Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Lau | 220804-N-GF955-1097 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 4, 2022) Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Neil...... read more read more
For Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), the year was marked with changes, challenges, and opportunities. Many of its crew rang in the New Year with family and friends before beginning the homeport shift journey to Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota, Spain.
After returning from holiday leave, Paul Ignatius welcomed Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 79 onboard for initial aviation team training in its homeport of Mayport, Florida.
In February, the destroyer received its deployment weapon load-out during a snowstorm in Yorktown, Virginia. Dreaming of the warm Spanish summer in the near future, Sailors still had to prove that they were ready to leave the familiar and friendly waters of Florida.
To test readiness, Paul Ignatius integrated with the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group and completed multiple standard missile shoots and successfully tested our newly installed SeaRam missile defense system. In March, the destroyer conducted Task Force Exercise alongside USS Porter and HMS Portland – two ships we would soon see again thousands of miles and an ocean away. After completing the pre-deployment certification, they returned to Mayport to finalize the homeport shift.
On April 27, Paul Ignatius and its Sailors left Saint Johns River and the Mayport Basin full of emotion. Many Sailors watched the Florida coastline fade away knowing they would not see their family again this year as others knew their journey to reconnect with their family already in Spain was just beginning. Their first tasking as part of the Sixth Fleet team was to sail across the Atlantic with USS Sioux City on the first deployment of a Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ship to the Sixth Fleet area of operations.
“Being on the focsle as we pulled into a new and unfamiliar port for the first foreign stop was something I will remember for years to come,” said Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Niel Kennedy. “After getting fuel and food and enjoying liberty in the Azores Islands, we continued east and conducted anti-submarine exercises with our NATO allies.”
As a member of the flight deck team, Kennedy had the opportunity to safely conduct flight quarters with the embarked helicopters almost every day and conduct cross deck flight operations learning how to integrate foreign helicopters. Throughout the year, Paul Ignatius conducted 650 hours of flight operations with the embarked helicopters of HSM-79.
In May, the Sailors arrived to Bergen, Norway where they enjoyed the nearly endless daylight of the Nordic summer, but were still left dreaming of warm Spanish days.
In June, they entered their home away from home, the Baltic Sea and integrated with the Kearsarge Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG). After sailing with the ARG and getting their first taste of the Baltic Sea, they arrived to a warm welcome in Rota. Spanish Rear Adm. Ignacio Villanueva welcomed and promised the support and hospitality of the Spanish people, a promise that is lived up to every day not just in the support provided directly to the ship and Sailors but more importantly to the families many left behind.
In August, Paul Ignatius headed north into the Arctic Circle shedding their title as warm bodies from Florida for the title of blue noses. After conducting theatre anti-submarine warfare in the Atlantic, they re-entered the Baltic Sea and re-integrated with the Kearsarge ARG for the remainder of their deployment in Sixth Fleet. The Sailors also got to visit Tallinn, Estonia, and welcomed members of the Estonian Navy, numerous ambassadors, and the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires on board for a reception.
After more sailing in the Baltic, Paul Ignatius visited Riga, Latvia, where they had the unique opportunity to welcome Ukrainian soldiers rehabilitating from injuries sustained in combat as well as the American Ambassador. Kennedy described the dedication of these soldiers as inspiring.
Following the explosions in the Nord Stream Pipeline, Paul Ignatius embarked members from the diving and salvage and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) communities to support operations in the region.
“As a small boat coxswain, the opportunity to be at a center of world events and lead a small boat team was an opportunity I never expected to have in the Navy,” said Kennedy.
In November, the ship returned to Rota for a quick stop before heading to Plymouth, England to conduct high end training with the Royal Navy. They entered the Baltic Sea for the third time this year and participated in Exercise Freezing Winds 22, hosted by their Finnish partners and visited Helsinki, Finland. For the final stop of the year, the Sailors visited Kiel, Germany before returning home to Spain for the holidays.
“I would like to thank everyone from the base staff to the local community who helped to make Spain and Andalucia our home,” said Kennedy. “I look forward to ringing in 2023 with twelve grapes at midnight and beginning a year full of adventures.”
| Date Taken: | 12.15.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2022 10:32 |
| Story ID: | 435734 |
| Location: | ES |
| Web Views: | 291 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 2022 in Review: USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) - BM3 Niel Kennedy, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
