Life ain't as great as it used to be, OPTEMPO-wise, on a carrier.
In the good old days (pre 9/11), there was a predictable 24 month cycle. As many of you remember, you were in the yards for 6 months (avg), then in and out for 2-3 weeks at a time doing CQ for the pilots for a year, then a 6 month deployment. Very predictable.
Not anymore.
Now, following a yard period, there is anywhere from 6-8 months for the same number of workups and CQ's, which means for that period of time you are out to sea quite a bit more. Then comes the deployment, but wait, 6 months is now just a guideline. Many go for 7+ months. Now, you might think that you are coming home to enjoy a 6 month yard period, but not so much. There might be a month to a month and a half of yard time, then back out on a "surge", or as we called it, REployment for 4-6 months. So, for those of you counting at home, that means 2 overseas deployments between full yard periods.
Gone are the days of 1:1 sea to shore ratios. It's more like 1.5:1 nowdays.
What was that I heard about grains of sand on the beach?