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CNN Live Today

Interview With Boatswainmate Janet Sanchez

Aired April 28, 2003 - 11:53   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: The USS Abraham Lincoln is nearing San Diego after war duty in the Persian Gulf, and our Kyra Phillips is on board. She checks in now with a live report coming from somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean -- hi, Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Leon. You're looking at live pictures now, sunrise over the Pacific. Isn't this absolutely beautiful? And let me tell you, not only are you seeing a beautiful sunrise, you're seeing a lot of very powerful winds. Down here on the flight deck, I'm going to have Dimir (ph) actually pan off over here so you can get a chance to see -- believe it or not, it is very fast. Thirty knots creates tremendous winds, and that's pretty darn fast for a carrier to be traveling that way. But as you can imagine, after being away at war on deployment for more than ten months, or almost more than ten months now, after serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, they are ready to get home, and that is why they are steaming so fast.

All right. Another very important asset to what this carrier -- or what it entails to keep a carrier going like this is the bridge watches.

I'm going to bring in Janet Sanchez right now. Hopefully, we both won't blow away, my dear. And I'll tell you why we're talking to Janet. She is a boatswainmate of the watch, and one of the main reasons why you are up there on the bridge watching out for things like man overboard when winds get this crazy, right?

JANET SANCHEZ, BOATSWAINMATE: Yes. It's because of winds like this, especially, like you said, 30 knots. We have our guys that work on the flight deck with the aircraft. If they get too close to the edge, we might be turning around or doing something, they might fall off, and it's because of my look out that stand watches, they call down there and let us know, Hey, we just had a guy fall over. I get to call it away (ph) and make sure he comes up safe out of the water.

PHILLIPS: So while you're up there, not only man overboard, but you're up there looking out, during war-time specifically, for any type of threat to the carrier. Small boats, unusual aircraft. When you do spot something, and I know you did during the war, how do you report that back?

SANCHEZ: That comes in to me, actually, from my lookouts. Anything they see and what angle they see it at, how fast it is coming. Whether it's coming towards us or away from us. You said small boats, unusual aircraft. We call what they call TOPS: tactical operations spot. They call down there and let them know, Hey, we have an aircraft at such and such degrees, and it's coming in towards us. I right away run over to the officer of the deck, let him know -- or her, what's going on, who's coming in, and describe as much as possible.

PHILLIPS: Janet, you know what amazes me? You are 19 years old, and during this war, you were the eyes for this carrier, along with a number of your other lookouts. Do you realize what a responsibility that is, and what do your parents think of what you're doing?

SANCHEZ: I believe my parents are very proud right now, especially my dad. He is so happy. I mean, like you say, it's a big responsibility, 19 years old. I never thought I would be doing something like this. So many lives depending on just myself and many others at different times. My parents are very proud right now.

PHILLIPS: We're proud of you, too. Janet Sanchez, thank you so much for your time. All right.

Well, as you can see, Janet is just one of 5,500 extremely important sailors on this ship that kept the carrier going during the war, continues to keep it going as it heads back to its home port of Everett, Washington -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right. Go get anchored down somewhere. You're about to get blown off that deck.

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 - 11:53   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The USS Abraham Lincoln is nearing San Diego after war duty in the Persian Gulf, and our Kyra Phillips is on board. She checks in now with a live report coming from somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean -- hi, Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Leon. You're looking at live pictures now, sunrise over the Pacific. Isn't this absolutely beautiful? And let me tell you, not only are you seeing a beautiful sunrise, you're seeing a lot of very powerful winds. Down here on the flight deck, I'm going to have Dimir (ph) actually pan off over here so you can get a chance to see -- believe it or not, it is very fast. Thirty knots creates tremendous winds, and that's pretty darn fast for a carrier to be traveling that way. But as you can imagine, after being away at war on deployment for more than ten months, or almost more than ten months now, after serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, they are ready to get home, and that is why they are steaming so fast.

All right. Another very important asset to what this carrier -- or what it entails to keep a carrier going like this is the bridge watches.

I'm going to bring in Janet Sanchez right now. Hopefully, we both won't blow away, my dear. And I'll tell you why we're talking to Janet. She is a boatswainmate of the watch, and one of the main reasons why you are up there on the bridge watching out for things like man overboard when winds get this crazy, right?

JANET SANCHEZ, BOATSWAINMATE: Yes. It's because of winds like this, especially, like you said, 30 knots. We have our guys that work on the flight deck with the aircraft. If they get too close to the edge, we might be turning around or doing something, they might fall off, and it's because of my look out that stand watches, they call down there and let us know, Hey, we just had a guy fall over. I get to call it away (ph) and make sure he comes up safe out of the water.

PHILLIPS: So while you're up there, not only man overboard, but you're up there looking out, during war-time specifically, for any type of threat to the carrier. Small boats, unusual aircraft. When you do spot something, and I know you did during the war, how do you report that back?

SANCHEZ: That comes in to me, actually, from my lookouts. Anything they see and what angle they see it at, how fast it is coming. Whether it's coming towards us or away from us. You said small boats, unusual aircraft. We call what they call TOPS: tactical operations spot. They call down there and let them know, Hey, we have an aircraft at such and such degrees, and it's coming in towards us. I right away run over to the officer of the deck, let him know -- or her, what's going on, who's coming in, and describe as much as possible.

PHILLIPS: Janet, you know what amazes me? You are 19 years old, and during this war, you were the eyes for this carrier, along with a number of your other lookouts. Do you realize what a responsibility that is, and what do your parents think of what you're doing?

SANCHEZ: I believe my parents are very proud right now, especially my dad. He is so happy. I mean, like you say, it's a big responsibility, 19 years old. I never thought I would be doing something like this. So many lives depending on just myself and many others at different times. My parents are very proud right now.

PHILLIPS: We're proud of you, too. Janet Sanchez, thank you so much for your time. All right.

Well, as you can see, Janet is just one of 5,500 extremely important sailors on this ship that kept the carrier going during the war, continues to keep it going as it heads back to its home port of Everett, Washington -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right. Go get anchored down somewhere. You're about to get blown off that deck.

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