N – November
morse code – dash dot
National Security Agency —
an intelligence organization of the United States government,
responsible for monitoring, collection, and processing of global information.
Nautical mile — a
distance equal to one minute of arc on the Earth's
surface. The United States has adopted the
international nautical mile equal to 1,852 meters or approximately 6,076
feet. As a comparison, a land mile is
5,280 feet.
Navy – from my
son's “new recruit handbook” - “The
mission of the United States Navy is to protect and defend the right of the United States
and our allies to move freely on the oceans and to protect our country against
her enemies.” My son enlisted in the US Navy a little over
3 years ago as a Seabee [electrician].
He now holds the rank of E-4, or petty officer third class. He is not assigned to a ship. Seabees are assigned to Construction
Battalions [CBs], and are transported mostly by plane.
My husband is a sailor, so the nautical mile (and its related speed measure, the knot) is a very important part of our vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteI knew the nautical mile wasn't the same as the "land mile" but not exactly how it was different. Say hi to your husband for me.
DeleteI love the sea. I love these definitions. Say thank you to your son every day. He is a one of the unsung heroes in this world.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun going out with my son because lots of people thank him for his service [which is very nice] and he gets embarrassed =)
DeleteGood luck to your son, Dena. I wonder, is there a particular line a naval officer says for good luck? Akin to "break a leg" that you might say to an actor?
ReplyDeleteI know they say "hoorah" as a motivator. See my H day. Not sure if there's anything else, and he went back to MS yesterday =(
DeleteIt puzzled me for a long time why a nautical mile should be different to a "regular" mile. I read an explanation once, but I forget what it was. I'm not puzzled because I know there is a reason. I just don't remember what it was. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's one minute arc on the earth's surface. So there's an actual reason why it's exactly as long as it is. Not like the rest of our regular, non-metric measurements that are related to the length of King George's foot [or whatever].
DeleteThe nautical mile thing always stumped me; I knew it was more than a "land" mile, but I never knew by how much, or why. Best explanation ever :)
ReplyDeleteVery cool theme, Dena! And thanks for the visit over at Life In Dogs; I'm glad you enjoyed the posts :) Happy Sunday!
Glad you enjoyed the explanation! And yes, I'm really enjoying your Life in Dogs blog. Hope you're enjoying AtoZ.
DeleteWow! What a font of information you are! I had NO idea that a nautical mile differed from a land mile. Thank you for increasing my knowledge today! :D
ReplyDeleteGlad to help! Hope you have a great week.
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