So for the past couple of days the NAVCHAPS have been here. "Who or What are the NAVCHAPS, Phil?" Well, I'm glad you asked, Mr. or Ms. Internet blog reader... As per About.com, a NAVCHAP is: "Navy Cargo Handling and Port Group--The active duty, cargo handling, battalion-sized unit composed solely of active duty personnel. {It is} a mobile logistics support unit capable of worldwide deployment in its entirety or in specialized detachments. It is organized, trained, and equipped to: a. load and off-load Navy and Marine Corps cargo carried in maritime prepositioning ships and merchant breakbulk or container ships in all environments."
KNOWLEDGE!
So the NAVCHAPS get flown down here to run support with our ship offload. Thanks to their efforts usually the cargo ship is only here for a several days. The NAVCHAPS join up with the town and unload and load the cargo ship round the clock. These guys are hard working, and are only here until the ship is completely loaded. Without them, I doubt we would run as efficient and and as fast.But, there some bad apples that can ruin the whole bunch. The NAVCHAPS have a bad reputation down here. Several years ago, I have been told, the NAVCHAPS used to cause a lot of trouble in the bars. IE: Starting fights, which is not tolerated at all down here. Now, the entire town is dry when they are around. The bars are closed, the store stops selling it..and drinking in public areas is not allowed.
This has created a illegal liquor underground, and has had many people horde booze for weeks leading up to this. But, when the NAVCHAPS came down this past year, the bar was open for 1 day. That can't be bad right? WRONG! I guess a whole bunch of those guys got a bit out of control and the entire second floor of my dorm was trashed. Posters were ripped down, trash was spilled, and a puzzle that someone glued together and posted on the wall was totally destroyed. It was really unfortunate. It reminded me of when I was at FPC and college kids with no respect of their community or area would trash the College. Down here it seems to have a bigger impact because the closeness of the community. But, the NAVCHAPS are here until the vessel leaves port, so hopefully no more of this behavior will haunt them. I don't think that all the NAVCHAPS are horrible people, but it is more than apparent that there are a couple of them that are trouble makers.So you all are lucky, TWO posts in one day! Enjoy the rest of your Mondays!
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1 comment:
I don't think people realize how destructive those NAVCHAP boys can be. A group of NAVCHAP's have rented an entire triple decker around the corner from me in Central Cambridge (You know where to find me, slide through if you're feeling funny). And lemme tell ya, my once quaint little neighborhood on Union Street has become a hotbed for illegal activity. All those Chap's do is hustle stolen cargo. Every couple of hours I've got police sirens distracting me from my studies. And that giant octopus...man, it's not just a cartoon. That shit is real. I've seen it, like a 27 inch Zenith, believe it.
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