Little missions, big picture in America’s war effort
View the photo gallery: Petraeus visits the carrier Nimitz
Trevon Chapman, Sam Kesler, Patricia Morones and Cam Wiseman don’t have high-profile positions in the wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These San Diego County residents are U.S. sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Nimitz, which is operating in the Gulf of Oman during an eight-month deployment. They replace lights, fix air-conditioning units, move cargo, maintain forklifts, process paychecks, summarize intelligence reports and help launch planes.
Not exactly “Top Gun” or “Rambo.”
But yesterday, on Thanksgiving, the sailors said they’re grateful for jobs that make a difference.
Generals and admirals are just as thankful for service members who think that way. They emphasize the importance of combat support roles, which would grow if President Barack Obama announces a troop increase in Afghanistan next week.
“Each one of you is a military of one. You contribute tremendously to the success of our mission for democracy and global stability,” Gen. David Petraeus told sailors aboard the ship during his “all-hands call” address.
This week, the four-star general invited The San Diego Union-Tribune for exclusive coverage of his journey from Washington, D.C., to the carrier.
Petraeus, who oversees U.S. forces in both wars as head of U.S. Central Command, said he chose to spend the holiday on the carrier partly to underscore that message. Other leaders on the ship also sounded the theme of teamwork throughout the day.
During Petraeus’ visit to the southern Afghanistan city of Kandahar two weeks ago, he said, troops asked him to thank the Nimitz crews.
“They knew they couldn’t do their work if you didn’t provide refueling, deliver weapons, make (bombing) runs … ensure the smooth running of this ship,” said Petraeus, who sought to connect with the rank and file at seemingly every opportunity.
His itinerary featured one touch of glamour: Shortly before midday, he took his first-ever ride in an F/A-18 fighter jet. Someone had written a message for him on the plane’s left-side window: “Gen. Petraeus, Things to Do Before Lunch – run 12 miles, do 500 push-ups, win a war or two.”
In the afternoon, he donned a chef’s hat emblazoned with four stars and carved a turkey for mess-hall diners. “Please don’t post this headgear on YouTube,” he quipped. The meal included 3,000 lobster tails, 1,000 pounds of turkey, 600 pounds of ham, 15 roasted pigs, 500 pounds of mashed potatoes and 150 gallons of cranberry sauce.
Hours later, Petraeus handed out special coins from his command to honor service members — regardless of their rank or occupation — who had completed at least 2½ years of deployment since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
And he took a self-deprecating, almost egalitarian approach for his all-hands session, which paid off with the most rousing cheers for his visit. He had written a standard speech but ditched it at the last minute in favor of something that was half musical performance, half pep talk.
Petraeus called himself “General P” and impersonated hip-hop star Jay-Z. He danced the electric slide with half a dozen sailors. He also called a few service members to the stage and challenged them to a competition of push-ups and sit-ups.
“I could have given an eloquent but dry Thanksgiving message,” Petraeus said. “But the truth is, I needed to poke fun at myself … All the men and women of the Nimitz had to know that America values what they do.”
Sam Kesler’s sentiments echo the general’s. He believes his position as a Nimitz “shooter” — someone who pushes the button to catapult planes off the carrier — is indispensable and dangerous.
Yesterday morning, Kesler stood on the ship’s deck surveying F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets readying to take off or land. The jets’ tires screeched against the deck, raising clouds of smoke. Their engines spit out more than 28,000 pounds of thrust, which could knock over bystanders. They came roaring in at roughly 180 mph, tipping slightly from side to side as their pilots tried to catch a landing cable.
“If people on the deck like me make a small miscalculation, it could cause the jet to crash or send it over the side of the ship,” said Kesler, 33, a lieutenant who was born in Chula Vista and still lives there. “Our roles have no margin for error. It’s not a shootout with insurgents, but it’s still hazardous.”
Down in the hangar, Trevon Chapman and Cam Wiseman said the military has helped them see how their behind-the-scenes duties feed into a greater whole. In the process, the two said, they have matured into more idealistic men.
“I barely graduated from high school because of my laziness and lack of direction,” said Wiseman, 22, a petty officer second class from the Paradise Hills neighborhood of San Diego. “Now I brief admirals and commanding officers on intelligence data. I’m proud of my work because it has an impact on America’s safety.”
Chapman, 21, joined the Navy in September 2008 because his family said he needed to grow up and find a purpose in life. He now works 12-hour shifts six days a week as an airman who repairs aircraft equipment.
“I have learned to set goals that are bigger than how to have enough money to buy a video game. I’m glad to be part of a bigger mission of defeating insurgents,” said Chapman, who hails from San Diego and has family in El Cajon.
Seeing the transformation in young adults such as Chapman and Cameron reminds Patricia Morones of herself. She said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan call for service members who are focused yet versatile, two qualities the Navy and the other armed forces espouse.
Morones, 38, said she enlisted in the Navy 19 years ago as a single mother “who was selfish, rebellious and thought she knew it all.” Early in her career, she faced discharge from the service because of her lack of teamwork and discipline.
“Being forced to account for my behavior, I woke up and decided to help my country and help my own daughter,” said Morones, a senior chief who oversees payroll and personnel issues for the Nimitz and its accompanying ships during this deployment. “I stopped putting myself first.”
Hieu Tran Phan: (619) 293-1371; hieu.phan@uniontrib.com
