Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Carrier crews and the light of day
Message-ID: <1991Feb19.032843.18824@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 19 Feb 91 03:28:43 GMT
References: <1991Feb18.054408.11593@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 24
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
> . . .. On the documentary what they said was that most of the
> people assigned to a carrier literally go weeks between times 
> of seeing the sky.

On any ship, you can stay belowdecks if you WANT to, but there is,
at least to my knowledge, no practice that keeps people belowdecks
(except on a sub).  On a carrier, there are portions of the hanger
deck where you can get a breath of fresh air; during operations,
you stay at your station, or at least out of the way.  But there are
relatively few locations topside that are completely off-limits.

If you are standing deck watches, you are somewhere in the super-
structure area, so you see plenty of sea and sky.  Ops types are
usually located in the superstructure (radio, radar, etc.).  On a
carrier, the flight crew operates on the flight deck.

I think the TV show may have featured some snipes who may have
exaggerated somewhat; if you stand an engine room watch during the 
day, then shower (yes, snipes shower!), eat, catch the movie, hit
the pit, up for the next watch, (repeat endlessly), you COULD
go a day or two completely belowdecks.  Voluntarily, though.