Conchis Living: A Day at Sea

I had the rarest of opportunities last Friday. A good friend of mine is a civilian contractor for the Department of Defense, and works as an electrical engineer aboard Navy ships, maintaining the SPY-1 phased radar array, an integral part of the missile defense shield (and an incredible bit of engineering). One of the ships he works on, the USS Preble, hosted a friends and family day in San Diego.

After taking the train down Thursday evening, a first for me – riding a train in the U.S., that is – and waking up at some ungodly predawn hour, I found myself standing in the early morning light on the deck of one of the newest pieces of hardware in our Navy. 300 guests from around the country were onboard the 500-ft. Arleigh Burke class destroyer to experience a day at sea with the complement of nearly 400 sailors. After being served breakfast topside, we finally pushed off around 9am and made our way 25 miles out into the Pacific. My friend mentioned previously that the captain, an impressive and charismatic man, was very excited about this day and would be going all out to show his guests a good time, so we were all expecting a show, but I couldn’t have anticipated just how far that hospitality would extend.

First of all, the crew was incredibly gracious and friendly – not at all what I expected. Maybe I thought they’d be a little rougher around the edges, but immediately I realized how foolish that had been. Most were thoughtful and kind.

Throughout the day, we were treated to tours deep into the belly of the ship. Navigating cramped corridors and harrowing ladders, we made our way through everything from the mess hall to the berthing area (Navyese for sleeping quarters). We toured the bridge and enjoyed in-depth run-throughs of the intelligence and weapons systems within the Combat Information Center (CIC). Never did I imagine I would find myself walking around the most sensitive area of one of our nation’s most advanced military assets, listening to a lecture by the OS, or Operations Specialist, a senior officer entrusted to make split-second, life-or-death decisions on behalf of our country. At his fingertips are both tactical and strategic options (think Tomahawks), and to sit at his console and listen to him speak of the responsibility – and thrill – of his job was just too cool.

At lunchtime, two massive BBQs were set up on the helipad in the back – ahem, aft – of the boat and we chowed down like hungry seamen. Then came the fireworks…

The captain was determined to share with his guests a taste of the awesome power vested in his authority. First we were treated to shots from the 5” inch canon. Contrary to its name, this artillery piece packs a mean punch. The shell it fires is maybe four feet tall, and can be accurately placed some 12 miles into the distance. He let off five shots – three in quick succession – all of which exploded in the water on the horizon with devastating beauty. Then he went through a series of routines with the 20mm Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapons System). This bad boy is a six-barreled Gatling/chain gun that fires 100 depleted uranium rounds a second. The sound it makes is unlike anything I’ve ever heard – it’s the sound of ripping Death. The gun was put through a number of automatic patterns, slicing and dicing the water as it walked its rounds up to and around imaginary targets (poor fishies). Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the Vertical Launch System (VLS) in action – the heart of the destroyer’s weapons capability – but then again, I’m not sure I would want so many thousands of my tax dollars going to waste on my account. Plus, no need to scare Mexico like that.

The day, all in all, was a dream come true. Exploring such a fine piece of technical prowess was amazing, but it will be the crew and vibe that I remember most. I am proud of and humbled by their serving our country.

Some pics (click for full size):

These guys pulled us away from our slip.

A cruiser entering the harbor beneath the Coronado bridge as we head out.

By tradition, all sailors aboard the cruiser saluted in respect, as did all the seaman aboard the Preble.

Our zodiac escorts. Lowered over the side of our ship, we had one on each side until clearing the harbor. Any time a ship - whether fishing trawler or sailboat - came anywhere near the destroyer, these guys would immediately interdict, shadow, and remain between her and us. We definitely learned our lesson from Aden and the Cole.