All Hands – Five-thousand sailors and Marines bid farewell to their loved ones before the mammoth USS Nimitz pulls out of California. Controlled Chaos – An aircraft carrier is a perilous environment.
Super Secrets – Many aspects of life on a nuclear aircraft carrier are hush-hush. Squared Away – Deployment is stressful for everyone aboard, and there can be friction between enlisted personnel and their superiors.
Show of Force – The Nimitz arrives in the Gulf and conditions are extreme. Groundhog Day – After two months in the Gulf, one day starts to become indistinguishable from the next.
Rites of Passage – The last day in the Gulf before the Nimitz heads home. True Believers – This episode explores the many expressions of faith onboard the USS Nimitz.
Get Home-itis – A six-month absence places a heavy burden on relationships. Full Circle – The journey home, and the reunions at the pier.
The playlist below contains all 10 episodes of this series, each 55 minutes long. Almost 10 hours of watching in total.
It’s funny, after a while the pilots are getting really angry about not being allowed to engage in any enemy bombing missions. But they soon cotton on that it is more-or-less a PR cruise for the benefit of the TV crew who are filming the show onboard.
This documentary is rescued by the character and charm of the young men and woman who serve for very little pay. Well worth watching. TOP MARKS!!!
Sometimes it feels a bit like propaganda, but still it is great documentary. The quality of the film (direction, cutting, etc.) is excellent. There are some spectacular pictures (check the first 10 minutes).