Capturing images of life at sea

Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Cole C. Pielop didn't really know where his life was going before he enlisted in the Navy.

"I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do, and then I found out that you could take pictures and write stories in the military," Pielop said Wednesday afternoon in a phone interview. "I heard about that and I thought it was awesome."

Pielop, 20, said his recruiter told him it's tough to get a job as a communications specialist, but once he went through the testing, it was the very first job recommended for him.

"I didn't listen to any other jobs they offered," he said.

Now Pielop is sailing the Pacific Ocean aboard a huge vessel with 5,000 other sailors. His job is to document daily life on the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) through interviews, reporting, writing and photography. He's telling the stories of the pilots who land on the flight deck, the cooks who prepare thousands of meals in the wee hours of the morning, the mechanics who keep everything running smoothly and the sailors who are dedicated to their country.

"I like that I get to see everything," he said. "I'm not just stuck in the galley cooking or doing repetitive things ... It's always changing, no days are ever the same."

Pielop said writing has never been his strong suit, but he does really enjoy photography. He even asked for a camera as a gift when he graduated from Lakeland High School in 2014. And he's definitely getting his fair share of writing practice as he chronicles the experiences of his comrades aboard the Stennis.

"Photography is where the passion is," he said. "It's something I'd like to do outside of the Navy as well."

The USS John C. Stennis is a nuclear-powered supercarrier, a ship in the Great Green Fleet, a year-long Navy initiative that demonstrates the Navy's efforts to transform energy use. The Great Green Fleet — named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, which helped America gain a presence on the world stage — uses alternative fuels such as nuclear energy for the carrier and biofuel made with beef fat and traditional petroleum for its escort ships.

The goal of the Great Green Fleet is to shape sailors and Marines into better warfighters who are able to go farther, stay longer and deliver more firepower when needed.

"It’s crazy that we aren't reliant on gas and we can go 25 years before our nuclear reactor needs to be refilled," Pielop said. "We can travel the world without having to worry about it."

Pielop signed a 6-year contract with the Navy. So far, he's having a great time learning and traveling. He and his shipmates recently went to Guam.

"That was exciting. I've never been so far away from home," he said. "It’s beautiful. Tropical weather, nice beaches. I really liked that, and the clear water. It's definitely different than Idaho. Idaho will always be home, but you have to get out and see what else the world has to offer."

Pielop said he would like to thank his friends and loved ones for the email and Facebook messages they have been sending him while he's been at sea.

"It definitely motivates me to make it through the day and make it through the deployment and make it back home so I can see them all again," he said.

Pielop is scheduled to return from his deployment this summer or fall. For now, he is capturing all of the sounds and sights with his own eyes and ears, with the help of his trusty camera, and enjoying the experiences.

"When we were near Hawaii, you could see the Milky Way right above you," he said. "You can see everything out there. There's just so many stars. I've never experienced anything like that."

Info: http://greenfleet.dodlive.mil/energy/great-green-fleet