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Fleet Week New York is the time-honored celebration of sea services and maritime capabilities where the American presence is felt at home. One of the many Sailors representing USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike), Master-at-Arms 1st Class Zachary Annichiarico, sailed aboard the USS Arlington (LPD 24) and supported a number of security agencies known as force providers. As a coordinator and watch commander, according to his chain of command, his teams went above and beyond the call of duty. They provided ample security for Fleet Week New York to protect the city.
Ike’s Chief Master-at-Arms Carly Bohannan served as the overall security coordinator ensuring the safety of all in attendance. Bohannan spent months coordinating with participating force providers. She planned the movement of attendees for Fleet Week New York while still handling her demanding job on Ike.
“I had to screen every applicant and ensure they were qualified,” said Bohannan. “It was stressful. Serving as coordinator took a vast amount of time and cross-communication to make sure everything ran smoothly.”
Every movement of Fleet Week attendees was organized through security and the public affairs officer, said Bohannan. A team of approximately 20 Ike Sailors and about 16 different force providers, including the New York Police Department, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, created a command center for security for all New York City Boroughs. Bohannan said it was necessary to remain flexible to meet the mission. Securing piers normally used for vacation cruise ships compared to war-vessel operational standards has its rewards and its challenges. There were a lot of VIP visits, surprise visits, and last-minute contingencies. Annichiarico worked the logistics and coordinated with Ike to provide supplies. He helped provide non-lethal force elements such as, oleoresin capsicum spray, also known as OC spray, for the entire event.
“It was a unique experience,” said Bohannan. “It opens the eyes of the public. It’s not something they may see every day. It gives the American people a chance to interact with Sailors. They get to see we are people just like them.”
Bohannan commended everyone who participated for working extremely hard. She also emphasized Annichiarico was critical in his dual-role of coordinator and watch commander. Annichiarico said he felt a sense of purpose by using his military training. The skills and qualifications to perform on Ike contributed to the overall success of working as a coordinator and watch commander at Fleet Week New York.
“I think it was important we were there because being out in town, the people were happy to see us,” said Annichiarico. “It was good to show them what we do. They treated us very well. It was a great feeling to have people come up and talk to us and show thanks and appreciation.”
After a day of hard work collaborating with force protection agencies, it was time to explore the city for food and site-seeing. For one Ike Sailor, it was a chance to go home and see his family.
“I’m from New York so it was different seeing it from the other side,” said Master-at-Arms 1st Class Ricardo Sanchez. “I got to go home for home-cooking. It was great.”
Sailors who attended had time to visit the 9/11 Memorial to honor those who had fallen. Annichiarico said the importance of protecting the nation deepens when seeing the names of fallen Americans memorialized at the site of the tragedy.
“I was in ninth grade when 9/11 happened,” said Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Emmanuel Henson. “Seeing it on the news versus seeing the site in person was very emotional for me.”
The event overall served as an outlet for great patriotism. It brought people face to face with the Navy.
“The biggest take-away from the overall experience is that sometimes the military is taken for granted,” said Annichiarico. “It meant a lot to see we actually mean something to people, and we are appreciated for what we do. It rebooted my feeling of this is why we do what we do.”
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.27.2018 11:34 |
| Story ID: | 305285 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VA, US |
| Hometown: | NEW YORK, NY, US |
| Hometown: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ike Sailors Go Above and Beyond at Fleet Week New York, by PO2 Ashley Estrella, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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