Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Travis Decker | 190716-N-KC192-0092.jpg NORFOLK, Va. (July 16, 2019) - Lt. Mark Rodriguez, amphibious...... read more read more
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The flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) is awake with the chatter of airmen skillfully directing aircraft into position and the howl of an AV-8B Harrier preparing to take off. This dangerous dance is orchestrated by the careful guiding hand of Lt. Mark Rodriguez, Bataan’s aircraft handling officer. With a roll of roaring thunder, the Harrier departs safely and everyone on the flight deck breathes a sigh of relief at another successful departure in a dangerous environment.
Many improvements have been made in the wake of a devastating fire that broke out on the flight deck of USS Forrestal (CV-59) in 1967, along with other mishaps following the years since that have resulted in millions of dollars in damages and the loss of life. Today, handlers are responsible for providing all over training and supervising for Sailors and Marines, balancing machinery and people on a busy platform in a very dangerous and hazardous environment both day and night.
“This job is very demanding,” said Rodriguez. “It’s arduous for a reason. Some say it’s one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, working the flight deck, only because of the amount of things that can kill you on deck on a daily basis. I think that if you aren’t somewhat scared when you come into work when we have aircraft turning, there’s something wrong with you because that’s the time when you can get hurt the most or get somebody else hurt which we absolutely do not want to happen.”
Rodriguez enlisted in the Navy in February of 2000 as an undesignated airman to make a change in his life.
“After graduating high school, I was working at a steel mill flipping steel for twelve hours a day,” said Rodriguez. “It was a giant plant and it was where all my family worked at for generations. I just realized there was something else I wanted to do, didn’t know what it was, but I knew I did not want to get stuck where I was at. I went home one day, turned on the TV, saw the commercial for ‘let the journey begin’ and said ‘Hey let’s go see what that’s about. Let’s see what these guys have to offer.’ Within the first year, I was in the Navy doing the job I was doing and I thought this was the place for me.”
At his first command, he got a firsthand experience on the realization on how dangerous and life threatening it is to work on a flight deck.
“As soon as that aircraft went on power, my legs went out from under me and I flipped upside down, landed on the flight deck and there was probably about a 25-foot span between where I was standing and the downed elevator,” Rodriguez exclaimed. “I’m grabbing for as many pad eyes as I can at the time before a hand grabbed on hold to me. It just so happened that my Flight deck PO [petty officer] at the time who was an ABH1 [Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 1st class] came over, grabbed me by the scruff of my float coat like a puppy dog, and lifted me straight up off the flight deck.”
Usually, the path of an undesignated airman’s career begins with a departmental leading chief petty officer (DLCPO) deciding where to place them in one of the various air department divisions. Rodriguez’s DLCPO lined-up all of the junior airmen and pointed to each individual assigning them, V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V1… until he reached Rodriguez who landed on V1, which are the aviation boatswain’s mate (handling) division.
“Once I began working there I just fell in love with the tempo of flight operations and every aspect of being in aviation. I progressed through the qualifications I needed as fast as I could and it made it better that I really enjoyed working with the crew I was with,” said Rodriguez. “When it came time for me to strike a rate, I just stayed where I was and took [Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling)], because I was already comfortable and pretty proficient in the job I was doing. There’s nothing that compares to working on the flight deck every day and launching and recovering aircraft. It doesn’t matter how hot or how cold or how wet you get, it’s just awesome.”
Rodriguez stated that he was inspired early on to take the path of an officer due to his first divisional officer. He saw what he did on the flight deck and how he interacted with the crew along with the responsibility he held as a divisional officer.
Transitioning from an enlisted Sailor to an officer gives Rodriguez a different perspective when it comes to working with his enlisted personnel. He was commissioned in October 2001 through the Limited Duty Officer program.
“I think it’s great working with my enlisted guys as an officer considering I was prior enlisted,” said Rodriguez. “I was an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class when I got commissioned. As a Limited Duty Officer, especially working in the job I work now, I have a huge understanding and respect for what it is that the guys and gals on the [flight] deck do on a daily basis because I lived that life. I worked in flight Operations. I was a blue shirt. I was a yellow shirt. I have done what they’ve done on the flight deck. So I think it gives me a better understanding of what they go through on a daily basis and how to mitigate and manage some of the woes and troubles they have on deck.”
Rodriguez doesn’t just want his junior Sailors to replace him, he wants them to surpass him.
“When people ask how to be an LDO or how to go officer, a lot of people will tell them ‘be just like me,” said Rodriguez. “I tell them not to be like me. I don’t want them to be like me. I want them to be better. Eventually I’m going to leave and the Navy is going to continue to progress. It’s going to be these guys and gals that are working out on the flight deck right now that take over. They’re a lot smarter than I was when I was a second or third class because they have a lot more technology available that they’re dealing with. I don’t want them to be like me, I want to give the tools to go past what it is that I know. That’s what is going to make the Navy better.”
The enjoyment Rodriguez gets out of his work has a little bit to do with the job and a lot to do with the people.
“This job is a whole lot of fun and the scenery always changes,” said Rodriguez with a wide smile. “You always have fresh air. I’m in awe every day watching my guys and gals work out here. The things that they’re able to accomplish, they make look easy and it’s not because of the coordination and orchestration it takes for them to accomplish the mission they need to safely without getting anyone hurt or tearing anything up is mind boggling. For those who haven’t gotten the chance to watch these guys and gals work during flight operations, it’s great. Its guys like these that make the job fun.”
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2019 15:54 |
| Story ID: | 334934 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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