Farragut pulls in for fuel...and to see an old friend

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathaniel Moger | USS Farragut prepares to dock at U.S. Guantanamo Bay, Aug. 1, 2008. The Farragut stopped to fuel and stores and allowed crew members to qualify on small arms.  

GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

08.08.2008

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathaniel Moger 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – As the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut rounded U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay's Windward Point into the waters of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Aug. 1, 2008, Navy Cmdr. Deidre McLay calmly took off her desert camouflage uniform blouse and put another one on. The only difference between the two: eagles instead of oak leaves.

Capt. McLay, didn't choose that point and that time arbitrarily. Currently the executive assistant to Navy Rear Adm. David M. Thomas, Jr., the commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, McLay's previous duty station was at sea aboard the very same destroyer passing behind her.

"I was the commissioning commanding officer of the Farragut," said McLay. "The crew and myself were responsible for post-delivery testing and its first training cycle."

The maiden voyage for a new ship, no matter its size, is always a challenge. For the two years between its commissioning in July of 2005 and McLay's departure in June of 2007, the Farragut and its crew shook down all the systems to ensure that it was seaworthy.

"We went out tested everything, from the missile systems to the sonar systems," said McLay. "It was, without a doubt, the best experience of my Navy career. It all had to do with the quality of the crew and the excitement of bringing a brand new command into the fleet."

While faces change and personnel rotate, there are still at least 100 plankowners, Sailors that helped commission the vessel, aboard.

"Seeing the ship again was great, and the fact that so much of the plankowner crew was there made it special," said McLay. "A lot of them have really developed, too. Alot of the seamen and firemen are now 2nd class petty officers, and five 1st class petty officers were selected for chief last week."

"Being promoted to captain is more a reflection of the crew of the Farragut than it is on me," continued McLay. "When you're a surface warfare officer, your tour as CO determines whether or not you make captain. I wouldn't have been promoted if the crew hadn't done such a good job. If you don't have quality people, you cannot achieve your mission."

McLay's preparations have paid off. Under the command of Navy Cmdr. Scott Dugan, Farragut is halfway through its six-month maiden cruise. The stop here in Gitmo was a working port visit to take on fuel and stores. It was also an opportunity for crew members to qualify on small arms.

"Our crew will experience different tasking during our second half of deployment," said Dugan. "We will be able to hone our operational prowess during PANAMAX, help fight the war on drugs in the Caribbean and have the rare opportunity to work side by side with foreign navies through our theater security cooperation tasking."

PANAMAX is a multi-national exercise dedicated to the defense of the Panama Canal, and following its completion, Farragut will get to put that small arms training to use during visit, board, search and seizure operations in support of maritime interdiction operations and counter-narcotics operations.

After the cruise, Farragut will return to the homeport of Mayport, Fla. However, until that day, crewmembers were happy just to have a little break.

"We're still pretty busy. The ship's got a high op tempo, so even in port, it's still strenuous," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Josh Sheprow, who was on a 24-hour duty status the day Farragut pulled in. "All things considered, just getting a couple hours ashore is good."

• Date Taken: 08.08.2008
• Date Posted: 08.13.2008 15:48
• Story ID: 22464
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY, CU