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At 0600 on Wednesday, Jan. 4, the Reagan left Naval Air Station North Island, leaving behind on the dock thousands of family and friends.

At 1200, White and Foran flew on a C-2A Greyhound to the Reagan. They were escorted to the quarters of the commanding officer, Capt. Terry Kraft, and were briefed on the ship's mission and its deployment to the Middle East for nine months.

The mission of the Reagan is to carry our nation's tasking in peacetime, during times of crisis, and as part of combat operations in support of war.

During peacetime, it will provide a credible, sustainable, independent forward presence and a highly visible deterrent to potential aggressors.

During times of crisis, it will serve as the cornerstone of joint allied operations. In the event of war, it will launch air attacks on enemies and protect friendly forces as directed by the president.

During the tour of the Reagan, White and Foran were informed that its top speed is more than 30 knots (34.5+ mph). Its expected length of service to the fleet is more than 50 years.

It typically has more than 80 combat aircraft. Weapons include NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, Rolling Airframe missiles, guns and electronic warfare. Two nuclear reactors, which can operate for more than 20 years without refueling, provide propulsion.

The carrier is 20 stories above the waterline. The flight deck covers an area of 4.5 acres. The length is 1,096 feet, and the width is 134 feet at the waterline.

Each of the four bronze propellers is 21 feet across and weighs 66,200 pounds. Each of the rudders is 29 feet by 22 feet and weighs 50 tons. Two 30 ton Navy Standard stockless anchors are each attached to 1,080 feet of chain.

Steel arresting cables stretched across the deck can bring a plane, traveling at 150 miles per hour, to a complete stop in about 320 feet. Steam-powered catapults can thrust a 60,000-pound aircraft 300 feet, from zero to 165 miles per hour in two seconds.

It took approximately five years to build the carrier, from keel laying to commissioning. It includes more than 47,000 tons of structural steel and approximately one million pounds of aluminum. The modular construction uses large units that are put together much like interlocking building blocks.

The ship is home to approximately 6,000 sailors, who are served 20,000 meals each day. Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water daily, enough to supply 2,000 homes.

The post office processes more than a million pounds of mail each year. There are nearly 30,000 light fixtures, 1,400 telephones and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring. Steam turbine generators produce enough electricity to power a small city.

The ship's newspaper, radio and television stations provide news from around the world to the crew, and the ship's Web site offers information about the Reagan to the rest of the world.

At 1435, White and Foran watched aircraft landings on the flight deck from the navigation bridge. At 1600, they observed operations in the Combat Direction Center and the Combat Air Tactical Control Center.

At 1700, they toured the multi-denominational chapel, the library and the personal computer room. This was followed by down time in assigned staterooms to prepare for dinner with Rear Admiral Michael H. Miller, commander of Carrier Strike Group Seven, and his staff.

The strike group consists of the carrier Reagan, Destroyer Squadron 7, the guided missile cruiser Lake Champlain, guided missile destroyers McCampbell and Decatur, the fast combat support ship Rainier, and Ordinance Disposal Unit 11.

At 1830, White and Foran visited Pri-Fly and the flag bridge to observe night flight operations. A tour of the Arresting Gear and the Waste Processing Plant followed. At 2200, they retired to their stateroom for the night.

At 0600 Thursday, Jan. 5, White and Foran were awakened by the escort officer, Ens. Katie Kelly, a naval academy graduate. Breakfast took place in the aft mess deck.

At 0730, a tour of the aft galley, bakeshop, freezer and dry goods room took place. The chief petty officer in charge of the galley informed the visitors that the ship stores 10,000 gallons of milk and 20,000 dozen eggs

At 0830, a static display of aircraft took place, followed by a flight deck foreign object detection walkdown. This was followed by a visit to the Ronald Reagan Museum, where memorabilia and an audio-video of President Reagan giving his “Tear down this wall” speech was featured.

The tour included the jet engine shop, the paraloft, the aviation ordinance shop, the Naval Legal Services judge advocates office and the brig.

A briefing at 1100 was conducted by Captain Kraft and Rear Admiral Miller. They emphasized the dedication of the crew, especially the young men and women who work 12- to 16-hour days when the carrier is at sea.

At 1200, lunch was served in the chief's mess. A pre-flight safety brief was given at 1230, and at 1300, White and Foran were catapulted off the Reagan for the return trip to NAS North Island.