Shellback Ceremony, a Ship Rescue and Final Steel Beach Picnic

CARR Families and Friends,

Although we see the endpoint in sight, we still have a bunch to do.  In addition to executing our daily mission, we are preparing CARR for our return to Norfolk, including: preservation, training, and planning for our inactivation maintenance period.  Thanks to our Family Readiness Group for doing a great job of making preparations for our return!

Day 157 – Sunday, November 4th (Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Panama) ==========================================
Unfortunately, the priority for pier space in Panama is commercial shipping.  As a result of the late breaking information about an inbound cargo vessel headed to our pier, we had to vacate our spot.  Luckily a space had opened up at a nearby pier (the pier we normally go to).  Great job to everyone in the safe conduct of our short notice move.  By lunch, everyone not on duty or involved in the refueling were back on liberty.  Some of our Engineers had to stay behind to complete refueling – we had started on the previous pier, but that pier didn’t have a pipeline connection and we had to slowly fill our tanks truckload by truckload.  As you may recall from last week, we had to cease refueling the other day because of lightning.  This pier had a pipeline connection which made short work of the refueling.

We continue to conduct brief stops for fuel and port visits in Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Panama – here’s a bit of history on the city’s namesake.  Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c. 1475 – 1519) was a Spanish explorer who is most famous for crossing Panama and reaching the Pacific Ocean in 1513.  He was the first European to have reached the Pacific from the East.  Upon reaching Panama, he commenced an overland expedition on September 1, 1513 with 190 Spaniards and native guides. The expedition crossed dense jungle and a mountain range; from the top of the mountain range Balboa’s expedition could see the Pacific. After traveling 68 miles, Balboa named the bay where they ended up San Miguel and named the new sea “Mar del Sur” or South Sea since they had traveled south to reach it.  In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan renamed it the Pacific Ocean because of its calm waters.

Day 158 – Monday, November 5th (Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Panama) ==========================================
This was the last full day of liberty in Panama for CARR – after six trips into Vasco Núñez de Balboa.  This city became a home away from home for us – it seems like we know it as well as Norfolk and Mayport.

Day 159 – Tuesday, November 6th
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At 1100, liberty expired and all our Sailors reported back on board.  In the early afternoon we got underway and headed back out to the Eastern Pacific to resume our Countering Transnational Organized Crime mission.  Great job to CARR’s Shiphandler of the Year Candidate, ENS Joshua Stewart, who conned us out of port (giving him some additional practice before the graded competition upon our return to Norfolk).

Day 160 – Wednesday, November 7th
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Great job to our helicopter detachment – while conducting a routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific in support of Operation Martillo, Carr’s embarked SH-60B Helicopter Squadron Light, detachment 48.2 (HSL 48.2) spotted a small fishing vessel in distress.  As the helicopter got closer, they could see personnel in the boat waving white sheets and producing black smoke from a barrel – both signals of a vessel in distress. The helicopter relayed the information to us and we immediately turned towards the vessel and increased speed while the helicopter remained overhead to monitor them. Once Carr arrived on scene, we launched our small boat to ascertain what they needed and render assistance.

After talking with the fishing vessel’s crew, we discovered they had been adrift for nine days and had been surviving on small rations of rice and water.  The crew of the vessel said that they attempted to contact four merchant ships with flares and mirrors, but received no help. They were rationing their food and water but were quickly running out; one of the crew members stated that he thought they were going to die.

Our rescue and assistance team conducted an inspection of the vessel’s engine and found the water pump drive belt had failed, the vessel was low on fuel and lubricating oil, and both marine batteries were completely drained. We supplied the four members of the crew with food and water, replaced the drive belt, provided fuel, replenished their oil and charged both of their batteries. Once the batteries were returned, the engine started and the vessel began to proceed toward the Panamanian coast.

Great job to the helo crew, support personnel on board, and rescue and assistance team.  Our rescue and assistance team consisted of DC2 Andy  Fernandez, FC2 Gary Freas, EM2 Jereme Fuller,  ET2 Michael McCullick, and EN1 Andrew Moye.

Day 161 – Thursday, November 8th
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We followed the vessel throughout the night to ensure there were no more issues and at first light, delivered more fuel and lube oil to ensure the vessel could make it the approximately 60 miles back to Panamanian waters.  Unfortunately the next day the boat broke down again.  We gave up on plans to conduct additional repairs and took the vessel under tow and proceeded towards Puerta Pina, Panama.  Once we arrived on scene, we slipped the tow and a Panamanian vessel towed the fishing vessel into port.

Superb job to EN3 Joseph Kruse and BM2 Matthew Mudderman under the guidance of BM1 Marcus Mincey and BMCS Ken Feagin who rigged the fishing vessel for tow – almost forgot to mention BZ to our RHIB driver BM3 Eric Jones.

Day 162 – Friday, November 9th
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Many of our Sailors have been busy building their Surface Warfare knowledge and we are now seeing the results of that effort.  Today we had eleven Sailors receive their Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist qualification – there are many more waiting in the wings.  Good job to QM3 Justin Arnold, CTTSN Sean Booker, SN James Cameron; FC2 Justin Campbell, PSSR Matthew Dherckers, GSMFN Tyler Manning, HM1 Randy McLain, ITSN Christopher Noonan, LSSN Kyle Owens, SN Joshua Quail, and IT3 Edward Szwarc!  Boards are still in progress and there should be a bunch more to qualify before we return home.

Congratulations to LTJG Michael Brown who earned his Engineering Officer of the Watch qualification today.  Great job to both him and our Engineers who shared their expertise to teach him what he needed to know to safely operate our propulsion plant.

Although we crossed the equator last week, we had to hold our ceremony later because we had guests on board.  The Crossing the Line ceremony is observed by many Navies as well as Merchants to commemorate a Sailor’s first crossing of the Equator.  The origins of the tradition are unknown, but they trace their origins to the earliest days of travel at sea.  Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are called Shellbacks, often referred to as Sons of Neptune; those who have not are Pollywogs.

The two-day event (evening and day) is a ceremony in which previously indoctrinated crew members, Trusty Shellbacks, are organized into a “Court of Neptune” to teach the Slimy Pollywogs about “the mysteries of the Deep”.  Each Pollywog is expected to accomplish tasks in order to become a Shellback.

The night before, Davy Jones appears on board with a message to the Captain from His Majesty, Neptunus Rex, stating at what time he wants the ship hove to for the reception of the Royal Party.  Davy Jones is then invited to entertainment on the flight deck – where the Pollywogs put on skits to entertain both Davy Jones and the Shellbacks.

Day 163 – Saturday, November 10th
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Today began early as the Pollywogs ate a breakfast of dyed food before assembling to appear before King Neptune and his court, including his first assistant Davy Jones and her Highness Amphitrite along with other dignitaries, who officiate at the ceremony.  During the ceremony, the Pollywogs wear their clothing inside out and backwards as they proceed to various stations.

Upon completion of the ceremony, we cleaned up CARR and prepared for our final steel beach picnic of deployment.  We will be busy over next couple weekends as we make preparations to host our Tigers and return home.

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Jessica Meissner    OMBUDSMAN
April Linton        Co-OMBUDSMAN
Jackie Lease        FRG President

Please join CARR along with our OMBUDSMAN and Family Readiness Group:

CARR
https://www.facebook.com/FFG52
OMBUDSMAN
http://www.facebook.com/pages/USS-CARR-
ombudsman/219688138070847?sk=wall
CARR Family Readiness Group
www.facebook.com/USSCARRFRG

Sailors Name
Department/Division
USS CARR (FFG 52)
FPO AE 09566-1506
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Until next Sunday, stay safe CARR Family and Friends!

CDR Patrick Kulakowski

Commanding Officer
USS CARR (FFG 52)
“Courage, Will, Determination!”