Sunday… Again, what are you doing?

 Picture of the day:

        Flight deck was relaxed when not launching... WE could wander around looking at the sea. The flight deck is larger than a football field. Over 5000 sailors/officers aboard.

                                    Launching aircraft 

Now for today’s stuff:

I have always had a knack for fixing things. It is satisfying to see something that has become completely useless, working again.

Problem is my mind is NOT sure the broken, can be fixed. Most of the time the fix works, but the very next time, there the doubt is again.

Twice in my life I have had too much repair responsibility. Aboard the Aircraft Carrier Independence and the Naval Base GITMO. I was the only repairman aboard ship for all the IBM gear in supply, Intelligence and in the Spook area. Calls, more times than I can count. My main job was not repair, but intelligence processing. But repair took precedence.

More times than not when called to fix a machine, I looked at the problem and my mind said, you won’t get this one. On GITMO, my main job was processing Supply data and printing over 10,000 pay checks twice a month. Repair, maintenance, and preventative maintenance took a lot of time.

But there again, every stinking breakdown, my mind said, ‘Dude, this one you cannot fix, call IBM they will send a technician down here.’

I don’t think I have ever mentioned this to anyone. Is that doubt normal? I mean after the hundreds of repairs, fixing them all, I would still think. This one has got me What am I doing here?.

I was not the only one. All Ships with IBM processing gear had only one repairman; he was also an operator. I never once asked any of the other repairmen I knew, did they have those doubts?

That pressure was only about 5-6 years. Most jobs it was common to have a shipmate or fellow worker to assist in problems. There is no job, civilian or military that doesn’t bring up problems, BUT most times there is assistance and advice of folks with like skills.

To be sure, on the outside, I always said and acted like, 'NO PROBLEM!', this machine will be back on line in a short time. AND as a fact it always was.

That doubt has SELDOM raised its head in other jobs and tasks.  My main job on the ship had to do with processing data brought in by our aircraft, some were classed as 'spy planes'  Ever hear of Gary Powers?

I worked closely with Pilots.

This picture was taken by a pilot flying just under the wing of  his pardner who is just under a Russian Bomber.   When our radar would show a Russian plane near our Task Force the skipper would scramble our fighters to escort the 'intruder' away.  It was a game to the pilots, They said they always waved and smiled. WE had photographers and processors in our intell center, they would process the pilot's personal film; the pilots would give us some of them.

Was those situations with doubt normal? Have you ever asked yourself, WHAT AM I DOING?

Nite Shipslog

PS: I just told Sherry about the doubt, she said this was the first time I ever told her. all the time she thought I was smart and knew exactly whta I was doing. LOL If you are still here, you get an A+ !