Photo By LaShawn Sykes | NORFOLK, Va. (Feb. 21, 2022): Six Civil Service Mariners (CIVMARS) aboard Military...... read more read more
NORFOLK, Va. (Feb. 21, 2022): Six Civil Service Mariners (CIVMARS) aboard Military Sealift Command’s fleet replenishment oiler USNS Joshua Humphreys (T-AO 188) on Feb. 19 dressed the vessel in full dress, which consists of a rainbow of colors that included 119 flags and pennants flown on three different platforms, for the purpose of honoring President’s Day, Feb. 21.
Dressing Navy ships in full dress is a maritime tradition in which flags are arranged on a wire line called a Dressing Line and when hoisted is a sign of celebration. A ship is considered “full dress” when the largest national ensign assigned to the ship is flown from the flagstaff with a national ensign displayed at each masthead. Navy ships are also displayed in full dress on occasions of national importance and ceremonial occasions such as President’s Day, Independence Day, or when heads of state embark.
It took Joshua Humphreys’ cargo team, made up of Operations Chief Larry J. Gonzales, Boatswain Mates Jaime A. Castano and James (Big O) Orlanda, Able Seamans Jose L. Suazo and Roger M. Evangelista, and Ordinary Seaman (Prince) Albert O. Dankwa, a total of 111 man hours to display the vessel in full dress.
“During my Navy career, which dates back 42 years, rigging a ship for full dress has always been an honor and today is no exception, Gonzales said. Having the opportunity to dress the ship with my brothers of the sea, helped to build trust amongst us and, more importantly, helped us to further enhance and solidify our unbreakable bond.”
What did it take to present Joshua Humphreys in full dress? Before the flags could be displayed, Gonzales said, “first, a new Ensign and Union Jack was chosen, second each signal flag was inspected, and last, the hardware used was thoroughly checked out to ensure both the flags and pennants were all ready to be snapped into a ring and flown to the masthead. It’s that sense of tradition and pride that propels me to continue participating in these time-honored Navy celebrations today.”
On Aug. 26, 2021, ship Master Captain Patrick T. Christian promoted Gonzales to operations chief, after Gonzales first held the position as an operations assistant for four months, and then later attended and graduated from the Operations Specialist “A” school at the Center for Surface Combat Systems, Great Lakes.
The operations chief is a member of the Deck Department and reports directly to the navigator-operations officer. The operations chief assists in gathering, interpreting, and disseminating all operational information necessary to carry out the mission of the ship. “This is a fun job that is built on loyalty, honor and trust – traits that are slowly disappearing from our culture today.”
Humphreys is the second ship of the Henry J. Kaiser-class. The ship is named for Joshua Humphreys who designed the six original US Navy frigates. Specifically built for MSC, the ship entered non-commissioned U.S. Navy service with a primarily civilian crew on April 3, 1987.
Conducting hundreds of RAS operations annually, MSC supports the U.S. Navy and partner nations and operates 126 civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world, and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.
For more information from Military Sealift Command, visit www.msc.navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 02.21.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.21.2022 14:58 |
| Story ID: | 414997 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 235 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Six CIVMARS Present Joshua Humphreys in Full Dress, by LaShawn Sykes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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