JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- During 24 hours aboard the USS Eisenhower, Channel 4's Nikki Kimbleton and photojournalist Matt James got a glimpse of the hard work done on an aircraft carrier and the character of the young men and women who make make it run.

Getting on board an aircraft carrier at sea requires the "arrested landing" -- a hook on the tail of your aircraft catches a cable and yanks it to a halt on a flight deck less than 500 feet long.

As jets land, they punch the throttle back open just in case they miss one of the arrested gear wires and have to "go around."

Our pilot caught the wire the first time.

"Literally a matter of millimeters makes a difference," Seahawk pilot Lt. Jim McNamee said. "It makes the job interesting, because you have to be on spot with everything that you do."

That was the first major experience of our trip to the USS Eisenhower, and we were immediately enthralled with the action.

The extraordinary precision and airmanship on the flight deck is breathtaking.

But it's not long until you start to notice the ballet all around you. Each job on deck perfectly choreographed and executed -- most by men and women who not long ago weren't even old enough to vote.

"It gives me great hope for America," Adm. Philip Davidson said. "I mean, I have no concerns for the future when we see this."

Davidson said these hard-working, young, enlisted adults deserve attention. It's because of them he had stayed in the Navy for 30 years.

"You realize what we're getting out of 19-, 20-, 21-year-old kids for the sake of the nation, it is absolutely extraordinary," Davidson said.

Arnist Rowe, of Lake City, and Allen Ealey, of Jacksonville, are two of those young men and both are from the Jacksonville area. They're called "grapes" on the ship, operating the purple-coded equipment. That means they're in charge of fueling the jets. While that's a big responsibility, every job on here fits that describes.

"They expect a lot of us," said Rowe. "We run the jet fuel and that runs the ship. if we don't have the jet fuel, then we wouldn't have an aircraft carrier."

There's not much down time for Rowe and Ealey, nor anyone aboard. There's no such thing as overtime. How long they're on the clock depends on flight hours.

"It could be flight to flight like from 7 (a.m.) to like 12 o'clock at night to 1 o'clock in the morning," Rowe said. "It all depends on how hard they're flying."

"I love my job," Ealey said. "(It) keeps me on edge, keeps me motivated."

With all of the noise, you'd think it would be hard to sleep aboard the carrier, but sheer exhaustion helps. If the work doesn't tire you out, the walking and climbing will.

Everywhere you go is a hike up and down ladders and decks. Nothing seems close. While we found it exhausting, they don't seem to mind. They just get the job done.

"They believe in what they're doing," Davidson said. "They join the Navy for a reason: they believe and are supporting the security of the nation, and they're perfectly willing to do that."

After an 18-hour day, in their "off time," many of them study.

"Education is another thing," said Jessica Dixon of Jacksonville. "They pay for my education and I still get to see the world."

Powerhouse Of The Fleet

The Eisenhower is one of the largest warships in the country and it one of America's most mobile and capable military platforms.

Home to strike fighters and their protectors, some aircraft are capable of jamming radar signals, others are designed to carry out search-and-rescue.

While carrier landings are sudden, take-offs are a rush, literally.

Ike can launch aircraft from a dead stop to speeds approaching 170 mph, and do it every 60 seconds.

It's heart pounding action for visitors like us, but this is just a typical day for the 5,000 men and women who work and live here.

"It looks like chaos, but it's well organized," Lt. Bobby Zubeck said. "It's amazing that we do what we do every day -- landing, taking off -- and every day it almost goes off without a hitch."

"Flying every day is awesome," McNamee said.

But it can also be unforgiving. That's why they fly day and night during these training missions. Practice makes perfect.

"My office is a helicopter, so that's pretty fun," said pilot Tyler McKnight. "Eat, sleep and fly, that's pretty much it."

The pilots have immense trust in their ground crew, especially at night when they're inches from the edge.

The flight operations run like a well oiled machine. But it's best left to the men and women who belong there.

"It's dangerous, crazy, loud," Zubeck said. "You really have to keep your head on a swivel. You don't want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You want to make it quick, get up there, do what you're doing and get out."

Staying focused and safe while working long hours in a fast-paced and dangerous environment is tough, but some sailors and pilots said missing friends and family is the toughest part of the job.

"Getting used to loud noises and small spaces isn't that bad, but it's being away from home," one sailor said.