Spruance Improves Its Situational Awareness

N/A, U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

12.20.2018

Courtesy Story

USS Spruance (DDG 111)

Story by Seaman Asheka Lawrence-Reid

NORTH ARABIAN SEA – Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111), support the ship’s mission by standing port and starboard lookout watches in accordance with new Navy regulations.

The Navy’s governing navigational document, Navigation Department Organization and Regulations Manual (NAVDORM) was updated in August with new lookout requirements. The update requires all classes of ships, regardless of size, to have port and starboard lookouts.

Implementation of the instruction’s new requirements onboard SPRUANCE called for coordination across Navigation, Executive, and Supply departments. Personnel from these departments were added to the Bridge watch-standing team, requiring personnel to stand a lookout watch twice a day.

Senior Chief Operations Specialist Joshua Godsey from Sparta, Tennessee, the Senior Enlisted Watch Bill Coordinator aboard Spruance, explained what considerations had to be taken into account implementing the port and starboard lookout watch requirements.
“We looked at the overall impact to the mission and what departments would be able to support the new watch bill,” said Godsey.

The watch bill has since been adjusted to use more watch standers from other departments and divisions throughout the ship. Each lookout now stands only one watch a day versus two to reduce the strain on any specific department or division.

“We looked to expand the lookout sections to one watch stander per rotation to fulfill the lookout requirements while still supporting ship’s services and other mission areas,” said Godsey. “Ultimately I think it is a good thing, it provides better situational awareness for contact management and safety of navigation.”

Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Tyler See, from Tampa, Florida, stands the midnight to 3 a.m. lookout watch and says he is adapting to standing watches underway. “It’s an adjustment, almost everybody on the ship stands watch underway, so it shouldn’t be an issue for us, but there are still some growing pains associated with it.”

Lt. j.g. Meghan Ford, from Billerica, Massachusetts, the Navigation Officer, said the changes are making an impact.

“I think the port and starboard watch standers make a huge difference, they pay attention to the lookout aspect while the officer of the deck (OOD), junior officer of the deck (JOOD), and conning officer (CONN) pay attention to evolutions like flight quarters or receiving instruction from the Captain,” said Ford. “The other day one of the lookouts, Logistics Specialist 2nd Class He, spotted a small fishing vessel that was off the starboard side that radar did not pick up.”

Spruance’s crew has been flexible while accommodating the new watch standing requirements and will continue to make any necessary adjustments to ensure the safety of the ship and its crew while maintaining mission readiness.

Spruance is underway conducting routine operations as part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 3 in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

• Date Taken: 12.20.2018
• Date Posted: 04.26.2019 13:43
• Story ID: 319708
• Location: N/A, U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY