CTT3 Riggleman_GONZALEZ Guest Blogger

NASCAR: First, I would like to thank our MWR Team for putting together such wonderful events. We were lucky to be able to attend the NASCAR event and be so close to the action. The day started with a bus ride down to the very sunny Daytona Beach. It took a while for us to get settled, but after that it was amazing. We first witnessed a Bromus- Porsche race which was intense. The drivers were fighting and whipping around to get to the top spot. There were a couple of accidents but no major damage. After a break and before the NASCAR race, we were able to sign the start and finish line. I jumped at this chance knowing it would be very cool. I had my picture taken on that raceway and it smelt of burnt rubber even then. The Coke Zero 400 started, of course, with famous NASCAR words, “Gentleman, start your engines!” I had never been to a NASCAR race, but had seen them on TV, and I can tell you they are a lot better and louder in person. It was a night to remember, one I will never forget it. The last lap was the best! With the #18 and the #11 car battling for the top spot and a multi-car pile up at the finish line right in front of us - a great ending to an awesome, fantastic day.

FC1(SW/AW) Alvelo_GONZALEZ Guest Blogger

We had a great July 4th weekend in Mayport/Jacksonville. And one thing that (shouldn’t have) surprised me was the number of shipmates spending the holiday together…golfing, taking advantage of free Daytona 500 tickets, and generally enjoying each other’s company. And that seems to be the main theme here…this ship more solidifies a family atmosphere than any other I’ve ever been a member of.

As we are back underway now, the routine has set back in, and everyone seems to be refreshed and ready to go. Training is at the forefront, as we have a very important Engineering inspection coming up. With so few days underway, the chain of command wants to ensure we are trained correctly, so that means more drills despite an already full schedule. Nobody said underway was easy, but everyone really seems to get the idea as all facets of the deckplates have been focusing on training the younger personnel, and knocking the rust off of procedures to ensure we are ‘beyond the call’ come inspection time. Constant Damage Control training has helped everyone reach a good working level of knowledge to do their jobs as investigators, boundarymen, and other fire party members. I have no doubt we will shine on inspection day, thanks to the ability of this ship to pull together and not only get the job done, but enjoy it as more than a job because they respect and enjoy the people they work with.

Summer Cruise_Day 17

Another busy day of engineering drills, evolutions, and a general quarters drill. Clearly, a successful engineering certification is our top priority! There is always a lot more happening on the ship though. Following all the morning fun, CF Division proudly showed off their more than 30 spaces during a zone inspection, we held CPR training in medical, ran a visit board search and seizure exercise, and our Midshipmen finished off the afternoon sunshine with a damage control wet trainer (which naturally involved a friendly fire hose handling competition). Our weather is magnificent and tomorrow is shaping up to be an excellent day for undersea warfare training and exercises. - CO

Summer Cruise_Day 16

Just Another Day At the Office! As I have said in many previous posts, the Fighting Freddy Blog is designed for family and friends of GONZALEZ Sailors. It’s not for commentary on operations or Navy policies or opinions other than those regarding my outstanding Sailors. So while I actually thought about offering an opinion on the concept of the “Hybrid Sailor,” that’s not what our blog is all about. Instead I thought I would offer a glimpse into what we "Non-Hybrid GONZALEZ Sailors" did today.

After an early morning workout and hearty breakfast, our first significant event of the day was an aircraft fire fighting drill. The drill included an emergency flight quarters situation resulting in a helo crash on deck and mass casualty. Our Flight Deck Fire Fighting Team is made up of Sailors who are Damage Control Specialists, Sonar Technicians, Yeomen, Gas Turbine Specialists, Culinary Specialists, Boatswains Mates, Gunners Mates, and more. And as for the mass casualty aspect, while our Midshipmen played the roles of the injured personnel today, they were patched up by a similar assortment of enlisted ratings. Fire fighting and first aid - skills sets for all Sailors.

Following our flight deck drill we expected to conduct some undersea warfare training, but inclement weather at the Naval Air Station prevented the helos from coming out to operate with us. So with so many new officers onboard, naturally I decided to shift gears right into some shiphandling training. We have 9 new Ensigns onboard so bridge time to practice man overboard recoveries and undersea warfare maneuvers is precious. When we have the time though, anyone who wants is given the opportunity to cross train and conn the ship. Operations Specialists, Cryptologic Technicians, Deck Seaman, Electronic Technicians, Quartermasters (even the Pace Instructor once last deployment) have all taken the opportunity to practice conning the ship. When my enlisted Sailors conn, I often put my junior officers on the helm. It’s not random folly either. Everyone onboard needs to be able to do someone else’s job. We have been known to run General Quarters drills where a simulated missile takes out most of the bridge crew resulting in someone other than the usual suspect conning the ship. In fact, as I write this blog post, an OS1 is standing watch as Officer of the Deck.

The best part of every Wednesday is lunch – Slider Day – Navy burgers. And the GONZALEZ Culinary Specialists make the best burgers in the business. After a hearty lunch, we then held two of my favorite ceremonies: re-enlistment ceremonies! This afternoon two outstanding First Class Petty Officers shipped over for a few more years.

Later in the afternoon we held an Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Rodeo for Sailors working on their ESWS pins and then held several training and preparatory meetings for our upcoming engineering assessment. Onboard GONZALEZ, while a single department might be the lead for a specific assessment or certification, like everything else we do, these are all hands events. Everyone is onboard for success, particularly when it comes to damage control training, and more specifically when it comes to main space fire drills requiring the ship to go to General Quarters. More skills we all need to be able to keep our ship in the fight at all times.

We closed out the day with a meeting of all Sailors from Texas. Why Texas? Mrs. Gonzalez is visiting the ship for change of command in August! In addition to the honor of just getting to visit with her, we will also be helping her celebrate her birthday. A special committee of Texas Sailors is taking charge of helping plan her birthday celebration. It’s great to be back underway again! - CO

Summer Cruise_Day 15

Underway Again! After a great 4-day weekend in Mayport, Florida GONZALEZ is back underway again. We got underway early from the Naval Station this morning, tested out our new 25mm guns, fired some M240 rounds, and then went right into combat systems and engineering drills in the afternoon, which of course included a General Quarters drill. After some good liberty it was time to get right back to work. As for the excellent (but hot) Florida weather, I think we left that behind. The winds and seas have picked up quite a bit! Today’s photos include a rear view of our departure and a few practice shots against a very small target of opportunity. - CO

Summer Cruise_Day 14

Softball Challenge Rain Out! Unfortunately the afternoon Mayport rainshowers came early today and rained out the Wardroom Softball Challenge between Fighting Freddy and USS HUE CITY (CG 66). XO already spoke to the CO of HUE CITY though and we'll be looking for another opportunity the next time they are up in Norfolk.

It's been a great 4-day weekend. I won't speak for the entire crew, but I know I am personally ready to put to sea again. Hope all our GONZALEZ family and friends had a great 4th of July. We'll be home soon. - CO

Summer Cruise_Day 13

Morale Welfare and Recreation – Every Navy ship has a Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Committee. The MWR Committee is a team of Sailors who do just what their title implies – they are always on the lookout for good deals for Sailors. Naturally, GONZALEZ has an outstanding MWR team! In addition to ensuring the Sailors who had duty on the 4th of July had a Steel Beach Picnic, MWR arranged numerous tours and excursions for my Sailors during our 4-day weekend in Mayport. While I haven’t heard all the sand stories yet, I’m looking forward to learning about trips to the Disney Theme Parks, water parks, Busch Gardens Tampa, and of course just the regular trips to the beach. Thanks to our Operations Department Leading Chief Petty Officer (and MWR Committee Member Emeritus), a group of 40 GONZALEZ Sailors got free tickets to attend yesterday’s 4th of July Coca Cola 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Courtesy of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter, 40 Sailors were treated to awesome Sprint Tower seats – just a few rows away from the checkered flag finish line – and what a race! Hope you enjoy a few photos. - CO