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CNN Live Today

USS Lincoln On Its Way Home

Aired April 28, 2003 - 10:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, out on the Pacific, the USS Abraham Lincoln is on its way to San Diego after its service in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and on board is our very own Kyra Phillips. She is there with a live update on the journey at sea. Good to see you again, Kyra. Kind of nice to be almost back home out there?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: I do -- I feel like this is my second home. I was here before the war, during the war, and now, of course, for the big homecoming, Leon, and you are right. The USS Abraham Lincoln is steaming ahead and headed toward San Diego, and then, finally, the home port of Everett, Washington. There is so much to tell you about, too, that we're going to have for you this week. But, you have been talking, I've been hearing the stories you have been talking about, about quality of life and making history through all these different stories throughout the military. It's the same scenario here. Ten months at sea. Just imagine what that can do to you mentally, living on a ship and going through the constraint that you go through, a very important job. The Navy counselor, that is what we are going to talk about today in this segment.

I'm going to bring you over here to Scott Van Riper (ph), Navy counselor first class. We are going to talk about what you do to convince the men and women here to stay in the Navy, to continue on with their career. Because it's not easy after being at sea for ten months and going through, specifically a war-time situation. How do you it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, I just give them my own experience when I was a junior sailor myself. A lot of the things I can relate to, where they're coming from, and then, when they come down to talk to me, and they might have a hard day. It has been ten months, they are working 18, 19 hours a day. I just tell them, we can get you in a school, we can help you get advanced, we can basically show you different ways to get where you want to go, show them just the tools of the road.

PHILLIPS: And their -- what's the quid pro quo? They get bonuses, possibly, right? More money for staying in the Navy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Certain rates do qualify for what they call selective reenlistment bonuses, and if they do qualify for that, they can reenlist for four or six years from anywhere from $20,000 up to $60,000 reenlistment bonuses, so that is quite an incentive to deal with ten months at sea when you get a good paycheck for reenlisting.

PHILLIPS: When they come to you and they say, OK, this was definitely an amazing experience. I participated in a war-time scenario, but this is tough. Sir, how do I keep going -- I mean, how do you convince them that this is a wonderful opportunity for them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I just give them all the other incentives that are available to the Navy. A lot of people -- I've had people come to me and say, OK, is my whole career in the Navy going to be on a ship? I'm like, No, you can go to shore duty for three years. You can get money for going a certain location, you can get college money. You can do all types of different things, and not to base the Navy on your first tour, especially if it's ten months. If it's been hard for them, I tell them, I've been there also. When I was 18, I was doing the same thing as you are doing, and here it is 15 years later, and I'm five years from retirement and it has been good to me, so that kind of gives them a little bit of hope.

PHILLIPS: Scott Van Riper (ph), thank you so much, Navy counselor.

Now, one of those young kids that has been counseled by Scott Van Riper is Anthony Smith. He is a seaman here, 21 years old, from Dallas, Texas. So he talked you into it. You are going to stay. Why?

SEAMAN ANTHONY SMITH, U.S. NAVY: Because I figure, hey, I have nothing else to do back home. Can't be like everybody else. I needed a challenge. That is about it.

PHILLIPS: What was it like being on this ship and participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom? Someone from Dallas, Texas, you never thought you were going to be here, out in the Persian Gulf.

SMITH: That is correct. It was pretty tough, be we overcame everything, and...

PHILLIPS: What is it, Anthony -- what is it that has inspired you to stay? Why -- tell me why you are doing it?

SMITH: The opportunity. You never get an opportunity like this to see the world and experience anything else like it. Do what you want to do, and that's about it.

PHILLIPS: All right. Anthony Smith, thank you so much. Well, you definitely see the positive influence that something like Operation Iraqi Freedom, being here on the carrier has done for young men like Anthony Smith.

A lot of other sailors out here, Leon. They just -- they never expected to be a part of something like this, and it's not easy, and so they have had to deal with Navy counselors and be convinced that OK, I am doing something that is right, because when you are in such a constrained environment for ten months, sometimes it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that is why the counselors are here.

HARRIS: That is totally understandable. It's hard to spend ten hours in a car with your brother and sister, let alone spending 10 months on sea with guys like that in those situations. That's understandable. PHILLIPS: ... except ten hours on the golf course with you. You bet, Leon.

HARRIS: Well, you know what that is like. We'll talk about that some other day. Thanks, Kyra. Kyra Phillips live on the USS Abraham Lincoln, on its way back home now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired April 28, 2003 - 10:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, out on the Pacific, the USS Abraham Lincoln is on its way to San Diego after its service in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and on board is our very own Kyra Phillips. She is there with a live update on the journey at sea. Good to see you again, Kyra. Kind of nice to be almost back home out there?
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: I do -- I feel like this is my second home. I was here before the war, during the war, and now, of course, for the big homecoming, Leon, and you are right. The USS Abraham Lincoln is steaming ahead and headed toward San Diego, and then, finally, the home port of Everett, Washington. There is so much to tell you about, too, that we're going to have for you this week. But, you have been talking, I've been hearing the stories you have been talking about, about quality of life and making history through all these different stories throughout the military. It's the same scenario here. Ten months at sea. Just imagine what that can do to you mentally, living on a ship and going through the constraint that you go through, a very important job. The Navy counselor, that is what we are going to talk about today in this segment.

I'm going to bring you over here to Scott Van Riper (ph), Navy counselor first class. We are going to talk about what you do to convince the men and women here to stay in the Navy, to continue on with their career. Because it's not easy after being at sea for ten months and going through, specifically a war-time situation. How do you it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically, I just give them my own experience when I was a junior sailor myself. A lot of the things I can relate to, where they're coming from, and then, when they come down to talk to me, and they might have a hard day. It has been ten months, they are working 18, 19 hours a day. I just tell them, we can get you in a school, we can help you get advanced, we can basically show you different ways to get where you want to go, show them just the tools of the road.

PHILLIPS: And their -- what's the quid pro quo? They get bonuses, possibly, right? More money for staying in the Navy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Certain rates do qualify for what they call selective reenlistment bonuses, and if they do qualify for that, they can reenlist for four or six years from anywhere from $20,000 up to $60,000 reenlistment bonuses, so that is quite an incentive to deal with ten months at sea when you get a good paycheck for reenlisting.

PHILLIPS: When they come to you and they say, OK, this was definitely an amazing experience. I participated in a war-time scenario, but this is tough. Sir, how do I keep going -- I mean, how do you convince them that this is a wonderful opportunity for them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I just give them all the other incentives that are available to the Navy. A lot of people -- I've had people come to me and say, OK, is my whole career in the Navy going to be on a ship? I'm like, No, you can go to shore duty for three years. You can get money for going a certain location, you can get college money. You can do all types of different things, and not to base the Navy on your first tour, especially if it's ten months. If it's been hard for them, I tell them, I've been there also. When I was 18, I was doing the same thing as you are doing, and here it is 15 years later, and I'm five years from retirement and it has been good to me, so that kind of gives them a little bit of hope.

PHILLIPS: Scott Van Riper (ph), thank you so much, Navy counselor.

Now, one of those young kids that has been counseled by Scott Van Riper is Anthony Smith. He is a seaman here, 21 years old, from Dallas, Texas. So he talked you into it. You are going to stay. Why?

SEAMAN ANTHONY SMITH, U.S. NAVY: Because I figure, hey, I have nothing else to do back home. Can't be like everybody else. I needed a challenge. That is about it.

PHILLIPS: What was it like being on this ship and participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom? Someone from Dallas, Texas, you never thought you were going to be here, out in the Persian Gulf.

SMITH: That is correct. It was pretty tough, be we overcame everything, and...

PHILLIPS: What is it, Anthony -- what is it that has inspired you to stay? Why -- tell me why you are doing it?

SMITH: The opportunity. You never get an opportunity like this to see the world and experience anything else like it. Do what you want to do, and that's about it.

PHILLIPS: All right. Anthony Smith, thank you so much. Well, you definitely see the positive influence that something like Operation Iraqi Freedom, being here on the carrier has done for young men like Anthony Smith.

A lot of other sailors out here, Leon. They just -- they never expected to be a part of something like this, and it's not easy, and so they have had to deal with Navy counselors and be convinced that OK, I am doing something that is right, because when you are in such a constrained environment for ten months, sometimes it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and that is why the counselors are here.

HARRIS: That is totally understandable. It's hard to spend ten hours in a car with your brother and sister, let alone spending 10 months on sea with guys like that in those situations. That's understandable. PHILLIPS: ... except ten hours on the golf course with you. You bet, Leon.

HARRIS: Well, you know what that is like. We'll talk about that some other day. Thanks, Kyra. Kyra Phillips live on the USS Abraham Lincoln, on its way back home now.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com