Originally posted by RustyBattleship
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In all sincerity having been aboard Iowa with Dick here I don't mind throwing my dos centavos in. I didn't do a pre-Light Off Exam as I would have done on the old PEB, but from what I saw, it is my opinion that she could be made ready for underway in less than one year, albeit probably not with a mixed gender crew. Also I won't attest to combat systems readiness, as she may not be a full up round in that regard; but get steam up and her away from San Pedro? Yeah I could do that with the right kind of help. Right now in my opinion it is not the material condition of these ships that is the long pole in the tent, but the personnel requirements. See there are no more Boiler Technicians and very few Machinists Mates, and don't even say something like convert a bunch of Gas Turbine techs because everyone knows they all wear lace on the cuffs of their coveralls. You need real Black Gang and not a bunch of glorified flight line weanies. Just sayin'.
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