Hope College men's basketball head coach Greg Mitchell lived the life of a U.S. Navy sailor this month during a special overnight excursion to the USS Carl Vinson in the Pacific Ocean.

Mitchell joined an invited contingent that included Michigan State men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo and football coach Mel Tucker. MSU donor Tom Archipley orchestrated the trip, the Lansing State Journal reported.

"The experience was beyond incredible," Mitchell said. "The USS Carl Vinson was essentially a city on the water with 6,000 Navy crew members aboard. It was a great privilege to witness their discipline and commitment to carrying out their daily operations." 

The Lansing State Journal reported that "the group saw the ship in action — from the flight deck as planes and helicopters took off and landed yards away from them, to the bridge high above, all the way down to the captain's quarters, barracks, offices, hospital, dentist offices, mess areas and kitchen, several floors below the deck. There were 9 or 10 floors in all. … These weren't tours. They were guests as the sailors, pilots and everyone aboard practiced, preparing for an extended deployment. They ate a meal with officers, another with the chiefs and breakfast with the sailors. They were up at 6 a.m. after a few hours of sleep — once the planes stopped taking off and landing just above their heads."

The flight deck proved to be an experience unlike any other, Mitchell said.

"We were required to use both ear plugs and headgear with ear coverings and it was still deafening," he said. "All of your senses are affected when the jets land at full speed or when the catapult initiates the take-off. It's hard to describe how it makes you feel."

Pride was one emotion that swelled.

"I've always had an immense appreciation for what the military does as they help preserve the freedom that we enjoy. Now having seen their service first-hand, I'm in awe of their everyday commitment and precision," Mitchell said. "It was extremely evident why the Navy is such a proud and powerful branch of the military. In addition, the average age of the sailors was approximately 21, which says so much about the responsibilities and capabilities of the young men and women in those positions."

The sailors served as a testament to teamwork, no matter the type of team: military, athletic or others.

"The sailors are committed to their task whether it be simple and mundane or they are responsible for the final safety check prior to the catapult," Mitchell said. "The attention to detail, the comradery and the fluid connections of the operations are paralleled to what we want to see out of our teams. Not only that, but the pride and enthusiasm of the work are critical and that was highly noticeable on the flight deck."