New Zealand Girl Reacts to HOW AIRCRAFT CARRIERS WORK | CITIES AT SEA 

Another cool aspect of US Aircraft Carriers and their Carrier Fleet is their disaster relief capabilities. A single aircraft carrier can pump, desalinate, purify and produce over 200,000 gallons of drinking water every day. They can produce and send out enough drinking water for entire cities in times of disaster. This has been done many times. A Big example was during the 2011 Japanese tsunami disaster. It was during the US Military relief effort called Operation Tomodachi or Operation Friend. The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group anchored offshore providing a safe airport to fly in over 100 tons of aid supplies from the USA and was sending out fresh drinking water to shore. It was sending out its own helicopters in the search and rescue effort. The other ships supporting the USS Ronald Reagan were also sending out their Helicopters to aid in the search, dropping off supplies, sending their amphibious boats to help the US and Japanese troops land where docks were damaged, and even deployed their on-board marines to aid in the relief effort. A US Carrier and its battle group of support ships are basically the gold standard for Disaster Relief quick response. Its pretty awesome.

The speed they state is just the nonclassified speed. They're faster than that.

USS Enterprise and USS Theodore Roosevelt veteran here!

I was a nuclear machinist mate on the USS Theodore Roosevelt. I've stood directly on top both reactors (have to for inspection while shutdown in port). Wish more would be discussed about the nuclear plants. Following 9/11 the responding carrier out ran the rest of the battle group to drop the first bombs. Love all your reactions, keep it up :)

My dad served on the USS Enterprise CVAN-65 in Vietnam and every time I talk to him he still talks about it!

This was a great video, it's really cool to see people learning about the United States. One thing I wanted to point out was that it's not just the ships and planes and tanks. It's the people, the soldiers sailors airmen marines and coast-guardsmen. They are what make the United States military so strong. For example, the story of the USS Samuel B Roberts FFG-58. Named for the USS Samuel B Roberts DE-413, she had big shoes to fill bearing such a legendary name in the US Navy. Unfortunately she struck a mine while sailing in the Persian Gulf which tore a 40 foot hole in her hull amidships. She was on fire, was taking on water, and looked like a lost cause. The captain wrote later of seeing men running through the corridors as the vessel sank and as they passed a memorial to DE-413 and her crew, each man touched the plaque. The crew somehow managed to save the ship in the best damage control effort in US Navy history, she would be repaired and return to service. The captain says that his crew was inspired by the actions of DE-413 and that spirit saved the ship. Regardless of what drove the crew to save the ship, computer models after the event showed no way the ship could have survived. This story proves that no matter how advanced our warships and aircraft and tanks are, it's the brave Americans serving in them that make the difference.

NZ and America are allies we will fight for you as you will fight for other allies Small numbers still add to a great united military

I’m active duty Navy right now, and I love your military reactions and especially this one since I’m constantly on a aircraft carrier. Keep up the good work love your content.

Growing up in the US, they have alot of the old Aircraft carriers available for the public. It is amazing getting to get onto the deck of those ships. It just feels like an island.

I served on the USS Eisenhower in the 1980s, imagine being in the middle of the Atlantic before the internet.

The US actually has 24 aircraft carriers if you include the Marine Expeditionary Forces vessels which launch Helicopters and now F35 Lightning 2 (the F35's replaced the AV8-B Harrier)

@ Courtney...you can find vids of flight operations on carrier decks. Controlled chaos is putting it mildly. Not only are jobs indicated by shirt colors, all the hand signals have specific meanings. It may look like they're randomly waving their arms about like they're having a grand mal seizure, but in a noisy environment with jets howling and props turning, clear communication is vital. There are specific hand signals for every step of ops....from engine start to launch. And if you think landing in daylight and calm seas is impressive, imagine slamming tons of flying metal onto a deck that's heaving in heavy seas, in bad weather, and at night.

US carriers have more air power than a lot nations air forces. When one or more of those shows up off of your coast when you've been acting up you'd better settle down quick. LOL

6:00 So, here's a little bit of useful context on the politics that put one of our carriers right next to China, a country with which we have a VERY complicated relationship which tends to range from cool to openly hostile. Now, China has recently begun trying to enforce ownership claims over the South China Sea. This is because China faces the problem that most of the island nations on the borders of that sea are close allies of the US, which means that if tensions between our countries ever boil over, it would be very easy for us to enforce a naval blockade, and since China's economy is dependent on exports, that would destroy it overnight. For China, no shipping means no money and no power. Knowing this, China has been throwing its weight around in the region, doing things like building artificial islands and the arguing that those islands should count toward their Exclusive Economic Zone. In response, the US sent a carrier group down to the SCS to tour the area, say hi to our island allies, and if it's presence happens to remind China why they shouldn't push us or fuck with our friends, well that's just icing on the cake. In short, it was a power move because China was making a few of those themselves. 9:15 That's luxury compared to a submarine, where you'll usually be sharing a bunk with another crew member, each sleeping while the other is awake 10:13 That's actually kind of an interesting point right there. Every now and then a President will propose bringing carriers in for refits and such, and there is pretty much guaranteed to be an uproar over the prospect of us not having aircraft carriers on the ocean, for a variety of good and bad reasons. 12:00 This is a good point, these ships might be more vulnerable than prior want to believe, but to me, that just says we need to reevaluate their defenses. A second point is that sinking an aircraft carrier is not the end of the war, it's the start. If anyone ever sunk a US aircraft carrier, well, the US has launched full scale invasions over far less. Part of what protects those ships is the knowledge of the consequences for sinking one. And the fact is, the US has so many that sinking one wouldn't even be a significant military victory overall. An accomplishment, yes, but there's 10 more ready to take its place.

They missed a few carriers for the US, though that is more because we technically don't call them "carriers" lol We have ships called "amphibious assault ships" like the USS America which operationally can function like an aircraft carrier and is about the same size as the UK HMS Queen Elizabeth.

I spent 6 years on two different carriers. Out of my 22 years of active duty. That was my best duty. Now these were older conventional carriers. As a supply type there was a lot of work but it was still fun.,!!😎🇺🇸✌️

The greatest carrier is USS Enterprise CV(N)-6. She earned 20 Battle Stars, 6 Presidential Unit Citations, and the Lord’s Admiralty Pennant; that makes her the only American ship to earn the Royal Navy’s highest honour. But she was sold for scrap in 1958, only after fundraising efforts to save her failed

"The United States is the defender of the free world whether we like it or not, because we are the only ones that can do it." - President Ronald Regan

I was on a smaller helicopter carrier (LHD), and I can tell you that most of the time the people on there weren't doing anything productive like working out. Most of our time was spent watching movies, playing cards, or trash talking over video games.

Keep in mind these are just supercarriers. Many countries have smaller carriers that have helicopters instead of fixed wing aircraft. With the U.S. and allies buying the F-35B jets that can land vertically, it allows those smaller helicopter carriers to now have fixed wing aircraft. The U.S. marines for example will fly the F-35B, and their ships will carry up to 20 of these jets plus the helicopters they have traditionally carried.

The US navy has the second largest air force in the world. Some carrier groups can be 20or more ships...scary ain't it? I was thinking the sub fleet is unmatched you should check them out then you said you would. I went into the navy because of the subs...they are so badass

I had the privilege of serving my country for 20 years. I was stationed in Germany (2year tour unaccompanied) . After I got married I had to go "remote 1 year" to South Korea when I left my wife was pregnant, after 5 months on went home on mid tour baby was "late" 7 days after birth I was back in Korea for 7 more months. That was hard I also have an older child she was 5 at the time. I have also been deployed to the "desert" several times. It's a commitment that we choose the Military is not for everyone. America's Military is a totally volunteer force.

The US numbers don't take into account the mothball fleets. The full number is very large.

With no where to go for most of them on a carrier they really put their lives on the line if they go to war. That takes a lot of courage.

there is a documentary that was shown in the States called Carrier it was shown on our PBS was a very good watch

"It's not the size of the dog, it's the size of fight in it." doesn't matter how big or small an army is its how good and brave they're at their business.

My hairdresser's son was struck by a plane tire (or the thing that helps the plane brake, I can't recall which) on an aircraft carrier. He lost his leg, but he is the first person to ever survive that type of accident. He was 18 or 19 at the time. Straight out of high school. I am vicariously proud of him.

I always loved the idea of our aircraft carriers, studied them as a kid. The chance to see one in person dropped my jaw. If you "can't imagine", you should see one for yourself! I believe the word is gobsmacked, lol!

The true Flagship carrier of our fleet is the legendary USS Enterprise. The ship has a storied past from WW2, the enterprise fought in every naval engagement of the pacific during that time only once was she seriously damaged by a bomb hit losing her forward aircraft elevator which blew sky high. But she refused to sink, she was repaired later that year and fully updated with new guns and better technologies. Enterprise was scrapped at the end of WW2 but from some of that scrap came the new USS Enterprise with the first nuclear reactor on a ship. This ship is constantly being updated with new technologies including radar jammers, new heat seeking missiles, new stuff to stop stealth planes, even new sonar for submarines. Actually the Enterprise now has a few depth charges that it can launch to stop submarines. I believe the US government is developing a electric detection system to track enemy submarines or planes just by their electrical output alone so stealth wouldn’t work. Every kid in the US kinda grows up with the legends of the Enterprise and it’s exploits and it’s unsinkable nature. Heck the Japanese were so scared just by the sight of the ship emerging from the mist during Guadalcanal because they thought they sank her earlier that month which they didn’t. This is why it’s so paramount that carriers are out at sea doing their job as they prove the strength of America and forces enemies to rethink their plans.

I did sub service in the USN so I’d like to see u learn how badass our sub fleet is !!!!! Also u should watch the movie “ The Hunt for Red October “!!!!!

I love your reaction and just how genuine your reaction is and just how you enjoy the video without having to pause and insert your opinion every sec like most reactions. I love you!!

Awesome video my dad served on the USS Midway during Vietnam. He was an Aviation technician if That’s the correct term for it. He worked on the A-7 Corsair attack aircraft. my dad spent almost 3 years out at sea. When me and my family go to the ocean sometimes for vacation. We always try to get Dad to come with us. I always tell him we’re going to the ocean don’t you want to go. He always says I spent three years on the ocean I have seen enough of it. Lol

A Gerlard R Ford displaces approximately 100k US TONS. Yet it is capable of 40 knots or 48 miles per hour. In kph 77 or so. Keep in mind that this high cruising speed. Flank speed is run away and this massive ship is capable of exceeding the legal speed limit on every country except the autobahn in Germany

Great video, I first saw this on Artur Rehi's channel.. Carriers are amazing!

I served on 2 carriers back to back sea duty tours in the US Navy... I enjoyed seeing an open interest and Intrigue on an international level. Thank you for sharing your reaction with world, our biggest strength is as a deterrent but capable of so much more. Love your channel

I was a nuclear machinist mate (glorified plumber) on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) from Sept '02 to Jan '07. It's true that you can go weeks without seeing the sun. It's a floating city. And a nickname for an aircraft carrier is a "target" because it really is a floating target. But it's probably one of the safest places on Earth to be because of the ship's company protecting it.

React to "how big is the us navy 7th fleet"

My brother's father was a elevator operator on the uss enterprise cv-65

I see that someone else has mentioned the Disaster relief aspect of the carriers. I was on one carrier and it had three disaster calls while I was on board. On top of that they have complete hospitals with medical personnel, Doctors, Surgeons, Dentists, and even rehabilitation therapists on board and are used often for other ships (not just military) and persons who are in need of immediate medical assistance.There were ten babies born to at risk ladies from three different countries that we were traveling past, multiple heart attack victims from other (non-military) ships and assistance for disabled vessels and search and rescue for many people while we were on deployment. By the way this was when there were no females on aircraft carriers (1970s').

I served aboard three carriers, one thing they didn't mention and couldn't adequately convey if they had is how easy it can be to get lost aboard a carrier. It takes weeks usually to learn to find ones way around and even then much of the ship is off limits for most of the personnel. I served aboard U.S.S. Kitty Hawk for over two years before she went into the yards for refit. As they performed maintenance and system swaps I discovered that there were spaces(rooms) that I had passed by every day that were decks tall and many thousands of square feet in area. It still blows my mind when I think of it.

I'm going to the U.S Navy. Also just keep in mind that New Zealand is also and U.S allie

Wish it would have shown the kitchen.Imagine feeding 6000 people 3 times a day.I have seen videos about this.

When I deployed with my squadron on our designated Carrier, I wore a white shirt with a checkerboard pattern. This meant that I escorted my jets to the catapult and communicated to the Yellow shirt that I had done my final check for flight readiness and assisted in the launch. It was a huge LOUD RUSH! It was the biggest thrill I'll ever experience. I spent a total of a year and a half at sea on various Carriers and it was ONLY men at the time. Food was available at any time with a buffet of anything you could imagine. Some times we didn't get mail for 4 days at the least, but I got my Christmas Cookies from my family to share with my mates. One of my best friends was Australian. Great Dude that ended up making an incredible career out of it. He was the US Navy's east coast's most senior Masterchief in the whole Navy before he retired. I Miss "Aussie"! Love you! :)

Burton makes a good point. I was crew in one of our carriers quite a few years ago when we did a post typhoon disaster relief. We actually pulled in so we could be cabled to the power grid, and for about 5 days we provided electrical power, water and medical support for an island with about 5000 people that had been smacked be a typhoon. We re-built some shelters, fixed some damaged schools, and fed a lot of people.

here is something to think about there is someone responsible for every nut and bolt on the ship.

Whoo hoo...we've missed you and your reactions today. Also, had to say something different other than... first

My Dad was on the USS Yorktown in WW2 and it was sunk at Midway. These were the first Carriers and they have improved tremendously since 1942. Amazing to see the growth of this class of ship over the decades.

Courtney thank you so much for sharing your videos of aircraft carriers they are actually sailing cities is truly awesome amazing and unbelievably potent thank you again Courtney

Aircraft carriers are enormous, when you see them in port they don't look real ...

Funny part is US Navy has 2nd biggest air force in the world bc the US Air Force has the biggest air force in the world !😂

Supply ship also re-supplies other ships in the strike group. There is a warship being supplied on each side in any given supply process. You can briefly see this when scene switches from shooting lines from carrier to seeing the aviation fuel connector being “reeled in” to carrier

Retired Navy guy here. My first ship was an aircraft carrier. Basically, it's a floating city with an airport. I eventually served on a lot of smaller ships that didn't have air support, and after retiring from the Navy I joined the Military Sealift Command, the Navy's cargo and fuel operations manned by Merchant Mariners. So, if there are any questions about shipboard life, I'm your guy. It should be mentioned that we also often carried mail for other ships. Not every (or even most) ships have their own airport (unless you count a small flat spot on the deck where things can be raised and lowered by helicopter) and must depend on other ships to handle their mail, often transferring it to a ship that does have air service (an aircraft carrier) so mail may pass from ship to ship until it gets to an actual postal facility.

You sure know how to stroke our ego, and we Americans love our egos stroked xD

She cool

hey hey lol its always fun to see peoples reactions to our declassified service inventory - im a ex army medic btw - i have been stationed with every branch excluding the new branch . thats just whats declassified and less then half what the navy alone is capable of not to mention the air force and army branches then theres .... well thats really as far as any one person is able to say here without getting a phone call or email . this was fun to watch . look at it this way - with all the power had were not interested in world domination thats a good thing in my book .

I served in an A-6 aircraft squadron at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach from 87-90 and we were on the very last 6 month cruise of the USS Coral Sea aircraft carrier; also the workup cruises for the USS Abraham Lincoln and then the USS Theodore Roosevelt for a 6 month cruise. I've got to say that it was a lot of fun on our shore times at our Naval Base; but the biggest thrill of my life doing night time flight operations launching and recovering jets on the flight deck. The synchronicity was amazing teamwork and everyone had each others back. A lot of polls back then said that it was the most dangerous jobs in the world and I'm here to agree. You can't hear anyone speak so we had to rely only on flashlights and hand signals.

First one hi

🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

Hi Courtney, I served on the aircraft carrier USS RANGER CV-61. I loved every second of it. Serving on an aircraft carrier was the adventure of my life. working hard, serving my country, and visiting friendly allies (countries), and experiencing different cultures.

Love your reaction to this. As a member of the Navy who was deployed twice. Let me just say, ship life can be rough, but it also has its days were it's not so bad. The video doesn't mention the hours worked by the crew. I was part of the catapult crew and we sometimes worked 16 hour days. When I become and Ordinanceman I was lucky enough to only work 12 hour days. Also, you don't have to worry about your Navy being so small, we got your guys back.

The 7 dislikes must be Antifa people.

If you’re ever in California the USS Midway is worth a visit. The retired air craft carrier is now a museum where you get to see a lot of the ship and planes. Also in California at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library you can tour the Air Force One plane that was in service from Kennedy through W. Bush, including the command center for the nuclear football.

I used to work in the Navy at a rate classified as TD (Training Device Man). We operated and repaired all training devices for the Navy. Most of their simulators are aircraft simulators but the Navy also has submarine and aircraft carrier simulators. Most of their ship simulators are near or in Virginia. My rate (TD) had no sea duty because you can't put simulators on a ship, only on solid ground. Some guys in this rate wanted to have some sea duty so they created a job on a ship just for us. We ran and maintained the closed-circuit TV cameras that filmed all the take-off and landings on the aircraft carrier. We got to view all the crashes, fires, and sometimes deaths during aircraft carrier operations.

I was in VA-94 from 1975 to '79. My first deployment was on the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) in 77. It was a great way to see the world and do something meaningful in life. That deployment lasted 8 months. Since it was a peace time cruise, half the air wing was dropped off in the Philippines for 4 months while the other half stayed aboard the ship for training. At the end of 4 months they traded places. When ever you read about carriers, they almost always say the top speed is around 35MPH. This goes all the way back to WW2. If they were that fast back then, how fast do you think they are now? Carriers are fast but there is a good reason for this. When they're launching or recovering aircraft, they want as much wind across the deck as possible, During flight ops, it's like being in a pretty good wind storm.

The ship I was on is the Supply-type, and my helicopter group flew the more sensitive stuff over to all the ships. Every operation is like being in a movie, especially at night, with very little light. You can't see the carrier, but you can hear it nearby, and it blocks out the stars. Whenever we boarded a ship like this, we first salute the Flag at the rear (fantail) then the Officer of the Deck, then we stomp on the deck with out boots, cause we still don't quite understand how the thing FLOATS!

I had the honor of serving aboard the carrier USS John C. Stennis CVN-74 from Jan 97 to Aug 2000. When the guy talked about how fast a carrier can get to the Middle East i can vouch for that. In Feb. 1998 we left for the ships first deployment and a around the world cruise. Unfortunately we had to go striaght to the Persian Gulf instead of a normal cruise. We left Norfolk, Va Feb. 26 and was on station in the Gulf 12 days later, where we stayed for 4 1/2 months. We averaged a speed of over 29 knots during those 12 days, although i can say we did a hell of alot faster then that. Going thru the Suez Canal slowed us down of course. That deployment sucked (we missed out on alot of good port visits in the Med) but im proud to say i was apart of it.

Hey Courtney... USS Abraham Lincoln (carrier), USS Camden (supply ship), and USS Rodney Davis (guided missile frigate) veteran. So much more to it than a single short video can show. Full fire department, jail and police force (my job), jet engine repair shops, 2 main galleys 1 of which is always open, library, multiple gyms, hospital with usually 2 surgery suites, dental offices, etc. Spent 3 years on my carrier and still have shops and spaces that I never set foot inside.

I was stationed on one for about 4 years. They're pretty awesome.

Worthy of note: Russia’s only aircraft carrier had to be towed to port a while ago and is currently on fire. It is rumored that it would be more expensive to repair than replace. A lot of the problems are blamed on low quality Russian steel in the boilers.

we have more than that when you consider the 8-10(i forget how many exactly) Wasp and America-Class LHD's which are smaller versions meant for helocoptors but with the F-35B which can take off and land vertically, we now have about 20 carriers although the LHD's only carry about 6-8 F-35B's plus 20+/- Helo's and other verticle lift aircraft while the larger carrier can carry 80+ super-honets and F35-C's(normal take-off and landing version of f35.)...

Served on the USS Kitty Hawk 2006-08 myself, last conventionally powered carrier in the US Navy until we retired her in 2009. I was in the Supply Department, basically the guys you saw receiving the packages and cargo during the resupply portion of the video.

We have 3 carriers here in Norfolk right now. Also we have 2 that are in dry dock, we have 2 submarines in dry dock too.

I was a crew man on the USS Lexington before it became a museum after awhile you get used to it and see and do things nobody else can. For instance I got to land on the ship at sea and that was interesting.

I was stationed on 2 amphibious assault ships, one of which was like a mini-carrier (roughly 2500 people aboard), and we dealt with harrier jets and a bunch of helicopters. We also sunk the ass end of our ship to take on cargo and take in/kick out Marines on Landing Craft Units and what is essentially a hovering boat.

I am a former US Marine. I was stationed and a Plank owner on the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70. That was when Marines served on carriers. I remember the first time that I saw the Vinson it was in dry dock and it was mind boggling. It took 2 months to learn my way around the ship without getting lost. I enjoy this video and your reaction.

I work at the shipyard that builds all these carriers. They are truly an amazing feat of engineering and technology. It takes us 7-9 years to build one of these, using the latest technologies feasible. They're even bigger walking around inside. "City at sea" isn't just a saying. They have movie theaters, bowling allies, and 3-4 entire hospitals, including dentists, and full surgical theaters. Another thing to realize is that the US super carriers aren't just a military tool, but a legitimate diplomatic tool as well. There's a rather famous instance where a French engineer at a conference ridiculed then-President G.W. Bush for sending an aircraft carrier to respond to a tsunami. There was a comment along the lines of 'What are they going to do, bomb the tsunami?' An American engineer responded: "Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?" The US sends carriers to disaster areas to provide humanitarian relief, to feed the hungry, provide clean water, give medical attention to the sick. It is an honor to work at a company that builds such machines, for a nation that uses such machines for such purposes. And that feeling isn't just me. I happen to know it's common among our employees, especially the incredible craftsmen that actually put these beasts together. The idea that they're becoming obsolete is unlikely. There are technologies being proposed that could land a cannon round anywhere in the world, but just like you can't keep peace in a city with artillery (you need boots on the ground), you also can't keep peace in a region with such weapons. Aircraft in the air, and the ability to do so with a few minutes notice, can.

Retired US Navy Aviator. Missing in your information film, is the incredible ability of the carrier to process information . Truly impressive it is. Radar, sonar, satellites, drones, share d secured information from other ships, aircraft and land based resources are all used to create a total battlefield picture of the wor!d. Continually.

I was a "brown shirt" (Plane Captain) and miss it regularly....worked with E-2C Hawkeye (related to the C-2A Greyhound)

My first duty station was the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). My jaw dropped like yours. Funny, my first day the intercom called 1MC announced "Enterprise departing." I panicked and asked where we were going and they laughed and said that meant that the captain departed the ship. The next week we did gonto sea and was out nine months. Incidentally, upon arrival, we actually ran aground in the San Francisco bay. Ninety eight thousand tons, and stuck in the mud for nine hours. I was actually in charge of the vertical replenishment team that was shown.

Back in the early 2000, I drove down to the docks of Mayport Naval Station in the middle of the night. I think the Kennedy was tied up there to redo the deck after deployment, and frankly the boat was too big to really see anything. I parked at about dead center and I could not see the top or ends of the ship. At 20 stories high (it seemed) I could not see the deck or even top of the island and not the bow or stern. Massive is an understatement. I will never forget that overwhelming size.

In addition to the big Supercarriers, we also have a type of ship known as LHDs and LHAs, which are like mini-Carriers that are primarily for Helicopters and VSTOL aircraft. They also have well decks for amphibious craft.

You don't go days or weeks without seeing sunlight. I spent some time on a carrier.The flight deck isn't always in use and every once in a while theyll have you do pt up there. There's also open areas on the sides of the hanger where you can go to smoke or just get some air.

courtney , love that you understand the service and sacrifices made by so many ... so that we can watch youtube videos in peace

I enjoyed your reaction to our Navy Aircraft Carrier. Life at sea is full of long hour days. I as am Engineer on board served 16 hrs days 8 hours regular working hours and 2 4hour watch standing hours you will be amazed how the body gets used to it. Then on top of that I played with the ships band. Yes, beautiful the talent of sailors serving aboard ships is mind blowing. Many will put Professional Entertainers, Musicians, Dancers to shame. There is never a boring moment serving aboard ship. It's hard to compare how a sailor feel about his or her command and the pride they have in their ship. All will say fighting words if you disrespect their ship their crew or Department.

Courtney, thanks for this video. I was a green shirt for VF-33 F14 Tomcat squadron onboard CV-66 USS America 1986-1989. Great times onboard.

I was stationed on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in the 80s. I can say that this video is true! I was an engineer, with "A-Gang" or everything outside the nuclear propulsion plant. I did 2 deployments, with the second one in 1986, we were the first nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier to transit the Suez Canal. An aircraft carrier is the ultimate in power projection.

Just watched your video. I served on the USS Saratoga (CV-60) from 1980-1982. Like all ships, as an E-5 (equal to a Sargent) (lowest enlisted rank is an E-1 highest aboard a ship is a Master Chief (E-9)) I could lie on my rack (bunk bed) with my elbow on the mattress pad, and never on all of the ships I've served on could fully extend my fingers! Of course, on smaller ships this allowed you to wedge yourself into your rack in rough seas. As for seeing daylight, I've actually have (on more than one occasion) have a Chief Petty Officer (E-7) take the trash out as an excuse to go topside and see the sun (day) or the stars (at night)! And once again, if I remember correctly, a Nimitz class carrier (which is smaller than the new Ford class carrier) has enough aircraft that if it was rated as it's own country, that it would rank (in 2000 or. so) as about the 10th largest air force in the world, By Itself!!! (When she has all of her Air Group aboard!)

There are a couple of other reasons we have such a large Navy and so many carriers: 1. We have 2 oceans to cover: The Atlantic and the Pacific. 2. because we have few land neighbors, our Navy is our first line of defense- to come here from elsewhere would have to involve some oceangoing transport. Dealing with that long before it gets here, is the most prudent way of defending ourselves. 3. combined with #1 downtime. Having many ships means you can alternate deployments- some are off at sea while others are in port, or in a drydock being refitted, repaired, renovated etc. With only 1 carrier, when it's time for maintenance, repairs, or for the crew to go home for a while; you have NO carrier available for use. Plus it can only ever be in one place at one time. And, as others have pointed out- these ships, and their cousins the Amphibious assaults and transports- also make ideal platforms for delivering humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

I wish I had been able to go on board a Carrier, but I was in the Army and we got transported by the Air Force, and Private/charter or Public plains. What impressed me though is in fact the military mail system. It didn't matter if I was in Iraq, getting ready to leave abruptly to Somalia. We still got our mail, and we loved care packages from home. Some Military moms were so good to us, that even though they sent their son something, all of us got something from them as well. Military mom's and wives are the best thing ever to a soldier in the field.

4 yr carrier veteran, 77 to 81, USS INDEPENDENCE CV62. We had over 5300 on board, 6 to 7 month cruises, visited 14 countries, best time of my life.

I worked with the Australian Army and the New Zealanders as well. I love you guys. So nice, funny, and adventurous. I made some great friends with them. I learned the word "MACKERS" that you guys use for the restaurant Mcdonalds. And UTE (spelling?) when referring to a truck or utility vehicle. LOL. You guys rock Courtney

Yes i love this kind of reactions

I addition to the Super Carriers the US also has amphibious assault ships (America Class) and "helicopter carriers" (Wasp Class) that can carry their own complement of select fighters/attack air craft - like the famous Harrier jump jets and the new F35B Lightning. Each of these ships is roughly 245 meters long and weighs in at roughly 45000 tons. Making them a match for many of the smaller Air Craft Carriers out there. I think currently there are 9 of those on duty, with 9 more planned.

My dad was a yellow shirt on a carrier in Vietnam. I worked in the engine room of the USS Iwo Jima LPH-2 in Desert Storm.

I spent 25 years in the USN and am a plankowner of the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72. That was the only carrier I served on but I also served on the USS Mississippi CGN 40, USS Cushing DD-985, USS Pyro AE-24, USS Willamette AO-180 and the USS Nashville LPD-13. The USN was a good career for me and I really miss the days at sea headed to a foreign port.

Having served on one our carriers here in the US. I can tell you I was an enlisted man working on arresting gear. I wore a green shirt and caught the plains with the cable. I was part of ships crew. Haven passed through some of the spaces where officers sleep (also known as officers country) I have seen most of their sleeping quarters and most of them have small sleeping quarters with two racks in and a desk they share. Also some people do not see sunlight for up to several months because their job is below deck and if your job does not require you to be above deck then you are not allowed topside (meaning not allowed on the flight deck. Most people will if and when can will take a trip up to the hanger bay to get sunlight because anyone on board is allowed in the hanger bay and as long as the elevator doors are open to the hanger they can sunlight.

One little detail here that's a touch interesting. The video stated that the top sailing speed of a carrier is 35mph. That's the speed the military wants everybody to know. My dad was in the Navy from '68-'74 on the Newport News (CA-148 if you wanna look it up) when on board they received a magazine featuring the USS Enterprise. In there, there was pictures time stamped, one in Norfolk, VA and the next in the Mediterranean Sea...according to his ship's charts, the time in between meant for a sailing speed of 55 knots or a touch over 63mph. One of the Enterprise's nicknames is/was "The First And Fastest." That's RIDICULOUS speed out of a ship that displaces around 98,000 tons. Just a little food for thought.

They are built on a honeycomb structure, wrapped in an armor belt making them incredibly hard to sink. In fact, there were 3000+ livable breathable compartments on the Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71. (ON BOARD 88-92) There is an internal address system to find your way around inside. For four years, I lived at 01-21-0-L. 32 years after boarding her on her maiden voyage, and I still remember.

Fellow kiwi here, I went to America last year, and couldn't believe the amount of military gear just in LA and on the way out to Vegas, saw military plans and helicopters flying which I had only seen on TV, as well as hundreds of tanks lined up in the desert or on the back of trains.

They have entire public affairs offices that produce stories about the sailors and marines on board: they narrowcast them on CCTV on board, and send them to a place called Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS, dvidshub.com) for local, regional, national, and international distribution. I used to work there.