Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) took part in a five kilometer run on the flight deck Jan. 18.
The run, hosted by Supply Department’s MWR division, was organized by Stennis’ afloat fitness director, Tina Nguyen, from Jackson, Miss.
“The Sailors aboard seem to enjoy running, and a run on the flight deck has been requested by a lot of people,” said Nguyen.
Sailors are not able to run on the flight deck due to daily flight operations, instead, they run on treadmills located in various fitness locations throughout the ship.
“Running in the 5K was really awesome,” said Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Jayne Mcallister, from New Braunfels, Texas. “It is not often we get to run on the flight deck and on a beautiful day like today, it was a huge stress relief.”
Stennis’ Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) volunteered to assist in setting up the event. CSADD members set up hydration stations, manned check-in tables and directed runners to finishing tables where they could document their time.
“I think the 5K helped improve morale by breaking the monotony of the everyday routine,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) 2nd Class Joe Hodge, Stennis’ CSADD president, from Detroit.
“The response has been beyond my expectations,” said Nguyen.
The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, consisting of Stennis, Carrier Air Wing 9, Destroyer Squadron 21, and guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) are forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility to strengthen regional partnerships, sustain maritime security, and support combatant commander requirements for assets in the area.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, January 20, 2013