Photo By Nicole Collins | Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Schwarz, right, and Ensign Sarah Catalano, left, conning during...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO – Three team members from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command boarded the USS Gridley April 26 to experience the SPAWAR mission up close and personal. The Gridley was about to embark on a two day sea trial off the coast of San Diego and Team SPAWAR was there. Our job was to see how providing integrated solutions to the fleet was accomplished and the effect it had for our Sailors.
Matt Fleming, from the SPAWAR contracting office, said, "Leadership was demonstrated at every level on the USS Gridley. It was immediately clear to me that the commanding and executive officers established clear goals for all crew members and officers." He continued, "They did their best to build the team from the bottom up and ensure every Sailor on board was prepared for the underway evolutions. I can think of no better way to accomplish a goal."
The Gridley's commanding officer, Commander Brian Quin, and her executive officer, Commander Benjamin Allbritton, believe that being responsible for a smaller ship allows for the kind of individual mentorship that could not occur on a larger one. By conducting debriefs following completed evolutions during the trials both are able to discuss both what can be improved and what was done in accordance with their high standards.
To a civilian observer, each of the training evolutions and tests were conducted in perfectly, but Quin was quick to point out that there is always room for improvement. Even so, Quin boasted about his exceptional crew and the abilities of the Gridley's technologies.
Commissioned in February 2007, the USS Gridley is the 51st Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the Fleet. Part of Destroyer Squadron Seven and Carrier Strike Group Seven in the Pacific Fleet, her mission is to conduct prompt combat operations at sea. After returning home in October 2009 from a six month deployment she received numerous software upgrades. To effectively measure the ships upgraded performance, the Gridley independently conducted various sea trials that included weapons and combat systems events; sea and anchor details; and an underway replenishment, one of the most memorable moments experienced by all.
An underway replenishment is often one of the most dangerous and unpredictable exercises that a ship endures. To prepare the crew for the exercise, the commander and executive officer left nothing to chance: constant planning, preparation and continuous communication from the deck plates to the pilot house allowed all of the evolutions to be successful.
"Let's eat the elephant one bite at a time," Quin said as he encouraged his officers to remain focused and patient throughout the underway replenishment.
Jessica Schroeder, a SPAWAR student career engineering intern, dedicated the last four years of her career and education to improving communications systems for modern warfare. "We make sure that each platform and system has the means to communicate when necessary. We are always looking for ways to make the life of each Sailor easier," said Schroeder.
Network connections are essential in conducting daily operations in the Navy. When operating independently, the Gridley is a multi-mission ship that has the capability to conduct anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare missions simultaneously. A dropped network connection would result in a critical breakdown of communication capability, situational awareness, and surveillance. The loss of any one of those would ultimately compromise the safety of Sailors on board and diminish the ability for the Gridley crew to protect our nation. That was the reason for the upgrade: receiving the super high frequency capability will diminish the possibility that the Gridley will have to deal with such an outage in the future.
In the past, the Gridley utilized a satellite communication service that provided an extremely slow and unreliable network connection. Not only did the Gridley's single antenna sometimes result in service interruptions, it also had an effect on the quality of life for her Sailors. Sailors are increasingly reliant on access to email and internet services while they are underway to communicate with family and friends. Those services were limited when the network was dedicated to servicing the ship's massive technological requirements.
At one time the Gridley could only offer half of her Sailors a reliable Internet connection. All of that changed with the new installation and today the USS Gridley's Sailors can look forward to keeping in touch with loved ones while maintaining a level of readiness enjoyed by ships throughout the Fleet.
The USS Gridley's bandwidth is only limited by access of satellites. While underway, it is theoretically possible that the ship could have better connectivity when underway than in port on the pier connection. With SHF, all of the Gridley's Sailors can access the internet at port and underway. Not only has this capability resulted in improved performance in underway operations, but Sailors have noticed a significant morale boost in their ranks.
"Having the ability to send and receive emails from home on a consistent basis is a vital part of crew morale, in addition to combat readiness and mission accomplishment while on deployment," said Ensign Kelly Fischer, the Gridley's public affairs officer. "Hearing from loved ones not only boosts morale, it increases productivity and motivates our Sailors to work as hard as they do, because they know they have the full support of their family and the nation they're serving."
When network issues arise, the USS Gridley relies heavily on the SPAWAR helpdesk to solve issues with their networks. "SPAWAR provides great value when the onboard technicians are unable to fix an issue, and the Gridley needs to reach out to the help desk for immediate assistance," commented Communications officer, Ensign Sean Hanley.
By the time the sea trials were complete, everyone from SPAWAR learned how the SPAWAR mission fit with the mission of the Fleet and just how interconnected we all are. It did not matter that we were from different disciplines and some of us had never been aboard a ship before. What we learned with every evolution was the Gridley crew is focused and determined to execute their mission with the utmost safety and precision. It is not very often that SPAWAR employees in multiple areas have an opportunity to go underway with one of the many ships we service, but this experience taught us well that not only is the Gridley crew ready to deal with any situation they may encounter and SPAWAR has a role in that. With improved network capabilities and a dedicated crew, the USS Gridley is preparing for her next deployment.
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 05.18.2010 19:44 |
| Story ID: | 49913 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 360 |
| Downloads: | 231 |
This work, SPAWAR Employees experience life aboard the USS Gridley, by Nicole Collins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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