Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Timothy Schumaker | 160613-N-UK306-019 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (June 13, 2016) Kapitänleutnant Anika Herrmann...... read more read more
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Sailors have their own language. There are things that only people who have navigated rough seas can communicate to each other, and a foreign Sailor stationed on a ship stationed at Naval Station Mayport is no exception.
Kapitänleutnant Anika Herrmann has been the navigator aboard the Ticonderoga class-guided-missile cruiser USS Hué City (CG-66) since June 2014, and is the first female German Sailor to be sent to the U.S. as part of the Personnel Exchange Program (PEP).
PEP lets selected Sailors make a one-for-one exchange with personnel from another military service or foreign service. The program's objective is to integrate participants into the host country’s military as though they belonged to the service to which they become assigned. It also enhances international and interservice relationships by providing exchange opportunities for officers and enlisted personnel.
Herrmann said she found out about the program from the executive officer of her previous German ship, who had taken part in the program and served in Norfolk in the mid-2000s.
“I didn’t know I could go abroad before he told me about his experiences in Norfolk, and I decided to apply,” she said. “They compared the applicants’ language skills, fitness reports and evaluations, and I was selected.”
Herrmann was initially intimidated about becoming a part of a foreign Navy when she first reported to Hué City in 2013, especially since her accent was so thick. However, nothing stopped her from getting to work right away.
“Language barriers were a huge thing in the beginning, but it’s something I overcame quickly,” she said. “I didn’t have time to feel awkward or alone on board, because I was involved in the command almost immediately.”
Herrmann was selected to be Hue City’s navigator when the prospective relief was medically disqualified them from sea duty, so she was consequently sent to get qualified at the Navy’s navigation school in Rhode Island.
Capt. Daniel Gillen, commanding officer of Hué City, is grateful to have been able to serve with her.
“She has been a pleasure to work with,” he said. “She is highly professional, experienced in maritime operations, and was able to enhance our ship with her experiences in the German navy. She easily blended into the wardroom, was fully integrated into our operations, and led a critical division.”
Chief Quartermaster Brissetta Gunner, who works with Herrmann in the navigation division, said there’s minimal disparity between working with her or any other American division officer.
“There is no difference,” she said. “Her biggest hurdle was understanding some of our terms that were used onboard and during general conversations. She was a quick learner.”
After a brief time of adjusting to the ship, she took on all established responsibilities of a division officer (DIVO) in the U.S. Navy.
“I am the first female that Germany has sent to the U.S. Navy, as well as the first qualified German navigator aboard an American warship,” she said. “It’s a unique situation, but I do everything a navigator and division officer does. I teach young officers, undergo ATG (Afloat Training Group) inspections, get Sailors qualified, review leave chits, take part in captain’s mast and so on.”
She said the Navy part of the experience was the easiest part of the transition stateside, with more mundane tasks being rather complicated for her.
“A gray ship is a gray ship,” she said. “A large part of what we do as Sailors is about the same no matter where you go. The smaller things like getting a driver’s license and buying a car were much more challenging for me.”
Serving on an American warship hasn’t precluded her from gaining rank or getting qualified. She was recently promoted to the equivalent of the U.S. Navy’s lieutenant in a phone call from a superior in Germany. She was also pinned as a surface warfare officer, a qualification she will be authorized to wear on her uniform even after returning to Germany.
With her time aboard Hué City concluding in September, Herrmann urges anyone that takes advantage of the PEP to travel as much as possible while abroad.
“I wish I’d been able to travel more,” she said. “I traveled a lot, and I love Florida, but there is just so much to see in the U.S. I wasn’t able to see the Grand Canyon, and I already regret it. I would suggest to anyone that goes abroad to manage their time wisely to be able to see as much as possible and get to know people.”
Gunner said that Herrmann’s time on board will have a lasting impact on her and the Sailors she’s worked with.
“I believe she has been a tremendous DIVO during her time here,” she said. “She was organized, timely, and always thinking ahead. She ensured the division was successful, and that we made each of our objectives underway on time.”
Herrmann’s experience in the exchange program speaks to the core of every Sailor Regardless of their home country. They have a commonality with each other and a certain language that can be spoken no matter what their native tongue is.
“Part of her lasting impact will be improving our Sailor's understanding of other navies and international interoperability,” Gillen said.
The Navy currently conducts 208 exchanges with 20 foreign nations and 40 interservice exchanges with the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Navy participants receive foreign language training, if required, and normally serve two-year tours. One-year tour extensions may be authorized.
Sailors interested in PEP tours should contact their detailer. A full list of eligibility requirements and application procedures is outlined in MILPERSMAN 1306-921.
“Everyone should try to go abroad, there are so many opportunities out there,” said Herrmann. “In the civilian life after the Navy, you’ll never have the chance again. If you have the chance, go!”
Gunner echoes Herrmann’s sentiment on the PEP program.
“I believe the PEP program is amazing,” she said. “I'm unable to see who wouldn't want to be selected for a program like this. We all joined the Navy to experience and see more, so why not?”
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2016 10:02 |
| Story ID: | 201542 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 684 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, German Sailor Navigates American Warship, by PO1 Timothy Schumaker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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