RimPac was a bit long for underway but otherwise it was pretty sweet. A lot of countries with a lot of ships. The base was pretty full. Most of the pictures were taken during the last day, during a photo exercise. We were the only ship not to get "shot" during the war games. All in all it was 21 days of war games and tactical exercises.
USS Chafee
A Japanese destroyer and one of their diesel submarines
I thought it was funny that even in the middle of the ocean there was a Japanese guy taking pictures.
A shot of about half the task force involved in RimPac.
Well, we just finished our 3 1/2 week trek to Alaska for Northern Edge - a joint Army, Air Force, Navy excercise. We pulled into a small fishing town called Homer. It actually turned out to be a pretty cool little town, tons of fishermen. I think the population was about 5,000. Alaska was quite a change from Hawaii, water temp dropped to 45 degrees plus a wicked wind chill. It is also daylight in Alaska for about 22 hours out of the day.
Every Saturday underway we have pizza night. The cooks take the night off and one of the departments on the ship invades the galley and makes pizza for dinner. It was Combat Systems making the pizza this night, always with the disco tunes blasting. You would dance like this if you were underway.
We make some pretty serious pizza, way too much cheese and meat. They make some so dangerous they warrant nicknames like "the Heart Attack" and "Cholesterol Attack."
On one of the days during the exercise off the coast we heard a huge pod of killer whales on sonar (which is common). We usually wouldn't mind but since we weren't actually in transit anywhere they stopped the ship and we went topside and went whale watching. They were a ways off so the quality isn't that hot.
This is on the foc'sle of the ship, behind the 5" gun. It was about 2am when I took this picture, about as dark as it got.
Hard at work during a sonar exercise.
Across the harbor, the far edge of a massive glacier.
Plenty of sea gulls.
Pulling out of Alaska. 
Homer is a big fishing town, tons of crab fishermen. For those fans of the Discover Channel show 'Deadliest Catch,' here I am in front of a stack of crab pods. One of the boats on the show was pulled into Homer while we were there.
A shot of the harbor from the tiny town. If you look closely you can see the O-Kane moored in the harbor in the distance.
The fishing docks, at 10:30pm.
Fishing docks. 
Sonar people, on the flight deck as we pull into the harbor.
Gun quals on the flight en route to Alaska. The water was 45 degrees and the wind was blowing upwards of 25 knots, definitely not Hawaii.
Pulling into Homer with the ship's Battle Flag hoisted behind the ensign.
Me and few other fellas from the boat got sent to a two-week sonar school in San Diego. I was able to go home for a weekend and see a few of the old homies. I am wearing my only sweater (I live in Hawaii...) all the time because Cali was colder then I ever remember. Good times, here is a shot of Aaron and I.
Me and Allie.
Mum and Dad
Brenden and Brooklyn @ Grandma's. 
At Grandma and Grandpa's house. Its such a long trip nowadays.
Erica and Allie, who knows what goes through their heads.
My mom, right after I suprised her. She thought I was in Hawaii and was quite suprised (to say the least) when she saw me in the living room @ home.
Brenden and I.
Fellow sonar tech's Aaron and Eric at a local pastrami joint in San Diego.
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