Navy photo by MC3 Patrick Green) Rear Adm. Ted Branch, Commander, Carrier Strike Group 1 speaks to Reserve Officer Training Corps and Naval Academy midshipmen during their summer cruise visit to USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson is currently underway conducting local operations off the coast of Southern California. (U.S.

Midshipmen from across the country spend their summers aboard ships around the fleet to gain training and experience for their development as junior officers.

‘‘We get to see the day to day life aboard the ship,” said Midshipman 3rd Class Stephanie Payne, a Naval Academy midshipman taking part in the summer cruise. ‘‘It gives us a chance to see how we will interact with enlisted personnel as junior officers.”

For their training, the mids are assigned a ‘‘running mate.” Enlisted Vinson sailors are assigned third and second class mids, while junior officers mentor the first class midshipmen.

‘‘I’ve learned a lot about the importance of communication on board the ship,” said Midshipman 2nd Class Daniella Sepulveda, a Naval Academy midshipman. ‘‘I also learned that your department doesn’t work independently, but that everyone depends on everyone else to get the job done.”

This is Sepulveda’s second time on a ship, with last year’s summer cruise spent aboard USS Green Bay (LPD 20).

‘‘The crew size was the biggest difference for me,” said Sepulveda. ‘‘The ship was also newly commissioned, so it was still working on its qualifications. I never got to see any flight operations.”

That was not the case with this cruise. The mids got a chance to see air operations on the flight deck July 11.

‘‘My favorite part so far has been the flight deck,” said Midshipman 3rd Class Nancy De Avila-Alvarado. ‘‘Being right next to the helos and F-18s and watching them take off has been great.”

De Avila-Alvarado added that seeing the flight deck has convinced her to become a pilot upon graduation.

Upon arriving to the ship, the mids were excited and admittedly overwhelmed when they finally stepped aboard.

‘‘I think it’s really great that we got to be on an aircraft carrier,” said Midshipman 3rd Class Jacqueline Penichet, a Naval Academy midshipman. ‘‘If we do end up going aviation, we’re getting a taste of what our future life is going to be like.”

Although most of their time is spent with their ‘‘running mate” in their respective shop, Penichet said she’s getting the best experience just walking around the ship and talking to sailors.

‘‘Ever since we’ve been underway, we’ve just had a lot of fun going to the different departments,” said Penichet. ‘‘Everyone here is really friendly, both officers and enlisted. Either if we’re lost or have a question, everyone is happy to stop and speak to us.”

Upon completion of their summer training, the mids will return to college for the academic year until the next summer, when they will experience life on board a different ship.

‘‘I can’t say that I want to be stationed on a carrier after graduation, only because I haven’t been on a smaller ship,” said Penichet. ‘‘However, I could see myself on a carrier. It has a lot of things to offer me.”