Pasgua yan Anu Nuebo

The holidays have always been my reconnection to the island and our culture. Our celebration of the Christ's coming has been centered around being together for the holidays and going to church. Being raised up by my "Nang" who was a devote Catholic made it a season to be more emotional than material. I grew up with her meager monthly stipend of SSI checks. Christmas really was never about getting gifts for me. In fact, I can't ever recall getting gifts for christmas nor having a Christmas tree in my house. The usual gift exchanging while in school I experienced but the commercialism of Christmas was never really engrained into my head. I was happy enough to see another Pasgua with "Nang" still alive and well.
I recall the family gatherings for annual Nino Novena feast, After Christmas Mass party, and the weekly sunday Nino visit to friends or family house during the holidays. Those gatherings were usually about being happy to be alive to see another Christmas and that the start of another year was within days reach. The giving gifts in our culture isn't really a part of Christmas. It is the sharing of love amongst our friends and family. The joy of being alive and well was more the dominant ideal shared amongst Chamolinians.
We also take time to reflect on our friends and family who were not fortunate enough to see Christmas or another New year. This is the part that really gets me every time. While being away from home and celebrate Christmas Mass; I have experienced tearful moments during mass. My wife has been puzzled on occasions with my emotional outbreak. It really is heart breaking to celebrate the holidays without your family. This year while we celebrate Christmas with our families and friends please remember the Service members who are deployed downrange or at sea protecting our freedom to celebrate the holidays. Pray for them so they stay safe and return home in a timely manner. Felis Pasgua yan anu Nuebu para todo.

Natives Gone Wild

Roxy had emailed me earlier in the year but couldn't view until recently. Click to watch:



Let the good times roll.

Challenges of Forward Deployed Sea Duty

Over a year and a half ago I was thinking about taking sea duty again. Being ashore for three years was a good break but at a price. My 20 plus years of experience and two previous Aircraft Carrier duty wasn’t much help to get me primed in my game. I took sea duty willingly knowing the history and bad reputation of the USS KITTY HAWK from previous years. Its not any easier with all the uncertainties of the eventual decommissioning and cross decking for the USS GEORGE ”GW” WASHINGTON. Next to my longest deployment which was eight months on the USS CARL VINSON after OEF Sep 11, 2001; this year’s deployment is the most challenging in my career. It has been a very rough challenge on the mind, the body and most especially the spirit. I am at the point where I am even thinking about retirement.

It was hard leading Sailors on a ship that is getting decommissioned. The chain of thought is “we’re going away so why work to keep our equipment going”. Thing was we were still active duty and could be recalled to fight. That is exactly what happened when we took the Multinational exercise of RIMPAC 2008. All along we left Yokosuka thinking we were going to put the Kitty Hawk to bed for good and never bring her back to fight. Additionally, bringing a ship which has been in the yards for over four years from the east coast straight to the tip of the spear is no fun. We’re talking about Sailors that were forced into pulling roots and moving half way around the world. It was a wake up call for the Sailors on the GW that fought the fire onboard after taking her around the straits. It was just a prelude of what the real world had in store for her. Yes all that and a bag of chip. Yes Sir three bags full. Like pulling tooth and nail.

So we made history taking the Kitty Hawk back home being the last conventional Aircraft Carrier in Forward Deployed Naval Force and brought the first Nuclear Aircraft Carrier outside the US Mainland to Forwardly Deployed. Was it worth? Most definitely I can undeniably say YES. The sacrifice of being away from home, friends and family then facing a gamut of challenges made it hard. The diverse leadership and very intrusive atmosphere made it even more challenging but all the better to get the job done right. The price of freedom truly doesn’t come for free. We all pay a price. I am sure one day I will be sitting down sipping warm tea somewhere laughing about this but “boy it has been a very Challenging deployment/decommissioning/crossdecking Sea Duty”. And I hope I never get a chance to do this again. If anyone finds me saying something to doing this again please shoot me. I want to extend my sincerest Thanks to all my friends and family for all the encouragement, the emails, the great times while in port (this ones for you Milma), and the prayers to help me stay sane while out here. As the old saying goes, “its not over until the fat lady sings”. I still got two more years to go on this tour but at least I know there won’t be too many uncertainties. I still ask for the prayers and words of encouragement. It just might keep me going enough to return to shore duty and finally retire.

Until then fellow citizens of the world; rest assure your tax money is well spent this year from this Sailor. Don’t lose any sleep worrying about your freedom tonight. I still have the watch and continue to keep the watch.

Friends at home

Hafa adai yan memorias. I haven't taken the time to blog in a while. I must apologize for not really taking the time. Today will be my last weekend at home before I head out to sea again. This tour on the USS KITTY HAWK is no joke. Its been very challenging coming from shore duty and adjusting back to the "overdrive" mode. Waking up to winter's last cold weather before Spring really does come. I am reminded of how warm it is back in Saipan. I remember how I had blankets to warm up when rain storms came to the island. Now that I've lived in Washington, US and Japan, I can't imagine myself having even sheets to cover while visiting Saipan.

Magahet na sen mahalang yu mampos. I started talking to Nena about how warm it would be at home in Saipan. I also put on the movie Leiweila and started to reflect of the ways back home. Then after the movie I started calling my friends in Saipan. Brada Gus of Olomwaay was first to get the lucky call. Since its a rare occassion getting a call from me, I heard in his voice why I would be calling home. I told him that I missed home and all the great friends that I have in Saipan. We talked about the movement to reignite our love of our island and culture. Everyone seems to be leaving home for greener pastures and forgetting about the rich culture that we have back home. I may be guilty myself for not retiring any sooner and returning home too. Its times like today when I reach out to friends back home that I remember, Saipan is where I belong. Though I won't see much of the luxuries of modern living, Saipan has something more valuable than greenback. Its the family and friends. The life we live of togetherness. Sharing and caring for each other. Extended families and friends make it all worth. Gus mentioned that Olomwaay will be coming out with a second CD and a Christmas CD. You can find out by checking my bloggers list at Brada Gus' Olomwaay link.

Bertha Torres was second to reply to my random phone calls today; She is at the hospital because Antie Margaret's under observation. Hope its nothing very serious. Bertha is my second cousin. Her Grand pa from her dad is my grand ma's brother from my mothers side. She reminded me of how small our island is that almost everyone we interacted with was relative. We've been close since Jr. High because Bertha was in my graduating class back in 1986. She asked me when I was retiring so I can return home. Its sort of hard to say but not any time soon. I still can stick around for shore duty and maybe get Guam for my last duty station but I can't really bank on it. Nena seems to like the idea of retiring in Guam and opening up a restaurant. Its great to hear Bertha again and I let her know that I will be visiting home in August when the USS George Washington will be making a visit.

Nora Sablan "Palaksi" was thinking I was on the island when I called her. She was at the beach with her family. She's been a very great friend ever since Jr High. Her husband Alex Sablan "Pitu" were in love since before we all matured. These two lovebirds have a very lovely family. Nora and Alex were in Washington for almost a year then returned back to Saipan. I guess Alex wasn't too keen to life in the states. One thing is for sure though, they were enjoying their Sunday at the beach. Its one of the things that I remembered we did back in my younger days. The beach was the second place we went to beside church on Sundays. There we BBQ and had picnics with friends and family. We spent time talking about what was going on in Saipan. It was a chance for us to catch up on things what we may not have heard throughout the week. It revived our togetherness every week. Nora was going to let everyone know I was coming home to visit and that we would get together again.

After Nora, was Elsa Duenas. My big sista Elsa who always seems to be the Kaduka in the group but I mean that in a good way. I remember Elsa when we were in Jr High also. She didn't graduate with us in MHS but because we were good friends back in Jr High and several years in MHS, shes always been like my big sister. I am always amazed at how "Mangua" she can be. Theres always got to be a comedian in any gathering and Elsa always seems to take the cake.

Maggie Masga is another close friend that I got a chance to get a hold of. Through thick and thin she been a very close friend to me. I always imagined Maggie being married and with Kids. Unfortunately no wedding bells has rang for her but she has several beautiful girls and a son that she's raised on her own. She been a very strong mother to her kids and I have high regards for her strength in surviving and raising her kids on her own. Maggie was always there to listen to me and what I had to say. I wish that one day Maggie will become as free as the birds in the sky. Her time will come and I wish her and her kids all the best in the world.

Yes, even this Island Boy Sailor longs to go back home. The CNMI anthem reminds me that my island is in the middle of the sea. Every time I go out to sea my island home of Saipan calls me. I ask that my friends say a special prayer for me and my shipmates who will be in harms way for the next four months. Its not an easy tasking but someone has to do it. Until then Memorias, pues adios asta ki.