When you go to general quarters for real, everybody is ready to go. Commanding Officer Capt. Wendell G. Rutherford agreed. The practice flavor goes away, and people take a renewed look at their responsiblities and there's a lot more focus on the issues on the table. They absorb a lot more, and the readiness gets higher.
People rely on their training.
It's a very scary feeling, but in some ways it's exciting to be called to serve your country. Dupree said he balances the benefits of Navy life against the risk of losing his life in combat. In some ways, life on the George Washington is like living in a small town, even though you don't get to know everyone among the 5,500 on board, Dupree said. But being out here on the ship, you get to meet different people and you actually get to see different walks of life because everybody comes from different places. It's a good experience to interact with other people with different ideas.