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By Petty Officer 1st Class Charles L. Ludwig,
Africa Partnership Station Nashville
USS NASHVILLE, At Sea – USS Nashville Sailors, along with embarked personnel from Destroyer Squadron 60 and an international team of maritime professionals, took time from its Africa Partnership Station mission to commemorate what is scheduled to be the ship's final birthday, Feb. 14.
Nashville, currently in transit to Sekondi, Ghana, for the second APS Nashville port visit, is due to decommission in September after 39 years of Naval service.
"I know I am biased, but today I can say with total conviction that this 39 year old elderly lady is the finest ship in the modern Navy," said Capt. Tushar Tembe, commanding officer. "This day belongs to the Sailors of Nashville. It is your birthday, your legacy. You are the last Sailors who will walk these decks, and no one will ever take that away from you."
Looking at Nashville in the light of its current APS mission, Tembe said the deployment is a fitting end to the ship's time as an actual Naval vessel.
"Ninety-two years ago, the first [U.S. Navy ship] of our name, USS Nashville was conducting operations off the coast of Africa," he said. "Today we can look back at our proud heritage and our current mission, and we can truly say that we have some full circle."
To celebrate the day, APS Nashville Sailors enjoyed a day full of recreation, starting with an early afternoon steel beach picnic before a ceremony served to officially recognize the ship's day and its accomplishments over the years.
If nothing else, the day provided the crew with a respite from a loaded APS schedule. The ship departed Dakar, Senegal, Feb. 11, after spending eight days working side-by-side with Senegalese forces on enhancing maritime safety and security in the nation's waters.
"It's always great to take a little bit of time for rest and relaxation," Tembe said. "Being able to do it in commemoration of a great day in our ship's history makes it really special."
APS is an international initiative developed by Naval Forces Europe and Naval Forces Africa which aims to work cooperatively with U.S. and international partners to improve maritime safety and security on the African continent. Nashville is focused on supporting the APS strategy in West and Central Africa.
That mission will continue, Feb. 20, with Nashville's port visit in Ghana.
To learn more about Africa Partnership Station Nashville, please visit www.c6f.navy.mil/aps_web/index.htm.
| Date Taken: | 02.14.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 02.16.2009 17:24 |
| Story ID: | 30087 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 82 |
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