Comment

Comment by ProudNavyMomNanette on October 10, 2013 at 1:40pm

I found this article posted by another Navy Mom in the "Destroyer Moms DDG" group and thought I'd share this with everyone.

FIVE Things EVERY SAILOR SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ...

DDGs The Navy commissioned the destroyer Wayne E. Meyer on Oct. 10 in Philadelphia, making it the 58th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer accepted into the fleet. The class has undergone many evolution­ary changes since the Arleigh Burke was commissioned July 4, 1991, although just as many things about the ships have stayed the same.

For as familiar as they are in the fleet, here are five things you might not have known about the Navy’s workhorse destroyers:
1Designers considered building the Burkes with an aluminum super­structure atop a steel hull, a design the Navy used with its Ticonderoga­class cruisers and returned to with its Freedom-class littoral combat ships. But after the Royal Navy’s experience in the 1982 Falklands War with aluminum superstruc­tures — which burned when struck by Argentine anti-ship missiles — the Navy opted for an all-steel design.

2The Burkes have been built in three major batches: Flight I, DDG 51 to 71; Flight II, DDG 72 to 78; and Flight IIA, DDG 79 to 112.

The Navy also had a series of designs for the “Flight III” Burkes, one of which was a 10,722-ton, lengthened variant, but they were shelved as the fleet’s fancy turned to the design that eventually became the Zumwalt class.

3Six ships — the Pinckney, Mom­sen, Chung-Hoon, Nitze, James E. Williams and Bainbridge — have a special “garage door” on their starboard sides to accommodate the Remote Minehunting System, an underwater robot that can swim ahead of a destroyer and search for mines.

4The newer ships are nicer: The past few Burkes, starting with the Sterett, have been designed from scratch to need fewer sailors than their predecessors, meaning they were built with a crew lounge in place of an aft berthing compartment.

5About a dozen of tomorrow’s Arleigh Burkes will be equipped with a “hybrid” propulsion system

— or at least that’s what Navy Sec­retary Ray Mabus would like to see

— that will enable them to cruise without running their main engines. Adding an electric motor to the ships’ main reduction gears would mean they could turn their screws using electricity from the ship’s service turbines instead of the main engines. Driving the ship this way would save fuel and give it more time on station, Navy engi­neers hope.

— Philip Ewing
Navy Times article, 10.19.09

Comment by ProudNavyMomNanette on October 10, 2013 at 1:24pm

Hi JJ. I'd like to welcome you to the group, too. My son is a GM3 and has been with the Howard since December 2011. Paige has been great welcoming everyone to the group. I hope your son gets his orders soon.

Nanette

Comment by JJ4Navy on October 8, 2013 at 8:14pm

Hi Ladies, I am so happy to find this page.  My son just finished A school in GL and got his verbals for San Diego USS Howard.  We are hoping & praying that he receives his hard copies soon.  They were told that due to the government shutdown, their orders will not be processed.  I hope that changes soon!  Anyway, so glad to read your posts and learn about another stage in having a son in the military.  So proud & thankful for all of those serving!

Comment by ProudNavyMomNanette on September 16, 2013 at 6:59pm

My daughter and I were on the ship, too. It was my daughter's first time to tour the ship. She was so excited and even tried on the firemen's gear. Yes, it was very unfortunate that we couldn't actually go on the cruise. It was a treat to see the pinning of the three new chiefs. We watched the ship take off about 4pm - not as early as they announced before we had to leave. My son said they pulled into San Diego around 11:30am the next morning and got off the ship around 4:30pm.

Comment by Natasha on July 15, 2013 at 7:01pm

Hi Paige. Thanks for the welcome! Unfortunately, I don't know if he is in San Diego yet or not. I have lost communication with him. His phone, email, and fb haven't been used since June 21st. I am becoming extremely worried because we usually talk several times during the week.

Comment by Natasha on July 15, 2013 at 4:28pm

My son, Michael, graduated FC A school from Class 13-100 on April 26, 2013. He got orders to go to San Diego for C school but didnt know when he would be going the last time I spoke to him. He told me he would be on the USS Howard DDG 83. Are there any other moms/gfs/ wives with anyone in the same class?

Comment by ProudNavyMomNanette on February 5, 2013 at 2:08pm

USS Howard (DDG 83) Undocking December 6, 2012

Comment by ProudNavyMomNanette on June 14, 2012 at 9:08am

Hi Toni. My son just finished GM C School last month and will be joining the USS Howard in a couple of weeks. How long has your daughter been on the Howard?

Comment by ProudNavyMomNanette on May 31, 2012 at 10:13am

Hello Paige. How was your visit with your son? My son finished GM C-School in San Diego on the 21st and starts the Difference Course today. The course is about 3-4 weeks and I believe he moves onto the Howard after that. We were so excited to visit him on base for the first time. It is amazing to see all the ships lined up at the piers!

Comment by ProudNavyMomNanette on April 9, 2012 at 10:23pm

My son is pretty sure that he will finish C-School in time for the next deployment. We're only about 2 1/2 hours north of SD. My son was coming home to visit with some of his friends but the price of gas is keeping him close to base now.

Have fun in SD with your son next month. Can't wait to see the ship as well.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• Next ›
• Page