By Peter Ciferri, BucksLocalNews.com

The scene of F-18s launching in synchrony from an aircraft carrier's deck are synonymous with U.S. Military might. But what many people tend to overlook, is that over 100 feet below the flight deck, the precision work of nuclear engineers is, in large part, the driving force that gets those planes off the ground.

"The whole reason [the planes] are there and the whole reason they're moving is because of everybody downstairs," U.S. Navy nuclear power plant reactor operator John Keenan explained.

Armed with a bachelors degree in nuclear engineering and two intense Naval training in nuclear propulsion, Keenan spent eight years aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln supercarrier. There, among other duties, he made sure planes often on the front lines of battle had a safe place to take off and a place to land.

"You never see us," Keenan said of his "under appreciated" job. He says the reason engine room troops are often overlooked is a combination of three things: the work isn't glamorous, it's tough to explain unless you're also a nuclear engineer and, most of all, a majority of the work is highly classified.

"Shy of movies like 'K-19,' where they have mockups, you really never hear about us," Keenan explained. "In 'Top Gun,' you don't see the guys in the engine room."

That secrecy can also make for some confusing moments. Because so much relies on their job, nuclear engineers are always on the clock, Keenan says.

When there are equipment problems on the 1,092-foot-long Lincoln, they can be seen working up to 45 hours to fix it, if need be - missions depend on it. And during combat, they often never see the light of day.

"We see things on the news," Keenan said of combat. "We're watching CNN and it's happening faster on there than the word gets back to us."

During his involvement with operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and the "shock and awe" campaign on the Iraqi insurgents, the sailor said his main focus was keeping the reactors rolling so the planes could fulfill their missions.

"It was real stressful because you don't know what's going on," he said. "Everybody's watching TV and trying to figure out what's going on (with the mission) because we're so far off the coast."

So why are the reactors so important to a plane's ability to hit the air? Without giving a lesson in nuclear engineering (or giving away military secrets), Keenan said the reactors boil water, creating steam that moves through pipelines into catapults. These catapults are then used to launch the planes.

He went on to explain that the steam also powers the ship, and the speed and direction of a supercarrier needs to be precisely calculated for planes to make a safe landing.

The Conwell-Egan graduate said his years of nuclear training and a course load that included advanced physics, thermodynamics and a bevy of other courses most people would struggle to complete, only takes you so far when you're in a pressure situation and the equipment starts to malfunction.

"The schooling helps, but you learn everything once you're really out there," Keenan explained, adding that after several decades of improving technology, most crews have a handbook or an experienced engineer who has seen each problem before. "You have guys who have been around this for 30 years If you're fresh out of school, you probably won't figure anything out."

And even when one man does figure something out - the protocol, chain of command and confidentiality concerns always makes the job a team effort.

Keenan said that confidentiality is necessary, but can sometimes be a burden.
He said it's tough to keep your mouth shut when your entire job and life are secret to your friends and family.

The engineer recalled one instance when his family was invited aboard the Lincoln. For Keenan, there wasn't much to show during a tour, as nearly every corner of the ship where he spends his days was off-limits to the visitors.

"We could show them where we slept, but we could never show them where we work," he said, adding that even when he showed them around his office, all his paperwork had to be secured and locked away.

"It makes it really tough to even explain to somebody what we do."

But there is one experience Keenan can share that resonates with his friends and family.
It was Dec. 26, 2004 and the Lincoln was docked in Hong Kong. Among the celebrations of Christmas and New Year's, the men received a call that a tsunami had struck portions of southeast Asia.

In true American spirit, they heeded the call and were the first on the scene in Sumatra to offer relief until more ships prepared for the disaster situation could make their way to the region.
"Everything imaginable was floating and the smell was horrible," Keenan remembered. "There were buildings floating, you could see cows floating by; bodies."

Keenan and his crew boarded helicopters, dropping fresh water and bags of rice to some remote and destroyed villages.

"As we flew over top, all you could see were little squares where the foundations of buildings used to be," he said. "You could see exactly how the water came up how it cut the whole side of a mountain or cliff off."

Today, back home safely in Bucks County, Keenan is the third-generation owner of John Keenan Construction, a residential and commercial remodeling business founded by his grandfather.
Keenan loves his job, but he does sometimes yearn for the old days - as he claims the problems facing a nuclear reactor are nothing compared to problems on a job site.

"A nuclear reactor is cut and dry. It's all been done and it's all the same way every time. But remodeling a home: so many different factors can come into it, and you have to take each problem, address it individually, and come up with a solution that you and your client are happy with."