Reservists Man USS Frank Cable’s Crew

 

Sailors assigned to Navy Reserve Expeditionary Maintenance supplemented the crew of the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) during its dry dock period, April 27.

Beginning in February when the ship pulled into dry dock, reservists have supported several watches including entry control point (ECP), phone watch, and duty driver. Their support has been critical in maintaining the ship’s security force.

“The Reservist’s in Expeditionary Maintenance primary duty is to provide support to the USS Frank Cable in achieving its mission of providing support to submarines,” said Chief Machinist’s Mate (SW/SS) Darren Davis, the leading chief petty officer for Expeditionary Reservist Det. C out of Cincinnati, Ohio.We are manning the ECP watch. This position is the first line of defense the ship has and the first place that is able to control access to the ship.”

Reservist Sailors have been working with their active duty counterparts to maintain a secure presence about the ship and discourage any unwanted attention.

“It gives you a taste of the real Navy,” said Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Jason Adams, a Sailor assigned to Expeditionary Maintenance Det. C. “All the time spent with the active duty guys has been great; they make it worth the trip.”

This gives our Sailors the chance to work hand in hand with the active duty Sailors,” said Davis. “It builds an ‘esprit de corps’ between them that leads to a stronger force when the ship returns to Guam.”

The augmentation has given the Sailors a chance to work on ship qualifications and Enlisted Surface Warfare qualifications.

The Frank Cable is a fantastic place to work,” said Davis. “It has opened a lot of doors for us and given us opportunities that other Sailors in the Reserves do not have and are rarely offered during their careers.”

The Reservist Sailors will continue to augment the Frank Cable until the overhaul is complete. Following the dry-docking and maintenance, sea trials will be conducted prior to Frank Cable transitioning back to Guam.

Frank Cable is temporarily relieved from conducting maintenance of submarines and surface vessels deployed in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility by the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39).

[mappress]
Naval Today Staff , May 01, 2012;