While this is not a story about submarines – it really is a story about the task groups that hunt submarines, among other things.

Aboard USS KENNEDY - Every day aboard this 23-story, 1,052-foot aircraft carrier feels like a Monday. Sailors, full of energy, quickly pace the decks and corridors. They strive for perfection in their duties, as if a million-dollar raise is on the table. But, truth is, they are brisk because time is the enemy when preparing for war. Their bodies are fueled by adrenaline; their drive for perfection is spurred by their will to survive. On the USS John F. Kennedy's flight deck alone, there are a million accidents waiting to happen.

For the past three weeks, the Kennedy carrier strike group - a seven-ship contingent - has been simulating wartime conditions 75 miles off the coast of Pensacola. The training is crucial before deployment this summer, most likely to the Middle East. The Kennedy is the centerpiece of the strike group, and its 5,222 sailors are being tested on their ability to work with other ships and sailors. But after a rigorous month at sea, the crewmembers have some relief ahead - a 4-day port visit in Pensacola that begins Wednesday.

The locals on board are the unofficial tour guides. "It's my turn to be the residential expert," said Lt. Cmdr. Daryl Walls. "I told them about Seville Quarter and Pensacola Beach. They won't believe the open arms Pensacola has for their ship." For the sailors, Pensacola means a chance to relax and forget about the mission for the first time in weeks. Many are excited about the feeling of open space. Those who don't work on the flight deck can go for weeks without seeing the sky or the waves that sway the carrier. Under the flight deck, there is a maze of narrow, long hallways with "knee knockers" - doorways about 2 feet from the floor. Enlisted sailors give way for officers in hallways. No niceties, just a quick nod of the head. The hundreds of stairs on the ship are so narrow only one person can go up or down. The average sailor walks up at least 50 steep stairs a day.

Living quarters are just as tight. In the enlisted female berthing area, or sleeping quarters, there are aisles of bunks that are about 3 feet apart. Three bunks are stacked together, with closet space available underneath each bunk bed. Most bunks have sleeping bags on them - which makes the bunk look tidy and adds more cushion. "You can't go somewhere and hide, that's for sure," said Dental Chief Paulette Hardie of Fort Walton Beach. "But I love being under way. There is so much camaraderie. We depend on each other a lot."

EDITOR NOTE – Every day, an average of 50 sailors need dental care; an average of 14 teeth are pulled each day, and an average of ten sailors have their teeth cleaned each day.

Living so close together, however, can sometimes add stress. "They have a lot of anti-stress programs on the ship, but I prefer working out," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Walker of Pensacola. The hardest part for most sailors, Walker said, is being away from family and knowing that they are worried.. "My job is missile defense, and I know I do it well. So I'm not scared about being shot at. But my mom? She's worried," he said.

In the F/A-18 ready room, a bulletin board has pictures of the pilots' families on the wall. A sign on top of it reads, "We Miss You." Living such a difficult lifestyle sometimes makes the crew members feel even farther from their families. "It's frustrating with the hours and the stress," said Walls, whose wife lives in Pensacola. "But I can't go home and share it with my wife because she can't understand the life I live. You just keep it in."

EDITOR NOTE – There are some 10,000 sailors with the USS KENNEDY carrier strike group with 5,222 aboard the carrier of whom 900 are women.

When close calls happen, the moment isn't always easy to deal with, much less share. Woodham High School graduate Isidro Cruz, 20, was inches away from falling overboard last month. The aircraft elevator operator walked behind an F/A-18 jet's exhaust and was blown 12 feet. He fell off the flight deck and was caught by the catwalk. If he hadn't been, Cruz would have fallen 60 feet before smacking into the water.

"I felt like a rag doll," he said. "Everything happened so fast, but the fall went by forever like it was in slow motion. I bruised my back and my ribs." It is essential, he said, to respect the flight deck. It is known as the most dangerous place aboard the Kennedy. On Sunday afternoon, at least a dozen F-14s and F/A-18s took off from the deck in less than 20 minutes.

In the sky, another dozen circled the carrier. The silhouettes of the other ships in the carrier strike group were visible on the horizon. The flight deck was like a scene from "Star Wars": Sailors in helmets and goggles wear a specific color to signify their duty. Those in yellow shirts direct the aircraft; red shirts are responsible for weapons & purple shirts are in charge of fuel. They all have the same goal - make sure the aircraft is safe & ready for its mission.

Before flying, the pilots discuss any issues with their plane captain, the enlisted personnel in charge of safety. But when it comes to performing the mission, the pilot is on his own. Lt. jg. Mitch Koch, 26, realized the importance of trusting his instinct late Sunday night. As his jet touched the Kennedy's landing strip, he realized the F/A-18's brakes weren't working. "I pulled my emergency brake and did all the other things I was trained to do if the brakes are shot," said Koch, who is on his first deployment. He later sat in the ready room, feeling shaky. "There was no moon tonight, no horizon," he said. "Tonight was a scary night. You put your faith in your instruments, your training."

EDITOR NOTE – there are normally 70 aircraft aboard.

A new father - at the very least, Lt. jg. Chris Miranda, 31, wants his 2-month-old son to know his voice. "It's tough," said the F/A-18 pilot. "He is starting to look around and laugh. It helps that my wife e-mails me pictures." Miranda, who is training for his first deployment, recorded himself reading bedtime stories to his son, Austin. His wife of three years, Lisa, plays one story every night. For his wife, Miranda orders her flowers through the Internet. "And I try to e-mail her every day. It's tough being away from my wife and kid."

The tallest sailor on the Kennedy is literally is a pain in the neck to be Petty Officer 3rd Class Chris Pollock. At almost 7 feet tall, Pollock bends his neck - and his knees - almost everywhere he walks on the USS John F. Kennedy. "I've hit my head a couple times," said the 24-year-old. "Most of my family is Navy, so they told me to duck a lot. I just do what I can to get as much time on the hangar deck." The hangar is one of the few places Pollock can stand straight. And if you think standing on a carrier is tough, try sleeping in a small bunk when you are 6 feet, 10 inches tall. "I just curl up," he said.

Before he became a Navy chef and before he traveled to South America, Petty Officer 2nd Class Sonny Lalatag was studying to be a nurse but the New Jersey native one day was watching a commercial that changed his life. The commercial was part of the Navy's "Let the Journey Begin" campaign.

"They were talking about traveling, and then they showed the jets," said Lalatag, 29. He was sold on the idea. At 25, he joined the Navy and worked on the flight deck, surrounded by jets. Now he helps cook for the 5,000 sailors on the USS John F. Kennedy. "I've also been to South America," he said. So far, no regrets.

Staying in touch - is the Internet working? On the USS John F. Kennedy that question almost is a daily greeting. The crew's main concern? E-mail. "Sometimes (family and friends are) busy and they always don't have time to e-mail, but it means a lot to us when we get them," said P. O. 3rd Class Susan Duarte, 22. "The first thing I do when I go to my ward center is check my e-mail."

The telephones are not reliable on the ship. When the phones are working, the lines are often very long. E-mail serves as a lifeline for the crew - a way to stay close to the people they love. The Internet was down during the Kennedy's wartime simulation, which was a source of frustration for the crew. On Sunday, Duarte wrote her cousin in California and mailed it at the ship's post office. "You really miss your family and friends out here," she said.

As the skipper of the USS John F. Kennedy, Capt. Ronald H. Henderson Jr. has the largest living quarters, but he is rarely there. For at least 15 hours each day, Henderson can be found in the Navigational Bridge, sitting in a large leather chair with the best view of the flight deck. Under Navy regulations, the carrier's commanding officer must be on duty during the nonstop flight operations. There are about three people on the Kennedy who are qualified to relieve Henderson if he needs to grab a meal or take a quick nap but instead of sleeping in his spacious cabin, he sleeps in a small room near the Navigational Bridge. His room is equipped with a TV that shows him live feed from the flight deck. "It's hard work," said Henderson, a former F/A-18 pilot. "But I like being in charge. It's a burden, but it is also very rewarding."

EDITOR NOTE – Some of the interesting facts about the ship:

It cost $330,000,000 in last year’s maintenance
1. The ship carries 246 life rafts;
2. She is 35 years old and is 23 stories high;
3. The flight deck is more than 4½ acres in size;
4. Catapults send planes out at 200mph in TWO seconds;
5. The crew has eaten over 54,000 dozen eggs this patrol;
6. Almost 16,000 meals are served DAILY;
7. Nearly four tons of mail is received each week;
8. And the most popular snack – M&M’s, and they sell more than 100 packets of these candies DAILY.

Thanks to Commander DANIEL for sending along this piece written by Nicole Lozare, that give a good look into the life aboard a major US Navy aircraft carrier and her battle group. More next time.