French, American submariners play soccer during FNS Améthyste port visit in Groton

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten | 210902-N-GR655-152 GROTON, Conn. (September 2, 2021) – Crewmembers assigned to the French submarine FNS Amethyste (S605), their host ship USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) and other submarine commands play a friendly soccer match onboard Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn., Sept. 2. Amethyste’s scheduled good will port visit is the first international submarine visit to Groton since 2018 and allows the crew to experience cultural exchanges with their American counterparts. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten/RELEASED)  

GROTON, CT, UNITED STATES

09.02.2021

Courtesy Story

Submarine Readiness Squadron (SRS) 32

GROTON, Connecticut – Submariners from the French submarine FNS Améthyste (S605) played a friendly soccer match against American submariners assigned to the host ship USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) and other Groton-based units on Thursday morning, Sept. 2.

“It’s great to get service members from different nations together, especially such close allies, and experience something that we might never be able to again,” said Lt. Dylan Thompson-Sevcik, who played for the American team and is assigned to the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768).

Améthyste arrived at Naval Submarine Base New London for a scheduled port visit on Wednesday.

“There are two different values to having a game like this,” said Cmdr. Aymeric Schaeffer, commanding officer of Améthyste. “First, onboard a submarine, it’s tactically and mentally demanding, but it’s also important to stay physically strong, and this allows us to exert ourselves physically.

“The second is to play against the great United States of America, and we did our best,” he continued.

After the game, Cmdr. Samuel Bell, commanding officer of Cheyenne, gave Schaeffer a trophy of appreciation and players from the two teams traded jerseys in a traditional show of sportsmanship seen in soccer worldwide.

“Games like this provide a great opportunity to share some goodwill and camaraderie, learn a little more about each other and build some personal relationships,” said Bell, “all while trying not to lose.”

FNS Améthyste was commissioned in 1992 as the fifth in the Rubis class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines. The last international submarine to visit Naval Submarine Base New London was the British submarine HMS Trenchant (S91) in April of 2018.

“It’s very nice to get some fresh air after being underway for several weeks and expend some energy,” said Second Maitre Thomas Abraham, a submariner from Améthyste. “It’s not often a French submarine comes to America, so it’s great to spend time with members of the American Navy.”

Fast-attack submarines like those based in Groton are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence. They are designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare.

• Date Taken: 09.02.2021
• Date Posted: 09.02.2021 14:06
• Story ID: 404436
• Location: GROTON, CT, US