After completing a residency in Advanced General Dentistry in June 2007, I was transferred to the USS Pearl Harbor to be the ship's dentist. I joined the ship in Panama, halfway through her six-month Partnership of the Americas deployment. We made our way north along the west coast of Central America, participating in service projects and maritime exercises with foreign Navies. The best port visit? San Diego, where my beautiful bride of nine months was waiting on the pier! We weren't expecting another deployment any time soon...but two months later we found out the ship would be heading out the following May for six months, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Zoinks! The deployment preparation was intense, as the ship had to participate in numerous certifications and amphibious exercises to be ready to deploy. Bec and I made the most of our time together...Just ask our new baby boy! The day before I left, we found out we were expecting. We were overjoyed. It took the edge off saying goodbye, and kept us close for the six months we were apart. Bec spent time in New York, Chicago, Utah and the Bay Area with family as her little belly grew. Thankfully the tour was not extended and I returned home November 4th to my then seven months pregnant wonderful wife. The ship was in pretty rough shape after six months at sea, and is definitely not going anywhere anytime soon. Come June I will be back in a non-floating clinic at the Marines Recruiting Depot here in San Diego.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Ahoy! USS Pearl Harbor
After completing a residency in Advanced General Dentistry in June 2007, I was transferred to the USS Pearl Harbor to be the ship's dentist. I joined the ship in Panama, halfway through her six-month Partnership of the Americas deployment. We made our way north along the west coast of Central America, participating in service projects and maritime exercises with foreign Navies. The best port visit? San Diego, where my beautiful bride of nine months was waiting on the pier! We weren't expecting another deployment any time soon...but two months later we found out the ship would be heading out the following May for six months, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Zoinks! The deployment preparation was intense, as the ship had to participate in numerous certifications and amphibious exercises to be ready to deploy. Bec and I made the most of our time together...Just ask our new baby boy! The day before I left, we found out we were expecting. We were overjoyed. It took the edge off saying goodbye, and kept us close for the six months we were apart. Bec spent time in New York, Chicago, Utah and the Bay Area with family as her little belly grew. Thankfully the tour was not extended and I returned home November 4th to my then seven months pregnant wonderful wife. The ship was in pretty rough shape after six months at sea, and is definitely not going anywhere anytime soon. Come June I will be back in a non-floating clinic at the Marines Recruiting Depot here in San Diego.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment