Carrier

Anyone catch the 10 hour extravaganza of Carrier on PBS a few weeks ago? We DVRed it--filled up the DVR to 96%! Jay and I watched it last week--fabulous. The documentary is about life on the USS Nimitz. It follows the stories of sailors during their deployment, detailing both life on the ship and life at home. Some stories were heart warming, others were heart breaking. Regardless of your feelings on the military or the war, you should watch this show. I think it coming out on DVD soon, if it isn't already.

I was struck by the fact that the majority of the people defending this country are 18 or 19 years old. Some of them were very mature, others seemed surprised that they were on a ship headed to the Persian Gulf. It quickly became apparent to me that life on an aircraft carrier is what you make of it. The sailors with terrible attitudes had a terrible time. The sailors that tried to make the best of it fared much better.

The part that affected me the most was when people talked about their kids. Many of these men had missed their child's birth, birthdays, other milestones during their lives. A few men came home after this deployment to meet a child that wasn't there when they left--can you even imagine that? Crazy. Made me so thankful that I can give my kids a hug and kiss anytime I want. Also made me realize that I need to constantly adjust my attitude and try to maintain a positive outlook even when it feels impossible.

My dad was in the Navy (yes sir, Lt. Commander Louwsma!). He was an aviator and landed on aircraft carriers. It was so interesting to see a glimpse into what life was like for him as a Navy man. The aviators really put their necks on the line--and they are dependent upon those 18 and 19 year old kids to get them on and off the carrier safely. Talk about trust in the system!

Bottom line: even if you don't particularly care for the military or feel that the war is unjustified, you still have to appreciate the sacrifices that are made each day by the people who felt called to enlist.