[Al B.]

The "Ike" steamed from Norfolk to the Arabian Gulf in 14 days ... some 12,000 miles.

That's "hauling a$$."

[BluH2o]

That's "hauling a$$."

The "Ike" was steaming at 30 knots, perhaps a few knots more, 24/7 for two weeks.

[FreeRadical]

I was on CVN-69 for a whopping 30 days back in 92. I remember when she got to really rolling it was very, very impressive. Felt like being on a train, sort of.

Also, they were finishing up something like a 6+ month deployment. If I recall correctly there was not one single incident/accident on the whole trip. Not so much as anyone falling down a ladder or cutting their hand on the mess deck. I might be embellishing that a bit, but I don't think so. That's the way I remember it.

ALso, I remember the Pilots. Talk about impressive critters. Leading edge DNA. Better eyesight, reactions, everything. With my glasses on, I could spot em from a mile away. ;-)