A Short Story of Brotherhood and Solidarity

As I have said in many of my posts, my blog is designed for the family and friends of GONZALEZ Sailors. It is also my personal blog though, and so I am taking a moment with this post to share an amazing story of brotherhood and solidarity.

Following an appointment at Portsmouth Naval Hospital today, I stopped by the barbershop in the hospital to get a haircut. I had to wait for a short time as one barber was cutting the hair of another man and the second barber was preparing to give a young man a haircut. The young man whom I would have guessed to be about 17 or 18, had somewhat long hair and was accompanied by his mother, his aunt, and two younger cousins who also had long hair. As he sat down in the barber chair, I realized this was a special day and a special haircut. As the barber proceeded to give him a military style crew cut, his mother took pictures while his younger cousins watched with smiles of anticipation. Because I was in a military hospital and in my opinion, at least one if not both of the women where clearly military spouses, I presumed the young man was having his head shaved in advance of joining the military, probably the Marine Corps, or so I thought to myself.

It was what happened next that surprised me. As I sat down in the other barber chair for my own haircut, the other barber finished shaving the young man's head, and then the two younger cousins each took a turn getting their own heads shaved. All the while more photos were taken, and I started to overhear comments between the two sisters, the mothers of this trio of boys, of how nice it was of the two younger boys to support their older cousin.

After the five of them left the barbershop, the barber now cutting my hair said to me, "Wasn't that nice. That young man has cancer and has to receive chemotherapy treatment. His cousins had their heads shaved too to support him."

I do not know the families involved and I may not have all the facts right based on my observations alone, but without question for me it was one of the most heartfelt moments of brotherhood and solidarity I have ever personally witnessed.

USNA Ship Selection Night 2009

Being a University of Arkansas Alumnus, my blood will always run red and white for the Razorbacks. Go Hogs! But being a Naval Officer, my blood also runs blue and gold, and on February 19th, I enjoyed the opportunity to make a visit to the United States Naval Academy in the great city of Annapolis, Maryland. Two of my Division Officers who are Academy graduates and I made the drive up from Norfolk for the 2009 Ship Selection Night. This is the night when the Senior Midshipmen who have chosen to become Surface Warfare Officers select their first ships. The Midshipmen are organized by class rank, and then one by one, each chose their ship by selecting a placard with the ship’s name off the big board. It’s an exciting night for the Mids, the parents in attendance, alumni, and visiting officers. For me, it was just as exciting to see the two GONZALEZ name placards on the big board. And yes, much like an expectant father, I waited in anticipation for two Mids to make the best selections of the night. And yes, my Division Officers and I did some recruiting both before and during the event! We presented each Mid who chose GONZALEZ with a ballcap, t-shirt, patch, coin, and welcome aboard package. At the right, my Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer and I welcome the first Midshipman to choose GONZALEZ to the Wardroom.

Routine But Inherently Dangerous

The USS GONZALEZ blog is different from many of the excellent blogs on the web. As Commanding Officer of an Arleigh Burke Class destroyer, this is my personal blog and an avenue for me to reach out to the family and friends of GONZALEZ Sailors and give them an insight into the good things their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends and shipmates are doing. I do not view it as an appropriate venue for me to comment on the goods and others related to my own training, maintenance, or operations for instance. For that type of commentary there are many excellent Navy sponsored and Navy-centric blogs such as:
The U.S. Naval Institute's Blog:
http://blog.usni.org/
US Southern Command's Blog:
http://www.southcom.mil/AppsSC/Blog.php
and
Observations of an Armchair Admiral:
http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/

Of course, there are many others, but the above are three that sprang to mind as I started writing this post.

But for this post, I am going to offer something a bit different. Over the last two weeks the Navy has endured two tragedies I felt compelled to comment on for GONZALEZ family and friends. Earlier this month, a Sailor onboard USS SAN ANTONIO (LPD 17) died at sea during an accident which occured while lowering a small boat. Less than a week later, USS PORT ROYAL (CG 73) grounded off the coast of Oahu while conducting a small boat transfer at night. Both of these events hit very close to home for me. The Commanding Officer of SAN ANTONIO is a very good shipmate of mine, and I am a former Executive Officer of PORT ROYAL. Particularly after the grounding of PORT ROYAL, I received many questions from Sailors onboard my own ship and from my own family and friends asking how these events could have happened? First, I do not have any personal insight into either event, and it would be inappropriate to speculate as to the circumstances of either event otherwise. In fact, what I told my Sailors and family and friends is that speculation is exactly what is not needed at times like these. What is needed is thoughts and prayers for the Sailors and families involved. The Sailors involved in both tragedies are shipmates and what they need is our support. At the end of the day, the Navy will conduct an investigation into both events, and we as professional mariners will learn from any mistakes made. What we do every day at sea, whether forward deployed or in home waters, is often routine, but always inherently dangerous. All Navy men and women are professionals who serve their country with honor, courage, and commitment, but even in the most professional organizations and services, tragedies occur. Until the investigations are complete, our continued thoughts and prayers are what the Sailors and families of SAN ANTONIO and PORT ROYAL need more than speculation.

DDG Sailors - A Day in the Life

Earlier this week, we arrived at BAE Shipyard for a maintenance availability. This will be the longest GONZALEZ has been pierside since I took command a year ago last February, and I know that by the end of our shipyard period I will certainly be ready to take her to sea again. With that in mind, I asked my two Assistant Public Affairs Officers to put together a short piece on what life onboard GONZALEZ was like over the last two months leading up to our maintenance period. Their article speaks volumes about the resiliency of Navy Sailors and offers a snapshot of two months in and out of homeport onboard a DDG. And as you will read, even though the two months of December and January encompassed a short holiday leave and upkeep period, a Day in the Life of a DDG Sailor is never short of tasking...

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On the morning of 10 December, USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) sailed from Norfolk into the unforgiving winter Virginia Capes Operating Area. Gonzalez was not sailing for deployment nor conducting a homeland security or humanitarian assistance mission though. The men and women of the Arleigh Burke class aegis destroyer were sailing on a series of training missions under the observant eye of the Afloat Training Group to complete the Unit Level Training and Readiness Assessment Certification (ULTRA-C). Following two days of preparation, drills, and admin review in port, Gonzalez Sailors were heading out to sea to demonstrate their war fighting prowess. Over the course of an intense three days, the crew worked long days and nights to fight fires, flooding, fend off simulated sea based and terrorist attacks on the ship, and even take on fuel before returning home. Through high seas and chilling winds, the crew pushed on, excelling drill after drill. Each and every Gonzalez Sailor worked as a team, from Engineers to Hospital Corpsman and Food Service Attendants, burning the midnight oil. Culinary Specialist Senior Chief Ken Stallard, who checked onboard only one day before ULTRA-C said, “This is a well oiled machine. I couldn’t have picked a better ship to retire on. The crew works well together and holds pride and professionalism to the highest level. I wanted to go out of the Navy on a positive note and I feel I can certainly do that onboard Gonzalez.” Impressed with the Sailors he met during each training evolution, he stood back and watched with pride as enthusiasm and training carried the day toward an extremely successful ULTRA-C by the end of the week.

Two days later on the morning of 12 December Gonzalez returned pierside ready for Command Master Chief Keith Thomas’ popular “Liberty Call! Liberty Call!” ready for the next set of evolutions, the Command Holiday Party and the Gonzalez Children’s Holiday Party. Fresh on the heels of ULTRA-C the ship hosted the annual Holiday Party at the Lesner Inn the Saturday after returning from sea. With door prizes ranging from a big screen television to a laptop computer and much more, Gonzalez Sailors kicked back and enjoyed an outstanding meal and live entertainment which included a dance contest. During an exciting dance off, the three dance contest finalists brought out their best moves. LTJG Chris Edwards showed his best moves and seemed to be the front runner, until GM2 Miquel Vargas won the crowd over with his combination of footwork and dark sunglasses. Neither finalist could ultimately compete with ENS Kurt Bogart who broke out an 80s old school move called “The Worm.” While he enjoyed the fun of the Holiday Party and dance off, GM1 Lamarcus Hopson said his highlight of the evening was simply, “enjoying the camaraderie amongst the crew. It was nice to see smiling faces, relax and enjoy some good conversation.” While the Holiday Party was full of laughter and fun, there was still something missing: the amazing children of the moms and dads who serve on Gonzalez. The very next day, after breaking down from the Holiday Party, the ship’s MWR Committee set up and entertained more than 65 children ranging in age from a one-month to twelve year old pre-teens at a special Children’s Holiday Part at Liberty Lanes Bowling Center. Each child received a special gift from Santa and had fun bowling, playing games, and eating as much pizza as their hearts desired. The MWR committee wrapped over 70 presents decorated the bowling hall and threw an amazing party which everyone, moms and dads included, enjoyed.

The week of ULTRA-C and Gonzalez holiday’s parties was only one week in the life of DDG Sailors. After a short holiday leave and upkeep period, Gonzalez was back underway again for two weeks from 5-18 January supporting the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group’s Composition Two Exercise as an Opposing Force (OPFOR) ship in the Jacksonville Operating Area. Two days after returning from sea, Gonzalez plunged right into two major inspections, the Supply Management Certification and the Maintenance, Material and Management Inspection. The very next week Gonzalez sailed up the York River, spending a week at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station Offloading all primary weapons from the ship before arriving at BAE shipyard this week for a maintenance availability.

Every week brings new challenges and new opportunities, but don’t expect to find a tired or weary crew when you cross the Gonzalez Quarterdeck. In fact, what you will find instead is the most resilient group of men and women on the waterfront, Sailors ready to defend their country, ready to greet guests with a smile or a kind gesture, and always ready to go “Beyond the Call.” - IT2 (SW/AW) Donaldson and CS2 (SW) Clark

Life As a New GONZALEZ Sailor

The number one tenant of the GONZALEZ Command Philosophy is taking care of Sailors. It reads: "There is no need for a mission without Sailors to execute it - plain and simple. With the exception of the most newly reported, most junior seaman recruit, every Sailor on GONZALEZ is responsible for someone else. We treat each other with respect and dignity without preference or prejudice. We are all Shipmates, and in any moment of crisis or conflict, I expect each of us to rise to the occasion with honor, courage, and commitment to support each other. I expect GONZALEZ leadership to praise in public and reprimand in private. Taking care of Sailors extends to families as well. Our sponsor program, family readiness group and command websites should be the pride of the fleet."

The last line above hits home on an extremely important aspect of taking care of Sailors and that is our GONZALEZ sponsor program, a program of which I am very proud. The part of the sponsor program particular to me is ensuring each new Sailor checks in with me within 24 hours of arrival. During the check in, I get the opportunity to congratulate the newest GONZALEZ Sailor on joining the best crew in the Navy! Just ask any GONZALEZ Sailor, they will tell you I welcome every new Sailor the same way. I then get a chance to learn about our newest shipmate, tell him or her a little about GONZALEZ and our proud heritage, and share my expectations. For Sailors reporting to their very first ship for the very first time, it is always a pleasure to hear their stories of why they joined the Navy and be a part of their excitement about serving at sea in their first term. It has been a long time since the day I reported to my very first ship for the first time though. So with that in mind, I asked one of my Public Affairs writers to capture a few thoughts on life as a new Sailor. She captured a few things I hadn't thought of in a while. Enjoy...

Every Navy Sailor knows that their former life as a civilian is much different than life in the United States Navy. One of the things which comes to mind in the early days of training for every new Sailor is being told what to wear, where to go, and when to be there. While there is certainly structure to the civilian world new Sailors leave behind upon joining the Navy, when learning what to wear, where to go, and when to be there, all new Sailors learn how quickly they used to take daily liberties for granted. Even for such a simple decision as hair style, the Navy already has an answer. This level of structure, routine, and daily discipline goes a long way though to help the Navy and Sailors, new and old, be ready for any mission and any task.
New Sailors reporting to USS GONZALEZ have had many different reactions to checking onboard their first ship. Some reported confusion from the moment they stepped onto the pier. Some weren’t sure where they were supposed to go or how to cross the brow? Should they salute the flag with a sea bag on their back and all their worldly possessions in their arms? Although they had all practiced their first day onboard their new ship at Recruit Training Command, many thoughts filled their mind as they requested permission to come aboard for the very first time. And too, they knew every eye on the ship’s Quarterdeck was on them. Who is this new check-in? Where are they from? Fresh out of boot camp or time in an ‘A’ School?
Checking onboard the ship is an important event for all hands, not only is the new Sailor unfamiliar to the ship, but the ship is now responsible for making sure the new Sailor is properly checked in, taken care of, and learns their way around. Everything onboard the ship is a new experience. From the moment a new Sailor steps inside the skin of the ship, the smell of metal overwhelms them. Walking by the galley they smell the aromas of morning Navy chow and a fresh pot of coffee just brewed. None of this reminds them of home. Every step is taken carefully so as to not hit their head on a battle lantern or shin on the knee knockers. And why they are called “knee knockers” and not “shin killers?” And while everyone is speaking English, it is definitely a different language. It sounds like boot camp, just more complicated. All of his happens within the first few hours of checking onboard. Some new Sailors said they felt like their head was going to explode with information.
So how do new sailors cope with the change of atmosphere, the language that doesn’t seem to have a dictionary, and the bells, whistles, and alarms that seem to come from nowhere? Some feel like they have it a little easier from the start. “It was a pretty easy transition for me. My Dad was in the military so I grew up around it,” offered Operational Specialist Seaman Recruit Freeman Stephens. He felt calm and comfortable the day he checked aboard. He had grown up around Navy-speak and felt comfortable transitioning from being a “Navy Brat” to a Sailor. Many other didn’t feel the same, “When I reported to the ship, I had to fly into Madrid to meet the ship in Rota, Spain. Nobody spoke English and no one knew where we were supposed to go. They almost sent us to the wrong country,” exclaimed Sonar Technician Third Class Petty Officer David Barthel.
While it is an exciting time for new Sailors and their new Division onboard the ship, most said boot camp prepared them well and that it was important to remember there is no such thing as a dumb question. So what is the author’s best advice for newly reported Sailors? Breathe. After all, new Sailors, like everyone else onboard, will wake up, get up, and do it all over again tomorrow. - CS2(SW) Julie Clark

January Gulf Stream Weather

GONZALEZ Sailors returned home to their family friends today after 2 weeks of training at sea to kick off the new year. We sailed in several operating areas up and down the East Coast in both warm weather and cold for the month of January. One of the more interesting weather phenomena we observed occured while crossing the Gulf Stream off the Cape Hatteras NC coast. Although the temperature outside was in the low 40s, we recorded a sea surface temperature of 76F in the Gulf Stream. With relative winds more than 30 knots over the bow, the weather outside the ship was bitter cold. The temperature differential between the air and sea though almost made it look like the ocean was boiling. As it was close to dusk when I took some pictures, the camera didn't capture the full effect, but it was quite a strange phenomena to see.

2009 - I am a GONZALEZ Sailor

The Sailor's Creed is an important aspect of many ceremonies onboard GONZALEZ. To honor the best crew in the Navy, I incorporated a GONZALEZ version of the Sailor's creed with pictures and video from the 2008 deployment. The full DV version looks much better, but this compressed version was suitable for publication on the blog. Hit play on the video below to check it out.

I am a GONZALEZ Sailor.
I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me.
I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and all who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world.
I proudly serve my country’s Navy combat team with Honor, Courage and Commitment.
I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.