George Washington (CVN 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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 L aViy Sailors miss home so much, each deployment they spend countless dollars and hours to keep in touch with their loved • yjmy ones. However, on board GW, there arc some who don t need to travel far to get that feel for home. All they have to do is walk down a passageway or look across a table on the mess decks. During the six-month deployment. The Spirit ot Frccdoin a$ home to family and played host to a few special family reunions. For fraternal twins SM3 Kevin Imparato and MA3 David Imparato, the journey to serving side by side began during a day when America's Carrier brought some order to a day of chaos. “On Sept. 12,1 remember seeing GW pull into New York Harbor. I just remember telling my dad how cool the ship looked. said Kevin, a 19-year-old signalman. After Kevin’s “A” school, he was sent to George Washington. David, a master-at-arms aboard the carrier, lucked out when he was olTcrcd orders to the ship after he graduated from his training. “Somebody told me I had something to sign down in Personnel, and when I went down, David was standing there, said Kevin about the first instance the two brothers saw each other aboard. The ship is also home to BMl(SW) Maurice Norman and his brother AC I Roggie Norman. “It's great to be on the same ship, but it didn't work out exactly the way we planned. His schedule is so different, he always calls me when I'm asleep and gets me out of my rack to talk, complained Maurice half-heartedly. The carrier hosted a brief reunion for PR 1 (AW) Raymond Warren and PR 1 (AW) Henry Warren. Everything was identical for the 19-year veterans — except for the carrier they were serving aboard that day. When GW turned over with USSJohnF Kennedy (CV 67) on July 19,2002, it gave the brothers another opportunity to rendezvous. “It's been almost a year since I've seen him,” said Raymond, an aircrew survival equipmentman with VS-30, one of the squadrons attached to GW. “He's been out forsix months and I have been out for mine. It's been a boost to see each other. Another set of twins, AC3(AW) Miguel Estrella and brother HT3(SW) Robert Estrella made their second deployment together on George Washington. In August, one of GW s photographer's mates, PH3(AW) Summer Anderson, jumped onto a helicopter that zipped her over to USS Hopper (DDG 70) to see brother Steve, an FC3 aboard Hopper. Summer said though the visit was brief, she was glad she saw Steve. “It was bittersweet because I don't know when I'm going to see him again, said Summer about her brother stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hi. “But it was good to talk to him. I've been in the Navy longer than him so it was nice to go over there and make sure he’s on the right track.”