Saying Goodbye to the Girls… We had a great time and I’m so happy to have met them 🙂

Wow. Japan. I can’t believe I’m moving to Japan. Once the deployment was finished things started moving in a whirl, I could barely keep up. I felt like things were just happening and I was almost two steps behind playing catch up.

I flew to Wisconsin for Christmas leave right when I got back and it was great. After returning back to Norfolk it was time to get serious. I was moved to the engineering department to get some experience because I was going to my next ship to be the Auxiliaries Officer and I needed to get as much training as I could before going, so I wouldn’t get eaten alive.

Unfortunately that move did stop my smooth transition out of my first tour and set me up for 10-12 hour days and stressful nights. I almost reached my breaking point during this time. I had never come so close before. Not in the beginning, not during the deployment, but the burden of helping run that department almost did me in. As bad as I thought it was, I can’t believe how prepared I became in just a few short months for my second tour.

And what happened two weeks before I left?! WE WON THE ASW BLOODHOUND AWARD FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. It was the perfect ending. I had been very involved with the first award but winning it for a second year in a row was the best feeling because I knew that I was an important contributor this time. It was very satisfying. Senior wrote the award for the second year so I can’t take full credit for that but it was a great feeling knowing that my division and I had proven ourselves for the second time in a row!

My Goodbye’s to the destroyer were long awaited, but I was saddened. I had made so many friends and it was hard saying goodbye, but there is always an end that leads into a new beginning. And as the summer began I embarked on my new journey. It was time to head to Newport Rhode Island for Advanced Diesel school. Goodbye for now Norfolk, catch you on the flip side.

Deployment 2011!

Disclaimer: All of the pictures in the slideshow were taken by a photographer on board my ship [MC2 Curtis]. I did not take these pictures and they are not mine.