The ship is bustling with activity early in the morning. Navy crew and shipyard employees continue to work closely to prove the Reagan will soon be ready for delivery.

On the O3 level of the ship in a part of the Carrier Intelligence Center (CVIC), Combat Systems electricians (left to right) Dustin Turlington, Sherry Glen and Ruth Brown gather with six sailors to guide them on how to work with fiber optic cables. Doug Eubanks, a foreman for Combat Systems, is also in the room.

 “Fiber optic cable is the backbone on the ship,” Dustin says. “We had to blow that fiber in…. The boat came together really fast at the end.”

This team was involved in handling thousands and thousands of feet of various cable throughout the ship.

“It’s been great,” Glen says of sea trials. “I’ve been on a lot of them. Our systems are working great.”

Adm. Frank L. "Skip" Bowman interrupts for a moment over the ship's speakers to give a "heartfelt congratulations" to the Reagan sailors for a "very professional and successful sea trials." He also credits Northrop Grumman Newport News President Tom Schievelbein and the shipbuilders on their success.

"We took the ship fast - can't say how fast because that's classified. The ship did everything it was supposed to do because of the crew on board and because of the professionalism of those from Northrop Grumman Newport News."

He suggests the chaplain work out fog conditions with his boss. Bowman encourages everyone to continue with the hard work.

Reagan sailor IT1 Christy Miller knows first hand about the hard work and dedication the shipbuilders of Newport News put into constructing the Ronald Reagan. She knows because she's married to one of those builders. Her husband of four years Stacy Miller, who works in X43, built the catapults for Reagan.

"It's a unique experience," Miller says of their relationship. "I've seen all the hard work the shipbuilders go through."
Despite working on the ship together, the Millers haven't seen much of each other at work. "I've only seen Stacy four times on the ship," she says.

They weren't able to experience sea trials together, but Miller says her husband reassured her before she left. He told her, "You're on a new carrier that's never been out to sea. You're making history." 

It's approaching 8:30 a.m. and the ship's horn blasts. Fog conceals the sky and the water, but not the sound of helicopter blades cutting through the air. "I can hear him, but I can't see him," a member of the flight deck crew of about 10 says just before the helicopter landing.

Tom Schievelbein

The chopper barely becomes visible through gray haze, and the flight deck crew gets in place. "Use your wands that you'd use at night," says an announcement over the loud speaker. "All personnel stand clear of catwalks."

A crew of about 20 line up on the flight deck as a chopper appears out of the haze.

X11 Fitter Jodie Cross makes his way onto the flight deck to see shipyard President Tom Schievelbein and Adm. Bowman leave by helicopter. Cross was one of the builders of Reagan's catapults, and his job during sea trials is to inspect the various tanks on the ship.

"I love it," he says about his experience at sea. "It's different and exciting. It's amazing to be on the main deck and see how many people are on this ship."

Schievelbein appears on the flight deck and soon after there’s an announcement: “Attention on the flight deck.” Adm. Bowman appears on the flight deck to prepare for departure.

Moments later, the chopper disappears quickly into the gray haze.

At his seat on the bridge, Capt. Goodwin takes a moment to reflect on sea trials. "It's going well, though the fog is one thing that we didn't expect," he says. "It's an ever-changing process and we're doing well."

For more than two-and-a-half years, he says, he's been with the PCU, or Pre-Commissioning Unit. "This is what we've been working toward," he says.

He complimented the shipbuilders on their work. "It's been a solid working relationship," he says. "The company builds it and outfits it. The ship is like the body and the crew is the life blood."