{"id":37473,"date":"2020-08-18T19:27:39","date_gmt":"2020-08-18T19:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/08\/18\/please-remember-the-world-is-different-a-sailor-recounts-the-ikes-200-plus-days-at-sea-and-its-surreal-return\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:35:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:35:37","slug":"please-remember-the-world-is-different-a-sailor-recounts-the-ikes-200-plus-days-at-sea-and-its-surreal-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/08\/18\/please-remember-the-world-is-different-a-sailor-recounts-the-ikes-200-plus-days-at-sea-and-its-surreal-return\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Please remember the world is different:\u2019 A sailor recounts the Ike\u2019s 200-plus days at sea and its surreal return"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For endless months, as the aircraft carrier <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/08\/10\/carrier-ike-back-in-norfolk-following-more-than-200-consecutive-days-at-sea\/\" target=_blank>Dwight D. Eisenhower<\/a> steamed through a record-breaking 206 days at sea with no port calls, at least one sailor just wanted off the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The crew had left Virginia on Jan. 17, when COVID-19 was little more than a concerning blip on America\u2019s radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when the sailors finally stepped off the boat at Norfolk Naval Station Aug. 9, wrapping up a seven-month tour in U.S. 5th and 6th fleets, they reentered a country some of them barely recognized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was no celebration, no homecoming, just \u201chug your loved ones in the car, figure it out, just go,\u201d the Ike sailor told Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe came back to protests and threats going on and COVID,\u201d the sailor said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of scary. It gives me anxiety a little. I\u2019ve been talking to other people on the ship like, \u2018How you holding up? I don\u2019t want to leave the house.\u2018 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/08\/10\/carrier-ike-back-in-norfolk-following-more-than-200-consecutive-days-at-sea\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Eisenhower.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Carrier Ike back in Norfolk following more than 200 consecutive days at sea<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Eisenhower and the guided-missile cruiser San Jacinto pulled into Norfolk Naval Station on Aug. 9, following a seven-month deployment in which they operated in U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sailor asked to remain anonymous because crew members weren\u2019t authorized to speak publicly about the lengthy deployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJust about everyone that was on the boat with us that I\u2019ve spoken to is going through some type of anxiety,\u201d the sailor said this week. \u201cThey\u2019re anxious and they can\u2019t figure out why.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lines in the grocery store make the sailor uneasy these days, as does idle time of any kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sailors must also now remember to bring their mask, as well as their keys and wallet, when they head out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf I\u2019m out for too long, I\u2019m anxious because I can\u2019t see anyone\u2019s face,\u201d the sailor said. \u201cAll I see is eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By mid-March, as the Ike steamed and the novel coronavirus changed everything, the sailor realized there would be no port calls on this cruise, and that the roughly 5,500 sailors aboard the carrier were going to be onboard for the long haul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEverybody was like, we\u2019re never getting off this ship,\u201d recalled the sailor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the spring season progressed, scuttlebutt spread among shipmates about what was going on back home and the coronavirus outbreak aboard the carrier <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/06\/19\/capt-crozier-wont-be-reinstated-as-the-commander-of-the-carrier-theodore-roosevelt\/\" target=_blank>Theodore Roosevelt<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The command would get on the carrier\u2019s main public address circuit and attempt to dispel rumors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe rumor that was not killed was that we\u2019re never getting off the boat,\u201d the sailor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, the sailor feels the command did its best under very difficult circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shipmates were given weekends or days off where they had no duties \u201cand you could just wear civilian clothes to feel human.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCapt. (Kyle) Higgins, (the carrier\u2019s commanding officer), was really cool,\u201d the sailor said. \u201cHe kept us updated on everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1133\" height=\"749\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-1.png.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-70741\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-1.png.png 1133w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-1.png.png?resize=300,198 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-1.png.png?resize=768,508 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-1.png.png?resize=1024,677 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1133px) 100vw, 1133px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Virginia earlier this month after a record-breaking 206 consecutive days at sea. (Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some shipmates took the lack of port calls in stride, while others were upset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere were some people that were more understanding than others,\u201d the sailor said. \u201cSome people who had been on deployment before said, \u2018Think about it this way: It can\u2019t ever be worse than this. The next deployment won\u2019t be so bad.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s one of those situations where you got the short end of the stick,\u201d the sailor noted. \u201cYou\u2019re either going to make the best of it or you\u2019re going to dwell on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Navy\u2019s top officer has acknowledged the strain that deployments in the COVID-19 era are placing on sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While port calls have decreased, ships are implementing \u201cstand-down days\u201d in which sailors are given a day off, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/amp\/ncna1236315\" target=_blank>Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told NBC News<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEverybody needs a break once in a while and I do think that the toughest challenge, I believe, in a situation like this is trying to understand what that threshold is and not pushing it too far,\u201d Gilday said. \u201cYou know when people are tired, people are frazzled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An adjustment to operating schedules is likely, the chief told NBC News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow we have to have ships stay at sea another month or so longer as they do their training, and instead of taking leave right after training before deployment, they roll right into deployment,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd so we\u2019re going to have to take a closer look at whether or not we can sustain that for a prolonged period of time and make some recommendations up the chain of command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This sailor does not presume to speak for the entire Ike crew, but said the deployment was not all bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was a learning experience,\u201d the sailor told Navy Times. \u201cI learned about myself, I learned about the other sailors on the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was easier to focus on qualifications or study for advancement because there was nothing else, the sailor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A deployment high point included the crew becoming the Navy\u2019s first-ever <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.mil\/Press-Office\/News-Stories\/display-news\/Article\/2306084\/dwight-d-eisenhower-carrier-strike-group-returns-from-deployment\" target=_blank>\u201cIron Shellbacks\u201d<\/a> after they crossed the equator on May 14 after more than 100 days at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crew were also given \u201cOh, the places you won\u2019t go\u201d T-shirts, the sailor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll the ports we were supposed to hit were on there with a line through it,\u201d the sailor said. \u201cThey found ways to make light of the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while they didn\u2019t pull right into port, they came close. The sailor recalled seeing Egypt from the water, steaming through the Mediterranean Sea and transiting the Suez Canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But uncertainty about what was going on back home, coupled with endless days at sea, eventually eroded even the most can-do attitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think it was, like, month five,\u201d the sailor said. \u201cI was like, alright, I\u2019m over this shit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1135\" height=\"749\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-3.png.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-62322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-3.png.png 1135w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-3.png.png?resize=300,198 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-3.png.png?resize=768,507 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ike-return-3.png.png?resize=1024,676 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1135px) 100vw, 1135px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Virginia this month after a record-setting 206 consecutive days at sea. (Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the Ike\u2019s deployment neared its end, leaders held meetings with sailors to explain to them the changed world to which they would soon return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sections practiced mask wearing and social distancing as well, the sailor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur captain kept on reminding us that we haven\u2019t had to live with COVID,\u201d the sailor recalled. \u201cHe reminded us that you\u2019re going to get off this boat eventually, please remember that the world is different.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before they walked off the ship and back onto land, the sailor said their unit leadership told them to be proud of what they had endured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEveryone\u2019s still here, no one lost their minds completely,\u201d the sailor said. \u201cThis is the worst deployment you\u2019re ever going to be on, but you made it out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g1UsNwmfgIE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen title=\"Ike comes home, shots fired at a helo in Virginia, and new Tricare fees \u2014 The Briefing 08.18.20\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RLKsHgnCamE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen title=\"Video Highlights: Military flyovers for COVID-19 medical workers\"><\/iframe>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The carrier and its strike group left Virginia in mid-January and returned this month to a very different America.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":70738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","coronavirus","left-column","home","middle-column"],"primary_category":"your-military"},"6":{"categories":["news","coronavirus","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"news"}}},"categories":[61,101,23,88,89,12,26,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3355],"class_list":["post-37473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coronavirus","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"MLMCLD7PFVDJLKWWX7BHBZXUFA","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/08\/18\/please-remember-the-world-is-different-a-sailor-recounts-the-ikes-200-plus-days-at-sea-and-its-surreal-return\/","remove_feature_photo":true,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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