Running Supplies! Decision Time!

Since the last posting ,we have left Sasebo and come back.

We steamed South for two days to meet up with a couple of Navy ships carrying Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. A couple were like mini aircraft carriers that carried 2 squads of Marine fighter planes, and 2-3 squads of Marine helicopters. We pulled up about 200 yards off the side of the ship (USS Essex and Tortuga) and they launched a helicopter. The helicopter would fly over and over about 10 feet above our flight deck where a crew member would hook a cargo net containing a several pallets of supplies to the helicopter. Then the helicopter would fly back to the ship, drop off the pallets and fly back to repeat. It took about 2 hours a ship and was very cool to watch.

Another thing we did was training with the Marines and Marine Special Forces in the MEU. When the supply transfer was done, we became a hostile enemy ship. The Marines had Harriers flying low and buzzing over our decks, and helicopters carrying them were launched. The choppers came and hovered over our deck while Marines fast-roped down onto it and quickly assaulted and took control of the ship.  Meanwhile, there were helicopters hovering off of our port and starboard side with Marine snipers aiming at anything moving on deck. It was all training...no actual or simulation ammo was fired.

It was all right out of a Marine recruiting video, and truly awesome to watch. Its amazing how professional and lighting fast those guys move and take control. Almost made me go and sign up for the Marines and get in on the fun.......almost.

That lasted 3 days. The Marine did a practice run the first day taking us over and then launched a for real run on us the second day.

After we were done with the MEU, we headed up North to meet up with a couple of more Navy boats. Here we pulled up right in between 2 of them. They were each about 150 feet off of our Port and Starboard sides. I believed they were destroyers of some time. We shot lines across to their deck and sent across fuel hoses and topped them off with fuel. We ran like that connected for a few hours. When that was done, they peeled off and we all went our own ways. It was another fun exercise and a good lesson on close quarter maneuvering.

So now we are back in Sasebo. We will be here for a few days before taking off to another Port in Japan, then Guam, and then I'm not sure what happens after that.

 The day before we left last time, a company I had submitted my resume to called me and offered me a job. The company is called Harvey Gulf Marine. They run Offshore Supply Vessels (OSVs) in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. I would be sent to work on one of their brand new OSV's in Alaska under a contract for Shell that goes until October. After that, I would be moved to an OSV in the Gulf of Mexico.  I have a conference call here in a couple of days with the office to go over more details of the offer.

I could go on and on about the running list of pros and cons I have going. I love this current job, its been a blast but it would be way to long and boring. It boils down to I can't see myself styaing here and making a career....there would be no way to have a real personal life. Plus the money would be slightly better with a way better work schedule of 28 days on, 14 days off. From hearing from friends that are working for Harvey and similar companies, the job would be as equally rewarding and as fun as it is here.

As the offer stand right now, I believe I will take the job. I would probably be getting off here around May 10th in the Philippines and starting in June. In my gut it feels like the right decision, and I'm not sure if an opportunity like this will come along again. It will enable me to pick up some certifications that will really make me a prime candidate for companies that operate larger ships on a more global scale in the same industry.