Candy, Costumes, and Camaraderie Abound Aboard USS Shoup (DDG 86)

Photo By Ensign Jayla Darby | Commanding Officer Cmdr. Dale Tourtelotte, and Executive Officer Cmdr. Timothy Winters, pose for a photo in their Halloween costumes on the bridge wing of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) while conducting a replenishment-at-sea with the NRU Asterix, Oct. 31.  

PHILIPPINE SEA

10.31.2023

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Riley Black 

USS Shoup (DDG-86)

Sailors serving aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) celebrated Halloween while conducting routine operations in the Philippine Sea, Oct 31.

With festivities authorized to be included in many parts of the day, Sailors had the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Halloween complete with costumes, decoration, and of course candy, making an otherwise normal day at sea a little sweeter.
“Duty in Seventh Fleet is demanding and every day on a surface ship is a busy one,” said Executive Officer Cmdr. Timothy Winters, from Fairfield, Maine. “Despite this, we are always looking for ways to give the crew a break or pause, even for a couple of hours, to show our appreciation for their hard work and sacrifice.”

Signs of the holiday were seen days in advance when the crew began decorating doors throughout the ship as part of a contest being held by the ship’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) department.

“MWR has been planning the Halloween festivities that took place for the past two months,” said MWR President Operations Specialist 2nd Class Siada Tisdale, from Salters, South Carolina. “We decided to do the door decorating contest to give divisions the opportunity to bond and work as a team to be the ‘spookiest’ division on board. It turned out to be a huge success for the MWR team, but also for the comradery within each division.”

Spirits were high Halloween morning as Sailors roamed the ship in a variety of costumes ranging from Pokemon characters to horror movie villains. As the afternoon approached the crew prepared for a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with the Royal Canadian Navy container ship NRU Asterix.

“We couldn't pass up the opportunity to add a Halloween spin to our replenishment with NRU Asterix of the Royal Canadian Navy, and as we looked to the other side, we noticed the Canadians were enjoying the Halloween and we that we had the same idea. I’m pretty sure that we won the costume competition; but they were a close second." said Winters.

The day culminated with the MWR sponsored Halloween party held on the mess decks. The party allowed the crew to come together for games, treats, and conversation, with the highlight of the night being the highly anticipated costume contest.

“MWR representatives decorated the mess decks, to support the ‘spooky’ theme of Halloween,” said Tisdale. “The party was a great turn out. Everyone enjoyed the ability to wear costumes, listen to music, and play card games while enjoying fresh warm chocolate chip cookies. It was even more exciting to see the triad in their costumes. It was a huge morale booster for Sailors of all ranks.”

Eighteen Sailors signed up for the costume contest with the top three being chosen by cheers from their shipmates. Winning costumes included a construction worker, a princess, and a Japanese school girl.

“My costume was a Kawaii Japanese schoolgirl,” said Fire Controlman 2nd Class Ismael Navarro, from Chula Vista, California, who placed 2nd overall. “I chose this costume because I knew it would be entertaining and funny. I wanted to have fun with it and share that fun and some laughs with my fellow shipmates. I did not expect to win anything from it, but those who voted considered it prize worthy.”

Shoup is assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70, and is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

• Date Taken: 10.31.2023
• Date Posted: 11.16.2023 22:06
• Story ID: 457195
• Location: PHILIPPINE SEA