Powhatan Naval officer checks in from Gulf of Oman

Nathan Schneider has spent the past few weeks aboard what he describes as a "a floating city" in the Gulf of Oman.

As you might have guessed from the location, it's not a Carnival cruise ship.

Schneider, 45, a Navy commander who grew up in Powhatan County, serves as aircraft maintenance officer for the USS Ronald Reagan. Since July 6, the 1,092-foot-long, 97,000-ton carrier has been providing support to U.S. and coalition forces fighting insurgents on the ground in southern Afghanistan with more than 60 aircraft.

It's the ninth and final major deployment for Schneider, who today celebrates 28 years of service.

Known onboard as the "Fix-O," Schneider oversees a team of 350 attending to everything from avionics repair to engine repair. His group handles maintenance of the 44 F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets that provide close-air support to troops on the ground, flying 350 to 500 miles per mission through Pakistan into Afghanistan, refueling two or three times each flight.

"There's a lot of work associated with flying airplanes for these long periods of time," he said last week in a phone interview from the ship. "We're kind of in a routine now where it's 13 days on and one day off. We're flying about 70 missions a day, about 30 to 40 are combat missions."

Schneider works about 16 hours a day, starting early with a series of meetings to assess the health of the aircraft. Then it's all about finding solutions.

"We're a government organization, so you know we've got paperwork, too," he said with a laugh.

"There's a lot of stuff that you don't see when you're watching the movie 'Top Gun' and without it, we can't do what we do," added Lt. Cmdr. Ron Flanders, the ship's public-affairs officer.

He said Schneider's role is crucial.

"He's running one of the largest departments on the ship, and it's arguably the most critical," Flanders said. "Whether or not that jet engine or guidance system is ready to go -- it's life or death."

Based out of San Diego, the Reagan is the newest and most combat-efficient carrier in the Pacific fleet. It's also the height of a 17-story building and carries a crew of 4,500 men and women.

"Our flight deck is four and a half acres of sovereign territory," Flanders said. "We have our own ZIP code."

The Reagan left port in San Diego on May 28 with a quick stop in Singapore before relieving the carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. Schneider joined the Reagan's crew last year after serving as officer in charge of the aviation maintenance school at Whiting Field near Pensacola, Fla.

Having served on several other carriers over the years, he says serving on the Reagan is something special.

"It's new, it's lethal, the crew really has high morale," he said. "This is an airfield and a very lethal combination of aircraft and weaponry."

But it's not all work and no play. The ship has its own library, a movie theater, fitness centers, Internet cafes, restaurants, a community college and even a Starbucks. Regular video game tournaments, bingo and karaoke break up the monotony.

"While we're on station, there's still some things going on around the ship to keep morale up and people from becoming complacent or lonely," Schneider said.

It's the port stops he looks forward to, though, because that means golf. "His sea bag includes a 9-iron and a putter," Flanders joked. "He's probably played golf in 20 countries."

Schneider joined the Navy with his parents' consent at age 17, but he still considers Powhatan home. He's transferring next year to Maryland and plans to return home with his wife, Allison, and their three children when his service is up.

For now, his focus is on the task at hand, which will keep him in the Gulf of Oman until "midto late October, or as long as our presence is required," he said.

Asked if he's concerned being parked next to Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan during turbulent times, Schneider said not at all.

"I feel very safe on this aircraft carrier," he said, noting that they are screened by cruisers, destroyers and submarines to "take care of business" as he put it.

Contact Wesley P. Hester at (804) 649-6976 or .