TIGER CRUISE '94
A DREAM CRUISE ON AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER
BY STEPHEN COESTER

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Dateline Pearl Harbor, the date is not December 7, 1941, but rather August 6, 1994 . It is not the "Day of Infamy that will live Forever", but rather a beautiful summer day in Honolulu. I have just arrived in Hawaii to participate in a once in a lifetime opportunity, seven days on the USS Carl Vinson CVN 70. She is the newest, most powerful nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the Navy, and is on the return trip to San Diego after completion of a six month long operational cruise. During the cruise, known as WESTPAC 94, the Carl Vinson and her Task Group consisting of a nuclear powered Cruiser, a Guided Missile Frigate, a Fast Supply Ship, and an Attack Nuclear Submarine supported the peace keeping mission in the Arabian Gulf. Daily air operations were flown over Iraq maintaining the no fly zone mandated by the United Nations.
At the Honolulu airport, I was met by my son and sponsor, Lt. Dean Coester, who is a pilot aboard the ship, along with his wife, Kathy, and my granddaughter, Kristen, age one and a half years. Kathy met the ship when it arrived a week earlier in Honolulu. Dean had not seen his child for one-third of her young life, nor his wife for the long six month separation. Multiply their experience by several thousand and one can appreciate the personal sacrifice these families have made. We had one day together before the ship departed for the mainland. There was no doubt that we'd all go visit the Arizona Memorial in remembrance of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor over 50 years ago. The USS Arizona was one of the Battleship fleet sunk at her dock in the sneak attack on December 7, 1941. Over 1200 of her crew remain entombed in the rusting hulk beneath the clear waters. To this day, fuel oil from the Arizona's bunkers bubbles to the surface, a reminder that this was once a living ship. It was a somber trip by launch out to the viewing stand over the Arizona after viewing historical films of the events leading to the U.S. entry into World War II, and the attack on Pearl Harbor.
After bidding farewell to Kathy and Kristen, Dean and I, along with Dean's other guest, J.D. Tierny, who is Dean's brother-in-law, went aboard the aircraft carrier to register for Tiger Cruise '94. This is a program which invites male guests, known as Tigers, to ride from Honolulu to the West Coast on their sponsors' ships. Ages of the guests ranged from eight to over seventy. The program is no cost to the government with transportation and food costs aboard ship being born by the guests. We quickly learned that much of Navy life is spent standing in line, as we joined one thousand other Tigers checking in for the cruise. Each Tiger would live in his sponsor's enlisted or officer quarters. My son and his three other officers who roomed together in a two double bunk stateroom moved out to the enlisted bunking area so we could borrow their bunks. It wasn't bad if you like gray paint, lots of pipes running through your room, and the continuous noise of blowers, compressors, and aircraft landing or taking off just over your head. The living conditions are spartan, the food is plentiful if not gourmet, and a code of living has evolved that prevents minor problems from being blown out of proportion, since there just isn't anywhere to escape. During our short week aboard, everyone from the lowest enlisted apprentice to the Admiral was unfailingly polite, cheerful and helpful to each Tiger and to each other. This was after they had been aboard for six months with only limited port liberty time. I was most impressed by the comradeship of the whole crew. There has been a great change since I was in the Navy 30 years ago. The separation between the officers and crew is much less now, and everyone works as an integrated team of professionals.
It is hard to picture how big a modern aircraft carrier is. We Tigers learned a few necessary routes; where to eat, sleep, and join our tours. Most of the ship remained a maze to us. The USS Carl Vinson is over one thousand feet long and carries a crew of 5000. It is a floating city with all the requirements and problems of a small town, plus having to be prepared to fight a war. The aircraft are catapulted to 150 mph in just three seconds to gain flying speed. Upon landing the pilot must hit one of four arresting cables mounted just forty feet apart. The ship is powered by two reactors each only six foot by ten foot and capable of providing electricity for 50,000 people.
Since my son is a pilot of the F/A18 Hornet attack fighter, I was most interested in the flight operations. During the week, Dean flew a bombing demonstration and one other hop, so I had the opportunity to watch him brief for his hop, prepare his aircraft, catapult off the ship, and land on the "postage stamp" size landing area. What a thrill for any parent! The catwalks along the ship's Island are the only accessible location for viewing the flight operations so space filled up at least two hours before flying began. These catwalks are known as "Vultures Row" for obvious reasons. One of Dean's flights was a bombing demonstration, and I can tell you that you don't want to be anywhere near a F/A18's target. These fighter jocks dropped about 20 "dumb" bombs on a target being dragged by the ship, and not one missed by more than 20 feet. As we say, close enough for government work. And this was while performing drastic evasive maneuvers and low level flight. The Desert Storms flims we all saw of precision bombing are just another day's work for these guys.
The ship is able to launch a plane every twenty seconds or land one every forty-five seconds. The Air Boss is the dictator of the Island who controls every action with an iron fist, continuously yells over the speaker system and choreographs a cross between a ballet and a Chinese fire drill to keep the flight operations on schedule. Recognize that most of these professionals who are responsible for all of the complex tasks involved in preparing the aircraft, fueling, loading bombs and ordnance, directing aircraft on the crowded flight deck, operating catapults and arresting gear, and operating radar and communications gear are under twenty years old. In civilian life they would probably be flipping burgers somewhere. The military training program is unparalleled. The flight deck is known as one of the most dangerous places on earth, with jet intakes and exhausts, spinning propellers and helicopter blades, tie downs and heavy equipment crowded together. You have to see it to appreciate the degree of expertise demonstrated by all of these young men.
The pilots are the prima donnas aboard ship. After all, the total purpose of the whole Task Group is to launch the aircraft on their missions. The pilots are a rare breed. The "Right Stuff" is not just a catch phrase. It takes a strange combination of intelligence, confidence, teamwork, ego, and an enthusiastic joy of life to fly today's modern Naval aircraft off a tiny airfield, at night and in nasty weather; to fly in harms way, and to return to a pitching deck with a damaged plane, low on fuel. And these men would not trade places with anyone for the opportunity to risk their lives every day. The cruise was well organized with the objective of exhausting the Tigers and filling us with an encyclopedic knowledge of shipboard life. We were offered daily tours to learn all about the ship's departments and the seven types of aircraft embarked aboard the Carl Vinson. Every squadron and department knew that they were the most important, best trained, most efficient, and had the highest morale on board ship. It was extremely informative and motivational to listen to the briefers. The Marine Corps contingent demonstrated assault tactics, performed a marvelous close order drill routine, and one evening expended 30,000 rounds of ammunition in a spectacular live fire demonstration. These guys are tough; exactly what we need to spearhead a military assault. A Carrier Airgroup flight demonstration of all the aircraft types was performed with a highlight demonstration of close formation flying by two former Blue Angels. Finally the day before reaching San Diego, the whole Airgroup departed so I was able to watch as over seventy aircraft were catapulted off the ship. It is a tribute to the Airgroup, the ship, and the Navy that every last aircraft was able to fly off after six months of near war operations over the desert.
All too soon we arrived back at the mainland. A final massive, hectic operation as the airgroup disembarked with all of their equipment, including bombs, fuel tanks, ordnance, maintenance and office equipment. The Tigers disembarked tired, happy, and thoroughly impressed with the state of readiness and morale of our Navy.

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