I woke up today at 0600 (already talking like a military person), after spending a night on a military ship or any ship for that matter for the first time.  Alexis and I touched down at Guam at about 2130 yester night. That will be 730am EST (Guam is ahead by about 14 hours). Our 14-hour flight from Washington to Tokyo, Japan wasn’t as bad as I though it will be.  I kept myself entertained and busy through out the flight. Two movies, a lot of reading, some short naps later, we were in Japan. Our connecting flight to Guam was airborne in about an hour after we arrived at Tokyo. We searched the airport for our welcome party, after going through immigrations here in Guam.  Three military personnel greeted us 20 minutes later and drove us to the Naval base where we boarded this USNS Mercy.

 The USNS mercy is a gigantic ship! It is literally a fully functional, high-tech hospital on water. It is a 7-floor health facility with over 1000 beds. Originally built as an oil tanker, SS Worth in 1976, the ship was converted to a hospital ship, renamed USNS Mercy and launched on 20 July 1985. USNS Mercy Mercy’s primary mission is to provide rapid, mobile acute medical and surgical services to support Armed forces deployed ashore. Additionally, the ship provides mobile surgical hospital service for appropriate US Government agencies in disaster or humanitarian relief missions.

On board the ship, I was escorted to my berthing (sleeping) area and shown my bunk and lockers. I must say that life on a military ship is not for the claustrophobic. The spaces are pretty tight and being on the topmost part of my bunk bed, I literally hit the ceiling every time I turn on my bed. The heads (bathrooms) are pretty clean and as is the case with everything out here comes with specific rules. I just have to learn to take 2-minute showers! I feel like I am back in my boarding school days all over again.

We received a tour of the ship this morning and conducted our formal check-in into the ship since we were unable to do it yesterday due to our late arrival. It will definitely take me a few days to find my way in this ship! I always have to ask for directions every time I decide to wander off! That’s how big this ship is!

We set sail for Indonesia on the morning of Friday, 05/25/2012. In the meantime we are getting ourselves adjusted to life on a ship and touring the beautiful Island of Guam. I am writing this submission from a pub outside the Naval base, the Internet on the ship is pretty unreliable. I may therefore not be able to keep you updated as often as I will like to while on board the ship. I will however keep you posted whenever the opportunity presents itself. Keep reading, this is going to be a-thrill-of-a-ride!!!