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PHILIPPINE SEA – Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan held a day-long cruise open to family and friends of crewmembers May 18.
The “Friends and Family Cruise” was held by Antietam for the day to give friends and family of Sailors a firsthand experience of the work environment and regular routine of their loved ones.
This was the first cruise of this kind held by a ship in the 7th Fleet area of operations in five years, according to Lt. j.g. David Falloure who helped plan the event.
“The cruise was beneficial especially for the younger Sailors with a girlfriend, boyfriend, or a fairly new spouse who have never been involved with the U.S. Navy,” said Falloure. “It is important for them to understand how strenuous ship life can be, but also see the operations we carry out.”
Alongside adults were also many children of Antietam Sailors who also got to experience life on a U.S. Navy ship.
“The event was helpful for younger children who have never seen a Navy movie to have a reference to ship life,” said Falloure. “It helped shine a light in their eye to see how cool it is that their Mom or Dad are on this warship and perform these operations.”
The cruise’s events included the demonstration of the ship’s MK 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), a tour of the bridge, and a simulation of a ruptured pipe with live water in which ship members demonstrated applying a patch. Guests also got to see a fly-by of an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, which was later open to visitors for pictures after landed on the flight deck.
Many Antietam Sailors brought guests on the cruise where they got to view these exhibitions and have lunch made on the ship with their loved ones.
“We saw lot of landmarks on the ship that I never got to see because I am always at the combat information center,” said Operations Specialist 2nd Class Jazzy Villanueva who brought his girlfriend with him. “It hasn’t been easy for her, but having seen where I work now she is a little more comfortable with it.”
The event provided Antietam Sailors a chance to show off the ship in between their routine operations.
“I was walking around the whole time and it seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves,” said Falloure. “I had a lot of family members and crewmembers, specifically Chiefs who have seen a few of these cruises that were complimentary of the event.”
Antietam is attached to Commander, Task Force 70/ Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 conducting underway operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2022 20:17 |
| Story ID: | 422741 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Friends and Family of Guided-Missile Cruiser USS Antietam Crew Experience Navy Life Underway, by PO3 Santiago Navarro, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
