Aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), work is constant with high demands and expectations, and the distance from home feels greater out at sea. Sailors find themselves carrying pieces of home with them in ways most people do not expect.
Stokers, also known as the “black gang”, served aboard the Navy’s steam ships, primarily shoveling coal in the blazing hot boiler rooms. They traditionally wore black roughout-leather boots to hide dust from the coal-fired boilers, coining them “black-shoe” Sailors. This became the Navy standard for both working and dress uniforms. The black shoes represented a Navy when powerful battleships and guns were the cornerstone of the...
PHILIPPINE SEA – Addiction is not always obvious. Many people struggling still show up to work, perform well, and appear fine on the surface. Although habits can be broken with conscious effort and environmental adjustments, addictions alter brain chemistry, often requiring professional support and long-term behavioral strategies.
YOKOSUKA, Japan – While USS George Washington (CVN 73) sits in port after completing a successful 2025 patrol, its work is far from over. For the next few months, the passageways are narrower and sailors’ hardhats seem to scrape the overhead no matter how low they duck.
