Life on the Lincoln

Living and working on a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, a literal city at sea, comes with a wide range of experiences. Ben McClintock, a now retired ABH aboard CVN-72, answers a litany of questions about his life aboard a highly mobile, nuclear-powered naval air station.

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” These words spoken by Abraham Lincoln to an Urbana, Illinois crowd in an 1854 speech created a simple definition of a genuine soul. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many people during my four decades on this planet, but I can easily say Ben McClintock is as kind and authentic as they come. He’s someone who clearly holds his country, his family, and his friends close to his heart - right where they should be. I don’t say this without consideration: the world would be a much better place with more Ben McClintock’s walking around.

Ben generously brought me onboard the Lincoln a few times and answered every question I threw his way. His knowledge of the ship, the aircraft, and so many other things has always impressed me. When I ran the idea of this interview passed him, he didn’t blink an eye and was happy to share his experiences.

Only a few weeks ago, after we did this interview, Ben voluntarily separated from the Navy and returned to his roots and family in lush Greenville, South Carolina. It’s called Greenville for a reason and I can’t blame him for wanting to go home. As we set out to do this interview, I thought I had sufficiently picked Ben’s brain, but I was wrong! That being said, I’m incredibly grateful for Ben’s service, and after digesting Ben’s responses, I’m even more grateful.

Lastly, before we get to the main event, I wanted to establish a few facts and terms. Let’s do simple bullet points to make it quick:

• USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) was launched on February 13, 1988 and commissioned on November 11, 1989.

• CVN-72 is 1,092 feet in length with a 252-foot beam. She’s energized by two Westinghouse nuclear reactors.

• The acronym “ABH” stands for ‘Aviation Boatswain's Mate – Aircraft Handling.’ They’re the blue shirts.

• Typically there are 90 aircraft embarked aboard the ship. This includes rotary and fixed-wing assets.

• The flight deck is divided into three separate areas of responsibility referred to as “Fly’s.” The bow to elevator #1 and the corral is covered by Fly 1. Elevator #2, E-2 parking, and the “helo hole” are owned by Fly 2, and Fly 3 handles everything from the helo hole to the stern.

That should about do it! Let’s get this ship off the dock…

SDPS: Let’s start with some personal info. Name, age, family, etc.

Ben: I was born in Greenville, South Carolina, currently 22 years old, and am the youngest of 3 kids with two older sisters.  

• Where were you living prior to joining the Navy?

B: Greenville, SC. Upsate South Carolina is quiet and full of fresh air. It’s good old Appalachia where everybody knows everybody. They don’t ask you where you live, they ask who’s house you bought.

• What inspired you to join the Navy? Any family in the military or retired military?

B: Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to join the military. As I got closer to graduating high school the Navy began standing out because you can choose your job and be guaranteed a spot in that rate. I originally tried to join as a helicopter air crewman but the rate was overmanned so I ended up picking ABH (Aviation Boatswain's Mate – Aircraft Handling). 

• How did you go about joining? Did you hit up the recruiting office? How was that experience?

B: Lots and lots of paperwork! There were countless hours of placing signatures and writing emails. The recruiter was an ABE (Aviation Boatswain's Mate – Launch and Recovery) and told me a lot about the flight deck which appealed to me greatly.  

• What was the sequence of some of your life events, such as your marriage, joining the Navy, finishing HS, etc.?

B: I made the decision to join the Navy in March of 2020. I was in high school when Covid broke out and never finished my senior year even though I had the correct number of credits to graduate. I went to the initial screening at MEPS in July of 2020. Until my bootcamp date, I continued working a job at the local airport mowing grass, fueling aircraft, and pushing aircraft into hangars. My second time at MEPs was December, and I’d be leaving there and heading straight to bootcamp at RTC Great Lakes. It was here that I signed my official contract as an ABH.

I finished bootcamp late February 2021 and was put on a bus in my dress blues from Great Lakes to Pensacola with my sea bag in my lap. There was just one 15-minute stop on the way down. I then spent two months at NATTC Pensacola learning my in-rate training. When I graduated, I was allowed my first 10 days leave since I joined the Navy. When that leave was over, I traveled by myself for the first time to Naval Base Coronado for restriction of movement before reporting to the ship. I was 19 years old. I spent 2 years by myself in San Diego living on the ship. Loneliest time of my Navy career. I flew home on leave in August of 2021 when I proposed to my fiancé Heather. I went back to SD until deployment began in January of 2022 and stayed deployed until late June. Then I came home to Greenville on leave in October where I was married on the 1st. Our honeymoon was a road trip that took her and I to San Diego and our apartment.  

• How did you meet your wife? What’s it like having to leave for long periods of time and how do you guys manage that?

B: My wife was my sister’s good friend, and over time I slowly slid into her text messages. She and I were good friends for 3 years before we started dating. Long periods away from each other were hard, but we ended up finding ways to deal with it. There were long phone calls in port before she moved to San Diego, and I would call from the ship any chance I could get.

• Did your family or wife have any reservations or concerns about you joining the Navy?

B: My family has always been very supportive of my decision to join the Navy. Now that things are becoming more contentious overseas, they are glad my time is coming to an end. I do not regret a single day I served, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

• How much time transpired between you signing your contract and the date you started?

B: Initially, I went to MEPs in July of 2020, after speaking to a recruiter and having my paperwork done. This was my initial screening to see if I was eligible for service. I was in the MEPS hotel when the USS Bonhomme Richard caught fire about a mile from where I’d end up being stationed. My second time at MEPs was December 7th, 2020, and was another screening to make sure nothing changed, and then on my way to bootcamp.  

• What was your first assignment, or better yet, what were you doing for the first few weeks/month in the Navy?

B: My first real assignment in the Navy was bootcamp Laundry PO. I oversaw washing recruit uniforms and handing out the clean laundry bags. I was there with two other recruits, and we used the laundry rooms and bags to catch up on missed sleep from bootcamp. My next assignment would be the Training Command at NATTC Pensacola (NATCC- Naval Aviation Technical Training Center) where I spent two months learning my rate. I found this school boring because everything pertaining to my job is learned while on the flight deck. That being said, the warm beaches and Blue Angels practicing every Tuesday and Thursday was a nice change of pace from Great Lakes in December.

• I know the Navy has many different roles and pathways; did you always have a desire to be onboard a ship? Did you get randomly assigned to the Lincoln, or was that something you requested?

B: Initially I wanted to join the Navy as an AWR, or Air Crewman and backseat in the MH-60S. Unfortunately, this rate was closed for the year and I had to choose ABH at the last minute. I chose it because I knew the job from working at the airport and it was familiar to me. As an ABH you are pretty much guaranteed ship duty for your first 5 years. However, on my “dream sheet” at Pensacola, I requested station at San Diego on an LHD amphibious assault ship because I heard they worked less. When I submitted it, though, I was bummed. Who cares about the workload? I’d miss my chance to be on an aircraft carrier. When orders came in, my class got exactly what they chose, every single one of us, which in the Navy is super rare. There was only one person who didn’t get their request - me. I was San Diego bound for CVN-72. Who knows why I didn’t get an LHD, but I’m sure glad I didn’t.

• Were there discussions of you being sent to Norfolk or elsewhere?

I wrestled with the idea of being stationed in Norfolk and only being 6 hours away from family. I heard the east coast Navy is more uptight, and why join the Navy to see the world just to choose to be stationed close to home?!  

• Did you consider any of the other services, like the Air Force or Marine Corps?

B: I attempted to join the Marines as a jarhead prior to talking to the Navy. The Marine recruiter had absolutely no clue what he was talking about and told me if I signed as a grunt, he’d guarantee me a spot in flight school after bootcamp… yeah, okay. I left and walked right next door to the Navy.

• How was the move out to San Diego? Was it a difficult transition from your former South Carolina life moving to SD and working on a carrier?

B: San Diego was busy and a step up from SC. It was also my first time living on my own. But it was very fun exploring everything and finding new things to do. I used to work at an airport as a service line tech, so I thought I knew what I’d be doing onboard the ship, but I was very wrong, and it was an entirely different ballgame.  

• What was your first job onboard the Lincoln? What kinds of things did you learn that you feel others might enjoy hearing about?

B: My first job was blue shirting. I did this for about 2 months before being forced into the Crash Shack as a red shirt (Crash and Salvage). I did this for 2 years and for my entire deployment. We put out many fires and responded to several brake and hydraulic failures. Mostly, almost daily, we’d respond to fuel spills when the jet was overfilled by the Fuelies. We would dilute fuel with hoses and water. If the fuel gets inside the catapult tracks it can get hot enough to combust, so this was done quickly. We’d shove people out of the way to do it.  

• How did you evolve into your current blue shirt role? Can you please give a brief outline of what the blue shirts do?

B: After I left Crash, the deckside people needed help qualifying a large influx of new people we got after deployment. They picked me and two others to spend time in each work center of the flight deck as “BK’s,” or blue kings. We ensured they were studying properly, retaining info, going to chow on time, and coming back. We made the schedule for qualified blue shirts, of which my Fly only had 2, and we would work on deck. Managing these people and working was stressful, but I really enjoyed it and my “T heads” (trainees) really liked me.

• How many people were you managing? Was that a challenging transition?

B: In Fly 2, I managed 2 other qualified blue shirts and about 10 T-heads. The most difficult part is finding a leadership role for each sailor that works best for them. Every sailor was different, and tweaking my leadership style was important. Once they qualified high enough to be on deck under my supervision, I would have to hold onto them and teach them how to chock and chain on a live flight deck. They would be so lost and would always be looking to me for guidance. That was super enjoyable, I love the flight deck. Showing these new guys around was a blast.

• In your current role as a blue shirt, which aircraft onboard are the most challenging to work with and why? Conversely, which are the best or easiest to move around the ship?  

B: Funny enough, F/A-18’s are the hardest to work with. Squeezing in between drop tanks, dodging ordinance, staying away from flight surfaces and intakes, all while positioning the chock and chain is really challenging. The F-35C is the next most difficult. Chocking it is easy, but the nose wheel is so close to the intakes that it requires 5 people to attach a tow bar when engines are turning, opposed to only 3 people to hook up an F/A-18 tow bar. By far the easiest on deck is the E-2D. It’s a big mental game for new guys because the prop is scary, but as long as you are aft of the main gear you can stand upright, drop the chock, and slowly walk away without issue.

• In your role, how has the transition to the F-35 been going for the Lincoln?

B: F-35s weren’t too bad as a blue shirt. But in Crash, having to learn every new procedure, shut down, and hazard spot was a pain.

• Similarly, how has the transition been from the C-2 to the Osprey?

B: I came onboard when Osprey’s were fairly common. They’ve always been disliked and scared us. We recently had some C-2s come in and I realized how much I loved and missed them.

• What were your responsibilities as a red shirt in Crash and Salvage? You guys use the same tools and equipment as firemen, was there a lot of training involved?

B: Crash and Salvage was where I spent most of my time onboard CVN-72. When I qualified as a blue shirt I was told to report behind the island. Thinking I was in trouble, they tell me instead I was selected to come to Crash because I’m a bigger guy. This was just before our last underway prior to deployment. The Crash qualification is so intense and difficult that I didn’t get qualified until the month before we pulled in for port. I was studying every day nonstop, and in between studying I’d be going out on fire watch with the Crash Truck. It took me 7 months in total for the qualification and my oral board was 7 hours long.

As a crash crewman, we stand watch over the flight deck with another truck that’s watching the aft of the ship. We have a four-hour rotation where the first hour you are on standby and suited up, prepared to run bottles of CO2, tools, or anything else to a crash scene. Hour two you transition to forward truck, and hour three sends you to the aft truck. Hour four you’re on break. This rotation cycles for the entire 16 hours of flight ops. We mostly responded to fuel spills with crash, but also had several hydraulic failures, “wet starts” and engine fires on board.

• Was crash and salvage a good way to learn a lot about the entire boat and details about the individual types of aircraft?

B: Crash and Salvage forces you to learn all aspects of the deck. You can’t be parked with the truck in a way that blocks the yellow shirts from moving jets. Many times, the truck is constantly moving to keep from being in the way - this is why in most pictures you see us tucked between two jets, under the wing of the E-2, or way up on the bow of the ship.

We’re required to know just about everything about each embarked aircraft - how to enter each normally, how to enter each in an emergency situation, and how to safely force entry with the axe or saw. We also need to know the danger areas of each aircraft, including the composite materials, how to shut down the engines on each aircraft, where the batteries and oxygen systems are, and how to undo each type of harness or restraint to rescue the pilot inside.  

That’s Crash and Salvage’s red CONEX, otherwise known as the “Crash Shack” aft of the island containing most of their gear. The red door on the radar tower opens to a very large space with the big, heavy equipment.

• Can you tell us any stories or events from your time in Crash and Salvage? Anything that was personally impactful to you?

B: I was there for the Loosefoot616 MH-60S crash where it fell off the ship. Believe it or not, that accident was before I was in the Crash Shack. I do remember I was in Fly 1 near the bow of the ship working the deck as a blue shirt. I heard the call of the helo landing on spot 7, and then, in my peripheral vision, I recall seeing the rotors flying off. That was immediately followed by the crash alarm and the Handler calling “crash on deck - aircraft in the water!” I am in the video the Navy used to study the crash, and I helped the arresting gear officer to the flight deck medical station. He suffered a punctured lung from shrapnel.

My craziest crash experience would probably be an APU fire on a jet loaded with live ordnance that was parked in between three additional jets with live ordnance. We had the fire put out and were waiting to hear whether the ordinance was safe. I look over and three people with no flight deck gear, wearing engineering uniforms, poked their heads up to see the fire but they were right underneath the jet that was unstable. They got a verbal lashing of the highest order.

• Can you share any interesting experiences you’ve had out at sea?

B: Sea stories. We entered the Philippines Strait while a Chinese destroyer entered from the other side. The strait was too narrow for the other ship to turn around, so we were forced to pass each other. Our ship went to gun quarters, and as we passed the Chinese ship, we waved to the sailors who were standing on their ship looking at us. The two ships passed with no issue.

One underway, called SUSTEX (sustainment exercises), we had a large fire that happened in the ventilation shafts. I heard the fire get called away, but thought nothing of it and went back to my nap. Minutes later the ship was called to general quarters because they needed everyone on standby as the fire was so large and out of control. The AirBoss immediately calls that there is a fire in the portside fuel station, so we suit up in our Crash Suits and drive over there. Black smoke was coming from the ventilation shafts. I was on supplemental air from the oxygen bottle on my back, but I went off air and was standing on the deck waiting for further instructions. Apparently, the fire would be under control, but the current crew would have to pull out of the space as they were running out of oxygen and the fire would regain strength without continued attention. One of the fire teams ran out of air and reported they were missing a team member. They came to me and the other Crash guys to inform us, and asked if we had enough air to enter the internal space and look for their guy. We went inside the ship in our Crash gear (shiny suits), turned on our air and looked for this person. The ship’s power was off and the space was pitch black. We found the guy laying on his back passed out from smoke inhalation and carried him out of the space. Me and the two other guys received Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals for our actions. Sadly, one of the guys I was with ended up passing away in a car accident a week later.

• I’m sorry for your loss, but that’s an incredible story! Any cool, fun facts you can share about the ship?

B: It takes 400 gallons of fresh water for a single catapult shot. We’ll have 4 catapults working at the same time, yet there’ll be no warm water when we shower at the end of flight ops lol.

• What port call has been your favorite?

B: Yokosuka, Japan by far. I had 7 days of port with a late liberty expiration. Any Japanese person will buy you free alcohol when they find out you are Navy.  

• Do you know the longest duration of time you’ve been at sea or on the ship?

B: My longest time afloat with no ports was 139 days. It was when we left for deployment until we pulled into Japan - January 3rd to May 21st. The ship pulled into Guam and Philippines, but I had Covid and was restricted to the ship both of those ports.  

• I don’t think people realize the sounds of the flight deck can be heard below. During recoveries, can it be loud when jets hit the deck and grab the cable? Is there an audible “boom” when the aircraft touches down? What about the operation of the cable and the machinery below the flight deck loud?

B: The sound of a jet hitting the arresting cable is so loud that the ABE’s below deck have to call out and warn people on the passageway prior to the jet landing. My berthing is all the way aft underneath the landing area. You can hear the jet fly over loudly, and a few seconds later hear the wire.

• On a similar note, how audible is it below deck when aircraft are launching and the catapults are operating? Can you hear the plane’s wheels rolling? Is the catapult itself loud below deck? Lastly, what about jets running full afterburner? Does that get audible deep in the ship?

B: The jets can be heard below deck with afterburner. You can hear cat shots all the way aft inside the berthing. Cat shots below deck aren’t as loud as the arresting gear, but you can still hear them and feel the ship shake all the way down in the messdecks which is 5 decks below the flight deck. You can’t hear the wheels rolling but when they drop the tail hook for preflight checks you can hear the thud. Chains being dragged and chocks being dropped are pretty loud below the decks, too.

• How difficult is it being 6+ feet tall and working on a Navy ship?

B: To be honest, the passageway ceilings are pretty tall. It’s the cable ways, pipes, and shut off valves that get you. I’ve become quite used to where to duck and I’ve been told I walk with my head at a 45° angle most times below deck.

• What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?

B: I enjoy working on my truck, flying planes, riding motorcycles and being with my family.

• Tell us about your dad’s Chevy!

B: Factory restoration of a 1992 Chevy S10 that he’s had since it was brand new. It was totaled in a hit and run, and he is doing a bolt by bolt rebuild. My mom and dad went on dates in that truck before they were married.

• I believe you have a pilot’s license. Can you tell us about your flying experience? Types of aircraft and where?

B: I received my pilot’s license right before shipping to bootcamp, I flew an Ercoupe for training first, then my tail wheel endorsement in a 1946 Cessna 140 and got my type rating in a Cessna 172. All out of a 1,700-foot grass runway in the Carolina mountains.

• Beautiful space to see from above! Would you like to get back to flying when life allows?

B: I plan on hiring on as a flight instructor when I go home. Instruction and leadership have been taught to me since I joined the Navy and I enjoyed it. I enjoy flying, too, so win/win!

• In Ben’s perspective, what does the next decade look like in terms of national security, and who will be challenging the US for global dominance? Do you see the largest potential threat coming from China, or elsewhere?

B: I personally believe that China is going to be a more significant threat to the United States than Russia, as long as the United States stops prioritizing military strength and leadership. If we focus a woke agenda, we will be seen as the laughingstock of the world and won’t be taken seriously. Take us back to America and the ‘70’s and ‘80’s where we didn’t accept any foreign interference and things got done.

• Amen to that. What do you think Ben’s future holds for the next 3-5 years?

B: Hopefully finding a ‘79 square body Chevy to rebuild, having some kids, and enjoying quiet southern life in the Carolina’s while working and flying some airplanes.

• Do you have advice for anyone out there considering joining the Navy?

B: The best advice for the Navy is to be where you’re supposed to be, on time, and squared away. Always look for opportunities to learn something new and never take anything personally. The only one who will look out for you is yourself. Make the Navy work for you.

Although mopping in a rainstorm, Ben is on time, where he’s supposed to be, and squared away. Good advice for most anything in life!

• Best part of your job / worst part of your job

B: Best part of my job is the brothers and sisters I work with. Hard working folks who I’ve spent the best years of my life with. Worst part is the hearing loss and long hours, and the typical BS that comes from higher ups who don’t understand anything.

Photo: Ben McClintock

That wraps it up, folks! Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you were able to learn a few things as I did, and better understand the hectic and dangerous world of an aircraft carrier flight deck. Thank you so very much to all our service members out there, past and present! You’ve ALL paved the way for us!