UK MOD Visit

December 7th, 2009 - UK Ministry of Defense for Science and Technology.  Admist our busy schedule of Training, Preservation and Maintenence we hosted Dr. Brian Wells, U.K. Minister if Defense for Science and Technology, for a shipboard tour and lunch.  We enjoy showing off STOUT and her capabilities and were happy to answer questions and explain basic system operations for Dr Wells and his team.  You can see the crew in action answering questions and demonstrating some of our capabilities. 

 

To commomorate Dr. Wells visit to STOUT, I presented him with a command coin.  In the picture above you can see me explaining the significance of our mascot, Yosemite Sam. 

For those of you who haven't heard the story we have to start clear back in WWII onboard USS CLAXTON, then CDR Harold Stout's ship.  Onboard CLAXTON CDR Stout had the bits decorated with a popular cartoon character, Little Beaver.  CLAXTON was part of DESRON 23, and of course DESRON 23 was led by none other that Arleigh Burke.  One day when Commodore Burke was touring CLAXTON he noticed Little Beaver painted on the bits and decided to adopt the mascot for the entire DESRON.  To this day DESRON 23 are known as the "Little Beavers" after the popular cartoon character of the 1940's.

Fast forward to the 1990's and the commissioning of USS ARLEIGH BURKE (DDG 51).  During the commissioning process Warner Brothers passed the rights of Little Beaver to USS ARLEIGH BURKE for use as their mascot.  When it came time for USS STOUT (DDG 55) to be commissioned a few years later the "Little Beaver" was already claimed.  Admiral Stout was also a big fan of Yosimite Sam, so Warner Brothers allowed STOUT to use this character as our mascot.  If you get the chance to visit STOUT you will see many likenesses of Yosemite Sam around the ship and on our command ballcaps.  And now you will know the story behind the symbol.

Christmas Party

3 December 2009 – STOUT Christmas Party.  The Holiday Season is upon us and to celebrate we came together for a great meal, music, dancing and camaraderie with our fellow shipmates and family members. Master Chief Campbell, Chief Templeman and the entire MWR Committee did an outstanding job coordinating the evening. Because of the great work of the MWR Committee we were able to give away many prizes throughout the evening including five large screen TV’s, several IPODs, Play Stations, Wiis and countless gift certificates. In all we gave away over $7,000 in prizes.

At the party we also announced Sailor of the Year, Junior Sailor of the Year and Blue Jacket of the Year award winners for 2009. Congratulations to these deserving Sailors.
 

Sailor of the Year

Junior Sailor of the Year

Blue Jacket of the Year

Olde Glory

11 November 2009 - Veterans Day. We took a few moments out of our busy underway routine this morning to muster the crew for a ceremony to honor all veterans. We had a simple Flag Passing Ceremony conducted in concert with the reading of the poem "Olde Glory." It was a touching ceremony and I believe truly honored all veterans. I have posted the poem below for all to enjoy.

OLDE GLORY

I AM THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. MY NAME IS OLDE GLORY.
I FLY ATOP THE WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDINGS
I STAND WATCH IN AMERICA'S HALLS OF JUSTICE.
I FLY MAJESTICALLY OVER GREAT INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING.
I STAND GUARD WITH THE GREATEST MILITARY POWER IN THE WORLD.
LOOK UP! AND SEE ME!!!


I STAND FOR PEACE HONOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE.
I STAND FOR FREEDOM!!
I AM CONFIDENT, I AM ARROGANT, I AM PROUD.
WHEN I AM FLOWN WITH MY FELLOW BANNERS, MY HEAD IS HELD A LITTLE HIGHER - MY COLORS ARE A LITTLE TRUER

I BOW TO NO ONE!
I AM RECOGNIZED ALL OVER THE WORLD.
I AM WORSHIPPED - I AM SALUTED - I AM RESPECTED - I AM REVERED - I AM LOVED - I AM FEARED!!

FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS, I HAVE FOUGHT IN EVERY BATTLE OF EVERY WAR; GETTYSBURG, SHILOH, APPOMATTOX, SAN JUAN HILL,THE TRENCHES OF FRANCE, THE ARGENNE FOREST, ANZIO, ROME, THE BEACHES OF NORMANDY, THE JUNGLES OF GUAM, OKINAWA, TARAWA, KOREA, VIETNAM AND IN THE HEAT OF THE PERSIAN GULF AND A SCORE OF OTHER PLACES.
LONG FORGOTTEN BY ALL, BUT THOSE WHO WERE THERE WITH ME.
I WAS THERE.

I LED MY SAILORS AND MARINES,
I FOLLOWED THEM, I WATCH OVER THEM, THEY LOVE ME.
I WAS ON A SMALL HILL ON IWO JIMA.
I WAS DIRTY BATTLE TORN AND TIRED BUT MY SAILORS AND MARINES CHEERED ME!!!!
I WAS PROUD!

I HAVE BEEN SOILED BURNED TORN AND TRAMPLED ON THE STREETS OF COUNTRIES THAT I HAVE HELPED TO SET FREE.
IT DOES NOT HURT FOR I AM INVINCIBILE.
I HAVE BEEN SOILED BURNED TORN AND TRAMPLED ON THE STREETS OF MY OWN COUNTRY AND WHEN IT IS DONE BY THOSE WHOM WITH I HAVE SERVED IN BATTLE. IT HURTS!!!
BUT I SHALL OVERCOME FOR I AM STRONG!!

ULTRA-S

8 November 2009 - Greetings to all.  In the past few weeks we have completed our inport maintenance period, successfully conducted a major ship wide inspection and transitioned to underway operations to support Second Fleet training.
  Maintenance is a necessary part of our existence here on STOUT.  Inport periods give us a chance to delve into more complex jobs such as pump repairs and equipment refurbishment.  In the time since returning from deployment we have corrected several nagging problems and performed many jobs to keep the ship operating in top condition.
  One of the other focus areas of the past few weeks has been preparing for an inspection we call ULTRA-S (Unit Level Training and Readiness Assessment - Sustainment).  ULTRA-S is basically a shipwide verification of our ability to safely train and assess our own performance.  During ULTRA-S the inspection team looked at our administrative programs, tested us in dmamge control drills on the flight deck, main engine rooms and throughout the ship, inspected the material condition of the engineering plant, observed as we conducted engineering drills and evolutions, verified each of our warfare areas by observing individual drills, tested our navigation skills as we got the ship underway at night time and conducted a night time anchorage, and finally observed the ship during an all encompassing drill at Battle Stations.  Needless to say it was a fun few days.  
   At the conclusion of ULTRA-S we sent the inspectors back to shore using our small boat and headed out to sea for our current assignment. We are assigned as OPFOR (Opposition Force) in support of the NASSAU Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG) and the  EISENHOWER Carrier Strike Group (CSG).  The ARG and CSG are preparing for deployment and needed a few ships to play bad guys.  So we are now acting as a warship from the ficticious country Garnet.
  As always the routine of the ship continues with preparing and serving food, cleaning, standing watches, conducting maintenance, getting flu shots, working on qualifications, etc.  Since returing from deployment we have said good-bye to a few Sailors as they departed for follow-on assignments and welcomed some new crew members to our family.  I would like to say farewell to the Sailors and their familys who have left us recently and say welcome to our new crew members amd families.  You all had and will have an important impact on STOUT as we continue our mission.  Have a STOUTSTANDING Day.

October

18 October 2009 - October has been a busy month for STOUT. After enjoying a bit of time to relax and take some leave following our return from deployment the crew came together again on October 7th to return to our "normal" work routine. I'm not sure there is a definition for a normal week in the Navy, but we are going full speed ahead again with warfare training, preventive and corrective maintenance, preservation, physical training, medical and dental visits, schools and watchstanding.

Back on the first of the month we promoted our Main Propulsion Assistant from CWO2 to CWO3. A Warrant Officer is someone who has came up through the Enlisted Ranks and specializes in a specific field. In MPA's case he specializes in surface ship engineering. As you can see Warrant Officers wear one collar device depicting their specialty (in this case a propeller) and one signifying their rank. STOUT has the good fortune to have three Warrant Officers in the Wardroom. Congratulations MPA on your promotion.

One of the things you will also notice in the photos with this post are the camouflage uniforms many of the crew are wearing. These are the new Navy Working Uniforms (NWUs) and we are making the switch to them this month.

We also had the opportunity to witness the re-enlistment of our Botswainmate Chief. You can see the picture of BMC and OPS on the messdecks during the re-enlistment ceremony. BMC is one of our great deckplate leaders and it was an honor to be at his ceremony. For those of you who are Naval History buffs, Botswainmate is the oldest rate in the Navy, dating back to the first days the Navy over 234 years ago.

Speaking of History, October is also the Navy's Birthday month. To celebrate we had a small commemoration where we read the Secretary of the Navy's message to the fleet and cut the birthday cake. As is tradition the oldest and youngest crew members are selected to cut the cake. This year the honors went to Master Chief Campbell and Seaman Johnson. (I know it's hard to tell, but Master Chief is the older of the two!)

General Chilton Visit

23 September, 2009 - STOUT recently had the opportunity to provide a shipboard tour to General Chilton, Commander United States Strategic Command. It is not often that we get the opportunity to meet with a 4-Star Combattant Commander, let alone spend 90 minutes giving a tour so everyone onboard was excited at the opportunity to show off STOUT. Even though we were in stand-down with half of the crew on leave, the crew came together and presented the ship very well.

General Chilton is a former astronaut and was very interested in our capabilities and our recent deployment. He enjoyed his time onboard and I believe he appreciated the opportunity to see some of the things the Navy does everyday up close. If you would like to read more about General Chilton his biogrgraphy cam be found at:
www.stratcom.mil/biographies/1/

Homecoming

5 September, 2009 - Norfolk! I've been a bit remiss in posting to this blog the past few weeks, but I wanted to let everyone know that we are still here and are enjoying Norfolk. We had a very successful reunion on 5 September with a great turnout on the pier to greet us.

The crew and I have sepnt the last few weeks catching up with family and friends. Most of the crew have taken leave as we adjust to Norfolk life again.

I included just a couple of images from our arrival for those of you who were unable to make it to Norfolk. As you can see wh had beautiful weather.

01 September, 2009 - Over the past few days our schedule was filled with training events, maintenance, preservation and studying for upcoming advancement exams.
Last Saturday we put our guns and gunners to the test with a live firing exercise. We utilized a deployable target, known in the Navy as a "Killer Tomato" because of its red color, to provide target practice. We fired all of our guns from the large 5" mount to our .50 caliber machine guns. I have to say that the guns and gunners both performed well. As I always like to say, our gunners are the highest caliber.
This morning we assembled the crew for an awards ceremony. I presented nearly 80 awards to well deserving Sailors for their performance over the past months. There are many things to be proud of today as we look back on past accomplishments. The high training level of the crew and outstanding material condition of the ship are also a testament to the hard work put in by everyone aboard.
At the end of the ceremony I took a few minutes to thank the entire crew for their outstanding efforts, reflect on our accomplishments and also look towards the future.
We will be back home in Norfolk on Saturday and of course everyone is excited. In addition to STOUT homecoming this weekend is also Labor Day weekend, the traditional end to summer. Staying safe as we head back to join our families and friends is important to me and I expressed the need to be smart about weekend activities with the crew. Please enjoy a safe and fun weekend with your Sailors. We'll see you in a few days.

UNREP

27 August, 2009 -

Underway Replenishments, UNREPs, are the life blood of US Navy ships at sea. Fuel and stores sustain us and keep us going for a few thousand more miles. The supplies we received today will be enough to take us across the Atlantic Ocean.

The crew performed very well, executing two tasks at once. At one station, part of the UNREP detail took on the fuel, while amidships, another part of the detail, supplemented by members of supply, took on and accounted for the food to be served and the snacks to be sold at the ship’s store. Taking on provisions is an “all hands” evolution, involving all members of the crew not engaged in watchstanding or another part of the detail to strike everything down into storage.

The crew was happy to get the fresh fruits and vegetables, but the snacks were most welcomed, as evident by the line of people waiting outside the ship’s store to get at the new arrivals. I leave you today with some great pictures of STOUT in action.

PORTER Join-up

24 August, 2009 - While transiting the Mediterranean Sea, we were greeted by the sight of another US Navy ship just beginning her mission overseas. USS PORTER (DDG 78) came alongside for a few minutes today, just to say hello. I talked with their CO, a good friend of mine, on the VHF radio for a few minutes and many of the crew were topside. PORTER is also a Norfolk ship so there are many friends between the crews. A little while later we transferred a few parts between ships using a small boat and then we were on our way. Before parting ways PORTER's CO and I agreed to have a beer when we we were both back home. I believe he preferrs porter, but I am partial to stout. I think we can agree to disagree on that point.

The US Navy is tasked with maintaining a continuous vigilant watch at sea, to ensure the maritime security of various regions around the globe. It is a good feeling to see another US Vessel out here. It is nice to see the familiar faces of fellow Sailors committed to the same goals of serving our country and maintaining safety and security on the high seas. It reminds us that as we head for home at the end of our deployment our shipmates continue to stand the watch.

Crew Photo

22 August, 2009 - There are many memorable things about deployments. Adventures, hard times and achievements dot my memories of past deployments. Stories about past adventures seem to become more elaborate with the passing of time. The hard times remind us about service and the achievements are looked back on with admiration. Something every Sailor remembers are the shipments they served with. We continued a time honored ritual this morning to help us all remember our shipmates.

After pulling in to port for a quick fuel pit-stop, we took a few minutes to assemble the crew for a STOUT photo. Although the entire evolution of taking the picture took less than half an hour, the memories from it will last a lifetime. You can see the pride in the faces of the crew and their dedication shows through in the appearance of the ship. It was an awesome day to create a memory.

21 August, 2009 - Today we wrapped up Exercise RELIANT MERMAID and departed Aksaz, Turkey. We leave behind many new friends from Israel and Turkey. The exercise provided an excellent opportunity to practice Search and Rescue techniques and to operate with other nations. As with most exercises of this type participants come away with an improved understanding of their international maritime partners. The experience the crew gained from RELIANT MERMAID will be an asset in future maritime exercises and operations.

The picture of the day was taken from a Turkish helo during the exercise.

Reliant Mermaid

19 August, 2009 - Today we started the underway portion of Exercise Reliant Mermaid 2009. This annual trilateral exercise involves maritime forces from Israel, Turkey, and the United States. The goal is to improve maritime partnerships through increased interoperability and communication between Israel, Turkey and the United States.

The backdrop for the exercise is a simulated humanitarian search and rescue event. Sailors get underway and become familiar with the other navies' operating procedures and practices as they deal with situations that may arise in an actual search and rescue operation. When they meet in the future to conduct humanitarian search and rescue or other maritime contingency operations in this region, they will be better prepared to respond with speed and agility.

After leaving port early this morning, reveille was at 0400, we conducted basic ship maneuvering drills, set up a formation for a picture, conducted vertical replenishment exercises with helicopters from Israel and Turkey, practiced communicating over radio circuits, and conducted several search and rescue events. It was a very busy and productive day.

Below are pictures of the Turkish Frigate, TCG GEMLIK, and the Israeli Corvette, INS LAHAV.

Preservation

17 August, 2009 - While inport Aksaz, Turkey, we have been busy preserving the ship. The great weather has afforded an opportunity to get at some of the harder to reach places. As I've mentioned on previous occassions preserving a ship is tough work but when everyone pitches in the task is easier. As you can see form the pictures on this post we had a great team effort today and the ship is looking great.

We also kicked off the planning portion of our international exercise with Office Calls, Planning Meetings, Lunch on a Turkish Ship (TCG GEMLIK), and a Reception this evening. Tomorrow the inport portion of the exercise continues with Damage Control Drills.

Aksaz Arrival

13 August, 2009 - Today we arrived at Aksaz Naval Base, Turkey. After topping off on fuel this morning we shifted to a different pier to open up the fueling pier for other ships. We will be here for a few days to participate in an international exercise, enjoy some liberty and work on maintaining and preserving the ship. Near Aksaz is the town of Marmaris, a tourist destination with a beautiful waterfront that is lined with restaurants and shops. August is the height of tourist season here and the town is busy. Even though most onboard do not speak the language it will be easy to blend into the crowds and enjoy the city.

Training

12 August 2009 - As many of you are at work or on vacation and preparing for the new school year we continue our patrol in the Mediterranean Sea. The past two days were filled with various training events touching nearly all of our capabilities. Events included everything from Engineering Casualty Control Drills to Passive Sonar Tracking Drills to Small Boat Operations to Pistol Qualifications.
I've included several pictures of the crew in action. As you can tell they are well trained, professional and focused. They are what makes STOUT a great ship.