Photo By Sandy Owens | Leaders gather for a photo aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. (Courtesy Photo)... read more read more
NAS JRB FORT WORTH, TEXAS— Naval Air Station (NAS) Joint Reserve Base (JRB) Fort Worth and Navy Recruiting District Dallas joined forces to send the President and Founder of Holidays and Heroes, Ms. Kerre Randel Ortegel, aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt as a participant in the Navy’s “Leaders to Sea” initiative on June 6-7, providing insight into the daily workings of a Navy ship at sea.
“This was one of the most memorable and informative adventures I have ever taken part of,” said Ortegel. “The excitement of flying on a V22 Osprey, and landing on the back of an aircraft carrier, then to step onto the flight deck and see all the planes was awe-inspiring.”
The purpose of the “Leaders to Sea” initiative is to provide civilians with no Navy background the opportunity to experience firsthand what it's like to live and work at sea, acquaint them with the capabilities of naval ships and showcase the ship and crew.
“The most exciting part of the day was to experience flight operations from the flight deck, with F-18s taking off on the starboard side, and landing on the port side. It was fun to watch all the deck hands in their different colored jerseys orchestrating the movement of all the planes. The deck hands were nicknamed ‘Skittles’ as different job roles were identified by their corresponding colored jerseys,” explained Ortegel.
Ortegel’s brother served as an Aviation Maintenance Administrator onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt during Operation Allied Force in 1999 for six months. According to Ortegel, this made the “Leaders to Sea” program, where she had the opportunity to tour the same ship, even more impactful.
“Being in the hangar, seeing all the planes, helicopters, and their maintainers gave me a sense of just how big the carrier is from the flight deck and the hangar,” said Ortegel. “We also got to go into the Theodore Roosevelt Museum room, where we saw several artifacts on display,
including a “big stick” which is also the nickname for the carrier.”
Ortegel expressed her admiration for the professionalism of the sailors she encountered. “I was impressed those young men and women from 18 – 24 years old were given the responsibilities of handling multimillion dollar equipment,” said Ortegel. “I am now inspired knowing what they
are giving up living on a ship for months at a time, most of them below deck, rarely seeing the light of day. They work, eat, and sleep and start over again the next day. They give up the luxury of civilian life to maintain and defend our freedom.”
| Date Taken: | 07.05.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.05.2023 15:17 |
| Story ID: | 448582 |
| Location: | FORT WORTH , TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 125 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Holidays and Heroes Founder Participates in Navy’s Leaders to Sea Initiative, by Sandy Owens, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
