Destroyer Chafee visits Seward en route to training

GAIL L. RICHARDS

May 15, 2008 at 10:36AM AKST

With the increased price of fuel, it’s common to get weak in the knees as your vehicle tank fills and the pump register spins out of control.

Imagine getting a fuel bill for the Navy’s USS Chafee at nearly $1 million a pop.
Commanding Officer Heedong Choi said it cost precisely $969,600 for 320,000 gallons of fuel - and that includes a discount. The Chafee was fueled through the Navy’s ship-to-ship refueling system at sea en route to Seward, he said, where it docked with sister ship USS John Paul Jones on May 2.

That amount of fuel lasts up to 20 days, depending on what activities the powerful Navy destroyer is engaged in, according to Choi.

“In war times, with increased speeds and traveling long distances, it lasts about four days,” he said. “Just to give you an idea of what we’re talking about -  it takes the average driver about 850 years to burn that much fuel.”

The Chafee and John Paul Jones were docked in Seward for three days before joining other branches of the military on May 5 for the largest annual training exercise in Alaska, called Northern Edge. The destroyers were scheduled to simulate enemy ships during two weeks of exercises in the Gulf of Alaska, according to Chafee operations officer Paul Bania.

Soon after docking at the Seward Terminal, crewmembers filed off the ships carrying disks the size of garbage-can lids that resembled giant Frisbees. In fact, they were rounds of vacuum-sealed trash generated at sea, and every sailor has a hand in unloading it when their ship pulls into port, Bania said.

Commander Choi said he sees many parallels between the structure of life aboard his ship with more than 300 sailors and that of a family. Sharing chores and making sure equipment and systems are working smoothly are just a few of the similarities.

Choi, who speaks of his crew with a certain amount of paternal pride, said that his job as captain is to help the crew learn discipline, structure and valuable life skills.
“Many of these sailors live far away from their families and make huge sacrifices to protect their country,” Choi said of the men and women who make up the crew.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to get under way. Some have rough backgrounds; others have run away from home.

“In some ways, we are like a small family,” he said, noting that he is both judge and jury in settling disputes.

Since the main purpose of a destroyer is to find and eliminate enemies that threaten the safety of the United States on land, in the air or at sea, intense training is routine for sailors. In addition to preparing for war, sailors often work hard to pursue educational degrees on the Internet by satellite, he said.

But all work and no play can be tedious. For that reason, a select committee regularly plans activities to help boost the morale and overall welfare of the crew, Seaman Matthew Dalton said. That includes steel beach picnics. When sailors are confined to the ship for days at a time, a picnic on the Chafee’s deck -  complete with Hawaiian shorts and sunscreen -  helps take the edge off.

“Wrestling matches, movie nights, no-shave days -  it just allows people to let their hair down, take some pressure off,” Dalton said.

Unlike the Navy of their grandfathers, today’s ships are equipped with technology that allows many of the conveniences available on land, such as television.

One TV program that has gained popularity among the crew is Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” according to Choi. It’s a reality show that features the tough lifestyle of colorful, salty characters who fish for crab on the Bering Sea.

Choi said he’s been allowing fishing enthusiasts among his crew to drop a line off deck during down time.

“When else are they going to have an opportunity to charter a billion-dollar fishing boat?” he said.

During their stay in Seward, crewmembers took turns leaving the Chafee to explore on foot between Port Avenue and town in search of great food and good times. Out of uniform, the sea of bodies resembled any other twenty-somethings you’d meet on the street. Many had cell phones plastered to their ears in an effort to catch up with friends and family as they walked.

With the port so close to amenities in the harbor business district, at least sailors didn’t have to buy more fuel to get around town.
 
Gail Richards is a Seward artist and freelance writer. She can be reached at 224-2426 or gail@gailrichards.com.