The Shuttle
USS Enterprise (CVN 65)
Newsletter Edition
“We are Legend”
February 8, 2012 Issue
Marine Life Aboard The Big “E” Story by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Heath Zeigler USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea – Whenever Carrier Air Wing shipboard life for the first time. 1 is embarked aboard aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, 261 “It’s definitely different being here,” said Sgt. Maj. Leveta Marines, assigned to the Thunderbolts of Marine Fighter Attack Smith, the command sergeant major for the Thunderbolts. Squadron 251 (VMFA-251), work alongside nearly 5,000 “This is my first ship, and being away from my family is hard, Sailors conducting flight operations. but just knowing that I can trust the people around me and Although the Marines’ primary mission aboard Enterprise is maintaining, launching and recovering aircraft, they also work in positions much like the Sailors aboard the ship. They work, eat and sleep in the same areas and even have similar temporary assigned duties (TAD). “We plan beforehand who is going TAD to any of the departments on the ship and what other departments will need extra help,” said Staff Sgt. Jerrod D. Poppe, VMFA-251’s flight equipment chief. “We send people down to the mess decks, up to the flight deck or anywhere we know they will have to go.” Of the 261 Marines aboard, 43 of them work in TAD billets in the Supply department, Medical department, and Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance department (AIMD), to name a Marines assigned to the Thunderbolts of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 (VMFA-251), secure ordnance few. The Marines will work in on an F/A-18C Hornet aboard aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65). (Photo by MCSN Gregory White) those billets for about 30 to 60 days before they are rotated out and the fact that I can sleep soundly at night without the sound of return to the squadron. bombs in the background, is a comforting thought.” “I enjoy being here,” said Lance Cpl. Jerry S. Starr, a Marine As is the case with the Enterprise crew, Marines are given TAD to the galley. “It’s a lot of fun getting to meet people and pre-deployment briefs and classes on how to handle the stress see what goes on everyday.” of being away from their friends and family. Marines TAD to AIMD are trained before embarking on the “We hold training and classes to help prepare our troops ship, but others who go TAD are trained by the Sailors who physically and mentally for the stress of shipboard life,” said work in the areas to which the Marines are assigned. Smith. “Plus we have to make sure that they are ready for the Most of the Marines will continue working in the danger of launching and recovering aircraft on the flight deck.” departments they are currently assigned to during the upcoming Marines aboard the ship are working together with the deployment. AIMD is the only department that retains the same Sailors here to accomplish the mission. Marines for the entire deployment. “I’m happy we are here,” said Smith. “It gives us a Although the job is mostly the same aboard the ship as it is chance to show that we can work together in a joint service on land, it can be challenging for those who are experiencing environment and still get the job done.”