WILMINGTON, N.C. – On day three of our “Serving at Sea” series, WWAY’s Matt Bennett landed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to experience life as a sailor on an aircraft carrier, and witness what it takes to become a US Navy pilot.
Bennett’s journey began on a C-2 cargo plane bound for the aircraft carrier, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The Eisenhower, informally known as the Ike, is nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall, and plays a vital role in America’s Naval forces.
“Our mission is to be on the sea, under the sea, on the land, and in the air. We do a little bit of everything,” said Captain Dave Hecht, who oversaw Bennett’s initial sailor training.
The plane successfully landed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower when its tail hook caught one of the ship’s arresting wires. This system slows the aircraft from 150 miles per hour to a dead stop in just two seconds.
Once on board, Bennett had the opportunity to meet with Captain Christopher Hill, who assumed command of the Ike in late March.
“It’s a tremendous responsibility,” Capt. Hill said. “I’m talking about you’re responsible directly, day-to-day, for 3,000 sailors who run this ship, and then when you deploy, you bring on 2,000 more sailors, so that responsibility now extends to 5,000 sailors. This is like a mini city or a small town.”
The moment everyone was waiting for was the chance to witness jets take off and land on the massive ship. Bennett and other participants were required to strap on eye, head, and ear protection before stepping out onto the flight deck.
Crews can launch jets every 30 to 40 seconds and the ship can hold around 70 total.
Captain Hill emphasized that although many of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower’s thousands of sailors are not directly involved in launching aircraft, everyone plays a part in the Navy’s overall mission.
“This ship is 46 years old, it has deployed more than any other ship that’s active in the Navy right now,” Capt. Hill said. “I could talk about all the awards and accolades, but at the end of the day, every sailor has to believe that they are the best, and we instill that in them.”
On Thursday, Bennett will introduce us to some native North Carolinians who call the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower home, including a sailor from Wilmington who shares his story of overcoming adversity.
View other Serving at Sea stories:
Serving at Sea Part One: Life on a US Navy submarine
Serving at Sea Part Two: Navy Expeditionary Unit shows off hovercrafts, advanced simulators
Serving at Sea Part Four: Hometown Heroes aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower