A Sailors Life!! (La Vida de un Marinero)

The last the few the civilians to be....

2008-04-01T00:39:00.001+09:00

...And so after 11+ yrs I have decided to bid farewell to the military life. It's exciting to feel that for once in my life I get to call my own shots in regards to my career and homestead... DC here I come!!!!

To the friends past and present

2007-11-23T16:35:00.000+09:00

2007-05-11T05:00:00.000+09:00

DC

2007-05-11T04:54:00.001+09:00

It's more like this.....

Xmas Leave in the land where "life is pure"...PURA VIDA

2007-02-05T01:29:00.000+09:00

DC sights.....

2007-01-18T06:50:00.000+09:00

Lincoln Memorial, SEP 06

Like a good neighbor

2006-09-24T05:21:00.000+09:00

...there is always one there.

Mike J Freeman Oct 3 1975- Sep 4 2006

2006-09-06T11:22:00.000+09:00

What matters is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog..

2006-09-06T10:02:00.000+09:00

YOU FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT. In loving memory. May your soul rest in peace my friend, and brother. 1974-2006

101 things to do in y our life time......

2006-08-05T00:38:00.000+09:00

Take a cross country drive.

Misawa, Japan.

2006-05-22T21:40:00.000+09:00

Merry go round sushi, ju eat wont time ju gow naow!!

Got this one the other night. YIKES!

2006-05-22T21:39:00.000+09:00

2006-04-13T03:31:00.000+09:00

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern		100%
Iron Man		90%
Spider-Man		70%
Catwoman		70%
Superman		65%
Hulk		65%
The Flash		65%
Supergirl		60%
Wonder Woman		60%
Robin		47%
Batman		35%

Hot-headed. You have strong
will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

Philipine sea sun set.

2006-03-06T20:20:00.000+09:00

Over Jolo island Philipines.

2006-03-06T20:15:00.000+09:00

10 hr missions can be exhausting, personal laptops are great idea. During this mission I brought mine up to the flight station and put on some "training videos" over the PA, the sound of screaming and panting noises were enough to wake the crew right up.

Ahhh hotel life.

2006-03-06T20:04:00.000+09:00

2006-02-20T12:46:00.000+09:00

Boy dave and I get inked in the Philipines.

Extinct volcano on Jolo island.

2006-02-19T20:06:00.000+09:00

2006-02-03T17:31:00.000+09:00

"Snail mail" still one of my favorite mediums of correspondence.

Love me some pool volleyball!

2006-02-02T15:22:00.000+09:00

Being tall has its advantages I guess. Dave, Joe and myslef get some time off "work". Place is great and cheap too. This place died after the US pulled out of here in '91 due to the eruption of the nearby volcano.

Cory and Brian

2006-01-30T01:09:00.000+09:00

Hotel pool, FANUS's ass accidentaly appeared on this one, sorry guys!

Success.

2006-01-29T10:46:00.000+09:00

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and short comming, but who actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - T.R, 1910

2006-01-26T22:12:00.000+09:00

RECON over the PI.

Condition 4 weapon

2006-01-26T18:56:00.000+09:00

Due to the threat level of the areas we fly over, we are required to carry 9MM in the event we get shot down over hostile territory.

2006-01-20T12:33:00.000+09:00

My pilots head to another preflight under the baking 90 degree sun.

2006-01-20T12:28:00.000+09:00

Arrive at Clark Philippine AB.

Off to our new detachement site.

2006-01-18T14:48:00.000+09:00

Bright eyed and bushy tailed we boarded early and awaited our 2 hr flight to the PI.

INSPIRATION

2006-01-06T10:40:00.000+09:00

Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 % perspiration, Which is why flight engineers sometimes smell really bad.

Ryukyu Horiyoshi Tattoo Studio, Okinawa-City

2005-12-28T12:07:00.000+09:00

Like the saying goes .....there is a 1st time for everyhting!

2005-12-26T23:08:00.000+09:00

Ryukyu Horiyoshi Tattoo Studio, Okinawa-City

Straggled Thailand Pics.

2005-12-25T09:25:00.000+09:00

Tummys full after a kick ass buffet, not a bad place to be on ya bday , congrats Cat.

Never walk into a Thai monks temple with your shoes on.

Flava Flav gives the thumbs up, " We got beer"

Xmas over the China Sea.

2005-12-24T22:53:00.000+09:00

Although I would have rather had a nice family dinner, it was a nice day out there during our 10hr flight, these are the type of things that makes us apreciate what we have and who we are.

Misawa, North Japan

2005-12-22T15:56:00.000+09:00

Up here for a couple of days while an aircraft gets ready to get flown back south.

Chocks are removed and we are ready for engine starts, Okinawa Japan.

2005-12-22T14:16:00.000+09:00

Typical deployment pastime.

2005-12-22T13:27:00.000+09:00

I suck at video games.Never was too big into the video game craze, but Dave got me hooked on Halo, yeah, beer and Halo.

Dad to be...

2005-12-22T13:17:00.000+09:00

Dave will be a dad once we get back from deployment, he's showing me a pic of the sonogram on his lap top.

WE were all ready to head back to Japan.

2005-12-21T19:47:00.000+09:00

With the exception of pedro and Flave who insisted on me finding a discrepancy on the plane that would force us to stay "just another night".

Outta here.

2005-12-21T19:36:00.000+09:00

One last view form the balcony, 4 days feels like 4 weeks, not so bright eyed and bushylailed we got up the next morning and began out trip home.

CREW 5 RAISIN' SOME DUST......

2005-12-21T19:25:00.000+09:00

The last nite is always the best....

2005-12-21T18:39:00.000+09:00

For some this is the joy of Thailand!

2005-12-21T18:02:00.000+09:00

Thai monk temples

2005-12-21T17:53:00.000+09:00

หลวงพี่ or "LUANG PHI" is classified for a young monk.
หลวงพ่อ or "LUANG PHO / LUANG PHOR" is classified for a middle aged monk.
หลวงปู่ or "LUANG PU / LUANG POO" is classified for a old renowned monk.
หลวงตา or "LUANG TA" ( classified for becoming a monk at older age ) is less respectful that "LUANG PHO / LUANG PHOR".
หลวงเถระ or "LUANG THERA" is classified for a man being a monk for 10 years.

Life...

2005-12-21T17:24:00.000+09:00

One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.

It wasnt long before we all hit up the pool for some Mai Thais and Singhas.

2005-12-21T16:43:00.000+09:00

Pattaya beach Marriot.

2005-12-21T16:30:00.000+09:00

On the strip of Pattaya beach, the Garden Hotel is excellent at catering to us when we come into town!

We get launched on on the ready alert 1....To Thailand...

2005-12-21T16:11:00.000+09:00

Our PPP ( Patrol Plane Pilot) reads navigation charts on our 7 hr flight to U-thapao.

Our First Mission.......

2005-12-18T23:47:00.000+09:00

After a long ass day of radio calls and altitude changes, we can finally enjoy the view over the SE China sea as we make our way back to base.

Intruducing..COMBAT AIR CREW FIVE

2005-12-18T22:47:00.000+09:00

AWAN "Bama" Stroud, AW2 Lefavor " Flava flave", AD1 Stan "the man", AW2 "Cat" Clark, AT2 Pedraza "Pedro". AD2 "Fatty" Rodriguez, and AW3 "big easy" Everly....

Darby, Mikey, Jake N me.

2005-12-04T14:26:00.000+09:00

2:00 am and finally the tree is done, with some puppy help and lots a Brandy eggnog n Baileys N Vodka...cheers boys!! gonna miss ya asses!!!

2005-11-19T14:33:00.000+09:00

Stay tuned , we deploy in 2 weeks......Pics of my crew to follow.

New commer Dave E.

2005-11-19T07:17:00.000+09:00

Our most recent FNG, Dave will be one of our accustic operators in this upcomming 6 month deployment, welcome to Combat Aircrew 5 Dave.

Home for the next 6 months......

2005-11-19T07:08:00.000+09:00

Comes fully equiped with urinal, hot air oven, fridge, 2 racks (beds), spacious room for 23, seats for 12. Radios, color screens, and air conditioning. Anti theft security includes Maverick missiles, harpoons and cluster bombs, oh and if you are lucky enough sometimes they come with SLAMS.(Stand-off Land Attack Missles). Not bad heh?

The Real Contest.....

2005-11-19T07:05:00.000+09:00

.... is always between what you've done and what you're capable of doing. You measure youself against yourself and nobody else.

Caragena, Espana.

2005-11-19T06:39:00.000+09:00

Saludos a todos los amigos que conoci, espcialmenta a Cristina, Andres y Naco!!
Hombre!!

Why go to Marseilles?

2005-11-19T06:32:00.000+09:00

This Mediterranean port, famous for diversity and smuggling, is a must-see for a traveler.
Enjoy a café au lait at a streetside café and watch Arab traders parley with locals.
Croissant for breakfast, falafel for lunch, seafood pasta for dinner.
Marseilles makes for an ideal stopover between Monaco and Barcelona.
Explore the scenic beauty and awesome climate of Provence.
Provence's lighter style of cuisine and the great weather make for a pleasant change from Paris.
The TGV will zip you from Paris to Marseilles in no time.
Visit the Cannes film festival, the beaches of Nice and Monaco when you come through

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.

2005-11-19T06:17:00.000+09:00

..and a really young me.

Flight Ops

2005-11-19T06:12:00.000+09:00

Bird from my old squadron get realy to get catapulted off the flight deck. more info..http://science.howstuffworks.com/aircraft-carrier8.htm

CVN 69 (AKA Love boat)

2005-11-19T06:05:00.000+09:00

Carrier life, like nothing I have ever experienced.On Board the Flight Deck
The ship's mission is to launch and land jets.
There are 5,000 of us working 18-hour days, and more than 70 jets are on board.
There are 60–70 daily take-offs and landings 24 hours a day.
The average age of the crew is 19 years old.
Each of us wears the distinctive colors of their job; there are those with purple shirts fuel the aircrafts, blue shirts chain the jets to the deck, red shirts load the bombs and the missiles, and yellow shirts receive the ready signal from the pilots and make the final call to launch the jets.
All communication on the deck is with hand signals.
When an aircraft lands, it must reduce its speed from 160 miles an hour to 0 in under 4 seconds. A normal airliner takes their foot off the gas to land; however, these jets only have a short runway, and if they're unable to stop in time, they have to take off again.
No Seaweed for us on this baby
The cafeteria on the ship feeds about 16,000 meals 24 hours a day.
130 food service operators work in the seven kitchens.
In case of emergency, the ship stores 60 days worth of food.
Every day, 500 gallons of milk, 2,000 lbs. of chicken, 1,000 lbs. of beef and 600 lbs. of bread are used.
Another ship comes to supply the us with fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs.
Pizza is the favorite meal on board: 600–800 pizzas are consumed!
Health Facilities
A local trauma center provides hospital service for all ships at sea, totaling 5,000–6,000 people.
An emergency room, intensive care unit, operating rooms, x-ray center, pharmacy, dentist and optometrist are all available for patients.
Communicating with Loved Ones
The ship's television station can record personal video messages from us to loved ones.
30,000–50,000 e-mails are processed a day.
Every sailor has access to a computer.
Play Time
Workout facilities: there are three cardio gyms and one weight room.
Religion centers offer prayer, songs and spiritual insights for a number of different religious faiths.
Sailors have access to a computer room, a library, an e-mail room and a ship's mall where they can buy CDs, DVDs, videotapes and more. I have to say those days were long and hard, and I would do it all over again if i had the chance to.

Singapore

2005-11-19T05:59:00.000+09:00

One of the things I love about going on detachments like this one is gettting our own hotel rooms. :)

You are an Angel Deena.Miss ya tons.

2005-11-19T05:57:00.000+09:00

Near Portage Glacier. Anchorage, Alaska.

2005-11-19T05:54:00.000+09:00

Happens EVERYTIME!

2005-11-19T05:49:00.000+09:00

Everytime I bring my freinds to Costa Rica they fall in love with one of my local childhood friends, here best friend Justin and life long friend Alexandra, on a trip to the foothills of Poas , an acitve volcano 20 miles from my house.

Thailand

2005-11-19T05:43:00.000+09:00

That's the handsign for " Im totally dinged up on beer, beer me John?"

Swine and Scotty

2005-11-19T05:40:00.000+09:00

Scott tends to be the ghetto fav all the time.

Thank God for "How to Videos"

2005-11-19T05:35:00.000+09:00

I've been attempting to play now for a good yr and a half with some pretty good results, although I cant hold a tune to save ly life, I enjoy playing on the deck of the house when Im home alone ( that way no one hears how bad I suck)

White water rafting , Antalya, Turkey!!

2005-11-19T05:30:00.000+09:00

Turkish people know how to have a good time. We asked if we could have a couple before the trip downriver, 5 mins later this scrawny turkish boy showed up with a six pack in a plastic bag, cheers!

G.W River, Fairfax VA.

2005-11-19T05:25:00.000+09:00

Let your performance do the talkin.....
(Mt Biking the backwoods in VA)

Gangn' up on the little Costa Rican....

2005-11-19T05:21:00.000+09:00

I tried hiding, I tried running, I tried bribing with no result. I had to give the frisbee I stold back....( Matt, John, Karen and John Doe, Pensacola Beach, FL))

Road to Recovery.....

2005-11-19T05:12:00.000+09:00

This is Scott, Scott and I were on a MT Biking trip late last summer, after critically fracturing his spine and undergoing extensive treatment, and missing a deployment with us, he has recovered nicely. Here night falls as we come to long day of rock climbing on MT Erie, WA.

Yeah, Im a bad ass, ju dant likeh you go fak ough!!

2005-11-18T06:49:00.000+09:00

Now this is one that goes WAYYYY back. We grew up in rural Costa Rica, with someof the most humble beginings, something I will always be greatful for

2005-11-18T05:05:00.000+09:00

Here sis Katherine (on the steps), brother Johan (white tank) and of course the kid with the big head ( green shirt) is me. People used to tell me, "You're too short" or "You're so young". I always thought to my self," that just gives me more years to beat you!" My mother always told me, " Dynamite comes in small packages."

Blast into the past ( Thailand 2002, one of my Leutenants and I)

2005-11-18T04:49:00.000+09:00

IF ever in SABAILAND , Pattaya Beach. Ask about the FOAMY specials!!!!yuk!

2005-11-03T06:58:00.000+09:00

"It's easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you"- D.C

2005-11-02T04:07:00.000+09:00

Herald SQ. NYC ( thanks JOHN)

2005-11-02T04:06:00.000+09:00

...

2005-11-02T03:53:00.000+09:00

>>>Get it!

2005-11-02T02:09:00.000+09:00

Then it met it's death.......

2005-11-02T02:07:00.000+09:00

PB SD in CA, in US of A. OK?

2005-11-02T02:05:00.000+09:00

No that's not the crack of dawn...damn latinos.

Maddona at the ROXY

2005-10-25T11:26:00.000+09:00

Never thought my only weekend in NYC, and WE got to see Maddona. ( Shot by J.P) there that better? Quit cryin'!!

2005-10-23T05:15:00.000+09:00

Times sq

2005-10-05T04:56:00.000+09:00

Alcohol, hydrants and sailors always go well together.

2005-10-05T04:54:00.000+09:00

Buddy Will on Top of Kilimajaro, Africa.

2005-10-05T04:53:00.000+09:00

I-8 , AZ, San Diego bound.

2005-10-05T04:52:00.000+09:00

...get sum.

2005-10-05T04:51:00.000+09:00

RAGE IN THE CAGE BABY!!!!!

2005-10-05T04:50:00.000+09:00

Hungry, cold and quite hypoxic....

2005-10-05T04:48:00.001+09:00

2005-10-05T04:48:00.000+09:00

....Highest point in the state of Arizona....

2005-10-05T04:45:00.000+09:00

At 12, 200', the air already thin we inch our way to the summit.

2005-10-05T04:42:00.000+09:00

...

2005-10-05T04:41:00.000+09:00

Humphreys Peak, 12,688' ( Flagstaff, AZ)

2005-09-30T04:01:00.000+09:00

2005-09-22T12:43:00.000+09:00

The "mini" bar

2005-09-22T12:38:00.000+09:00

Seattle

2005-09-22T12:35:00.000+09:00

....wait 2+2 is.......

Your mind can only hold one thought at a time.....

2005-09-22T12:32:00.000+09:00

.

Make it a positive and constructive one!

2005-09-19T16:39:00.000+09:00

Dante

2005-09-19T16:38:00.000+09:00

Riding round Scottsdale , AZ.

2005-09-19T16:36:00.000+09:00