and saying "Well, if you really want to get the straight story then you should experience it for yourself..." No wonder she's confused.

Can't imagine spending even 1 day on a ship. I found it very interesting that the sailors were getting yelled at for wearing what seemed to me very conservative summer wear (T shirt and shorts) to go to Hong Kong. Hong Kong isn't exactly a back water place.

 

[Nords]

Can't imagine spending even 1 day on a ship. I found it very interesting that the sailors were getting yelled at for wearing what seemed to me very conservative summer wear (T shirt and shorts) to go to Hong Kong. Hong Kong isn't exactly a back water place.

Based on my experience, the documentary didn't show those same sailors attending approximately 18 pre-portcall training sessions on "what not to wear"...

Next up: finding all of those sailors at the places where they've been "told not to go".

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Based on my experience, the documentary didn't show those same sailors attending approximately 18 pre-portcall training sessions on "what not to wear"...

Next up: finding all of those sailors at the places where they've been "told not to go".

Oh, and I had been thinking up to this point that What Not to Wear is a TLC original. It just shows you that there's nothing new on TV.

Seriously, what were they supposed to wear?

 

[Nords]

Seriously, what were they supposed to wear?

It's been a few years so I'm extrapolating, but I'm guessing:
At a minimum dress shoes or clean sneakers, socks or hose, long pants, buttoned or polo shirt. No symbols or statements or logos on any attire, nothing that would be interpreted as "gang colors", all tattoos covered, no logo or outlandish headgear. Hats in general should not be worn indoors (disrespectful) nor should bare feet be displayed in most southeast Asia countries.

(Don't even get me started on "proper liberty attire" for Navy women in Muslim countries. I'll be over here restraining my spouse from venting her own opinions. OK, back to the command training

Brief your chain of command on your liberty plan and follow it, use a liberty buddy, no public inebriation, no public displays of affection or aggression, no loud voices or exhuberant gestures, no confrontations, no motorcycles, no jitneys, no tuktuks, no houses of prostitution, take a package of condoms with you, venereal disease may be a violation of UCMJ or even life-threatening. Don't go to the following off-limits establishments (long list includes addresses & phone numbers in order to facilitate directing cab drivers and making reservations). Don't join demonstrations or crowds. Don't rent hotel rooms. Don't get married.

No shore leave authorized. E-3 and below authorized liberty only with liberty cards and to expire at midnight. No exceptions.

Take care of each other. Liberty incidents will be judged cause for imposing additional restrictions.

And hey, no fun! What, did you think you were joining the Navy to see the world or something?!?

But that's just what I've been told by other surface sailors & aviators. As a career submariner my liberty ports were limited to garden spots like Guam and Yokosuka.

We need someone here with real-world battlegroup experience. Boxkicker, can you help me out?

 

[Khan]

I was in Annapolis in December of 1973 with some friends. We were doing some pub-crawling. I recall the locals referring to 'middies'(all male at the time) (who weren't supposed to be there), and 'middie bait' (young women looking to acquire a middie.

 

[Leonidas]

...no public inebriation, no public displays of affection or aggression, no loud voices or exhuberant gestures, no confrontations, no motorcycles, no jitneys, no tuktuks, no houses of prostitution...

In other words, don't do any of the things that you're all dying to do because of all the sea stories told by those who came before you.

A scene just popped in my head of a young woman grabbing my arm as I walked in the bar, "Hi Marine, you buy me drink?" The memory goes dim after that.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Pardon me, but the list sounds like a Sunday at church except the part about taking condoms.

 

[Nords]

Pardon me, but the list sounds like a Sunday at church except the part about taking condoms.

Good point-- I probably should have specified the authorized denominations.

I mean the denominations of the churches...

 

[clifp]

You're forgetting about "The Office"...

Naw I am not forgetting the Office. The Office is a lot more fun than any real work place, I've heard of (Well maybe a few Silicon Valley start ups). Dilbert is funny but not fun.

 

[bayfritz]

It's been a few years so I'm extrapolating, but I'm guessing:
At a minimum dress shoes or clean sneakers, socks or hose, long pants, buttoned or polo shirt. No symbols or statements or logos on any attire, nothing that would be interpreted as "gang colors", all tattoos covered, no logo or outlandish headgear. Hats in general should not be worn indoors (disrespectful) nor should bare feet be displayed in most southeast Asia countries.

(Don't even get me started on "proper liberty attire" for Navy women in Muslim countries. I'll be over here restraining my spouse from venting her own opinions. OK, back to the command training

Brief your chain of command on your liberty plan and follow it, use a liberty buddy, no public inebriation, no public displays of affection or aggression, no loud voices or exhuberant gestures, no confrontations, no motorcycles, no jitneys, no tuktuks, no houses of prostitution, take a package of condoms with you, venereal disease may be a violation of UCMJ or even life-threatening. Don't go to the following off-limits establishments (long list includes addresses & phone numbers in order to facilitate directing cab drivers and making reservations). Don't join demonstrations or crowds. Don't rent hotel rooms. Don't get married.

No shore leave authorized. E-3 and below authorized liberty only with liberty cards and to expire at midnight. No exceptions.

Take care of each other. Liberty incidents will be judged cause for imposing additional restrictions.

And hey, no fun! What, did you think you were joining the Navy to see the world or something?!?

But that's just what I've been told by other surface sailors & aviators. As a career submariner my liberty ports were limited to garden spots like Guam and Yokosuka.

We need someone here with real-world battlegroup experience. Boxkicker, can you help me out?

Pretty much spot on with a couple of new rules. I retired in Sept 2006 as an Airdale/brown shoe and here is what I remember.

- Buddy Log - Must sign out and sign back in with same buddy.
- Proper attire is briefed prior to cruise and prior to every port visit. If you got sent back to change your clothes, you are an idiot. Most people just put the UA clothes in their bag and change when they hit the beach.
- Overnight liberty authorized for E-5 and E-6 with approved request chit. Automatic for E-7 and above. E-4 and below, case by case basis depending on track record.
- Liberty expiration set by the Skipper of the boat. Usually midnight for E-4 and below, but varied depending on port.
- Leave could be taken in port, but you better have it planned to the exacting detail and be able to prove it to the skipper.
- Don't remember any specific establishments being off limits, instead entire areas and districts would be declared off limits. Since most red light areas tend to be centrally located. Easier to herd squids that way.
- Fun can still be had, you just have to be to handle it, without it turning into an "incident". If local police are involved or you are stumbling drunk, you are toast. Guaranteed audience with the old man and the Command DAPA.

Liberty for the Navy changed drastically after 9/11. My last 2 cruises had two scheduled liberty port per deployment. One prior to heading into the box (Iraq) and one heading out. Prior to 9/11 we usually have 8-10 liberty ports. Hell, during our 86 and 88 cruises, I had girlfriends in Naples.

Caveat. My 7 cruises were all East coast cruises. This could be different for the WestPac boys and girls.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

My wife and I watched it last night on PBS. After about 20 minutes of watching low level enlisted folks below decks, my wife observed that it seemed to be just like high school in the South and/or the Bronx.