I joined the Navy (for the day)

The U.S.S. Chung-Hoon at port in Seattle.

Yesterday I had the unique opportunity to tour and ride on a naval destroyer. Not your normal middle-of-the-week activity. It was part of Seafair here in Seattle. Matt's family came to town and his parents had applied for, and won, a chance to get tickets for the event. We were on the U.S.S. Chung-Hoon based in Hawaii. We reported to the ship bright and early. Once we left port, we were broken up into small groups to take tours of the working vessel. 300 sailors are aboard the ship and it's able to launch up to 40 missiles a minute to a target about 100 miles away. It's used primarily as an air defense ship to air craft carriers in the fleet. We also participated in the Parade of Ships later that afternoon. There were 2 other Naval vessels and 3 Canadian ships in the parade. The sailors all wore their dress whites and stood at attention as our ship passed the grand stand along the pier in downtown Seattle. The Blue Angels started off the parade with a few fly overs! It was a fun day! Here are some pics of my time in the Navy.

The sailors in their dress whites during the Parade of Ships.

I thought this image of Matt and his Mom sitting on the missile launch

pad was funny. The red sign to the left reads: Warning Stand Clear of the

Launcher Area.

I also learned that sailors don't have a lot of space for their personal belongings so I wouldn't be good for the navy simply for the fact that you'd have to decided between underwear or yarn to keep in your footlocker. That is a choice I don't want to ever have to make.