Bristol Hartlage - I think swimming, it's very cerebral for me, because I can think about work,
I can think about home, I can think about my family, I can think about just going faster.
I grew up on the lake so I've always been around the water, I love the water.
That's one of the things I really enjoy doing on the ship is going up to topside when
we are under way and just looking out at the water. It's beautiful.
Chris Zundel - I'm a Nuclear Engineering Officer for the United States Navy.
You can't really grasp what this job is going to be like until you are doing it.
There's definitely a personality type that goes through this program.
Captain Nasty - I started Nuclear Power training in December of 1999.
I am talking to you today just about ten years later in command of this ship.
Bristol Hartlage - Growing up, math, math was it for me. I had never considered joining the military
or the military as an option until I heard about the NUPOC Program.
Chris Zundel - I definitely like something that makes me think, something that I can figure out.
I enjoy learning how a reactor actually works because that's not really common knowledge.
Captain Nasty - It gives leadership opportunity in a very highly technical environment
for any officer who chooses to go this path.
Bristol Hartlage - I enjoy being able to put my personal touch on it and
lead the team the way I think is most efficient.
Chris Zundel - Well behind us what we have is the USS Nimitz CVN 68.
What we are doing right now is we're basically testing everything
that we fixed in the last 5 months. It's like this everyday.
The wheels are in motion 100 percent of the time, all the time.
Bristol Hartlage - Everything that sustains the life on this ship,
reactor department creates the steam that drives the, that gives the power for that.
Captain Nasty - Nimitz is powered by two nuclear reactors.
In order for us to steam hundreds of millions of miles safely on nuclear power,
we have to have a very strict training regimen for all of the operators who operate the nuclear power plant.
Bristol Hartlage - Working with the reactor, we start it up, we shut it down,
we do drills and all of that. It's your watch team, so you have the human factor there
where I am leading a watch team of the enlisted guys who are also down there.
And so, I have, I can influence how we all interact with each other.
Bristol Hartlage - Alright, concerning the fire drill that we had on Wednesday,
Petty Officer Salisar what did you see that the drill team did well?
Pretty much everything.
Bristol Hartlage - Pretty much they did everything well, ok, how was the dressing out and their EBD?
In reactor department you have really intelligent people who are, they impress me everyday.
Captain Nasty - Our Navy officers all have satisfied the values of honor, courage, and commitment,
that's just by being in the Navy uniform. And then what we hope to do is to satisfy their intellectual
curiosity that they gain from college looking into the Navy and say hey I want to do that,
I want to do something different. I want to do something bigger than myself.
Chris Zundel - This is the first thing I've ever done that I can honestly say that
I don't think everybody could do it. At first you feel lost, at first you are like ahhh,
there is so much knowledge that we are getting, but as you start to understand the theory
and then understand how to use the theory, you definitely feel more confident and you definitely
feel like I can pretty much do anything.
Captain Nasty - The carrier strike group represents the most potent forward operating
force that we have in the United States Navy today. The presence of a United States Navy aircraft carrier,
when its reported in the media when people see it. It influences everybody in the region.
It shows, demonstrates United States commitment to our allies and to security and stability in each region.
Nuclear power allows us to get forward very, very rapidly and without the requirement to be refueled.
It is critical to our operations.
Bristol Hartlage - I think it is a huge responsibility being a nuclear officer on an aircraft carrier,
and we are reminded of it every day. Without these reactors creating this heat,
we are a buoy, we are a buoy in the middle of the ocean.
Chris Zundel - You walk around downtown San Diego and you look up at one of the tallest buildings
and its maybe about 500 feet... imagine about twice that size and that's what I live on and that's what I work on every single day.
The hours are definitely long when you are out to sea, but you find time throughout the day to have a little bit of fun.
I would say I have a very active personal life, I am very involved with music,
I am very involved with training for triathlons. The Navy accommodates and I have time do that.
There is no feeling like coming in after a deployment.
Bristol Hartlage - I am almost welling up right now talking about it.
Chris Zundel - You are swelled with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Bristol Hartlage - Pulling back into your home port is like nothing else I have ever felt.
Chris Zundel - Hi my name is Chris Zundel, I am a Lieutenant Jr. Grade in the United States Navy.
Bristol Hartlage - Hi my name is Bristol Hartlage and I am a Lieutenant in the United States Navy.
I always like to see people's reactions when I tell them what I do and it's never short of a surprise.