Gaining strength abroad: being stationed overseas offers more than just a permanent ticket to tourist attractions

All Hands, Dec, 2002 by Preston Keres

JOIN THE NAVY, SEE THE WORLD ... a stalwart recruiting bumper sticker that still attracts many new Sailors.

Although most Sailors have the opportunity to do just that, either through port visits, or by taking advantage of exotic vacation opportunities, many only view these countries through "tourists'" eyes. The ships often pull into a liberty port for a very short stay, limiting the level of cultural interaction the crew is able to experience.

But for those who accept PCS orders overseas, there is an opportunity to actually live in and experience a foreign culture in a way few Americans can.

For Sailors whose lobs take them anywhere in England, they will grow as only a resident of that country can. Whether it's in the heart of a big city like London, or in the countryside hills of St. Mawgan, in the south, the Navy enables Sailors to live life large.

"By living in England, I can be a tourist pretty much every day," said Storekeeper 1st Class David Pelow. "But what's different now is that I get to learn from a group of people who have an interest in their country and a willingness to share their knowledge with me."

To the locals, England is much more than "Big Ben" and Parliament, castles and foxhunts, or fish and chips and a pint of ale for lunch at the corner pub. While these are all enjoyable elements of English heritage, they only scratch the surface of this rich culture.

That's the benefit of being stationed in this country. These Sailors have the opportunity to see what's below the surface. They've been dealt a winning hand, and now it's just a matter of playing it.

"Hopefully, people who have chosen to be stationed in England have achieved their first goal by doing what was necessary to get orders," said Pelow. "Then it's just as important to take that second step and get out into the culture."

And what a vast and varied environment they'll find. London and the surrounding area offers its residents an extremely wide variety of things to do, from the many theatres to the multitude of restaurants. Like most large cities in the world, it is jammed packed with museums, parks, monuments and virtually every tourist attraction a person could hope for. If they're not careful though, Sailors can find themselves stuck on the tourist trail, following only the postcard sites that millions of visitors frequent every year.

"London has so much to offer," said local Englishman Andrew Ellis, who has lived in London since 1987, and friend of Pelow. "To experience it the right way, you really need to have the locals show you around."

Living in the city and having friends in the area also has another distinct advantage.

"The biggest benefit is that you get to spend time doing things that don't really need to be planned," said Ellis. "When you ring someone and there's nothing going on, you just come over and sit in the garden and talk. Now, that's not an earth-shattering event, but it's a great opportunity to get to know someone."

According to Ellis, to really learn about the culture, you need to be involved in conversations on various subjects; from the news, to sports, to whatever.

"In a way, because my friends are from here, I don't feel like a foreigner," Pelow added. "I feel more relaxed and involved."

That word, "involved," is extremely important. Without getting involved in some form or fashion, Sailors are doomed to an unfulfilling tour, and to be honest, a nightmare experience.

Your activities don't always have to be in the heart of the city to enjoy the time away from the United States. For many Sailors and their families around the globe, duty at the small remote bases can be, and much of the time is, just as rewarding.

Chief Sonar Technician Scott Pageau and his family found themselves accepting orders to St. Mawgan, a small country station in Cornwall in the southwestern tip of England.

There, they don't battle the double-decker buses in traffic, like their counterparts in the city. Instead, tractors hauling bales of hay through the narrow roads cause the delays. Instead of millions of commuters bumping and squeezing their way to work on the "tube"(London subway), the Sailors of the Joint Maritime Force at St. Mawgan, are faced with the periodic "traffic jams" of sheep and livestock herds.

It's quite unique, and an experience the Pageaus wouldn't pass up for the world.

"We even extended a year because we don't want to leave," said Laura Pageau. That is ironic, considering she felt like this was going to be a very bad tour after her first few months in country.

"I just remember going to that red phone box and calling my family; just crying because it was so bad," said Laura. "I look back at all of the things that I appreciate now, but at the time, I just wanted to go home and would have done anything to make it happen. It was total culture shock, which was unexpected."

The Pageaus had a career path that was somewhat common to many Sailors of the modern era. They had been in the Navy for 14 years and a vast majority of their career, 12 years to be exact, was spent bouncing around San Diego. They'd never been to a foreign country, let alone stationed in one.