ISSUE #5 - Sea Trials
The USS BLUE RIDGE got underway on Tuesday after a six-month repair period, or selective restricted availability (SRA). The flagship for the Seventh Fleet Commander completed its sea trials alongside a full battle group of three Valient-class harbor tug boats.
Sea trials allow the ship to test her deployment readiness, getting underway and maintaining a safe distance from land in the case of unexpected failure or catastrophe. The ship’s crew also gets the opportunity to practice critical evolutions in a low-risk environment.
The USS BLUE RIDGE completed numerous seamanship and flight operations as well as an ammo onload. She also completed a full power run as the three tugs maneuvered to the ship’s stern, providing forward propulsion in excess of 10 knots. Onboard assessors evaluated all evolutions with an enthusiastic, “Fine, I guess?”
“We are extremely grateful to our Valient-class team,” said the Disembodied Voice of the Commanding Officer, reporting from the 1MC for the third time on Friday. “They gave us the support we needed for very successful sea trials. We anticipate a productive and positive patrol with their highly capable presence.”
The tugs returned to home port Yokosuka for refueling after completing each day’s evolutions, allowing the USS BLUE RIDGE to drift helplessly without any source of propulsion.
“It was good practice for our ‘dead in the water’ evolutions,” said MMFN Katrina Parsons. “After six months in port, I had forgotten that terrible anxiety when the ship goes dark and silent and we’re all alone.”
The ship also tested its readiness for water hours. Paper plates and plastic utensils appeared after only 24 hours underway. Hot water was secured a few hours later.
“We’ve had services from the pier for weeks now,” said ENS Wade Boylston, Machinery Division Officer. “I think we get complacent and start to take things like laundry and hand-washing for granted. It was a good reminder of the rigorous underway routine of using the entirety of our water production for the steam plant and the Seventh Fleet brass’s 30-minute showers.”
“It was a challenge,” said Culinary Specialist Chantel Burgess. “I’ve never been at sea before, and it’s a lot different than I imagined. It made me realize that I didn’t pack nearly enough baby wipes for the whole underway.”
The USS BLUE RIDGE is preparing for her spring patrol in the Pacific region in support of the Seventh Fleet Commander’s mission.
Story by MC3 Rebecca Smithson.
Ship’s Serviceman Third Class Devon Martin awoke hours before Thursday morning’s reveille with the hope that he might knock out his workout before a long day of seamanship training. Arriving at the gym a few minutes before 0500, he expected to be greeted by the silence of a sleeping ship. Instead, he stumbled into Khaki Hour: approximately 30 solemn voices chanting incomprehensibly in unison.
“I completely forgot,” said SH3, chagrined. “It has been so long since our last underway. It totally slipped my mind that the CO uses the gym in the morning.”
SH3 Martin, shaking his head, declined to describe the details of the event, with the exception of the moment he was corrected.
“MMCM Pilar came around the corner in these long, black robes,” said SH3 Martin. “I had just come down the ladderwell. It was like he knew I was there, like he knew I would be there.”
“Yeah, I was pretty nervous,” continued SH3 Martin. “I was expecting some kind of non-corporeal thrashing or inter-dimensional banishment. But he just glared his red-hot, glowing eyes at me and lowered his jaw to croak unintelligibly. I didn’t catch what he said. Anyway, he had a pretty violent convulsion and then it was like he forgot I was there. He yanked his hood back up over his head and fled back to the Chanting Circle.”
“It could have been much worse,” admitted SH3 Martin. “I didn’t get an ass-chewing, and I got to work out after dinner, so it turned out all right.”
We asked SH3 if he anticipated repercussions from his chain of command or the Holy Triad.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” shrugged SH3 Martin. “I mean, I didn’t actually witness any part of the Khaki Hour ritual, so I think it’s okay. Master Chief kinda saved me, when you think about it.”
Friday’s revised Plan of the Day listed the following for 0500: “CO’s Ritual Chanting.” An additional note advised junior sailors to secure from using the gym between 0500 and 0600.
Story by MCSN Donald Wright.
