The Destroyermen

Deployment 2009

2009-08-06T14:58:00.002-10:00

All, the blog has officially been given the ok to restart for the men and women of RUSSELL. We are safely underway now and getting into our routine. It is difficult to upload pictures from the ship to the blog, but I will be sending them to our ombudsman, Mrs. Amanda Robinson, while we are underway. When we are inport, I will try to upload pictures from the ship. If you need to reach our ombudsman you can email her at russellomb@yahoo.com. You can also leave comments on the blog posts, and I will try to get back to you when I can. For now, know we are safely underway and extremely grateful for all the thoughts and emails from family and friends back home...Take care and be safe. Doug

Checking if this works

2009-08-03T18:20:00.001-10:00

Good afternoon all. We will be restarting our blog here shortly, but for now I just want to make sure it is working. Everything is going well thus far.

A Day To Remember (Part 3)

2008-08-04T07:00:00.002-10:00

By SKSN Jeremy Henthorne
This is the final in a three part series from SN Henthorne detailing his experiences during the Somali rescue operation last June.

So many emotions were being displayed; so many more being bottled inside by everyone on the ship. On the forecastle alone people were just in a daze about what they had just witnessed. Everyone was so passionate about wanting to help these people that it didn’t matter what time it was - if they had eaten, if they had to be up for the early watches - none of that mattered. Everyone on the ship worked towards the goal of helping get these people back to healthy. But there was another emotion going through everyone’s mind at this time. What were these people fleeing from back where they came from? What is going to happen when we turn them over to the Somali Coast Guard? Caught between moral emotions and the legal binds that are in place, this was a very sad night for most. Though torn apart by this, everyone knew that it was not in our hands; there was simply nothing we could do about the fact that we have to bring them back to Somalia.

The time came when I was too exhausted to be of further assistance so I asked one last time if anyone needed anything. They all were getting ready to let the next watch come on to keep on eye on each of the patients and administer any medical help needed throughout the night. In the morning we heard the boats being lowered into the water as they took each of the sick men, now doing much better from when they originally came to us the previous afternoon, back to the disabled boat.

As we left the boat and all the people in it with the Somali Coast Guard, many people were in a haze as to the events that happened the night before. Did this really happen? Did we really just help a stranded ship? all these questions floated in the minds of the sailors onboard Russell. Many tried to forget what they saw, smelt, and heard on the boat; others sat quietly reflecting about the events. The one thing that everyone was thinking about was how we came together and worked as a team to do everything in our power to help these people. It took the whole crew being selfless for a day, putting holiday routine in the back of their minds and focusing on doing what needed to be done.

I can say that I am proud to serve with the men and women of the USS Russell. What I saw that day was a sight that will never be forgotten. From manning extra watches for lookout, to getting food and water ready, to pulling the sick aboard, to the boarding team bringing the supplies to the boat and trying to calm down the stranded passengers - everyone contributed to the success of the event.

When I look back on that day and think about what I saw and what I did and what I saw others do, it makes me feel proud to be a part of this organization. And when I think of the seventy men, women, and children of that boat, I thank God for everything that I have, to be a citizen of a country that isn’t so bad that people flee and risk their lives to try to find a better life. It reminds me that even on my worst day out here, it could be a whole lot worse. I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to help someone in need and I know that many others on this ship feel the same way. It was an eye opening experience and I think it is one that many will take with them the rest of their life.

Go to part 1.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 24

2008-07-30T17:32:00.003-10:00

Some photos from our recent trip(s) through the Suez Canal:

The canal with the “Peace Bridge” in the distance.

A mosque at Port Suez.

The only variation we saw in the weather during our transits.

Some of the local transportation.

A Day To Remember (Part 2)

2008-07-27T18:40:00.004-10:00

By SKSN Jeremy Henthorne
This is the third in a three part series from SN Henthorne detailing his experiences during the Somali rescue operation last June.

A report comes in from our boarding team that it is a boat full of starving men, women, and children. None of them were armed and they looked like they had been out there for at least two or three days with no food or water. At this point the situation is being assessed and it was determined that this was a boat of people trying to flee Somalia and head to anywhere but where they came from. Very few of them spoke English and our boarding team members were trying to find out any information they could about these people. Our supply officer gave the order to break out food and water and prepare it to be sent to the ship immediately. As the boarding team came back for food and water they reported that there were at least two dead and five or so sick. The decision was then made to drop the food and water off and bring the sick to our ship for care. Then the Officer of the Deck stood down my watch.

Now that I have seen what is really going on, I couldn’t just go back to enjoying my Sunday; this couldn’t be more than a thirty foot boat packed with seventy men, women, and children. None were in the best of health and all were starving and thirsty. While some of the others from my watch went below to help cook dinner, I decided to stay behind and offer my further assistance. They asked for some volunteers to help use the special open topped litter to rescue personnel from the water. There had to have been at least fifteen of us on the line to pull up the cage from the water line. At the same time we were manning up the medical team and those Sailors who were trained to help during time of medical emergencies. A triage tent was being set up on the forecastle. It was erected and pads were laid out to keep anyone who may lay on it from laying directly on the non-skid surface. Medical supplies and water as well as blankets were all brought up for the sick that were being transported over.

We were then given the order to pull on the line to bring the first of the sick Somalis onboard. As we slowly heaved in, it felt like there was a three hundred pound man on the end of the line. When we finally got the first man onboard we saw for the first time just how small these men were. As we pulled the second on board it was a lot easier as they found that the first one had the rope chafing on the side of the ship. As we pulled each of the remaining sick onboard we would all look in amazement as we felt there was no one in the baskets. These poor men were all so thin, barely conscious, and had shallow breathing. Our Corpsmen onboard and the extra hands trained to be able to help all assessed each of the sick and noted the symptoms and problems they each had.

I went below to eat. I still felt this gut feeling that I needed to help even if I could only help indirectly. So when I finished my dinner I headed back up to the forecastle to see what I could do. When I got up there I asked where I could help out. At that time there wasn’t much anyone other than the medics and boarding team could really do to actively assist. So I relieved one of my shipmates who had been on communications this whole time and hadn’t had the chance to eat. When he came back to get on communications again I asked if there was anyone else on the bridge who hadn’t had a relief to go eat. So I went up to the pilot house to relieve the man on watch up there so he could eat. Meanwhile, the corpsmen were on the forecastle working hard to keep these poor men alive.

When I was relieved of my watch for the evening I decided that there had to be something I could do to help. When I arrived on the forecastle there was only about fifteen other people up there as opposed to the thirty or forty earlier. We all did what we could to help assist the medics with everything from grabbing plastic bags and rubber gloves to getting water for the sick men. This was the first time that I had been this close to them and could really see what they looked like. The first two men looked a lot healthier than when they first came on board. It was so nice to see them lying there so peacefully. For these men this was probably the first real night’s sleep they had been able to get in a few days at least. There were two others in the middle who were both very much awake. I will never forget the sounds I heard that night. As I sat down to just take in the whole situation I saw before me. The man closest to me, who had been doing so well and moving around and talking with everyone, was now so sick. The sounds that he made would make your spine shiver. I felt so bad for this man, he was in so much pain and you could see it in his eyes. His body was so tense you could see each individual muscle through the skin. The man next to him was laying staring straight up into the top of the canopy looking with a distant stare. I went over and held his hand as he was laying there in pain. He turned and looked at me as we sat there for five minutes but it felt longer. We just looked at each other, no words were needed I knew he was just thankful to have someone by his side at this time.

Go to part 1.
Go to part 3.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 23

2008-07-25T02:40:00.007-10:00

While in the Mediterranean in June RUSSELL took the opportunity to hold a swim call in one of the best possible locations. Here are some of the sights on that Sunday.

A Sailor prepares to jump in.

A sea of strange fish.

A satisfied customer.

A Day To Remember (Part 1)

2008-07-22T17:58:00.001-10:00

By SKSN Jeremy Henthorne
This is the first in a three part series from SN Henthorne detailing his experiences during the Somali rescue operation last June.

It was a warm Sunday morning aboard USS Russell operating in the Gulf of Aden. Sundays are holiday routine for the sailors, a day where outside of watch standing, their time is their own. Some use this day to catch up on rest they may have lost through the week, others use this time to relax and play games, go to church, study for an upcoming exam, listen to music, or just do nothing. This day was a special Sunday for the sailors aboard Russell, because a ‘steel beach picnic’ had been scheduled. Steel beach picnics are something the crew does to increase moral by having a BBQ on the flight deck. It was around lunch time when the officer of the deck got on the loudspeaker. “Good afternoon, Russell, this is the junior officer of the deck with an announcement. We just received word of a vessel in need of help. Russell has been tasked with assisting the vessel so we will be speeding to the location given. When we get closer we will set an extra watch to have more eyes to help find the vessel in distress.”

I had just woken up and was eating my brunch when I heard the announcement. The first thing that went through my mind was that I really didn’t want to spend my Sunday, my only day of rest, topside looking for a fishing vessel. The more I thought about it the more I thought of our location and the chance this could be a set up. So, I finished up my brunch and went to get my hat from my rack.

As I walked through the passage way on my way to my berthing everyone was talking about the possibility this could be a set up. I grabbed my hat and headed to my office. They were still setting up for the steel beach picnic when the officer of the deck came on the loudspeaker again. “Afternoon Russell, this is the officer of the deck again, due to this afternoon’s evolution we will not be having a steel beach picnic.” Now everyone was even more irritated because we won’t have a steel beach, nor do we get the rest of our Sunday off. The next thing was to set the extra watches to help with spotting the vessel. I put my ball cap on and headed out to the front of the ship, also known as the forecastle. When I get up there I grab a head set and get in contact with the pilot house. “Bridge, forecastle.”

"Bridge” they responded.

“Forecastle online” I reported. It was a pretty hot day out and the sun was shining bright with no clouds in the sky. A slight smell of sea water filled the air as we moved at a fast pace to get to the scene. “See anything?” I ask my partner.

“Nothing,” he replies as he’s looking off the starboard side of the forecastle.

Finally we see a faint smoke flare in the distance. I report it to the bridge. The closer we get the more evident that it is exactly what we were looking for. I reported a small orange lifeboat that was dropped off by the aircraft that had originally spotted the vessel in distress. There were three or four dye markers in the water to help us find the vessel incase the smoke flare goes out. We slow down so we can better assess the scene as we approach the vessel off to our port beam about half of a mile out. We come to a dead stop and lower our two small boats known as RHIB’s. Our team of men trained to board other vessels first stop at the life raft in the water, and then approach the disabled vessel with caution.

Go to part 2.

Division in the Spotlight - R

2008-07-17T04:44:00.002-10:00

By DC1 Bowden:

“R” Stands for REPAIR

While the “R” may stand for Repair, you will find the Sailors of R-Div doing a lot more than repairs on board this tin can. With that being said, let’s take a tour through R-Division.

Repair division is made up of 3 ratings: Machinery Repairmen (MR), Hull Technicians (HT), and Damage Controlmen (DC). Together these 3 ratings are a force to be reckoned with. There is no part too small, job to big, or fire to hot.

The MRs are, with out a doubt, sticklers for finite numbers. They machine parts that require .00001 accuracy (laymen’s terms: as fine as the hair on a lady bug’s leg). They are given complex problems to solve on a daily basis. I think I even spotted one of them finding the solution to the square peg in the round hole. Let’s just say that if it involves math, metal, and a lathe, problem solved. The MRs’ job doesn’t end there, however. They are also the resident engraving experts. If they are not busy on the lathe or other machining tools, you will surely find them hunkered over the engraver, trying to get the labeling task fine tuned.

The HTs, adhere to tolerance and specifications as well, but are a little more easy going with the math. HTs can be found in various areas throughout the ship doing a number of different jobs. They are the pipe fitters, welders and fabricators that the ship turns to when things start to rattle, shake, and roll. Their ingenuity and problem solving skills give them the ability to get the job done. When these guys aren’t busy brazing gauge lines or welding up a rusted out section of piping, you will find them lending the MRs a hand or ensuring that the waste collection system is operational.

DCs are a unique group of characters. There are no finite numbers, tolerance or specification to follow. DCs maintain the installed firefighting equipment and systems on the ship. They ensure that the actuation systems work, the push buttons operate, and Repair Lockers are stocked and ready for action. They also ensure that Chemical, Biological and Radiological Defense equipment is calibrated and operational. They are the resident experts on fire fighting and keeping the ship afloat.

Together as a division these 3 ratings teach the crew basic fire fighting, gross decontamination of the ship, and dewatering skills during ship indoctrination, as well as providing training for the Damage Control Petty Officers. They stand Sounding and Security, Central Control Station, and Fire Marshal watches. They also augment various other engineering watches such as Engine Room Operator and Auxiliary Systems Monitor. They are the first responders to any casualty, fire, pipe rupture, or flooding. These are the men that make up the At Sea Fire Party and the Flight Deck Fire Party.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 22

2008-07-14T20:04:00.004-10:00

One of RUSSELL’s search and rescue swimmers waits to be deployed in the water during a man overboard drill.

The SAR Swimmer prepares “Oscar” to be heaved onto the forecastle.

The SAR swimmer waits for recovery (and enjoys the Mediterranean).

RUSSELL Logs Another "First"

2008-07-12T20:35:00.002-10:00

The following is a repost of a Navy news story:

BMD exercise debuts cross-coordinated 5th and 6th Fleet operations

By CNE-C6F Public Affairs

NAPLES, Italy – As part of regional missile defense cross-coordination between the U.S. Navy FIFTH and SIXTH Fleets, a long-scheduled Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) exercise will start this weekend. USS Russell, operating in the eastern Mediterranean and USS Benfold operating in the northern Arabian Gulf will participate. Russell and Benfold, both Aegis-class destroyers, will be the first BMD-capable ships to operate simultaneously in the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf.

“Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense is a key part of the future of the U.S. Navy,” said Vice Admiral Sandy Winnefeld, Commander, U.S. SIXTH Fleet. “It is evolutionary and we are continuously seeking ways to improve our capabilities, in this instance across theaters.”

During the exercise, the ships will work with one another in detecting, tracking, sharing information and engaging a simulated ballistic missile by sharing data via a number of paths.

“This cooperation between neighboring fleets represents the latest in an ongoing series of defensive exercises intended to provide increased security. We will continue to periodically conduct these sorts of exercises to demonstrate our commitment to regional friends in the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf,” said Vice Adm. Kevin J. Cosgriff, Commander U.S. FIFTH Fleet.

Seven nations work with the U.S. Navy in various capacities to advance BMD capabilities around the world. The fundamental objective of the BMD program is to develop the capability to defend the United States, its friends and its forces against various types of ballistic missiles. By late 2008, 18 Aegis ships are scheduled to be equipped with BMD.

“We are beginning to see the fielding of this new capability. This exercise, which we began planning late last year, will demonstrate an important application of Aegis BMD in the Fleet,” said Winnefeld.

More Somali Rescue Photos

2008-06-12T03:15:00.003-10:00

Reposting of Navy photos of the Somali rescue.

080608-N-XXX0-003 GULF OF ADEN (June 8, 2008) Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Nicholas Mason, takes vital signs of a patient brought aboard USS Russell (DDG 59) as Ensign Melanie Chambers, Ensign Lisa Bydairk and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Matthew Thompson assist.

080608-N-XXX0-002 GULF OF ADEN (June 8, 2008) Lt.j.g. Scott Mason, embarked aboard USS Russell (DDG 59) from Destroyer Squadron Nine, administers care to a Somali patient brought aboard the ship.

080608-N-XXX0-004 GULF OF ADEN (June 8, 2008) Ensign Melanie Chambers and other members of USS Russell (DDG 59) administer care to a Somali patient brought aboard the ship.

080608-N-XXX0-005 GULF OF ADEN (June 8, 2008) Sailors aboard USS Russell (DDG 59) administer care to a Somali patient brought aboard the ship.

USS Russell Assists Vessel in Distress

2008-06-10T02:41:00.003-10:00

The following is a reposting of a U.S. Navy news release:

GULF OF ADEN – USS Russell (DDG 59) responded to a vessel in distress between Bossasso, Somalia and the Yemeni coast in the Gulf of Aden June 8.

A Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 air asset notified Russell of the small boat’s distress call. Russell, operating nearby, proceeded at maximum speed and arrived on-scene to assist the vessel.

The 45-foot small boat experienced serious engine problems leaving it unable to operate at sea and had been adrift for two days.

There were approximately 70 personnel on board the vessel, some of whom were in need of immediate medical attention. Seven personnel were transferred to Russell and treated for severe dehydration and malnutrition. The vessel was also re-provisioned for the night and Russell is towing it towards Somalia where the small boat and patients will be turned over to Somali authorities.

080608-N-XXX0-001 GULF OF ADEN (June 8, 2008) Lt.j.g. Doug Marks, a former Navy Hospital Corpsman, offers medical assistance to a Somali patient brought aboard USS Russell (DDG 59) as Ens. Lisa Bydairk and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Christopher Wallace assist.

Coalition forces have a longstanding tradition of helping mariners in distress by providing medical assistance, engineering assistance as well as search and rescue.

Russell, deployed as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, is operating as part of CTF 150. CTF150 conducts Maritime Security Operations (MSO) between the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea. MSO help develop security in the maritime environment. From security arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists’ use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 21

2008-06-04T04:27:00.001-10:00

Sailors practice pipe patching.

An engineer operates the propulsion plant during general quarters.

The Captain cuts the cake to celebrate the ship’s 13th birthday.

Light Line Transfer

2008-06-01T20:59:00.003-10:00

Every now and again opportunities surface to do things that are out of the ordinary. One such opportunity appeared not long ago when we crossed paths with French Ship SURCOUF. Many of our NATO allies still practice “light line transfers”, to pass small items between ships in a pouch attached to a line. The practice originated so ships could pass correspondence and messages at sea, and while it’s not used much any longer, the French Navy still must practice the procedure for proficiency. So, they invited RUSSELL to give it a go and we accepted.

RUSSELL’s key task was to maintain a very steady course and speed while SURCOUF approached from astern. On our signal, SURCOUF positioned herself off our wake at a safe distance for a short time to get a feel for the range of speeds needed to hold position close enough to pass a line. Next, she signaled her approach and increased speed slightly to slowly close the distance. Once in place, she slowed to maintain station and readied for the transfer.

Russell’s gunners initiated the transfer by firing a shot line over SURCOUF’s bow. Their line handlers quickly passed the shot line to the forecastle and bent it to the light line. RUSSELL’s flight deck crew then hauled the shot line in, pulling the light line with it. In no time, the pouch was in hand and the Rig Captain unpacked the cargo of baguettes and bleu and Camembert cheese.

After refilling the bag with some American specialties, RUSSELL gave the signal and SURCOUF hauled in their line. Once it was safely on deck the French ship signaled the completion of the task by hauling out to starboard.

In all it was a great training opportunity for RUSSELL and the cheese was good, too!

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 20

2008-05-21T18:05:00.002-10:00

The Captain congratulates RUSSELL’s newest Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist.

The Captain administers the oath of office to a brand new Lieutenant Junior Grade.

A member of the boarding team scales a cargo net during a practice boarding.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 19

2008-05-15T02:47:00.002-10:00

A Sailor performs a daily inspection of one of the ship’s boats

A Sailor takes his turn on the helm.

A Sailor cleans a filter for the gas turbine uptakes.

Muster All Hands For Stores Strike Down

2008-05-11T06:49:00.002-10:00

While we’re at sea for extended periods, the vast majority of our supplies, parts and mail get transferred to us from other ships. Sometimes helicopters lift the cargo from flight deck to flight deck and other times it’s delivered on a highline connecting our ship with another. Both ways of re-supplying are categorized as “underway replenishment”, or UNREP, with transfer by helicopter known as “vertical replenishment”, or VERTREP, and transfer by highline known as “connected replenishment”, or CONREP.

An MH-60 delivers a load to the flight deck
CONREPs are further broken down into “fueling-at-sea”, or FAS, and “replenishment-at-sea”, or RAS. Both methods of transfer require extra maneuvering watches and crews to run either the flight deck or the replenishment rigs, and any time parts, mail or stores are delivered, all hands turn to and help strike the materials below. And, for a ship the size of RUSSELL, that means officers and chief petty officers, too.

A delivery ship transfers cargo by highline and pumps fuel simultaneously.
VERTREPs present the greatest challenge in stowing materials. For safety reasons, only a portion of the flight deck may be used to receive loads, so once the helicopter clears the deck, the crew has just a few minutes to get the pallets out of the cargo nets, repositioned and broken down, and the flight deck readied to receive another load.

Crew members break down a pallet of stores.
Meanwhile, the whole crew stands ready in a line inside the skin of the ship to pass the boxes and bags hand-to hand from the flight deck to their destination. A proficient crew will break down and stow materials at the rate of a pallet a minute for 30 to 45 minutes to complete an average replenishment.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 18

2008-05-07T06:40:00.002-10:00

One of our recent port visits; Phuket, Thailand. Here are some of the scenes:

One of many scenic inlets in the Thai coast.

Going for a ride.

A view of the harbor at dusk.

Division in the Spotlight - S2

2008-05-04T19:10:00.003-10:00

Napoleon once remarked that an army travels on its stomach. The same can be said of a Navy, and as a result, ships at sea have a long logistical “tail” that keeps food flowing to sea so the ships can stay on station. Probably the most important part of that “tail” from the Sailors’ perspective, though, is the division that puts meals on the table four times per day (breakfast, lunch, supper and midnights rations, or “midrats”) - “S2” or Food Service Division.

With a cadre of Culinary Specialists running the show, S2 is primarily made up of junior Sailors from other divisions called “Food Service Attendants”. These Sailors are sent for one or two 90-day periods in their first enlistment to bear a hand with the hardest jobs in food service – the hours of preparation and clean up required to run a galley and keep the operation sanitary around the clock. In addition, S2 is responsible for ordering and stocking all the stores required to keep food on our tables.

Perhaps the greatest challenge is not in cooking and serving the 900 or so meals per day it takes to feed the crew, but making those meals the best they can be. In this regard, RUSSELL’s Food Service Division is definitely at the top of their class. And it’s not just the crew that thinks so. RUSSELL’s S2 Division was recognized in 2007 as the Pacific Fleet runner up for the Captain Edward F. Ney Award for food service excellence.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 17

2008-05-02T08:00:00.002-10:00

A brand new Master Chief gets pinned.

The “Crash and Smash” team stands at the ready while an aircraft is refueled.

A “big deck” gets gas.

A Moment to Pause and Remember

2008-04-30T16:11:00.003-10:00

The ship paused on its trek a couple of days ago to take care of some solemn business. When we departed Pearl, we were entrusted with the cremated remains of thirteen brothers-in-arms to be committed to the deep. Small ships have no facilities to store casketed remains, but the larger ships frequently accept them for burial.

Most Americans - and even many veterans - don’t realize that any honorably discharged veteran of any of the armed forces is entitled to a burial at sea if they or their loved ones choose. Indeed, the majority of services I’ve been involved with haven’t been veterans of the Navy. Perhaps they had some connection with or love of the sea, or perhaps it was the best option for the serviceman’s survivors.

Just over a score of volunteers perform the ceremonies aboard RUSSELL, and they’re well practiced. It all starts with the ship lying to and passing the word, “All hands prepare to bury the dead.” The remains and the ceremonial flag are marched through an honor guard to the front and center. One of the ship’s lay leaders, or a chaplain when one’s available, reads a psalm, Scriptures and a prayer.

The remains are marched to the deck edge and presented to the officer who will scatter them as the honor guard fires three volleys and the Boatswain Mate of the Watch plays taps over the ship’s announcing system. The flag is then received by the Command Master Chief as the leader of the burial at sea detail, who then presents it to the Commanding Officer as the representative of the family.

All of this gets recorded on a DVD and returned to the family with the flag, 21 spent casings and a chartlet that marks the location of the service.

I recall performing burials at sea long ago when I was an Ensign, but it seems like there has been a dramatic increase in the numbers in the last few years. Perhaps that’s because the veterans of the Second World War are beginning to leave us. And with them go much of our history.

How a US Naval Ship Stays Afloat

2008-04-29T05:33:00.001-10:00

From DC1 Bowden:

Many a person has asked me in my 10 years “How does all that steel float?”. Typically my answer would be short and sweet. Compartmentation! However this time I want to expand and give credit where credit is due.

There is a team of special individuals that we call Damage Control Petty Officers or DCPO for short. These DCPOs are the reason we stay afloat when all hell breaks loose. An example is the USS COLE.

Had it not been for the DCPOs the USS COLE would be sitting at the bottom of the sea. Yes, it is true, that many a crew member ran from compartment to compartment closing hatches and scuttles here and there and dogging doors down to prevent the sea from flooding the ship. But who was it that allowed those hatches, scuttles and doors to work in this ships time of need? It was then men and women that maintain them, and they are the DCPOs.

So, who are the DCPOs? They are people who normally work for all the different divisions on the ship. They are the Gunners Mates, Enginemen, Culinary Specialist, Electronics Technicians, Personnel Specialist just to name a few.

What do they do?

They perform maintenance on doors, hatches, scuttles, and deck drains to ensure the ship stays watertight. They ensure that the portable fire fighting equipment is on station and that it will work correctly when needed. They clean ventilation to ensure fire will not spread through it and that the crew breathes clean air. They work on air conditioning units (see eye candy for sailors part 10) to verify that they are working at optimal capacity for when the ship gets hot. They inspect compartments for signs of rust, (a ships worst enemy if ever there was) wear, and any abnormality that could threaten the ships survival. They verify every morning and every night that the prescribed material condition of readiness is set and any discrepancy is noted. They ensure that emergency lighting works and will show the way should the ship every go dark. They ensure that emergency breathing devices are in place, accessible, and will function properly if ever needed. After that they go back to their own division and carry out any additional work they might be assigned.

DCPOs work long and tirelessly, on countless pieces of equipment, to ensure the ship and its crew are given the best chance at survival, should she ever be put in the situation the USS COLE found herself in.

It’s not until we find ourselves in an emergency that we realize the importance of the work the DCPO does. So, when we sail back into homeport, with a broom high upon the mast, know that it is because the DCPOs kept the ship water tight and the emergency equipment was on station and in working order.

War Beckons

2008-04-26T05:03:00.007-10:00

This post has been pulled, and an explanation will follow. Don't worry, we haven't been shut down. We're just working out the details of a new editorial process that I think will help with the consistency of the product. It's all part of that "Rules Which Must Be Followed" thing.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 16

2008-04-25T04:59:00.002-10:00

Sailors raise the ensign staff while preparing to enter port.

A Sailor records a video of himself reading Green Eggs and Ham to send home.

"Oscar" patiently waits for an opportunity to jump overboard.

What Time Is It, Again?

2008-04-25T00:45:00.003-10:00

There are many challenges a crew faces when they deploy. Today’s challenge is changing time zones. As we travel west, we'll have to set our clocks back nine or ten times, depending upon where we finally end up. Then of course, the opposite will be true as we return. Even operating in the same fleet area can require time changes every few days or weeks.

One tricky bit is planning when to execute a time change. Since the ship operates around the clock, no matter when you schedule a time change, it's going to be a source of consternation to someone. If you move clocks back during the day, some will complain about the extra hour of work. If you move them back at night, others will complain about the extra hour of watch during what can be a long, slow night.

Another tricky bit is communicating to the crew when the change will happen. Every path of communication must be used. The Plan of the Day must include a schedule item. Word must be passed and reiterated through the chain of command at morning quarters and the evening operations brief, and announcements must be made over the 1MC. Still it seems there’s always somebody who doesn’t “get the word”.

Finally, events scheduled near the time change demand extra planning. For instance, if we decide, or the staff tells us to turn back the clocks at 2000 and we have a regular meeting scheduled at 1930, when is the meeting - on the first 1930 or the second? Decisions, decisions.

Malacca News Shows Potential of Maritime Strategy

2008-04-23T17:08:00.008-10:00

There was a good news story out of Malaysia a couple of weeks ago that illustrates the potential of America's new Maritime Strategy. According to the deputy chief of the Malaysian Air Force, the Strait of Malacca was piracy free last year.

While the ink on our strategy is still wet, the document formalizes a number initiatives that have been ongoing in the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard for years, like fostering regional security partnerships and cooperation, direct humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and training of regional militaries for joint and combined operations to remedy local problems.

Though I know of no American role in the “Eye in the Sky” operation or patrols in the strait, the sea services have been providing training on how to carry out these type of operations for over a decade through exercises like CARAT, MALABAR and others. So, as strike groups transit through Southeast Asia and Oceania on their way to the Indian Ocean, they frequently disperse to train and assist local countries with maritime interests.

In a typical exercise, one or more American ships will join up with ships from a partner nation and embark liaison officers to observe, learn about or even oversee operations. Then the combined group will spend a few hours or days using aircraft, ships and submarines to search above, on and below the water in the exercise area and practice deterrence or conduct boardings.

The goal is not only to develop an awareness of who’s out there, but also to practice the planning, logistics, communication and prioritization skills necessary to execute a given mission. It's also hoped that after interacting with the militaries of other nations, all the participants will develop a better understanding of regional interests, concerns and goals.

And apparently, it’s working.

Safety Stand Down

2008-04-22T23:11:00.002-10:00

Not long after departing on a deployment, every ship must stop work for a day to focus on safety. Living on a ship is like living in an industrial envrionment. Aside from the obvious things like explosives and fuel, there are dozens of other hazards that Sailors deal with every day and about which can become complacent. Rotating machinery, hazardous noise and heat, trip hazards, slip hazards, toxic and flammable chemicals and gases, and doors and hatches that will bite a finger or two off if you're not careful.

So, a day after the tranist of the Pacific began the whole strike group stopped all routine business to remind everyone about hazards and safe practices. After an all hands talk by the Captain on the flight deck, the crew was divided into five groups and topics grouped at five stations.

A Chief explains the use and wear of a safety harness.

After spending 30-40 minutes on one area, the groups rotated from one station to the next to ensure everyone got all the topics. Four of the stations were general topics every Sailor needs to know about: hazardous materials, hearing conservation and heat stress, electrical safety and personal protective equipment. The final station covered some general shipboard safety information and work-specific topics.

Another Chief gets passionate about electrical safety.

And, once the morning was concluded and after a brief break for lunch, the whole presentation was repeated on the messdecks with the Sailors who were on watch in the morning. After all, "all hands" means all hands.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 15

2008-04-21T17:37:00.003-10:00

With our visit to Singapore in our wake, I must say it's an amazing place. Despite being a big city, it's immaculately clean and shows off a surprising amount of greenery. Here are some of the highlights of our visit.

A view of the city.

The Hindu temple.

Good eats.

A big cat naps at the "Night Zoo".

Somebody's made a new friend.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 14

2008-04-19T03:37:00.004-10:00

As I discussed in a comment on a previous post, all the work on the site has to be voluntary and on a Sailor's personal time. When I first started and considered the needs for operational security, I wondered whether there would be enough I could post about to keep things going. Now, nearly one month into it, I have a long list of things that could keep me posting for three weeks tied to the pier in Hawaii. In fact, I just added three more during a pause in writing this post.

So, flashing back to a day at sea in March, we got to clear out some old business the ship was unable to complete during the pre-deployment period: the February & March Birthday Meals. Every month, schedule permitting, we hold a sit-down dinner of surf & turf for the crew members whose birthdays fall in a given month. Following are some highlights from last month.

The participants feast on steak and crab legs.

A view of the cake.

“The George” cuts the cake.

Sailing Through History

2008-04-17T16:44:00.002-10:00

Sailors in the "Pineapple Fleet" in Pearl Harbor have a keen sense of history, for many reasons. Besides being homported at the site of the raid that drew America into the Second World War, we're berthed in the shadows of two historic warships, USS ARIZONA and USS MISSOURI, vessels that define the endpoints for America's involvement in that conflict.

In addition, just about every deployment brings a tour of the legendary sites of the largest naval war in history. And for RUSSELL, the trip takes on greater significance as the previous USS RUSSELL, DD-414, participated in many of those engagements, earning sixteen battle stars in just three years of war service.

On the first leg of our transit to Singapore we passed south of Midway, where, six months to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Navy lost four aircraft carriers and over 200 experienced aviators to a numerically inferior American force. Midway marked the last major push to the east by the IJN and changed the face of naval warfare forever, with the aircraft carrier taking center stage.

The next major milestone was Guam, where RUSSELL rounded the northern end of the island and passed within sight of Tinian, the final stop for the Enola Gay and her historic payload on her way to Hiroshima.

From Guam the strike force reconstituted and turned to the Southwest, headed fair for the Philippines. On the way was Leyte Gulf, the location of what is called the largest sea battle in history. On the waters surrounding Leyte over the course of four days 38 aircraft carriers, 21 battleships, 44 cruisers and over 175 destroyers struggled to support or prevent the Allies return to the Philippines.

From Leyte Gulf to enter the South China Sea required a transit of the Surigao Strait, the location of one of the major engagements that made up the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and is the site of the last great struggle between battleships.

Finally, before entering the Singapore Strait, we passed near the final resting place of HMS PRINCE OF WALES and HMS REPULSE, a site marked to this day by a buoy bearing a Royal Navy ensign. The sinking of PRINCE OF WALES and REPULSE by a force of nothing but aircraft is argued by some to represent not only the deathknell for the battleship, but also the beginning of the sunset of the British Empire in the Far East. The surrender of the last major British garrison in the Far East at Singapore was not far off.

Beneath these waters lie the ghosts of our forefathers, and if you listen carefully to the wind on a moonlit night, I swear you can almost hear them calling out, "carry on, Sailor".

And that's what we'll do....

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 13

2008-04-17T16:23:00.003-10:00

ABRAHAM LINCOLN and escorts form a loose column while transiting the Balabec Strait.

The Master-at-Arms mans a gun mount for the strait transit.

A petty officer polishes a "knee knocker" during Cleaning Quarters.

Port of Call: Singapore

2008-04-16T20:28:00.000-10:00

After three and a half weeks at sea we stationed the sea and anchor detail and entered port in Singapore yesterday. Singapore is one of the busiest ports in the world, and the sea lanes that pass by her shores are arguably the most busy in the world. As a result, it provided an opportunity to season some of the most junior officers that man the bridge.

A typical officer arrives on board just out of college and knowing little about ships and their operation. They will spend most of their first year aboard standing a watch on the bridge to qualify as an Officer of the Deck. They must of course learn the technical details – the way the ship handles, the lighting schemes on other ships, rules of the road and basic navigation – but most important they must develop the judgment necessary to make decisions that affect the lives of hundreds of Sailors and the well-being of a $1+ billion warship.

At sea, passages with other ships are typically done thousands of yards away, but in a heavily traveled port, an officer must develop the skills to make a passage with as little as forty or fifty yards in a narrow channel, and the judgment to decide whether such a passage is wise.

All through the night the OODs made calls to the Captain to inform him of passing situations and check their decisions, and the tension in their voices betrayed the lessons they were learning. However, once we finally had the harbor pilot aboard, they all succeded in making sound decisions, if not the best decisions in all cases. And they'll all be better mariners from the experience.

The Picture Problem

2008-04-16T19:01:00.004-10:00

Many of you stopping by from .mil domains cannot see the pictures when I have to resort to Photobucket. I think I have a work around identified that will allow me to post on Blogger even when bandwidth gets narrow, so I think help is on the way.

I'll be going back through some posts to move images already posted to Blogger, too.

Eye Candy For Sailors, Part 12

2008-04-15T22:25:00.001-10:00

It was a busy day, so this is all you get for now. I should be able to get a real post up tomorrow, though.

MOBILE BAY makes an approach alongside RAINIER

The messmen cook up some fried rice.

The Operations Officer checks out a contact in the Combat Information Center.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 11

2008-04-15T02:48:00.004-10:00

An old salt takes a break on the flight deck.

An Operations Specialist comes out of his cave to get some sun and air.

A Boatswain's Mate sets up a towing rig.

RUSSELL's First Test "At War"

2008-04-14T04:10:00.004-10:00

Prior to leaving the Hawaii area, all of our strike group participated in a three-day anti-submarine warfare exercise. The exercise posed a particular challenge for RUSSELL, as we had only been at sea for eleven hours at the start of the exercise, and the exercise began with no-holds-barred war at sea without any workup to hostilities. So, after leaving our families behind in the afternoon and rushing off to get gas on the way to the exercise area, the crew needed to be ready for a fight at midnight.

Anti-submarine warfare is probably the most challenging mission a ship or strike group can perform, especially when done well. It involves nearly every asset and tactic you can imagine, as ships and aircraft perform a thorough and sustained search by listening with passive sensors and probing with active sensors, both electromagnetic and acoustic. From a ship's perspective, it also involves frequent aggressive maneuvering to prevent an adversary from developing a firing solution, and the maneuvering must be done without jeopardizing the towed array sonar and torpedo countermeasures trailing thousands of feet behind the ship.

Compounding the technical difficulties is a generation of young people that are accustomed to video-game speed and immediate gratification. The process of detecting, localizing and tracking a submarine, often when one only gets a moment's whiff of the enemy, can take days and test the endurance and dedication of the best crews. In fact, the pace of anti-submarine operations has led to ASW being nicknamed "awfully slow warfare" by some.

But all of that can change in a moment. With skilled crews on both sides of the fight, more often than not ship-submarine engagements are like knife fights in the dark. They take place in very close quarters, the competitors often only have a notional idea of where the adversary is, there's a lot of ducking and weaving involved, and one or both of the fighters ends up very bad off.

Such was the case for us. Day one was spent chasing phantoms in the deep blue. As day two of three dawned, though, the ticking clock forced the submarines to come out from under their rocks, for they no longer had the luxury of waiting for an unsuspecting ship to make a mistake. And, once the game was on, the pace was tasking, but the team held up and made a pretty good showing.

[4/16 Update - After a question was raised internal to the ship about some details originally offered in this post, I've removed any report of the specific results of the exercise.]

Another First for Deployment

2008-04-13T22:44:00.000-10:00

Congratulations to CS3 Stayskal for being the first RUSSELL Sailor of the deployment to successfully increase his family size by one.

With a displacement of 0.003515625 tons (that's 7lbs., 14oz. for you landlubbers) and a length overall of 20 inches, Jesse James Stayskal reported for duty at 0911 Hawaii Standard Time on 9 April.

Sunday Dinner

2008-04-13T20:37:00.001-10:00

Other events precluded any special activities out in the weather this Sunday, so the highlight of our most recent Holiday Routine was a crew favorite: Mongolian barbeque. The wardroom having hosted the Steel Beach Picnic two weeks ago, it was the Chiefs' turn to play the host. After toiling late into the night on Saturday doing most of the prep work, the second deck of the ship smelled like peppers and onions, but it was not for nothing and served to get everyone's appetite in gear. Oh, and if you ever want to know how to make a Chief cry, you'd better have at least 50 pounds of onions handy.

For those of you that have never experienced one of these before, here's how it works.

Step one: choose your fixings.

Step two: pile them high.

Step three: the messmen cook it up.

And, of course, step four is: eat 'till it hurts.

Blue and White

2008-04-13T01:59:00.001-10:00

Blue and white.

Most of the time, our world is blue and white.

During the day, the piercing sun brightens the sea to sapphire, and the sky gleams a brilliant topaz. Frothy caps of cresting waves mottle the seascape, and puffy cotton pillars of mounting thunderheads punctuate the gentle curve of the horizon.

After twilight the universe darkens in every direction to varying shades of midnight, and as the air dries and the sky clears, it sparkles with a blanket of stars most civilized men see but in dreams.

Only in the middles, in this shifting spectrum of the sea, as the sun sweeps the darkness from the sky or settles down for his daily rest, do the edges of the earth and the clouds conspire to produce a bold palette of colors, and oppose the tyranny of blues.

"Enduring Presence" vs. "Rapidly Deployable"

2008-04-12T19:07:00.004-10:00

If I may make a brief Public Service Announcement for the Navy, a story from Aviation Week on 1 April provides a good opportunity to illustrate the utility of a Navy. Looks like the Air Force is trying to buy a little of the capability the Navy already has:

The F-22 could be carrying an anti-satellite (ASAT) missile, costing less than $1 million, in a few years if the military and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) decide to hone the capabilities of a new missile defense weapon from Raytheon.

A derivative of the Aim-120 AMRAAM, the Pentagon’s established long-range air-to-air missile, is once again being tailored for a new mission – this time the interception of Scud-type short and medium-range ballistic missiles.

But a senior U.S. Air Force official confides that the capability is inherently that of a cheap, rapidly-deployed, air-launched weapon for shooting down satellites in low-Earth orbit if the service or Missile Defense Agency were to order its further refinement and development.

I'm not sure whether this is just a case of the "me too's" or if the Air Force is hunting for arguments to buy more F-22s. I do know one thing, though. When the Army and Air Force start talking about being "rapidly-deployed", the Navy and Marine Corps not only are already there, we probably have been there long enough to know where the best fishing spots are. And we don't need the permission of another country to do what we do.

The Army and Air Force worked through some severe growing pains when the War on Terror began. They had little experience with extended forward deployments and the wear and tear on people and equipment deployments produce. Meanwhile, the Naval Services had spent nearly a century with Sailors and Marines deployed around the globe every day of the year.

Try as they might, the garrison services will never be able to buy the kind of enduring presence a suitable Navy maintains.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 10

2008-04-12T12:55:00.000-10:00

RUSSELL makes her approach alongside an oiler.

A Sailor cleans an air conditioning coil in preparation for hot weather.

Fire Controlmen upload "war shots" into a CIWS mount.

A New Mission: Whale Watching

2008-04-12T03:50:00.000-10:00

By ENS Liz Scheimer and ET3 Tyler Kirkland

During our first three days underway in March, RUSSELL’s Sailors successfully completed an Under-Sea Warfare Exercise while a legal battle raged ashore over sonar usage and its impact on marine mammals.

Legal proceedings in California and Hawaii have been ongoing to decide to what extent we may use our sonar capabilities. In November a United States appeals court banned the use of training sonar off the coast of Southern California until better safeguards for marine mammals were in place. A federal judge upheld the decision in February, despite a White House attempt to exempt the Navy.

Everybody understands that we can’t be prepared for war if we can’t train during peace, so the Navy has been granted certain exemptions from requirements of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. High-powered sonar like that used by RUSSELL may harm marine animals, but how and to what extent is still debatable.

Most recently, a court ordered mitigation measures that still allowed us to use sonar during the exercise, but with limitations. The court created “Safety zones” and ordered ships to power down active sonar by 75% when we spot a marine mammal within 1500 meters, which makes detecting the “enemy” a challenge. In addition, as the mammal gets closer, the power is scaled back progressively, until it’s completely turned off at 500 meters.

The ruling also set forth guidelines that require the use of “at least three dedicated NMFS-trained [National Marine Fisheries Service] lookouts”, which initially led to some confusion as we all figured out how to implement the court’s order.

In the end, all of RUSSELL’s Sailors that stand watches where they might observe a marine mammal – approximately 20% of the crew – got special training to identify marine life and report sightings to the ship’s controlling stations. In addition, we stepped up marine lookouts at different areas about decks around the clock, because active sonar operations commence and cease at short notice depending upon the tactical situation.

Despite the extra watches the crew seemed to adapt to the additional workload. After all, nobody really wants to harm any whales. It does lead one to wonder just how many times the “enemy” slipped away, though.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 9

2008-04-11T13:49:00.000-10:00

The ship's boarding team practices their close-quarters combat skills while the ship's Master-at-Arms offers "encouragement".

A Food Service Attendant "enjoys" his duty in the scullery.

CG Division stands tall for a personnel inspection at morning quarters.

Late Nights on a Ship at Sea

2008-04-10T20:09:00.002-10:00

By ET3 Tyler Kirkland

One may think that things slow down after evening chow, which is somewhat true, but in the aspect of trying to attain further qualifications and get some more work done, that’s when life starts to pick up, for me at least.

Nearly every sailor on board stands a watch. A watch differs based on what the Sailor’s specialty is, for example, I am an ET3 (see He’s a GSE what?), which stands for Electronics Technician Third Class, so I stand “Electronic Systems Supervisor” for five hours a day. My watch means that I am on standby to be a first responder to a casualty to a communications, radar, or navigation system. It’s a pretty wide scope when you get down to the nitty gritty of it all. My watch is 5 hours a day, but a different 5 hours every day, as all of the Electronics Technicians rotate through.

When I’m not working and not on watch, I’m busy working on my Personnel Qualification Standards, or PQS, to toss in another acronym. The biggest one, which I’m about half way done with, is called ESWS. ESWS is another acronym, (pronounced EE-SWAS), that stands for Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. It earns me an ESWS pin to wear above my ribbons and a nifty (SW) after my ET3 in my name. Other qualifications aren’t as time consuming as the all-inclusive ESWS, but just as important.

Also, as an Electronics Technician, I’ve been to specific schools for specific equipment, known as “C” Schools. I have officially been to three C Schools, but effectively work on about 8 different systems, mostly navigation and some satellite communications. It is my duty and responsibility to troubleshoot and repair one of my systems if it were to go “offline” for any period of time. I’ve had some systems take 36 hours of troubleshooting and repair to get back online…that’s 36 STRAIGHT hours of no sleep, nothing but that specific system on my mind.

I’m not going to say it’s not worth it, though. If anything, the experiences the Navy has given me in everything from troubleshooting to leadership makes it all worth it, (and traveling the world is a huge plus, as well!).

At the end of the day, I’m proud to say that I feel that I’ve earned my paycheck, and I’ll be ready the next morning to continue that trend.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 8

2008-04-10T13:13:00.006-10:00

Some shots from a recent flight quarters.

The flight deck crew lines up for a FOD (Foreign Object Damage) Walkdown prior to flight ops.

An HH-60 hovers over the flight deck prior to landing.

Chock & chainmen secure the aircraft to the flight deck after landing.

A chock & chainman waits for the signal to run under the aircraft and remove the chocks and chains.

The Captain oversees it all from his chair on the bridge wing.

Trash Duty

2008-04-09T21:13:00.001-10:00

By ET3 Tyler Kirkland

With the suggestion of a comment made, I am going to give you first hand info on how RUSSELL processes her garbage.

With marine life and ocean beauty conservation an integral part of the ship’s concerns, the way we process our garbage has evolved greatly since the days of the old DD’s.

About once a month, I get tagged with going down to the “PWP”, another one of our famous abbreviations, and it means “Plastic Waste Processing”, but the room isn’t only for plastic waste, but also pulpable and metals.

During certain scheduled, (and enforced), times of the day, Sailors can bring down their garbage.

Morning: Plastics
Afternoon: Metal and glass.
Night: Pulpables (paper, food, etc…)

So I go down this ladderwell into a space about 15’ long by 10’ wide. This room contains a plastic shredder, 2 plastic compressors, a metal shredder, and a huge pulper.

I’ll take the garbage for the time I’m down there, so for this example, lets say I’m working with plastics. I’ll empy the plastics into the shredder, and let it run for about 2 minutes, then take the shreds out of the bottom, and pour them into the compressor. The compressor takes about 30 minutes to run, but it basically takes all of the shreds, compresses them and melts them into a disk about 2’ across and 1” thick. Those disks are placed in holders in PWP until we pull into port or can transfer them to another ship for recycling.

The metal and glass are shredded and placed into burlap sacks for disposal over the side.

All aerosol cans, compressed air cans and anything contaminated with hazardous materials are set aside to be disposed of properly with other hazardous materials to a replenishment ship or once we are pierside.

The pulpables are poured into the “pulper”, which adds water, grinds and spins at a high rate of speed until it just becomes a diluted mush, and it’s processed over the side into the ocean.

I’ll be the first to tell you that it takes someone with their gag reflex in check to go down there and process waste. It can get pretty dirty and smelly, but it usually only lasts 2 hours a shift.

Everynight, PWP is cleaned from top to bottom with hoses, scrubbers, and swabs to control the smell and mold build up.

As a matter of fact, I’m just glancing at the schedule, and I’ll be down there tonight processing all of the food left over from dinnertime. Yum!

A "Swiss Army Knife" Warship

2008-04-09T00:59:00.003-10:00

While RUSSELL is classified as a guided-missile destroyer, that characterization can be misleading, because it very narrowly describes what we do. As one observer has pointed out, the Arleigh Burke class is the "Swiss Army Knife" of warships. Really, RUSSELL and her sister ships are multi-mission destroyers. Following are some examples of what the ship is designed to do, but first, a disclaimer: for those of you prone to bite your fingernails when you see ranges in a place like this, you can relax in knowing that I'm using the open-source figures from Wikipedia. I neither confirm nor deny whether they're right, but they are useful to paint the picture. So, here goes....

Air Warfare (AW) - Outfitted with SM-2s, or "Standard" Missiles, a 5in naval gun and two Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) 20mm gatling guns, RUSSELL can protect not just herself with a layered defense against aircraft and anti-ship missiles, but can defend the airspace over an area covering roughly 15,000 square miles. In addition, the ship’s manning includes one or more Air-Intercept Controllers who can defend the ship or strike group using fighter aircraft from the carrier or a shore base.

Surface Warfare (SUW) – With her Harpoon anti-ship missiles, 5in gun and 25mm guns, the ship can once again defend against, or conduct an offensive strike against surface ships anywhere in the adjacent 11,000 square miles of ocean.

Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) – Armed with anti-submarine rockets (ASROC) in the ship’s vertical launchers and Mk46 torpedoes in twin over-the-side launchers, RUSSELL can engage hostile submarines up to 15 miles away. In addition, the ship is outfitted to service and control a variety of anti-submarine aircraft that extend her ASW reach out to hundreds of miles from the ship.

Strike Warfare (STW) – With a variety of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles loaded in the vertical launchers, RUSSELL can attack land targets up to 1500 miles away.

Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) – With SM-3 missiles loaded, RUSSELL can defend against a range of ballistic missiles.

Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) – Using her 5in gun, RUSSELL can provide sustained, rapid-fire gunnery support to ground forces up to 13 miles inland.

Tying this all together is one exceptionally skilled crew and the Aegis Combat System - a no-kidding, “gee whiz” piece of technology that allows the ship to do just about all this, simultaneously.

Come to think of it, RUSSELL might be more useful than a Swiss Army Knife. Try opening a bottle of wine and cutting some cheese simultaneously and you'll see what I mean.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 7

2008-04-08T09:00:00.000-10:00

Video from a recent Pre-Action Calibration firing with the 5in gun:

It starts out with slow fire and finishes up with a few rounds of rapid fire.

"Saint Tim", Patron of RUSSELL

2008-04-08T02:26:00.007-10:00

I got a box in the mail today, and my mood lit up when I saw the name on the return address: Tim Guard.

Robert T. “Tim” Guard is in his public life the president of one of Hawaii’s oldest and most respected corporations, McCabe, Hamilton & Renny Co., Ltd. In his spare time, he’s a key member of the Navy League in Hawaii, a director for the Pacific Marine Life Foundation, and he's adopted our ship and her crew. But, while impressive in their own right, these are among what we aboard RUSSELL think are his least accomplishments. You see, Tim once served as a naval officer and won a Bronze Star for his service to our Navy and Nation in Vietnam.

Every so often, I get a box of books from Tim for the ship’s library, and when we’re in port he’s often found about the middle decks talking to Sailors, shaking their hands, thanking them for their service and asking what he can do for them. There’s a quote attributed to John Paul Jones about the character of naval officers that goes like this:

It is by no means enough that an officer of the Navy should be a capable mariner. He must be that, of course, but also a great deal more. He should be as well a gentleman of liberal education, refined manners, punctilious courtesy, and the nicest sense of personal honor. He should be the soul of tact, patience, justice, firmness, kindness, and charity.

Tim Guard pretty much exemplifies that and provides a goal for which we should all strive. So, this post’s for you, Tim. On behalf of the officers and crew of RUSSELL, mahalo.

Sunday Happenings

2008-04-07T15:08:00.004-10:00

No steel beach this weekend. Timing activities on the ship can be tricky. If you schedule something like a steel beach picnic every weekend, Sailors lose their enthusiasm and can even start to look at it as an entitlement. On the other hand, if MWR activities get spaced too far apart, the deckplates will start to grumble. So, this weekend we chose to schedule some fishing and golfing from the flight deck.

They dilligently trailed their lures for three hours, but not a single strike.

It's also best to schedule as many of these activities now, while we're transiting, because when we get to our final destination the pace of operations may not allow it.

He's a GSE What?

2008-04-06T18:46:00.006-10:00

You've probably noticed me throwing around combinations of letters and numbers before Sailors' names and wondered what it all meant. As with many other things, we designate our ranks differently than the other services. In fact, we complicate things further than you probably think, because in the Navy only officers have rank. A non-commissioned officer in the Navy has a "rate" that shows his seniority and the most junior members merely have a grade. So, for instance, if a Sailor has a “BM2” before his name, you can tell by the “2” that his rate is a second class petty officer. The “BM” part describes his “rating”, or what he does for the Navy. In this case he’s a Boatswain’s Mate.

And, of course, it gets even more complicated. The lowest three levels of enlisted may not have any rating at all, but only a grade based on the field they work in. Those in the deck and operations field get characterized as Seamen, those in engineering are Firemen and those in aviation are Airmen. As for seniority, the lowest level in the deck and operations field are Seamen Recruit (SR), the next grade up are Seamen Apprentice (SA) and the highest grade of non-rated Sailors are Seamen (SN). If one of these non-rated junior enlisted happens to have qualified for a rating, that would get added, too. So, for instance, a gas turbine systems technician (electrical) fireman recruit is a GSEFR. Say that ten times fast.

Once a seaman “makes rate” he will advanced to third class petty officer in whatever rating into which he “struck”, like BM3. After that, he can advance to second class petty officer and then first class petty officer.

The next step for a first class petty officer is to get selected for chief petty officer, which would earn him a “C” in place of the number in his rate. Following this rule, our lowly seaman recruit has now become a Chief Boatswain’s Mate, or BMC. One more advancement would make him a senior chief, or BMCS, and when he’s at the top of his rating, he’ll be a Master Chief, or BMCM.

So, there you have it in a nutshell, enlisted rates made clear as mud. It does have one thing going for it, though; it makes our brethren in the Army, Marines and Air Force have fits.

[Update] Wikipedia has a useful list of current navy ratings, and for ratings prior to 1970, see the Naval Historical Center's website.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 6

2008-04-05T13:51:00.000-10:00

RUSSELL lowers a small boat (as viewed from USS MOMSEN).

An engineering Chief Petty Officer emerges from under the foundation of one of the ship's main engines after performing a cleanliness inspection.

A Military Sealift Command Puma lowers a pallet of fresh fruits and vegetables onto RUSSELL's flight deck.

Division in the Spotlight - MP Division

2008-04-04T23:33:00.001-10:00

In the spotlight this week is Main Propulsion (MP) Division. Manned by Gas Turbine System Technicians (Mechanical and Electrical), or GSMs and GSEs, MP division provides the essential services that make everything else possible aboard RUSSELL. Working in arguably the most arduous conditions on the ship, the temperature in their work spaces can reach or exceed 100 degrees, and the noise levels can be over 1000 louder than an average conversation.

MP maintains and operates RUSSELL's four marine gas turbine engines - jet engines adapted to provide torque instead of thrust - that provide over 100,000 shaft horsepower to two controllable pitch screws. With all four running, they can propel the ship to speeds in excess of 35 mph. I know, you're saying, "My ride can go faster than that." But, your ride isn't made of over 18 million pounds of fighting steel. That's like making a 135,000 square foot office building go 35 mph. In addition, with another three gas turbines powering the ship's generators, MP can make enough electrical power to supply a town of 4,500.

So, here's a little pop quiz:

Q: What's the difference between these two pictures?

A: The second has a little more "MP" added. And yes, that rooster tail is about 24 feet tall.

The Long, Slow Transit

2008-04-04T00:21:00.000-10:00

The Pacific is a Big Ocean. Crossing it takes quite a while, even when you don't have things to do on the way and and have to be economical with the taxpayers' resources. As we enter our twelfth day at sea, the ship is settling into a routine nicely. We've distilled our daily and weekly schedule of meetings down to a minimum, and still find time for the unplanned requirements that seem to pop up every few days.

One such unplanned requirement was the discovery of a stowaway on Tuesday. Deep in the dark recesses of one of the cleaning gear lockers off the messdecks, Doc discovered a cockroach. Just one, this time, but they are rarely solitary creatures. This was a Big Deal. On my first ship, cockroaches were left to their own devices and soon got into the insulation on the pipes around the mess, and the ship had to shut down its main galley and mess for a week to tear out the insulation, clean and fumigate. That's bad.

No, that's bad.

So the food service division had to labor late into the night emptying out all their cabinets and lockers on the messdecks and tearing down all the mess gear for cleaning. They even had to clean out the dreaded pulper and plastic waste processor room. They did a fine job of it, though, and none of the little bugger's pals have been spotted about the decks.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 5

2008-04-03T10:22:00.000-10:00

The Captain coaches the Conning Officer as we sail out the channel from Pearl Harbor.

Sailors keep a watchful eye on a refueling station during underway replenishment.

A petty officer waxes a Mk46 Light Weight Torpedo prior to loading it in the tube.

New Theme

2008-04-02T15:45:00.001-10:00

For the regular visitors, you will immediately notice that we've made some changes around the place. I originally slapped together the site using an ordinary Blogger template, choosing the rather predictable blue and gold for colors. But, I wanted something that would still convey a naval theme immediately while connecting us with the past.

For those of you that don't immediately recognize it, the banner is made from a photo of Arleigh Burke (reading), then still a Captain and Commodore of Destroyer Squadron 23, the "Little Beavers". The ship is his flagship, USS CHARLES AUSBURNE (DD-570), and the photo was taken some time between 1941 and 1943 during the Solomon Islands Campaign.

Your comments and feedback are invited.

A Ship and Her Sailors

2008-04-02T10:14:00.000-10:00

By ET3 Tyler Kirkland

Water Tight Integrity

The requirements pressed upon a ship are unlike any other in the world, the demand and the expectations are unsurpassed. A ship needs to be reliable, operational, and confident at all times.

Her hull needs to be painted, her pipes cleaned, her brass shined, floors swept, and compasses checked. She needs to be squared away, ready for any inspection, mission, or tasking that gets sent her way. She needs a reputation.

The requirements pressed upon a Sailor are much the same. A Sailor needs to be reliable, operational, and confident at all times.

His uniforms pressed, hair cut, shoes shined, rack made, and standards checked. He needs to be squared away, ready for any inspection, mission, or tasking that gets sent his way. He needs a reputation.

If a mighty destroyer gets hit and starts to sink, it is not only her that is going down. Her destroyermen, with their pressed uniforms and glossy boots, are saving the ship that has protected them and they it.

Just as the watertight integrity of the ship keeps her afloat in the rough, wild open oceans, a Sailor’s integrity matches that of his ship. It’s watertight. A Sailor shows up on time, works hard, does the job right, and goes home, much as the life of his destroyer.

A destroyer and her destroyermen aren’t two separate entities, but one unit, one team, and one family that can be counted on to get the job done, the first time, every time.

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 4

2008-04-01T16:30:00.005-10:00

Yes, we refuel frequently. But, in a world where the phone can ring at any minute and a disembodied voice order you to the other side of the world, it's best to keep the tanks topped off. So, here are some pictures of today's Fueling at Sea, and some of what passes for scenery while we're underway.

No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, but USS MOMSEN and USNS RAINIER look sterling.

Greyhounds on the horizon. From left to right, USS CURTS, USNS RAINIER and USS MOMSEN.

RUSSELL pulls away from RAINIER and MOMSEN while CURTS prepares to make her approach.

Destroyermen

2008-04-01T15:50:00.000-10:00

Unattributed:

The requirements for being a destroyer sailor are many. He must be tough, have endurance, and split-second reactions. He must be adaptable, compatable and above-average in intelligence. He must have common sense, understanding and patience.

All of these are necessary to live and work in a small ship, often at sea for long periods.

Destroyermen are proud, for they know that they man a warship that is designed only to attack. The ship’s hull is only thick enough to carry the weight of the guns and other armament and the men that man them.

And destroyermen are proud for another reason. They are truly seagoing men. Every destroyer sailor comes to know and respect the sea, and at times, fear it.

Destroyermen are from every state in the Union and are of all faiths. They are proud to wear the uniform of a navy, ready to protect the freedom and security of the United States.

Admiral Arleigh Burke once said, "Destroyermen have always been proud people. They have been the elite. They have to be proud people and they have to be specially selected, for destroyer life is a rugged one.

It takes stamina to stand up to the rigors of a tossing destroyer. It takes even more spiritual stamina to keep going with enthusiasm when you are tired and you feel that you and your ship are being used as a workhorse.

It is true that many people take destroyers for granted and that is all the more reason why the destroyer Captain can be proud of their accomplishment."

Guest Blogger

2008-03-31T15:57:00.005-10:00

Just prior to getting underway we welcomed aboard Peter Brown, Ph.D., a college professor for the Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE). He hails from Jackson State University, and as it turns out, is here to teach English. My scheming XO mind immediately went to work to enlist him, given his unique point of view, and it took all of 4.5 nanoseconds to get him to jump aboard. Here’s his first offering:

If you were to ask me my thoughts and feelings about life aboard the RUSSELL, I’d say that I don’t have much to compare it to. This is my first time aboard a Navy ship, or any other ocean-going vessel, so life here is still charming and new to me.

I also have the added benefit of only being with RUSSELL for a couple months, so the end, while not in sight, isn’t that far off. Even if I didn’t like it, I won’t be here long.

Our English classes have settled in fine. Speaking in terms of academic preparation and personal history, Navy students are a lot like the students at the university where I teach, although the students here have a more get-down-to-business attitude that comes from being adults.

My students and I fight, on a daily basis, our campaign against dangling modifiers and other such manifestations of slack-mindedness (many of you military types fear Al Qaeda; I fear the dangling modifier and its awful cousin the lazy modifier, the two suicide bombers of effective communication).

I witnessed and participated in my first Steel Beach yesterday. I found it disconcerting to no longer be the only one in mismatched beachwear.

There was of course one casualty.

The football will be missed.

As I watched the ball floating in our wake, I thought of the volleyball, Wilson, that Tom Hanks had for a companion in Castaway and how he lost Wilson out at sea. I can’t help but wonder where the RUSSELL’s ball will turn up. I don’t have any charts with prevailing currents, so I can’t speculate, but I’m rooting for it to show up on a future episode of Lost.

Hull Numbers 101

2008-03-31T12:19:00.008-10:00

Many of you are probably wondering what the combination of letters and numbers attached to the names of naval vessels are all about. Called “hull numbers”, they are a quick reference for identifying a ship’s primary mission and when they were constructed with respect to other ships in a type. For RUSSELL, the ship’s type is “DDG”, and we’re the 59th ship in the type (Not really, though. I’ll give you more about why later.)

In most cases, the first letter in the hull number describes the “big picture” of what a ship does. The following letter or letters refine the role further. Here are some examples of first letters and associated types:

B - Battleship
C - Cruiser or aircraft carrier
D - Destroyer
F - Frigate
S - Submarine
P - Patrol
M - Mine warfare
L - Amphibious warfare (as in, “Landing”)
A - Auxiliary
T - Auxiliaries operated by civilian mariners

And here are some common letters you’ll find after the type letter:

G - Guided missile or meteorological support
V - Aviation
H - Helicopter
P - Transport (as in, “Personnel”)
D - Dock or destroyer support
K - Cargo
O - Oiler or oceanographic support
S - Submarine support or anti-submarine warfare
E - Escort or ammunition (as in, “Explosives”)
C - Coastal

Therefore, USS JUNEAU (LPD 10) is an “amphibious transport dock” and USS RUSSELL (DDG 59) is a “guided-missile destroyer”. Now, a ship’s type is not to be confused with “class”. Ship types are created to describe a ship’s function, while the class of a ship gets its name from the lead ship that was built upon a particular design. For RUSSELL, though our ship’s type is a “DDG”, our class is Arleigh Burke, so named after the lead ship, USS ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG 51).

Usually, the numbers are merely sequential in a type, with each new class beginning where the last one left off. Sometimes, however, the expectation that senior leaders be innovative mixes with the previously noted adherence to tradition and produces a volatile brew of institutional schizophrenia.

One symptom of this potentially toxic mix might be that the Navy just starts over. For instance, USS GYATT (DDG-1) began life as USS GYATT (DDG-712). In the case of the GYATT, Big Navy just decided that the modifications were so advanced that she was the starting point of a new type. Another symptom is the case of the soon-to-be commissioned USS FREEDOM (LCS 1), which was given its type designation without regard to any system. What does LCS stand for, you ask? “Littoral Combat Ship”, which is exactly what it does.

Wow. Common sense.

How...innovative.

Fires Lit!

2008-03-30T19:23:00.010-10:00

It's the first Sunday from home, and the crew was quite ready for the first Steel Beach Picnic of the deployment. So, with the wardroom as the hosts, we rolled out the grills and turned on the music.

Fires lit

The Captain plays with fire

The XO plays with fire

Chow down. On the menu: Hawaiian short ribs (of course), hot dogs, hamburgers, fried rice, pancit, macaroni salad and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

Playing ball

CMC tries hacky sack

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 3

2008-03-30T09:55:00.011-10:00

Breaking out the ammo

Loading the gun

Big boom

Photo by FC1 Valenzuela

Little boom with big grin

All done

Also, I updated the last Eye Candy post with some better pictures. Click on any photo to get it full size. ET3 Kirkland has some much better equipment than I do, and I'll be posting more of their pictures in the future.

Division in the Spotlight - CG Division

2008-03-29T13:07:00.004-10:00

Were you able to stroll the passageways of the RUSSELL this morning, you would find the members of the division that’s the focus of this inaugural division in the spotlight with springs in their steps and big grins on their faces. If you asked an ordinary Sailor what the cheer was for, they would likely answer, “Oh, he’s getting to play with things that go boom today.” You guessed it, the “G” in CG Division stands for “gunnery”.

CG Division is manned by our Gunner’s Mates, a few select Fire Controlmen and the ship’s sole Master-at-Arms. Collectively they maintain and operate the ship’s small arms, guns and launchers, and they store and handle the ship’s ammunition. For RUSSELL, that job begins with the ship’s two launchers that can carry up to eight Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles.

In addition, they maintain and operate our two Close-In Weapons Systems (CIWS), each sporting a six-barreled 20mm electric gatling gun for point defense against missiles and boats. And of course, CG Division also maintains the ship’s 5in naval gun on the forecastle, the two Mk38 25mm cannons on the port and starboard side amidships, and a variety of machine guns, grenade launchers and other small arms.

So, all of CG Division is gleeful because they get to shoot the 5in, 25mm’s and main gun today for operational tests and regular pre-action calibration (a test that ensures the rounds hit their intended target). And yes, faithful readers, there will be pictures.

Now, where are my earplugs?

Eye Candy for Sailors, Part 2

2008-03-28T09:42:00.003-10:00

Airdales lounging in the sun while everyone else works.

Multitasking - USS CURTS (FFG 38) fuels alongside USNS RAINIER (T-AOE 7) while taking stores by helicopter from USNS BRIDGE (T-AOE 10)

A Captain, But No Company

2008-03-27T13:08:00.004-10:00

Many people are relatively familiar with the organization of smaller Army and Marine units, with companies being comprised of platoons and squads. Fewer have any familiarity with how we organize the crew on a warship, however. And of course, being the Navy, we have a stubborn adherence to tradition that can confuse things.

For instance, we don’t have an organizational unit officially designated as a “company”, though we often refer to the crew as the “ship’s company”. This practice originated in the very early days of Britain’s Royal Navy, when a warship was often nothing more than a merchant with company of soldiers embarked. The ship was run by a Master, and the soldiers were commanded by a captain with a commission from the sovereign.

Eventually, when the Crown formalized the navy as a service, and the crew officially became “the King’s Men”, the service merged the positions of Captain and Master into one commissioned office. Many of you may have wondered about the title of the novel and movie, Master and Commander, which was a rank in the Royal Navy that was a direct relic of the merger. This is also why the commanding officer of a warship is still called "captain" regardless of his or her actual rank.

To take us back to today and the U.S. Navy, the largest organizational unit on a ship is the department, lead by a department head. Old salts probably remember the old acronym, SNOWE, which was a tool to remember the departments that were common to all ships – Supply, Navigation, Operations, Weapons and Engineering. Due to the complexity of RUSSELL, we have an additional department, Combat Systems. “CS” typically is responsible for the electronics, while “Weps” is responsible for the launchers, guns and ordnance.

Within most departments are several divisions, each lead by a division officer. The naming of the divisions can be even more messy, again because those pesky traditions. As an example, we have 1st and OI Divisions in Operations, an E Division in Engineering, and an S-2 Division in Supply. Fear not, there’ll be more on all the divisions as time goes by.

[Update] Below are the divisions of the ship. New divisions are added as they get highlighted in the Division in the Spotlight series.

Engineering

MP Division

Weapons

CG Division

Eye Candy for Sailors

2008-03-27T06:40:00.000-10:00

Just some pictures from the first few days at sea until I can post something more substantive.

You can't start a road trip without "filling up" first.

USNS BRIDGE (T-AOE 10) fuels USS MOBILE BAY (CG 53) as we prepare to make our approach.

1st Division prepares to seat BRIDGE's fueling probe on our starboard aft station.

Milestones, Major and Minor

2008-03-26T12:13:00.000-10:00

Sailors, particularly ones who decide to make a life in the Navy, tend to measure their lives and careers in milestones. Some are long-range milestones, like promotions, changes of station or warfare qualifications. Others are short-range milestones, like starting or ending a deployment or major maintenance period, "chopping" from one fleet area to another, visiting the next liberty port or the mid-point of a deployment, "Hump Day". A few Sailors have even begun counting the days until our scheduled return. “A hundred and ninety something”, I heard a Sailor say just yesterday.

Why do I bring this up, you ask? Well, we reached the first obvious milestone in our mission to the West and back: Burger Day. On most Navy ships, Wednesdays are Burger Days. I'm sure this may seem like a small thing to most of you. However, in a world where the lines between days, weeks and months blur under the busy pace of operations, little things like serving hamburgers on the same day every week are the only landmarks by which a Sailor can shoot a bearing and mark the passage of time. And you can be sure, if we missed a Burger Day, our Supply Officer, the Command Master Chief and I would hear about it from the crew.

On this, the First Burger Day, our Food Service Division ensured the mess line was well-stocked, not only with regular and veggie burgers, but with an impressive array of fresh lettuce and tomato, sliced cheese, grilled onions and, yes, bacon. After all, everything’s better with bacon. The mustard-dill fish looked like it knew it was outclassed.

Maybe it needed some bacon.

Only 20-something more Burger Days to go 'till homecoming....

Farewell to Paradise

2008-03-25T06:12:00.005-10:00

For the last two weeks, the ship buzzed with activity. But now, the storerooms and magazines are full, and the last items, the fresh fruits and vegetables, were loaded on Friday. Finally, after a deceptive calm overtook the ship for the weekend as RUSSELL’s crew finished their personal business and packing - and savored their last hours at home - RUSSELL took in all lines yesterday at 1:29 PM and headed fair for sea.

U.S. Navy Photo

My weekend overflowed with many of the routine activities of a holiday weekend – an Easter Egg hunt on Saturday and services and dinner on Sunday. I squeezed in the critical items on my “Honey Do” list, and even managed to pack most of my last-minute items without detracting from the family time. Still, Monday morning came all too quickly, and after making my spouse’s favorite comfort foods for breakfast, Eggs Benedict with tomato and asparagus and Mexican chocolate mocha, we piled into the car for an unusually quiet drive to the ship. Finally, after the last of the goodbyes and prayers of Godspeed, the business of the day surged to the forefront.

Now go to your stations all the Special Sea and Anchor Detail

The hard work and planning that went into a fast cruise and one-day underway after our leave periods expired manifested itself immediately when the Officer of the Deck ordered the sea detail to their stations. Long periods in port tend to dull our mariner skills, and when we pretended to go to sea on the 15th and went to sea on the 18th for the day, the ship struggled here and there to execute the plan. Not so on “Game Day”. All hands were on station and on time, and with the exception of one bridgewing pelorus, all our equipment worked as designed. In what felt like no time at all, heat billowed from the stacks and all lines were hauled on deck, and the Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch’s whistle screeched over the ship’s announcing system as he called out, “Underway. Shift colors.”

Soon, we were bidding farewell to Mighty Mo’ and turning out of the basin for the channel. As we pulled away from the pier, though, the crowd struck me as unusually thin. I soon discovered why. All along the channel, the shores were dotted with small groups and individuals gathered to say their goodbyes and wave as the ship passed. A man and three children perched on rock at the water's edge, and stood at attention and saluted. The ship’s whistle howled one prolonged blast in farewell as we passed the final group, left our home behind, and hurried off to undertake the potentially deadly business at hand.

The Destroyermen's Mission Statement

2008-03-24T10:00:00.000-10:00

Here it is:

To deliver an authentic, unvarnished, informative and entertaining account of life aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer, report on USS RUSSELL's contribution to the Global War on Terror and execution of America's Maritime Strategy, and provide insight into the character of the American Sailor.

Our first objective is to offer a true-to-life picture of what American Sailors do day in and day out aboard a warship, in port and at sea. There are, after all, more blogs out there detailing life of the ground-pounding variety than you can shake a cat-o-nine-tails at, but precious few that tell about American Sailors at sea.

Second, most Americans know few if any members of the military and little more about the military than its general role in society. So, one way to think of this blog is an unofficial civil-military relations project keeping the West Virginia miners, Montana ranchers, Iowa farmers and Boston software developers up to speed on what their Navy's all about.

Third, we hope to provide insight into the U.S. Navy's participation in the Global War on Terror and execution of America's Maritime Strategy. To date, the Army and Marines have been grabbing all the headlines (both good and bad), and there's been scant reporting about what the Navy's been up to for the last six years. From the Philippine Sea to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Gulf, we're in it up to our main trucks and somebody's got to tell the story.

Enjoy!

The Destroyermen's "Standing Orders"

2008-03-24T09:00:00.006-10:00

The Destroyermen offers a genuine representation of life on a ship and records the day-to-day events aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer. The following are the rules under which the site will be operated:

This site is an official Navy web site. The Destroyermen will be relocating to a .mil domain in July or August 2008.

Contributions to the content are voluntary and are not part of any Sailor's official duties. Posts and photographs are reviewed by the Executive Officer and released by the Commanding Officer prior to posting.

No information is posted that is not deemed acceptable to release through normal public affairs channels.

This web site will comply with all policies and laws regarding the privacy of service members and their dependents.

This site, including the comment areas, will not be used to air dirty laundry or circumvent any chain of command.

While a general disclaimer is included at the bottom of every page, every effort will be made to identify when a writer is expressing his or her own opinions and when he or she is reiterating an official policy.

We will not offer personal opinions on, or enter into debates about, our superiors, the government officials or bodies listed in Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or partisan political issues. Commenters will be similarly moderated.

Comments are moderated, and when possible commenters who appear to violate any of these standing orders will be given the opportunity to amend their comments. In the event differences of opinion cannot be resolved, we reserve the right to delete comments.

No advertising or merchandising for a commercial purpose is permitted on The Destroyermen. Links or comments for a commercial purpose will be deleted.