As the ship makes its way through choppy waters, the flight deck is alive with color and commotion. Jets land and take off every few minutes; sprinkles of red, green, purple, yellow, white and brown move about theatrically. Everything has its place and moment.

Several floors above this scene, quartermasters are huddled over charts, officers and enlisted Sailors are on watch, and the navigator is settled into his chair. Everyone speaks in hushed tones, except for the seaman manning the helm, who periodically calls out to the conning officer. You can hear the roar of jets as they prepare to catapult off the bow or pass overhead. This is the bridge.

In an instant, someone breaks through the silence and yells, "Red deck!" Several people turn their heads, some reply, "Red deck, aye!" The officer of the deck stretches his arm and flips a switch on the overhead that turns on a red light. The crew on the flight deck has ceased recovery operations for the time being. The bridge is quieter.

On the port side of the bridge is a wooden desk with brass legs. It curves around, almost making a complete circle - as if to envelop and consume whoever sits there. In the middle sits a tall, leather and sheepskin chair, with the letters "IKE CO" stitched on the back. Phones and monitors showcasing navigation-related readings are tucked above and below the desk. A man is sitting in the chair, staring quietly at the flat, endless horizon. A low-key "bong, bong, bong" fills the bridge. The man swivels to answer his phone. He picks up the receiver, presses it to his ear and says, "Captain."

Since the ship's commissioning in 1977, 17 men have commanded the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike). Ike's current commanding officer has been at Ike's helm for less than a month now, but he projects a comfort with the position that suggests he's been preparing for this post his entire life. Capt. Paul C. Spedero Jr. has touches of gray in his brown hair, small wrinkles around his brown eyes, an athletic build and a disarming smile. He makes few gestures when he speaks, maintains eye contact and laughs easily. During the day, he can usually be found on the bridge observing flight operations, meeting with various senior leaders or reviewing paperwork. Assuming command of more than 5,000 Sailors may seem to be a stress-inducing challenge, but Spedero said his mood over the last few months has been upbeat. He's excited to be here.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Spedero attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York, and earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1990. He credits his parents as the reason he joined the Navy.

"My parents were always very service-oriented," Spedero said. "They took care of the family and made sacrifices to make sure we had the things we needed. It just gave me a sense of wanting to serve others. I thought I would enjoy being in the military and serving my country, and I knew I would enjoy being a pilot-because it looked so exciting-so I kind of combined them."

After graduating from Rensselaer, he was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and entered pilot training the same year. He was designated a Naval Aviator in Meridian, Mississippi, in 1992 and subsequently attended the Defense Language Institute at Monterey, California, where he earned a degree in French.

Spedero admitted that over his more than 25 years of service he thought about separating on several occasions.

"There were times that I thought about getting out. You know, after one or two or five or six or eight deployments, you can't help but think about that," he said. "Fortunately, I always managed to get that thought out of my mind very quickly. I'm really glad I stayed in."

His former duty stations include Fighter Squadron (VF) 124, Fighter Squadron (VF) 2, USS Constellation (CV 64), Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) (as a student and instructor), Fighter Squadron (VF) 32, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Naval War College, Joint Staff at the Pentagon, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the Aviation Nuclear Officer program, USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and USS Peleliu (LHA 5).

Even with all of those commands under his belt, Spedero said that being the commanding officer of a carrier was never among his specific goals.

"I didn't ever see myself as the CO of an aircraft carrier," he said, wide-eyed. "I have always taken it one job, or billet, at a time. Whenever I get somewhere, I'm focused completely on the job that I'm there to do."

His job as CO for the next two to three years began when he joined forces with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 to lead the crew through a Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA) and Final Evaluation Problem (FEP) and later through a major Board of Inspections and Surveys (INSURV) shipwide inspection and a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) before embarking on a scheduled seven-month deployment.

"I think I have the best job in the entire fleet right now," he said. "I got here at the perfect time to see the crew train and to be able to train with them. More than 90 percent of the crew that's going to make deployment is already here, so this is a fortuitous opportunity to be able to train with our air wing-who is also at the same readiness level."

Now that the CSG and CVW staffs are aboard, Spedero wants to ensure that everyone feels at home.

"I'm very adamant about people respecting each other regardless of rank," he said. "I don't accept any kind of demeaning language or abusive behavior from anyone. I expect professionalism from everyone, no matter what their job is-that includes everyone between me on the bridge and Sailors that are on watch down in shaft alley. Everyone needs to be a professional and mature adult. Misconduct and behavioral issues are things we don't need."

Even though Spedero won't be able to spend quality time with every Sailor on board, he hopes to make each of their lives a little bit better.

"I want my Sailors to know, not just through my words but through my actions, that I sincerely care about them," he said. "I want to bring balance to their lives and give meaning to what they're doing here by stressing the importance of the mission. Then I'll do everything I can to make sure they have the resources to accomplish that-whether it's tools, materials, training or time."

Always ready with a smile and a handshake, Spedero prefers to talk to people in person and encourages Sailors to say hello when they see him around the ship.

As the sun sets and the ship lists ever so slightly from port to starboard, Spedero sits at his desk on the bridge. In his flight suit with the sleeves rolled up, he puts on his wire-frame glasses and clicks his pen as he looks over a stack of papers. Even while in the midst of writing, he always looks up when the jets launch, and watches them with a focused intensity as they disappear into the orange-pink horizon.

Spedero leans back in his chair and smiles. "As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing compared to being the CO of an aircraft carrier."

For more news from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), visit www.navy.mil/.